In 2009, when the Village Hall was refurbished, the Hall Committee generously gave  Bishopthorpe Local History Group the use of a small upstairs room in which to keep its Archive.  Since that time, members of the Group have been cataloguing the collections and putting them in some order.  We are nowhere near finished as the work is very time consuming and new material continues to roll in.  However, we are keen to open the Archive to members of the public who may be interested in researching or viewing the fascinating Bishopthorpe-related collections.  After all - you never know what you might find!

What is stored in the Archive?  It is undoubtedly eclectic and exciting and reveals many unexpected facets of Bishopthorpe's history.   A 19th century Parish Magazine notes the formation of the local football team in 1895; the deeds of one 18th century house unearths a mint-still in the grounds; Village Hall Minutes of 1916 record a war shrine erected to those serving overseas; programmes and scripts of the Bishopthorpe Players show that "am-dram" was alive and well in the village long before the Ebor Players started performing; and the York Society of Model Engineers can be seen on DVD running their miniature railway behind The Poplars (now the Social Club) in the early 1960s.  

Who provided the various collections?  They were mostly given by Bishopthorpe residents, former residents and organisations. For example, the late Mr. Tom Evans of Beech Avenue was much involved with the Sports and Leisure Committee, allotment and garden committees and local youth organisations, (he was Hon. Secretary of the Bishopthorpe Youth Club in the 1960s).  More personally, he enjoyed ballroom dancing, which was once very popular in the village.  His participation in these and other activities resulted in a large and valuable collection of correspondence and ephemera which reflected his varied interests and concerns.  Tommy gave his collection to the Group specifically to preserve aspects of village history that might otherwise be forgotten. 


As well as these original collections, members of the Group have also collected, transcribed and digitised information on the village.  There are copies of maps; hundreds of local photographs; recorded interviews with residents; resources such as Bishopthorpe entries in trade directories and newspapers covering the 19th century to recent times.  There are digital copies of The Valuation Office Survey, 1910 - 1915, which provide descriptions of every building in the village at that time.  I should not forget that we also store copies of Link magazine from the 1970s until 2012. 


We have sought advice from archivists at York City Archives and the Borthwick Institute who have generously given of their time and visited our room.  As a consequence, the original material is gradually being stored in archive - quality boxes and sleeves.  These are expensive so donations are always welcome and gratefully received.   

I am not able to put up the complete catalogue on this website but, by clicking on the tab, 'Archive Listings' above, a subject list opens which gives a good idea of the Archive contents.   Throughout the list, pop-up images can be viewed of some items.  This work is ongoing and will be updated periodically.  

Visitors are welcome at the Bishopthorpe Community Archive on any Monday afternoon (Bank Holiday Mondays excepted), 2.30 - 5.00 p.m.  

Otherwise, telephone Linda Haywood on 01904 704584 or email this site at:
historygroup@bishopthorpe.net  to make an appointment.

Linda Haywood
Bishopthorpe Local History Group

Last March, I put up a piece about the Bishopthorpe Brass Band which was formed in the 19th century by Thomas Carbert.  We are fortunate that one of Thomas's great grandchildren, Roxie Wellman of the USA, responded with photographs and further
information on the Carbert family. 

Thomas married three times in Bishopthorpe and had 21 children between his wives: Margaret Stead, Elizabeth Barron and Mary Buckle.  Thomas and his last wife, Mary Buckle, had nine children, four of whom left these shores to make new lives in North America.  One of these children, Arthur Carbert, was Roxie's grandfather, seen here playing the tuba in 1936.
Arthur was born in the village on 17th November 1870.  In 1887, at the age of 17, Arthur borrowed some money, left his remaining family in Bishopthorpe, and worked his passage to America on the ship, Peruvian.  He made his way to where his brother Herbert lived in Ontario, Canada, and worked in the area for a year and a half.  Moving to Delhi, Minnesota, with his cousin Emmanuel Carbert, he worked on a number of farms.  Arthur eventually bought his own farm and married Stella Salome Bruner on 27 October 1898.  The couple had eight children: four sons and four daughters.  Arthur died in 1961 at the grand age of 91and was buried in Redwood Falls Cemetery, Minnesota. 


