England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Thormanby St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Thormanby lies in the southern portion of Yorkshire's North Riding roughly 6 miles southeast of the market town of Thirsk. Thormanby sits on the A19 road which links Thirsk with the city of York. Thormanby is a small estate village gathered around its hall, most of the acreage being held by Viscount Downe at the time of this trancript, and with most properties lining the A19. Thormanby sits on the eastern edges of a broad clay-rich plain lying east of the course of the River Swale, the soil being heavy would have been largely set to pasture at the time of this transcript but with heavy machinery nowadays is largely arable. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, a branch railway line connecting the nearby East Coast main railway line with Malton has closed and been largely dismantled. Being largely flat the drainage is rather sketchy but trends westwards to become the Birdforth beck before joining the Swale, like all the Dales' rivers the Swale makes its way to the Humber Estuary and thus to the North Sea. Thormanby is sited at around 50 metres above the sea but land rises eastwards into much higher ground reaching 159 metres at the prehistoric Cross Dyke east of Oulston. Thormanby parish was rather small for its area covering just 900 acres and supporting close to 150 parishioners. Thormanby's Domesday entry shows the impact of the "Harrowing of the North" being largely described as waste, now held directly by King William it had recovered sufficiently to offer 5 ploughs, extensive pastures and woodland and also had a mill.

The Church

St Mary's church stands east of the A19 accessed along the narrow lane of Church Lane, the way to the church is unsigned but leaves the A19 just before properties finish on its eastern side. Like many small and isolated churches St Mary has ancient fabric dating back to the Norman Romanesque period, the nave and chancel are both of the 12th century as is the blocked northern aisle which shows a 2-bay arcade with a round pier. The northern side also shows a small 12th century window but this has been reset. Attached to this early main body is the Georgian brick western tower constructed in 1822 it stands in contrast to the stonework of the main body. The church appears to have escaped the attentions of Victorian restorers even if the middle of the 20th century saw the windows of the chancel rebuilt. Thankfully Church Lane has a broad verge immediately east of the entrance although it can be muddy after rain, metal gates grant entry to the churchyard which is compact but with no obstacles for the photographer.