Discovery: North Yorkshire Ancestors

While drafting my previous article about immigrant ancestors George Mason (1706-1774) and Jane Foord (1710-1789), I ended up digging into their roots in North Yorkshire, England.^[1]See the post here.  Because of online church registers, I was able to identify 9 new direct ancestors, all of whom are in Jane Foord’s family tree.  View the pedigree chart below.^[2]I have standardized the spelling of the surnames, although in practice the names were spelled multiple ways.  The Pilmoor surname, for example, is spelled Pilmore, Pilmoore, Pillmoor, Palmore, … Continue reading

5GG George Mason was born an Anglican in Ampleforth, North Yorkshire in 1706,^[3]Ampleforth Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register 1646-1753, unpaginated, entry for Georgius, son of Georgij Mason, baptism, 1 November 1706; digital images, “North Yorkshire, England, … Continue reading but married Jane Foord in a Quaker ceremony in 1734 in Kirkbymoorside.^[4]Guisborough Monthly Meeting (Guisborough, North Yorkshire), Piece 1092, p. 115, George Mason and Jane Foord, marriage, 7 June 1734 [7th day 4th month]; digital images, “England & Wales, Quaker … Continue reading  George may have become a Quaker because he wanted to marry Jane — or maybe he was a Quaker already and met Jane while attending church.  His father’s name was also George; the mother remains unknown.  The only other information we have about the Mason family is that George had a sister named Anna^[5]Ampleforth Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register 1646-1753, unpaginated, entry for Anna, daughter of Georgij Mason, baptism, 28 November 1705; digital images, “North Yorkshire, … Continue reading and three brothers named Robert,^[6]Ampleforth Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Robertus Mason, son of Georgis Mason, baptism, 13 October 1700; database online, “North Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriage and … Continue reading Stephen,^[7]Ampleforth Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register 1646-1753, unpaginated, entry for Stephanus, son of Georgis Mason, baptism, 13 June 1708; digital images, “North Yorkshire, England, … Continue reading and Benjamin.^[8]Ampleforth Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register 1646-1753, unpaginated, entry for …jamin, son of Georgii Mason, baptism, 22 October 1710; digital images, “North Yorkshire, … Continue reading

Jane Foord, on the other hand, was born into a Quaker family.^[9]Pickering, Kirkby and Hutton Monthly Meeting (Pickering, North Yorkshire), Piece 1192, p. 7, Jane daughter of Mathew Ford and Leah his wife, birth, 22 September 1710 [22nd day 7th month]; digital … Continue reading  Her parents were listed as Quakers in a wedding ceremony at the Anglican church in Kirkbymoorside and her mother’s family, the Pilmoors, were Quaker going back to the 1660s at least.

Keep in mind that the Society of Friends, called Quakers, began in the 17th not the 16th century, unlike most mainstream Protestant denominations.  Established by George Fox in 1650 in the aftermath of the turmoil of the English Civil War (1642-1651), it grew rapidly in England and Wales, and by 1680 was about 1% of the British population.  Quakers were harassed and persecuted, especially between 1664 and 1689, which is why William Penn was able to convince so many to join him in America.

9 New Ancestors

• Parents of Jane Foord:
  • 6GG Matthew Foord (1682-1754)
  • 6GG Leah Pilmoor (1678-1752)

• Grandparents:
  • 7GG Matthew Foord (1642-1712)
  • 7GG William Pilmoor (1634-1700?)
  • 7GG Jane Swales (1636-1680)

• Great-grandparents:
  • 8GG Matthew Foord (abt 1610-?)
  • 8GG John Pilmoor (abt 1601-1655)
  • 8GG Elizabeth Jenkinson (abt 1610-?)
  • 8GG William Swales (abt 1601-?)

In all 9 cases, I have a baptism or birth record that identifies the ancestor.  In 5 out of 9 cases, I have burial records.

