Folk Lore, Facts & Figures

In a little village school when the master had gone out,

The children were delighted to romp about and shout.

But soon John Hodgson came with letter in his hand,

And a drawing of a horse that he had closely scanned.

From Mr Thomas Taylor who in London did reside,

Saying "Please can you make a horse on Roulston Scar hill-side?"

"I've been away in Berkshire where I saw a pretty sight,

A big horse on the hillside with coat so clean and white."

"And I thought of bonny Kilburn the place so dear to me,

How a white horse on the hillside a nice landmark would be."

So he took his scale and compass saying "I'll do my best and try

To make a horse quite big enough my friend to satisfy".

And when the plan was finished and the measurements complete

He looked around his scholars who were sitting on the seat.

And he called out John Rowley biggest of the lot

Saying "Will you come and help me to measure out the plot?" 

The work was very hard, but with great skill and care

The master and the youth both tried to do their share.

And other boys as well were glad to pull the chain

And help the Master in his work preparing for the men.

Then thirty-one men of Kilburn accustomed to the spade

Went to work right heartily and soon the plot was bared.

Although it was so difficult they managed it quite well

For only one man had a fall and rolled right down the hill.

But soon as they saw he was not hurt, it caused a lot of mirth, 

when an avalanche of sods came down which pinned him to the earth. 

And the school was closed that day, but the boys instead of play

Climbed up the hill to help the men to throw the sods away.

T'was November 1857 the Horse first came to sight

With a brand new coat of lime to make him gleaming white.

And a little girl when passing by with great amazement said,

"O Dad, how will they stable him at night when he's got to go to bed?"

From Brafferton to Boroughbridge and far off Wetherby

Also from York and Harrogate the White Horse you can see.

And from scores of other places, and people in the train,

When passing to and fro can see him very plain.

And they come from near and far to sit upon his eye

And stand upon his back, on the hill so steep and high.

And to gaze upon the landscape so beautiful and grand

O'er the golden Vale of Mowbray one of the finest in the land.

And every year eight men do go to cut the weeds off as they grow

For should he long neglected be there would not be a Horse to see.

And when the lime is washed away instead of white he turns quite grey

So now and then there comes a time when he needs a good thick coat of lime.

Thomas Goodrick 1921.

The Archbishop of York maintained a good relationship with his tenants for the most part, and extended the rights originally given to the monks of Byland to all in Kilburn, thereby making them exempt from the payment of toils and market dues anywhere in the Kingdom. In 1780 the Lord Mayor of Thirsk challenged this right, but the villager Andrew Coates took the case to The County Court in Ripon, and had the right restored under a new charter. This Kilburn Charter was held at The Foresters Arms when the Bolton family ran the public house, but we do not know where the original copy now lies. Copies of this charter state:

Liberty of Ripon in the County of York

To all people to whom this present writing shall come, I Samuel Lunn of Ripon in the County of York send greeting.

Whereas the Kings and Queens of this Realm by their several Charters, Grants and Confirmations under The Great Seal of England, did grant and confirm to the Archbishops of York and their successors many and sundry privileges, exemptions and immunites; and amongst the rest, that several tenants within their Liberties of Ripon, Sutton-under-

Whitestonecliffe, Kilburn and Marton in the county of York should be freed and discharged from all payments of all Tolls, Tallage, Pickage and Pontage with all their Goods, Cattle, Chattels, Wares and Merchandise in all Fairs, Markets and other places within the Kingdom of England as by the said Grants and Confirmations doth appear.

Now know yee who it may concem that Andrew Coats of Kilbum, within the said

Liberties is one of the tenants of His now Grace William Lord Bishop of York, Primate of England and the Metropolitan, and is an inhabitant there, and js thereby discharged of and from payment of all Tolls, Tallage, Pickage and Pontage, and doth claim the same privileges accordingly.

