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

The Parish

The parish of Holy Trinity, Ripon lies in the western portion of central Yorkshire, close to the northern border of the West Riding with the North Riding. The parish was created in 1827 from that of Ripon Cathedral (St Peter & St Wilfrid). Ripon is located roughly 23 miles northwest of the county town of York and 11 miles north of Harrogate. Ripon sits on the A61 road (which thankfully now bypasses to its east) linking Harrogate with Thirsk and the A1 (Great North Road). Ripon is one the countries cathedral city, that right being granted during the reign of William IV as well as a large market town. The early Ripon had a tumultuous history, mentioned as early as the 7th century it was sacked by Nordic forces during the Viking period and also laid to ruin during the Norman reprisals (the Harrowing of the North) following rebellion against William the conqueror. The town survived these depredations and by the 12th century was granted a market and borough status. Through the main medieval period Ripon was a substantial regional market town and noted manufacturer of textiles as well as horse riding spurs and saddles. By the late 16th century the industry has begun to move elsewhere due to industrial developments leaving Ripon to remain simply a large regional market town and cathedral city as it does to this day. The wider parish, assigned to the cathedral covered a very extensive area of the county including several chapelries each of which will have their own page in this project if licensed for marriages during the project period. Holy Trinity parish was largely confined to the city centre. The wider parish would have earned its living from a mixture of pastoral, dominant, and arable farming like much of the Vale of York. Modern developments have come to the city and some have stayed, the River Ure was navigable for small craft up to close to Ripon and the Ripon Canal extended that in both capacity and proximity to the city. A railway line, however, connecting Ripon with both Leeds and Thirsk closed and has been largely removed. Today Ripon remains both a cathedral city drawing expected tourism and its race course maintains the tradition with the sport of Kings on grounds to its southeast. The city sits just west of the convergence of the Rivers Skell and Ure with the latter headed southeast draining much of the extensive parish, the Ure joins the other Dales rivers in meeting the sea through the Humber Estuary. Ripon is sited at between 30 metres, at the centre, whilst its northwestern suburbs rise almost to 60 metres away from the rivers, land continues rising steadily if gently westwards reaching a spot height of 144 metres close to nearby Winksley. Holy Trinity parish had a tiny acreage and also a small population during the period of this transcript. The Domesday entry is slightly ambiguous in that it does report Ripon as "waste" but also records it as held by the Archbishop of York offering 17 ploughs, meadows and woodland and also both a mill and a fishery.

The Church

Holy Trinity church stands on the junction of Church Lane with Kirkby Road and was built between 1826 & 1827 being available for marriages at the very end of that latter year. Financing for the church came from a local doctor "for Christian purposes". The church is built in the style of the Early English Gothic of the 13th century with extensive use of the characteristic lancet styled openings used in that period. Unusually it has transepts but instead of a central crossing tower the tall tower and breach spire sit to the west. Despite its relatively recent creation there has been time for changes with galleries removed in both 1883and 1902 whilst the early 21st century saw an access ramp created to the church's basement which descends in concentric semi-circles. If fortunate there are parking slots available along Church Lane from where excellent views of the eastern end can be had, sadly for the photographer most other angles are impeded by foliage requiring careful selection of angles.