I also have marriage records for 3 of the couples:

•   Matthew Foord & Leah Pilmoor, both of Fadmoor^[10]Kirkbymoorside Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1704-1743, p. 11, Matt Ford and Lidia Pillmoore (Quakers), marriage, 7 December 1709 (specific church unknown, but probably All … Continue reading
  • 7 December 1709 as Quakers, yet listed in Anglican parish records!^[11]The record indicates they were Quakers, spelled qakers.  Maybe the reason they married in an Anglican ceremony was because the Foord family was still Anglican.  Matthew’s father was buried … Continue reading

• William Pilmoor & Jane Swales, he of Fadmoor; she of Leverton^[12]Pickering, Kirkby and Hutton Monthly Meeting (Pickering, North Yorkshire), Piece 1192, p. 7, William Pilmore and Jane Swales, marriage, 4 June 1734 [4th day 4th month]; digital images, “England … Continue reading
  • 4 June 1669 at home of Robert Powwit of “Leverton,” Quaker ceremony.^[13]I have not been able to identify Leverton.

•  John Pilmoor & Elizabeth Jenkinson^[14]Kirkbymoorside Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1622-1651, p. 20, John Pilmare and Elizabeth Jenkinson, marriage, 2 February 1631; digital images, “North Yorkshire, England, … Continue reading
  • 2 February 1631 at St. Aidan’s Church, Gillamoor, Anglican ceremony

All these ancestors lived in a fairly confined area of North Yorkshire, either very close to or inside North York Moors National Park.  It’s a stunningly beautiful landscape, famous for its purple heather.

The map below displays the locations pertinent to their lives.  Zoom in and out of the map and move around as you wish.  Click on each icon to bring up additional information.  I explain the locations below.

• Anglican churches are red
• Quaker meetinghouses are yellow
• Mason residences are blue
• Foord residences are purple
• Pilmoor residence is orange

Kirkbymoorside is the central location of these families, an ancient place.  In the 1300s, a local lord said that Kirkbymoorside had been a market town “since time out of mind.”^[15]“Parishes: Kirkby Moorside”, in A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1, (London, 1914) 511-517; digital images, British History Online, (accessed 27 May 2024).  All Saints Church is the Anglican church in town; the Quaker meetinghouse is at 79 West End.

Fadmoor, two miles north of Kirkbymoorside, a key location —

• • Main residence of the Pilmoor family for two generations or more.  8GG John Pilmoor died there 1655.^[16]Kirkbymoorside Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1653-1658, p. 4, entry for John Pilmoore, burial, 16 May 1655; digital images, “North Yorkshire, England, Church of England … Continue reading  7GG William Pilmoor lived there when he married Jane Swales in 1669.  Their daughter 6GG Leah Pilmoor was born in Fadmoor in 1678^[17]Guisborough Monthly Meeting (Guisborough, North Yorkshire), Piece 1092, p. 19, Leah daughter of Wm. Pilmore, birth, 2 November 1678 [2nd day 9th month]; digital images, “England & Wales, Quaker … Continue reading and lived there when married to Matthew Foord in 1709.
  • Main residence of 6GGs Matthew & Leah Foord until about 1734.
  • 5GG Jane Foord was born there 1710; it’s where she and George Mason married in 1734 and where their first six children were born, up until about 1747.

Gillamoor is right next to Fadmoor.  St. Aidan’s Church was a chapel within Kirkbymoorside Parish.  8GGs John Pilmoor and Elizabeth Jenkinson were married there in 1631 and it may have been where their children, including 7GG William Pilmoor, were baptised.^[18]Kirkbymoorside Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1622-1651, p. 28, William Pilmore son of John, baptism, 5 November 1634; digital images, “North Yorkshire, England, Church of … Continue reading

Hutton-Le-Hole is a small moorland village just east of Fadmoor and Gillamoor.  It was populated mainly by Quakers in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and had a meetinghouse.  It’s possible that some of our Quaker ancestors, the Pilmoors in particular, attended this meeting rather than the meetinghouse in Kirkbymoorside, especially before 1690.  (Hutton Le-Hole is often listed as one of the most scenic villages in England.)

Lowna Burial Ground is a remote backwoods cemetery used by local Quakers between 1675 and 1854, affliated with the Kirkbymoorside Meetinghouse.  It is indicated on the map in olive color, near Gillamoor.  114 souls are buried there, including, most likely, 7GG Jane Swales in 1680.^[19]“England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991,” Ancestry.com (accessed 5 May 2024), abstract, entry for Jane, wife of William Pilmore, burial, 18 July 1680, Farnedale, York, England; … Continue reading

Southfield Farm is an estate three miles south of Kirkbymoorside.  The George & Jane Mason family resided there from about 1747 to at least 1755.  Their five youngest children — who immigrated with them to Maryland in 1767 — were all living at Southfield at the time of their births, including 4GG Grace Mason.