Given under the Seal of the Liberty the 26th day of April in the 25th year of the reign of his present Majesty King George the third, and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty five.

This is a true copy of the chatter granted to Andrew Coates of Kilburn in the County of York and in the Liberty of Ripon.

Signed Samuel Lunn, (Understeward and Clerk to the said Court).

Notes on the Charter:

This copy of the Charter given to Andrew Coats was in the possession of the Bolton Family who kept The Forresters Arms at Kilburn until the 1950s. Its present whereabouts and those of the original Charter upon which this judgement is based, are unknown.

The text above was copied from the Diary of John Hodgson, schoolmaster at Kilburn in the 1850s and 60s, and is from the original (i.e. the Andrew Coats version). The date on which the copy was made is given as 30 June 1870.

It would appear that these privileges are a continuation of those granted to the Cistercian Monks of Byland in the 12th century. After the dissolution of the monasteries Kilburn residents became tenants of The Archbishop of York and claimed that they were just as entitled to their privileges as tenants of the Protestant Church as they had been under The Church of Rome. This argument seems to have been accepted in many cases.

According to the Boltons, the Lord Mayor of Thirsk did not respect the Charter, and in the middle of the 1700s he began to insist that the tenants at Kilburn should pay Market Dues like everyone else. It seems that many villagers, not being sure of their rights under the Charter, paid up. However Andrew Coats (more often spelt Coates) decided to challenge the Lord of the Manor with the result that he, and presumably the rest of the tenants, had their privileges restored.

Note the wide scope of the privileges. They apply to the whole Kingdom and to "Chattels" (motor cars?). Also they take in not only Markets and Fairs but "other places".

The older generation of villagers believed that the rights were passed on to freeholders who had bought property from the Archbishop, unless the deeds of the property stated otherwise. 

Fred Banks. 1995.

The benefaction boards on the wall in the Church Tower in St Mary Church give details of various Charitable Bequests made on the 18th & 19th centuries for education and for the relief of the poor. For the most part these are still administered by the trustees of the Kilburn Charities. 

The trustees administer two funds set up as described by the boards.

Board one records the following:

'Benefaction. Robert Duck of High Kilburn bequeathed by his will dated June Third

AD 1789, the sum of 50E to the Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the Poor of Kilburn, for the time being to be paid to on the decease of Jane Duck who died in the year 1824. The above sum was bequeathed to the aforesaid Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the poor, upon Trust, that they do pay and apply the interest thereof, yearly towards educating four poor children of the Township of Kilburn aforesaid. 1826.'

Board Two records the following:

'Ann Berry, by her will, dated 1 st October 1768 gave and bequeathed, unto the Minister and churchwardens of Kilburn for ever the sum of ten pounds; ye interest of which money her will and mind was to be applied for the putting out one poor girl in High Kilburn aforesaid in every year to read, write, and knit.'

Board three records the following:

'James Coates by his will, dated 12th November 1854 gave and bequeathed unto the

Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the poor of the township of Kilburn, the sum of E 10, to the intent that such Minister, Churchwardens and Overseers, for the time being, apply the interest thereof towards the education of one poor boy belonging to the said Township, in the school at Kilburn, to be from time to time nominated by the said Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers.'

Board four records the following:

'Benefactions. To the poor of the Constablery and Parish of Kilburn William Baynes Esq.; and Kitchingman Esq. Gave to the Constablery of Kilburn two closes situated in the Constablery of Sowerby near Thirsk. The Reverend Charles Mann gave 10£ to the Constablery of Kilburn, Sizera Wind gave 10£ to the said Constablery, also to the same Constablery Christopher and Thomas Sturdy gave 20£, Lady Ascough gave 20£ to the Constablery and Parish of Kilburn. With the above sums of money a close was purchased which is situated at Kilburn, and to which a small portion of land was allotted on the Common Inclosure. The rents of the above lands are to be divided among the poor by the Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the poor for the time being. 1818.'