Arthur Carbert is remembered in his family as having a wonderful singing voice.  He sang in
the Presbyterian Church choir, sang solos - and, obviously, played the tuba.  Apparently, it was family lore that Arthur had played in a band in Bishopthorpe.  However, they did not know how true this was until Roxie read the article on our website.  

We see so many villagers passing through time in the historical records of Bishopthorpe;
sometimes they live here for many years, others just months. It's great to learn what happened to some of them.  In this way, former residents cease to be just names on a page.

 With thanks to Roxie Wellman for the photographs and family information.  

Linda Haywood

York's Big City Read is an annual event organised by Explore York (York Library).  A programme of events is held at a number of venues to celebrate a specific book and its connection to York.  This year's Big City Read is The Lost Luggage Porter by Andrew Martin.  It's an Edwardian crime novel set in York and Bishopthorpe.  York Railway Station is featured and the railway detective, Jim Stringer, lives with his wife on Main Street, Bishopthorpe and enjoys supping a pint at one of the local hostelries.  (Incidentally, Andrew Martin's ancestors also used to live in the village.)  

The Bishopthorpe Local History Group was invited to take part and has organised the following events:

It is 100 years ago that the nation celebrated the Coronation of George V and Queen Mary.  The actual day, 22 June 1911, was a holiday and the city of York took on an air of festivity with bunting and flags strung from shops and homes.  

By contrast, a visitor to Bishopthorpe who wrote about the day in the Parish Magazine was slightly disappointed.  The writer found, "So little had been done in the way of decoration of the houses or the village street.  A few inhabitants had made some effort in this direction, and they enabled one to see how good an effect could have been obtained if only more had cooperated."

However, he or she, writing under the pseudonym of 'An Outsider', soon realised that various leading parishioners were missing, although loyally engaged elsewhere.  This included Archbishop Lang who was attending the Coronation in Westminster Abbey with his chaplain, the vicar of Bishopthorpe, the Rev. Crawley.  The 'Outsider' excused the lack of decoration in the village as the locals soon showed that their "energies and loyalty had been exercised in other ways". He also admitted to having been indulgently and hospitably welcomed. 

So the day began with Divine Service at St. Andrew's Church which was well-filled; the children's aisle being particularly crowded.  The singing of the National Anthem brought the service to a close and the congregation then proceeded to the cricket field.  On the way, the schoolchildren entered the Palace grounds where they were given Coronation mugs filled with sweets; a gift from the Archbishop.   

On reaching the cricket field, sports and games followed thick and fast.  The tiny "dots" under the age of five ran the first race "manfully in the blustering wind."  The little girl who was blown in first won a doll.  Race after race followed with children winning tops, building bricks and teddy bears.  Disaster struck only one yard from home when the two leading girls in the three-legged race lost the handkerchief which tied their legs together. As a result, they were disqualified. 

The adults also took part in many races.  Most interest centred upon the tortoise bicycle races.  The women's race was won by Mary Lofthouse who showed remarkable skill in the manipulation of her free wheel.  Egg and spoon, thread-needle and mixed clothes races were, apparently, very amusing and popular.  The most remarkable race of the day was for men aged over 50 years when an old gentleman of 85 came in third. 

The races were followed by tea in Mr. Lofthouses's barn, which had been cleaned and decorated making it look like a huge tent.  The long tables were spread with a beautiful tea and house plants.  But the children were described as the nicest decorations: "so pretty they looked, and so well-behaved were they that it was no wonder Mr. Sutherland took a snapshot of them."  [What became of this rare photograph?] 

The children returned to the cricket field for more games and sports while the adults had their tea.  Sports continued until 8.00pm when the prize-giving took place.  Cheers rang out afterwards for His Majesty and for the Archbishop who had supplied the tea as well as the Coronation mugs.  While the Archbishop was, indeed, generous the funding for the festivities was raised by public subscription and organised by many willing helpers.

