England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Skipton Holy Trinity

The Parish

The parish of Skipton lies in western Yorkshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Lancashire. Skipton is located about 25 miles northwest of the city of Leeds and 18 miles northeast of the Lancashire industrial town of Burnley. Skipton is a large market town sitting at the crossroads of two major cross-Pennine road, the A56 running up from Preston and the A65 from Wetherby through to Kendal. Skipton is the main market centre for the fertile area of Craven District as well as being a centre for business and commerce. The rail line from Leeds to Lancaster passes through the town making further growth from commuting to the larger employment centres of Yorkshire fueling further growth and the Leeds to Liverpool canal expanded transport links in the 18th century, a major leisure asset today but a major artery for trade in its day. Skipton has a long history, its name is believed to derive from Sheep town, a reflection of the major landuse hereabouts in early mediaeval times. The Normans created not only a castle but turned much of the surrounding land into a Royal Hunting Forest. Industry grew during the period of this transcript, the first textile mill opening in 1785 fueling a rapid growth in the town's population. Today Skipton's industry is faded away but as a market and centre for commerce in Craven it attracts service and high-tech businesses given the attractive upland surroundings and good transport links. Skipton is drained southeastwards by the river Aire, one of the Pennines major rivers, which heads through the industrial centres and eventually reached the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Skipton is sited at around 110 metres above the sea, albeit the more modern developments up-slope are up to 50 metres higher. Sitting within the Aire gap within the Pennine range, the area around the town is hilly but not mountainous, local heights within 5 miles range up to almost 400 metres on Elslack Moor and similar hills. Upland Yorkshire parishes are rather large in extent and Skipton parish was one of the largest, it covered almost 30,000 acres and together with its associated chapelries, which incidentally if holding marriages will have their own pages, supported a population which grew in the town from fewer than 2,000 to over 5,000 parishioners during the period of this transcript whilst the wider parish held almost 7,000 folk. In Domesday times Skipton, as a royal hunting forest, was held by King William and its assets were not separately detailed.

The Church

Holy Trinity church stands in a classic Norman planned market town position, dominating the head of the market place which is formed beneath it at the head of the High Street. Today's building appears Perpendicular in style but documentary evidence and some remaining fabric shows it was originally Decorated and then was rebuilt in the later style. The first build was during the period 1304 - 1307, a simple church may well have existed from Norman times. The Perpendicular rebuild, at the expense of Lady Anne Clifford, took place in the 1480s and resulted in most of today's church. It is internally that most Decorated elements remain, Pevsner notes quatrefoil piers and tracery of the Decorated period remaining. The bold western tower is Perpendicular yet sits within a space that would have been the westernmost bay of the Decorated nave. The church is a substantial statement of the wealth wool brought to this area and is completed with aisles and arcades and topped by a clerestory to let in light. The High Street runs northwards towards the church, parking lines the broad street, which sits in glorious splendour dominating the scene of commerce. Pillared gates mark the main entrance to the churchyard, which whilst lined with trees, is open and with few obstacles for photography once within.