The income for Kilburn Charity comes from lands sited as follows:

One field of 2 acres 3 rods, and 30 perches near to Open Stocking House and on the same side of the road, known locally as the Poor Field. One triangular field on the corner between Oldstead Road and High Bank Road, One field of 5 acres just as you turn to cross the narrow bridge on the way to Sowerby.

One long strip field between Sowerby and the Thirsk by-pass.

The first fund has been extended to cover any children eleven years old or under in the village that after a year at school can show a 90% attendance record in whichever school they attend. The sum of 5/- used to be paid to such children when Kilburn had its own school.

The second fund was for the poor of Kilburn Parish, which today includes all pensioners, originally paid in cash, but today converted into a box of fruit, or biscuits at Christmas. In recent years it was decided by the Trustees to provide a "pensioners lunch" in the Forresters Arms.

Though Kilburn and the famous White horse landmark have gained justifiable recognition by thousands of tourists as one of the leading beauty spots of North

Yorkshire, this little village on the southern slopes of the Hambleton Hills can also lay claim to some importance as a centre of longevity. It is not the longevity associated with the occasional 100-year-old, but on the more general note of practically the whole of the older inhabitants being over 70, and in some instances past, over 80 years of age. Seventy-four-year-old Mr George Bolton pinpoints the health-giving propensities of the neighbourhood as "good 'watter' and fresh air". The "watter", he says,"rises from a spring undert noase o't White Hoss, and niver sees dayleet until it comes o't tap". "Ther's allus been a lot of auld folk in Kilburn and aboot" he states, and recalls his boyhood days when nearly every man in the village was a six-footer. Certainly Mr Bolton, and his three sisters with whom he lives at the local hostelry, the Forester's Arms, is a fitting indication of both the goodness of local air and water and their ages average 76 years. Miss Fanny Bolton, at 84, is one of the oldest inhabitants in the village, where she has lived all her life, while her sisters, who reside with her, are Mrs Proude, 77, and Miss Eva Bolton, 70. Mrs Boddy, who lives further down the village, is also 84, while in the nearby village of Oulston, Mrs Thomas Humphrey, at the age of 95, is the oldest inhabitant.

Unlike today, life took place at a very slow kind of pace. The cottages seemed to have been the same for many years with very few alterations made. Most of them were of stone, and all had a little house in the back garden, or back yard, called a closet. I do not think anyone in the village had indoor sanitation, and most people had not even heard of it. Most houses had a portion of land on which haymaking was done, after one of the local farmers had cut it for them. We were all involved in this, raking, shaking, and leading the hay. The son of the people at the little shop/ post office used to get as many of us young folk as possible to assist him with his hay. We looked forward to this event as we were rewarded with a large supper his mother made for us at nearly ten o'clock at night after the hay was brought in.

The fields near the village had strange sounding names that made you think of who might have owned them in the past, John Woods Hill, Shipley Field, Skilbeck Wood. There were also the garden shares and the little plantings. To get to certain of these fields we had to use lanes like Tig-Tag, Trenchers, Pick and Look, and River Lane.

No one in the village owned a car, but it was a wonderful sight to see all the different kinds of horses. My father was the blacksmith / farrier and so it was wonderful to watch the horses being shod, or doctored. He also travelled the farms doctoring horses, sheep and cows. Dad left school when he was thirteen, but seemed to have the gift of curing sick and lame animals, something he certainly did not learn at school.

The blacksmith's shop was a hive of noise at times with all the farm horses and hunting horses. Miss Cooper Abbs from Oldstead Hall would bring their little Shetland Ponies, a pair of which they used to draw the trap. Big horses that were used for very heavy work, toured the countryside; it made me wonder how a man managed to shoe them, as they were so big.

