Brotton Old Graveyard
Seven generations of the Kilton
Farndales in relatively close proximity
This will be of most interest to
those descended from the Kilton 1
Line
But
yonder on the high ridge stands Brotton Church; there was to be seen his
father’s tomb, when no time was lost ere he stood on the sepulchre of his
father. Reading words and figures chiselled out, near one hundred years before,
then moistening the green sward with tears of reflection, below where his
father’s ashes lay, then, with slow and solemn step, turned away, and took the well known lane down to Kilton,
when at Howe Hill, and seeing a towering chimney above all; what misgivings now
trouble his unprepared, peaceful breast.
(John Farndale,
The Returned Emigrant,
1870)
Introduction
and directions
Although
church graveyards are a favoured haunt of genealogists, I promise not to over do it. My own feeling is that it is the stories,
photographs and other relics from the past that we should remember our
ancestors by, rather than slabs of stone.
A warning
to genealogists at Stokesley Churchyard
However it
would be remiss of me not to point out some cemeteries in relative proximity
where you can visit seven generations of our family. My father restored the
gravestones at Brotton several decades ago.
The churchyards at Boosbeck
and Skelton are
close by. For my own cousins, the
Wensleydale Line all know that they can find their grandparents in the
churchyard in Wensley.
I can drive
from Wensley to Boosbeck
to Skelton to Brotton and visit all my direct ancestors in
turn, for seven generations.
If you want
to go to Wensley you will find it southwest of Leyburn and the graveyard is not
at the church itself, but in a small enclosure about 50 metres east along the
river Ure, and the memorials to Alfred
and Peggy Farndale and Martin
and Anne Farndale are to be found there, at grid SE 09424 89511. I don’t
suppose this will be of interest unless you are one of my cousins.
If you are
interested in the memorial to Martin and
Catherine Farndale of Tidkinhow, you will find the gravestone at Boosbeck church at grid NZ 66213 16869. The gravestone
stands alone at a spot facing the back wall of the church. This will be of
interest to those descended from the
Tidkinhow Line.
To find the
gravestone of Martin
and Elizabeth Farndale of Skelton, you should go to the old churchyard at Skelton and the memorial is
the first gravestone immediately to the right as you pass through the metal
gate, at grid NZ 65264 18989. This will be of interest to those descended from the Tidkinhow Line, the Loftus 2 Line and the Craggs Line.
To find many
of the Farndales of
Kilton, including three generations of my own direct line, but many others
too, you should drive to the churchyard which stands alone to the south of the
town at Brotton where you will find a large graveyard, with most, though not
all, of the Farndale family at grid NZ 69172 19667. There is another cluster
closer to the entrance gate. This is the cemetery of most relevance to all those descended from the Kilton 1 Line.
If you find
yourself visiting these memorials, I suggest that you click on the weblinks to
their stories below, so that rather than looking at a stone slab, you will have
a chance to meet them in person.
Brotton
Old Churchyard
This is a
cemetery where my Great x3, x4 and x5 grandfathers, and many of their siblings
can be found.
George Farndale
(1789 to 1858), the website author’s great x3 grandfather left Kilton and
farmed at Easby but later seems to have needed care, and he was looked after by
his brothers, living at Kilton later in his life.
William (1760 to 1846)
and Mary Farndale are the website author’s great x4 grandparents. William
was an established Kilton farmer, a merchant of alum, wood, rods, coals, and
salting bacon, who pulled down Kilton Lodge to build a new house.
John (1724 to 1807) and
Grace Farndale, the website author’s great x5 grandparents, are buried
together. It was of John Farndale that the Squire once said, when you are
gone there will never be such another Johnny Farndale.
John (1791 to
1878, the author) and Martha Farndale and their daughter Emma Farndale are
buried together. John was a fascinating character and the author of many books,
witnessing industrial change.
William Farndale
(1793 to 1831) also has a memorial shared his twin brother Matthew
Farndale (1793 to 1884) who died in Australia, but was also commemorated
here.
Martin
(1798 to 1885) and Elizabeth Farndale are buried together. Martin farmed
600 acres at Kilton.
Charles (1838 to 1914)
and Ann Farndale continued to farm 600 acres at Kilton.
The Craggs Line of Farndales are also
commemorated at Brotton. Matthew (1850 to
1927) and Mary Farndale and their son Ernest Farndale
(1889 to 1913) are buried there.
Skelton
At Skelton
Old Churchyard lay Martin
(1818 to 1862) and Elizabeth Farndale of Skelton. Elizabeth was the
granddaughter of the smuggler John
Andrew, who also lies in the south of this cemetery.
Boosbeck
Martin (1845
to 1928) and Catherine Farndale of Tidkinhow are buried at Boosbeck Church.
Wensley
The
memorials to Alfred
and Peggy Farndale and Martin
and Anne Farndale are in the far corner of the separate walled cemetery at Wensley
Church, overlooking Gale Bank farm which Alfred farmed from the Second World
War.
or
Go Straight to Chapter
15 – the Lost village of Kilton