Ampleforth is the earliest known origin of the Mason family.  5GG George Mason was baptized at St. Hilda’s Church in 1706.^[20]Ampleforth Parish (Yorkshire), Parish Register, 1646-1753, Georgius Mason baptism, 1706.

Welburn is in Kirkdale Parish just west of Kirkbymoorside.  It’s the earliest known hometown of the Foord family.  7GG Matthew Foord lived there his whole life, born and buried.^[21]1.  Kirkdale Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1579-1653, p. 63, entry for Mathew, son of Mathew Foard of Welburn, baptism, 7 March 1642; digital images, “North Yorkshire, … Continue reading  St. Gregory’s Minster is the main Anglican church for Kirkdale Parish, a mile north of Welburn.  This is almost certainly where 6GG and 7GG Matthew Foords, father and son, were baptized in 1642 and 1682, respectively.

Duncombe Park is an important manor house in North Yorkshire, now a registered Grade I historic building.  It is indicated on the map by the green icon.  6GG Matthew Foord (1682-1754) was employed as the land agent for Duncombe Park, exact years unknown.^[22]John Rickard, “Joseph Foord 1714-1788,” undated, webpage, Yorkshiremoores.co.uk/people (accessed 21 May 2024).

Skiplam Grange is a farm estate in Kirkdale Parish about two miles southwest of Fadmoor.  6GG Matthew Foord moved his family there from Fadmoor about 1734, possibly because it was a shorter commute to Duncombe Park.^[23]Rickard, “Joseph Foord 1714-1788,” webpage Yorkshiremoors.co.uk.

Bilsdale Kirkham is an old parish jurisdiction now part of Helmsley Parish.  It was on the east side of Bilsdale, a valley inside North York Moors Park.  7GG Jane Swales was baptized there in 1636.^[24]Bilsdale Kirkham Parish (North Yorkshire, England), Parish Register, 1590-1662, unpaginated, entry for Jaine Swale, daughter of Willm Swale, baptism, 3 June 1636; digital images, “North Yorkshire, … Continue reading  I’m not sure, but I think the baptism took place at St. Hilda’s Chapel near Chop Gate.

I should mention that 5GG Jane (Foord) Mason had a renowned brother — Joseph Foord (1714-1788) was a surveyor and engineer as well as a farmer.  He inherited his father’s farm at Skiplam Grange.^[25]Rickard, “Joseph Foord 1714-1788,” webpage Yorkshiremoors.co.uk.  His fame is based on a series of water races he built over 20 years (1747-1768), funnelling fresh water down from the moorlands for residents in dry villages.

In Foord’s day many of the Moorland villages were dry – sitting high on limestone hills they had no easy sources of water, which often had to be carried up steep slopes. Foord realised that it was possible to construct gently sloping water races that could bring water from fresh water springs on the high moors to the north into these villages, and in around 1747 he constructed his first experimental water race.^[26]Ibid.

Fadmoor and Gillamoor were the first two villages to benefit.  Eventually Joseph constructed over 70 miles of such water races.  There’s actually a book on the subject — Water From the Moors: The Life and Works of Joseph Foord — written by Isabel Ann McLean in 2005.  It’s out of print and I’m struggling to find a copy.

I really enjoyed researching these Yorkshire ancestors partly because it was the first time I had consulted English church registers in some depth.  I’ll admit to struggling with the records, though.  You often can’t tell where a birth, baptism, marriage or burial occurred, specifically.  For example, the Guisborough Monthly Meeting is where I found many relevant Quaker records, but it is doubtful that any of these ancestors ever attended a meeting in Guisborough itself, which is 25 miles north of Kirkbymoorside across the moorlands.  That’s because Guisborough records include data from smaller Quaker meetings at Kirkbymoorside, Hutton-Le-Hole, Rosedale, and elsewhere, which were in its jurisdiction.  The same is true for Church of England parish records.  You know in which parish the event occurred, but not necessarily which church or chapel.