On other days the shop was quiet and my father would retire to the pub with his farming friends to drink all day. No work was done, but much shouting came across the road. It was bedtime when they all staggered home. One farmer who lived a couple of miles from the village was placed in a trap and the pony would take him home. I was very frightened of those times, if my father had had "words" with any of the men then he would be in a very bad humour. I used to listen for him coming into the house, and I was frightened for my mother although I had no reason to be.

I often still hear the anvil ringing, or see, in my mind's eye, my mother and dad hooping wheels at the side of the bridge. I can still hear the horses and carts taking loads of hay, or harvest, down the village street.

I remember the day at school when a lady from America gave all the children gifts and sweets. A big bag of sweets was something we only got once a year, if at all. Pocket money consisted of our Saturday Penny once a week. Money was scarce, and I remember trailing round the farms with my mother taking the horse shoeing bills.

Sometimes she received 5 shillings, or two and sixpence, off the bill, which meant we had to go two or three times before the bill was paid off. One farmer gave us milk in lieu of his three horses being shod regularly, and we got meat from the butcher in the same way.

Most of the village was owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and Rent Day was held once a year at the pub where a big dinner was provided for those about to pay their rent The three Miss Boltons and their brother John ran the pub until John died in early middle age. They were such nice ladies and lived at the pub most of their lives. In those days people were strong, worked very hard and ate well making rent day the hardest day in the year for the Boltons.

If anyone wished to get to the little market town 6 miles away they either had to walk there and back, or went on the Carrier's Wagon. Occasionally we went for the day in our summer holidays. It was a big treat and I enjoyed listening to the folk talking and joking in their broad Yorkshire accent, and watching the scenery go by from the back of the covered wagon. It was such a leisurely drive.

There were around 170 people in the village then, and so everyone knew each other. Entertainment was what you could make at home, or through the little happenings in the village. On a summer's evening my friend Janet and I would go sticking. I think we just about cleared all the hedges of dead wood. Some farmers were not well pleased about this and told us off, but we did enjoy doing it and it meant we always had plenty of wood to heat the old oven in which the cooking was done.

The village was very pretty as it had a stream running down one side of the road and little bridges to cross to the houses on that side. The road from Thirsk descended Butterhill and passed through a ford before it turned down the main street. If there had been a lot of rain the water in the ford would become very deep.

The main part of the village contained the joiner's shop, the blacksmith's shop, the shop/post office, the pub, the school, and behind the square stood the church in its churchyard. The joiner's shop was a flat building behind the pub with another smaller shop across the road. Mr Thompson, two of his brothers and several men worked there making oak furnishings on each of which was carved a mouse as a trademark. Any boy leaving school to become an apprentice thought himself very lucky. One of my brothers went to work for Mr Thompson. He earned 7 shillings a week, and he loved it. In order to earn a little more money my brother would go rabbiting, setting traps and snares to catch them. He would get up very early in the morning to check his traps walking many miles across the fields to do so. One of my favourite dinners was young rabbit pie with new potatoes, fresh peas and a bit of bacon.

Each house baked regularly. We always looked forward to a plate pie such as apple, gooseberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, red currant, rhubarb, and of course, blackberry. When the brambles were ripe we would go off for the whole day picking and return with stones of fruit. At the same time we would climb our favourite apple tree to gather the fruit. They had such lovely names, Lemon Pippin, Flowery Town, Fair Maid, Dry Bottle, Honey Apple, Keswick and Cock Pit. Once home again mother would start making pies, and jam. She had to stir the large brass pan over the fire constantly for fear of the jam burning. Any spare fruit was sold in Thirsk.

In the winter evenings we made clipped rugs from old clothes. As our family was large we had a large supply of garments that could be cut up. The rugs were made on a quilting frame that held a candle at each end so that we could see what we were doing. The finished rugs would go down on the floor instead of carpets. My brothers would play the violin, by ear, and my dad played the concertina, or melodeon. I liked to go to the farm to collect the milk morning and evening. The farmer could also play the melodeon, and he sang to me whilst the summer crickets chirped in time with his song.