The evening, which was spent dancing to music by a "capable" band, ended with the lighting of a huge bonfire and a display of fireworks.  As the anonymous writer, 'Outsider' concluded: "This ended a day that will linger long in the minds of many who were fortunate to be there.  A happy day it was to all, and the reason was not far to seek, all with one accord seemed to mean to be happy, and right royally they succeeded." 

Linda Haywood

Bishopthorpe Parish Magazine, July, 1911.
The Yorkshire Gazette, 24 July 1911, p7.

Did you know that, during the 19th century, the villagers of Bishopthorpe enjoyed the pleasure of being entertained by their own brass band?  An enquiry from Gavin Holman, who is researching the history of brass bands in local communities, set me seeking evidence for a similar musical group within our own parish.

Gavin tells us that the late 19th and early 20th centuries were the golden age for brass bands with, probably, up to 40,000 bands at their peak.  By contrast, there are only about 1,500 bands active in the U.K. today.  Many bands were associated with local industries while others provided a musical focus for small towns and villages.  These early bands left little in the way of information about their existence; Gavin, therefore, is trying to identify as many as possible by collecting material to enter on a central database.  (His website can be found at: http://www.ibew.co.uk)

This enquiry rang bells with me (if you'll pardon the expression) and I soon discovered a couple of sources of information.  The first lies with Mr. William Camidge, a local historian from York, who wrote articles for the Yorkshire Gazette in the late 19th century.  In 1890, these were published in book form under the title, Ouseburn to Naburn Lock. In this, he referred to a band in Bishopthorpe:  

A brass band consisting of 15 performers existed in the village for twenty years under the care of the late Mr. Thomas Carbert, and enjoyed considerable popularity for twenty or thirty miles around.  They played at most of the club anniversaries of the district and occasionally at York elections and other times.  The band still exists, but its character, composition and management are entirely changed. 

Thomas Carbert lived in Bishopthorpe from about 1839.  He was a market gardener who raised a large family, but still found time to take on duties such as parish clerk and enumerator for the 1861 and 1871 censuses.  The Carbert family seemed to be talented musicians and held annual concerts in the school room under the patronage of the Archbishop. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that he led a popular brass band. Mr. Carbert died in 1886 and it is not known who succeeded him. 

The Archbishop's Extraordinary Homecoming

In his book, William Camidge also made mention of when Archbishop Harcourt (1807 - 1847) used to return to Bishopthorpe from lengthy duties in London.  These were occasions of festivity in the village when he was greeted with enthusiasm by large numbers of villagers. This is borne out by the second and earliest reference to the village band. On this occasion, it played a part in a remarkable story.

In 1846, the newspapers reported Archbishop Harcourt returning to Bishopthorpe after spending the summer at his family seat in Oxfordshire.  During his absence, a new school had been built for the boys, while the 18th century school (in School Lane) was refurbished and enlarged for the girls.  The wealthy Archbishop had paid for the building work as well as financially helping with the restoration of the church.  

More than 400 parishioners greeted him like a hero.  They first gathered at the new school and, led by the village band, made their way to Middlethorpe.  When the 89 year-old Archbishop arrived, a large body of villagers removed the horses from his carriage, attached ropes to it, and physically drew Harcourt to the Palace.  At the entrance, a decorated triumphal arch bore the inscription, "God Save our Gracious Benefactor".  The vicar, Rev. Canon Dixon, read an address to which the Archbishop responded warmly before entering the Palace amidst hearty cheers, and further robust playing from the band.  

From the early twentieth century, it seems that the Bishopthorpe Brass Band faded into obscurity.  Village celebrations and gatherings relied, instead, on the services of military bands from Fulford Barracks or a band from Naburn.  What a pity that the stirring sound of a local brass band no longer entertains us or, perhaps, greets the return of Archbishops from their many travels!  

Linda Haywood

Sources:
Ouseburn to Naburn Lock, William Camidge, (York, 1890) pp343-344
The Morning Post, Sat., 19 Sep 1846.
The Standard, Sat., 19 Sep 1846.