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Tracing the roots of Rokeby
Dec 12, 2007
ROKEBY Church is situated alongside the A66. You have to
virtually put your life at risk if you want to visit it. It is definitely worth
a visit though. There aren't many services there nowadays - not surprising
really in view of its situation. Its congregation can never have been
particularly large because Rokeby parish is so small - it contains no villages
at all. The only centres of population in Rokeby parish are at Greta Bridge,
Egglestone Abbey and the small cluster of dwellings at Cross Lanes. In 1755,
there were estimated to be only 22 families living in the parish. There might
well be even fewer than that today.
In the distant past, however, before the Scottish Wars of the 14th century that is, there were maybe a few more people living in this bit of Yorkshire - the historic county that is! For one thing, in those days there was actually a village called Rokeby. This village was right down by the Meeting of the Waters on the east side of the River Greta.
Rokeby village was virtually wiped out by the Scots, although there were still a few houses remaining there up to the 17th century. The original parish church once stood in this village, overlooking the River Tees adjacent to the Dairy Bridge. It is long gone.
The new church was built on a new site. In fact, it was built outside the original boundaries of Rokeby parish, in what was formerly Mortham Parish. Mortham village, like Rokeby, was deserted long ago and now only bumps in the ground remain.
It just shows how settlement shifts around over the centuries. Everything changes over time, but old boundaries and deserted villages often leave traces behind of their former existence.
At Rokeby, there is more than just archaeological evidence remaining. The parish registers go back as far as 1598 when there was still a village - albeit a shadow of its former self. And that isn't all: other records go back even further than the 16th century.
Rokeby Church had been given to the care of the Canons of Egglestone Abbey. From the Abbey charters and other Diocesan records, at least we know the names of Rokeby's vicars and rectors. The earliest known vicar was a man called Augustine, who was at Rokeby around 1200. The individual canons of Egglestone Abbey responsible for Rokeby are also known. The first mentioned was Brother Jon de Aldeburgh, Canon of Eggleston, instituted November 17, 1380. The last canon of Egglestone Abbey, recorded as vicar of Rokeby before the abbey was dissolved was Brother William Sargandson. His name occurs in 1488 and again in 1500. He is described as ‘formerly the prior'. Interestingly, in November 1543, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry Clayton was instituted as vicar of Rokeby. He is described as ‘formerly canon of Eggleston'.
His name appears in the Dissolution records as receiving a pension of 40 shillings. Henry Clayton appears as vicar of Rokeby in 1548 and 1554 so he must have been there quite a long time.
Apart from the names of vicars these early documents don't shed any light on Rokeby's past. Mind you, I do wonder what it must have been like to have a monk as your vicar. Do you think the parishioners noticed?
There were two vicars of Rokeby that were largely responsible for giving us our best source of information about the parish. The first was Thomas Cocke, who was instituted as vicar of the parish on April 20, 1598. Almost immediately, he began to record all the baptisms, marriages and burials that he conducted in the parish. He wrote these records on small sheets of vellum measuring 9 inches by 5 inches. On the first page of the register he wrote, ‘The names and surnames of all suche as have been baptised, marryed or buryed in the prysh of Rookebye from & after the Eighth Day of May which was in the yeare of our lorde God one Thousand Five hundreth neintye Eyght being the Day and year wherin I Thomas Cocke, Clarke, Did enter into my pastorall charge aforesaid.'
His date doesn't quite coincide with the official record, but no matter.
The first entry in the register predates his arrival and recorded the baptism on April 16 of ‘James s of Robert Langstaffe'.
In his first year as vicar he recorded a further four baptisms including that of ‘Frances s of Mr Thomas Rookeby' on November 26.
The Rokebys were Lords of the Manor of Rokeby, living at Mortham Tower. There were no marriages celebrated in 1598 but in the following year Cocke conducted the marriage of ‘George Fawcett the Priest of Bernard Castle & Grace Skotte d to Christopher' In his first year Cocke buried Agnes Coowper, Christopher Coates and Anne Holme.
Thomas Cocke left Rokeby in 1614. Fortunately for us, his successors continued to keep the registers. And the other clergyman to whom we are indebted?
That was the Revd William Oliver, Rector of Rokeby from 1941 until his retirement in 1964 - he died the following year. It was William Oliver who painstakingly transcribed the parish registers for publication by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. Without his efforts these records would not be available for us all to study.
First published in the Mercury December 5, 2007