When anyone in the village died there was a big ceremony. All the relations got black-edged funeral cards. I remember my mother took me to a funeral tea in the long musty room at the pub. The tables just groaned with food, but everyone looked so sombre in their deep black clothes.

There were a few unusual characters in the village. One man, who was lame, had a white beard and was known as Lame George; he used to hobble to the blacksmith's bridge and watch Dad shoe horses. Another man was very quaint and was called Dicky Lee. Acorn Mary was an old lady who lived in a tiny, single floored, two-roomed house at the top end of the village.

I thought the girls in their teens looked very bonny; one in particular lived at the high village and some of us would visit her house to have our hair cut for 6 pence a time. In the old granary at the village farm were held dancing classes, where a young woman from the next village played a piano. A very bonny young lady, who was an excellent dancer, taught the young folk to dance. I was not allowed to join the class as I had not left school, but would sneak up our orchard and along Back Lane to watch and listen.

My youngest brother was nearly 7 years old when my sister was born. In the village there was always one person who would act as midwife, and this time it was Janet's mother who came. Janet and I were helping her in the house until we were bustled out. We were dying to know if the baby was a girl as I was the only girl amongst six boys. The doctor was an Irishman and although he was always kind to mother I was frightened of him and would hide in the cupboard under the stairs if I saw him coming. However on this occasion I held my ground and we watched him arrive and then, some time later, depart.

We went to the back door and opened it very gently. Inside Dad and Mrs Mawe were arguing about the weight of the baby; we heard her say, "It's a girl". The door squeaked as we closed it and Mrs Mawe shouted that we were to get away as she could not be bothered with us just then-

When Dorothy grew up a little she was just like a tiny doll, Dad and I would stand her on the kitchen table and make her sing in broad Yorkshire "You're all jolly fellows that follow the plough", it really was laughable. Even when very small she would stand outside the school waiting for me to come out; being 13 yrs old I just could not be bothered with her all the time. I used to tell her " Get away home I don't want you", and she would cry all the way home to mother.

All the men had their own favourite song, my Dad's was "The buds upon the tree" and he was the only one that sang it.

Each year the chapel and church people had their day outing. Miss Hind, the schoolmistress, would take any children who could not go on this outing up the common under the White Horse where wild strawberries grew. When we returned we were given sweeties and no more lessons that day.

Janet's mother took in visitors from London, Oxford, Newcastle, Bradford, Leeds and York. As there were no buses they either walked here, or came by pony and trap from Coxwold Station.

When Dorothy was little, Robert's grandad, Mr R Thompson, sometimes gave Dorothy and Robert one shilling on a Saturday morning to go into Thirsk to the pictures. The money covered the journey there and back, the pictures, and fish and chips.

The main day of the week was Saturday when the cricket match was played. The team used to play all the surrounding villages, and if the game was away there were few people left in Kilburn.

“Raining Sou more dow (Rain from the South, more bad weather)”

“When cats run round and round before the fire, bad weather is on the way”

“An old moon mist is worth gold in a kist”

“There will be as many frosts in May as there are fogs in March”

Candlemas (Feb. 2nd) — “If the sun shines before noon winter isn't half done”

“Michaelmas (Sep. 29th) — “The buck rises with a dry horn, a good sign on Michaelmas morn”

Several places named "Park" are a reminder that Kilburn included part of a hunting park for Norman and perhaps later kings. A number of old farms, such as Stocking, Osgodby, Wilden, are on the sites of monastic granges. 

Hambleton - this was spelt Hamelton in 1160, and so pronounced by Wesley and by natives to this day.

The church tithe map of 1847 includes the following interesting and picturesque names:

- PICKLE NOOK (a piece of rough ground where pigs are kept)

- CONEY GARTH (either a field infested with rabbits or the site of a small warren) 

- KIRK INGS (wet land belonging to the to the Church).

- INTAK (a piece of land taken in from the waste).

- PRIEST BRIG. 

- BUTTER HILL - Bitter Hill in the 19th century - (also the name of the steep hill leading out of the village towards Thirsk. To climb it must have been a bitter task for horses or oxen, pulling their cartloads to market) 

- POOR FIELD (still held by Kilburn Charity) 

- THISTLE CLOSE, CELL GARTH (marking the site of an ancient religious cell?) 

- BECK INGS, LAMP INGS (perhaps the rent maintained a light before the altar in the church) 

- OLD WIFE CLOSE, LITTLE THIEF HOLES (possibly a hide for the gangs of thieves which frequently raided the monastic flocks and herds in the 14th and 15th centuries) 

- BEAN FIELD, LICORICE FIELD, TWELVE DAYS MOWING, BLEACH

Although his baptism is not recorded in the Kilburn register, John Harte was born in the parish at Lund Grange, and "was scholler att Cuckwold" (Coxwold). He became Alderman and Lord Mayor of London, was knighted, and in 1602 founded a free grammar school at Coxwold.

May 1st , 1632: "buried, Anna Jacksonne an ancient virgin or at least to any man's knowledge a mayde."

Nov.20th , 1681: "Mr Hodgesone (the Minister) did certifi John Flecher, Churchwarden of olde stead, that he had no affedavet for the bewrying of Catherin Johnsonne in wollin within eight days." (An Act of 1678 required everyone to be buried in woollen, and an affidavit to be made, within eight days, that the law had been complied with).

18th century entries show that there were three or four Papist families, and seven or eight of the Quaker persuasion, in the parish.

Occupations: these lists show how much more self-sufficient the village was in olden days:

1740-1800: cow doctor, tanner, shoemaker, carpenter, butcher, Freemason, cooper, blacksmith, farmer, gardener, firkin maker, labourer, bleacher, glover, webster, tailor, weaver, flax dresser cordwainer.

Note the high number of occupations related to cloth and clothing. This is a legacy of the industries founded by the monks several centuries earlier. The registers also reveal that a Linen Manufacturer was living in the village in the 18th century.

1801-44: soldier, collier, clogger, wood valuer, Officer of Excise, miller, basket maker, Parish Clerk, jobber, innkeeper, game keeper, school master, thatcher, trainer and publican, groom, hawker.

1845-98: sergeant, policeman, travelling stall keeper, huckster, coachman, shepherd, fell monger, shopkeeper, bricklayer, plate layer ('69), ham factor, malster, goods porter ('75), dog breaker, artist, horse breaker, hind, station-master.

"I am now turned 70 years of age and it has always been a custom for the Minister to choose one Churchwarden and the Parish the other in my time and my Father's before me" (George Sharrow, Parish Clerk of Kilburn, 1812).

The Accounts give a complete list of the holders of this ancient office from 1759, throw light on local customs "sacred and secular," and in the sometimes phonetic spelling indicate the local pronunication of words.

For long the Sacrament (Holy Communion) was celebrated only 3 or 4 times a year, but evidently (as the 1743 Return indicates) most of the villagers were communicants — Easter 1759 wine 4 gallons 3 pints at 5/6, bread 2d. 1760 wine for the whole year £2 12s. 6d. The Altar Table had a Sir (Cere or Wax) Cloth and a covering of Broad Cloth. The Minister wore a Surplice, which was washed periodically and kept in a special bag.

The bells rang for the Coronation of George Ill in 1761, and also each November 5th up to 1860 at least, for Goon Pouther & Plot. Treating the Singers, including those from Sesa and Oswellkirk, was an annual item, and 3/- went on ale at blessing in (?induction) in 1768.

1774 - Menden seek wife seat (mending the churching seat) 1/-.

1775 - A dour snek 2d.

1776 - Introduces the singing master 16/-; he presumably conducted the singers and the village orchestra which accompanied them in the psalms and hymns. In connection with this music are sundry purchases of a pitchpipe, fiddlestrings, base fiddle, 2 Brig Fidels (this last followed by an ominous entry Bad with the Book El 7s. 5 1/2d.), Strings and Scrus for the Bas Viol, Strings for Violin, Bassoon €2 2s. Od., Reeds for do. 3/-, Bass Fiddle £2, New Tune Book 4/- (1845); the last such entry is in 1856, when presumably the orchestra was sadly disbanded; in 1866 repairs to the usurping Harmonium cost 10/-.

1865 - 27lbs. of candles at El Os. 1 1/2d. light the church, but next year 2 Lamps are bought for 18/- and 2 qts. of Paraffin Oil for 1/6d.

1856 - Coke for Stoves 7c. 3q. for 6/102d.; 1862 it is agreed that Thos. Sharrow receive in future 12s. a year for lighting them.

1877 - Church Hymn Book for Harmonium 3/6d.

The church is decorated at Christmas 1879 - Balls of Twine 1/-, and next Christmas Decorations cost 2/6d.

The Harmonium is evidently superseded by an Organ in 1885, when the Blower is paid 10/-.

Other Items — killing a fox, or a fox head, 1/-; gripen in churchyard 1/-; 1805. Paid to Priest for Righting Redchesters 6/- (it was usual to get the parish priest to write out a fair copy of the year's entries in the Register and send it to the Bishop's Registry); 1814. Hatt Pins 6/6d. 1847. Lime at Thirsk Station 1/7 Jn. Ellis for New Font £3.

Names of early priests are not yet known

1438 Richard Yearsley 'parish priest'.

1439 John Shipton 'priest at Hood'.

1528 Christopher Rayner 'priest at Kilbum' ('TheKirk of our Lady of Kilburn')

1556 Christopher Rayner.

1590 John Foster

1596 George Buck 'curate'.

1600-7 Christopher Myton 'curate' .

1607-12 John Shimming 'minster'.

1612 Timothy Humble, M.A. 'minister'.

1612-14 Robert Sewell, B.A.

1623-40 Christopher Raper, M.A. 'curate'.

1626 Edward Evans, M.A.

1640-77 John White 'minister'.

1677-87 Thomas Hodgson, B A. 'minister'. 

1687-91 ... Watson. 

1691-1701.… Brown.

1701-2 Charles Man 'pastor'.

1721-2 Richard Brown 'curate'.

1722-40 Robert Peirson, M.A. 'curate' 

1740-43 ... Midgley.

1743 John Dealatry, Rector of Skirpenbeck, 'minister'.

1743-53 Richard Wilkinson 'assistant curate'.

1748 A. Temple.

1753-81 Eustace Cass, B.A. 'curate', Vicar of Thirkleby 1750.

1781-1802 Richard Barton 'assistant curate'.

1802-4 Robert Birkett 'curate'.

1804-64 Thomas Barker, M.A. 'curate' , Vicar of Thirkleby.

1848-56 M. Welburn 'curate'.

1856-64 John Swainson 'curate'.

1864-70 Robert David Jackson 'curate'. Vicars of Kilburn

1868-79 George Richardson.

1879-1914 Ralph Prowde, M.A.

1914-27 Hezekiah Astley Kemp Hawkins. 

1927-36 Albert John Perkins, B A.

1936-45 Ernest Wrangham Clarke, M.A.

1945-49 Thomas William Collis.

1949-55 John Bromley, B.A. (MAN.).

Vicars of Thirkleby with Kilburn and Bagby

1955-60 Lawrence Frank Peltor, M.A. (OXON.)

1960-89 John Howard Barclay Douglas, B .A. (DUNELM.) 

1989-2000 David George Biles, M.A., A.K.C., S.Th.

2003-09 Robin William Davill

Vicars of Sowerby, Sessay and Thirkleby with Kilburn and Bagby

2012-19 Nicola Jane Carnall