Excerpts from the Rudby Parish Magazines of the 1890s

April 1893
9 April – baptism of Rebecca, daughter of Thomas and Martha Barthram of Hutton
1 April – burial of Martha Barthram of Hutton, aged 40 years

The Archbishop of York will hold a Confirmation in All Saints' Church some time in June.  Intending candidates are requested kindly to send in their names soon to the Vicar.

September 1893
The magazine contained an account of the Sunday School Treat.  On 1 August, 47 children went by train from Potto to Redcar.  There had also been an outing to Skutterskelfe where Lord and Lady Falkland provided amusements and refreshments.  On the 17th, the Choir Trip – 25 people – went to Redcar.  They bathed, walked, visited the church at Coatham.

November 1893

"A most successful Concert was given in the School-house on the 22nd September, by the friends and through the kindness of the Miss Parks.  The music and singing was much appreciated, and the room was crowded.  The proceeds, amounting to £8 8s. 6d., were divided between the Sunday school and Reading Room."

December 1893
Oct 24 – the vicar was married to Florence Mary Wright of Enterpen
Sat 11 Nov –

"Tom Honeyman was killed accidentally when engaged in some iron works in Stockton.  The greatest sympathy is felt for his mother, who is a widow, and he was a good son to her."  

He was buried on the 14th: Thomas Harwood Honeyman aged 20.

Lady Falkland announces "owing to her absence from Skutterskelfe she is for a time discontinuing the Parish Magazine"

In 1894, the parish part of the magazine was reduced in size to the cover of the Church Monthly and the price had risen to 1½d.
It was distributed by Mrs Brigham, Mrs Robson and M.E. Johnson.

February 1894

"The Annual Sunday School & Choir Treat took place in the Schoolroom on January 5th.  The delicious cakes and sandwiches for the tea, provided by the kindness of our ladies, were thoroughly enjoyed by the schoolchildren, who were vastly amused by the contents of the crackers - another kind gift."

1 Jan 1894 - baptism of Denton James, son of John Thomas and Emma Jane Fortune of Hutton

March 1894
Day School.  The children were examined by A E Richardson, Esq., in November.  Shortly afterwards the Chief Inspector of the district (R P A Swettenham, Esq.) visited and inspected the school.  His report speaks very highly of the whole school, for he says, "The children are in good order, and have been very well taught."  The Grant which has been received is £1 0s 6d per head, the highest possible grant payable by the Department.

May 1894
Announces the Hutton Rudby Temperance Society's Annual Horticultural and Industrial Exhibition and Poultry, Pigeon, Rabbit, and Cat Show on 21 July.
A Band Contest was also arranged for the Show.

"The Committee regretted (with many others in the village) seeing so many prizes taken away from the place by outsiders last year, especially in the Juvenile departments.  This year the Penmanship classes will be confined to the village, and the committee hope the children will take special interest in this, and make a good entry."

Prizes were donated by various firms – eg, the first prize for Best Tray of Six Vegetables for cottagers of Hutton was a pair of meat carvers, value 15s., donated by Sunlight Soap Co.

July 1894
29 May – burial of Dorothy Passman of Hutton, aged 72

The Travelling Dairy Co from Leeds Agricultural College gave a display on dairy management, and butter and cream cheese making on 22 May

August 1894
Report on success of the Show, with 800 exhibits.

"The Committee … would have been gratified if more of the school-children had competed in the classes especially arranged for them."

October 1894
August Sunday School trip to Redcar (it rained)
Choir trip to Scarborough

November 1894

"We deeply regret to record the death of Mr Blair.  The immense gathering of all classes at his funeral bore striking testimony to his worth, and their sorrow at his departure from us …"

December 1894
Was there an epidemic?  There are four burials of infants:
20 Oct – Florence Butler, aged 7 days
1 Nov – George Bell, 4 years and 5 weeks
2 Nov – Thomas Alderson, 7 months
15 Nov – Percy Hare, 9 weeks

"We are sure our readers will have much pleasure in hearing that Rudby Church is to be enriched by the possession of a fine organ, the generous gift of Mrs Blair and her stepdaughters, as a memorial of the late Mr Blair and his son Mr Borrie Blair"

"We regret to announce that the Parish Magazine will now be discontinued"

1896 – the magazine returns, with the parish content on the cover

January 1896
Mrs Brigham is still running the Coal Club!

February 1896

"On Jan 3rd a gathering of 130 villagers had tea, and spent a most happy evening at Drumrauch"

(The Misses and Mrs Blair have taken over the philanthropic role of Lady Falkland).

May 1898
Reporting on the Easter services:

"for the first time were used the handsome new altar-rail of oak, and beautiful kneeling-mat of needlework, made and given by some Communicant Parishioners"

June 1898
baptism:
1 May – Norman, son of Thomas and Mary Hannah Williams, Drumrauck Cottages

September 1898
wedding at Rudby – Aug 17, Edgar Robinson Johnson, Stockton, to Alice Elizabeth Gears, Hutton Rudby
burial – 11 Aug – Catherine Stringer aged 73 year of Hutton Rudby

June 1899
6 May – Arthur Edward Greaves and Ethel Annie Smith of Hutton

September 1899
Marriages:
25 July – St James' Day – Mr Smollett Clerk Thomson of Edinburgh and Miss Margaret Amy Blair of Drumrauch
1 Aug – at East Rounton – Mr Harold Raynton-Dixon of Gunnergate Hall, and Miss Dorothea Margaret Johnson of Rounton Grange

Who was Who in the parish of Rudby-in-Cleveland 1892

In 1892, the Vicar was the Revd John Johnson.

In the census of 1891 he described himself as 59 years old, single, born in Kirkby Ravensworth.  When he came to the parish after the death of the Revd Robert Barlow in 1878, he was aged 44: one man on his own succeeding another man on his own in that large house.  He lived there with his housekeeper, Mary E Johnson, who was also born in Kirkby Ravensworth.
It must have been quite a surprise to the neighbourhood when he married London-born Florence Mary Wright on 24 October 1893!
Seventeen years later they were still there: he was 79 and she was 52 years old.

David Lickess's history of the parish records that he was well known for visiting Milburns' shop every day, where he would read the old 'North Star' newspaper without paying for it.

As he grew old and infirm, his parishioners did rather complain about his failure to take services or attend Vestry meetings.

The Churchwardens were Viscount Falkland and Matthew B Bainbridge.

Byron Plantagenet Cary, 12th Viscount Falkland, was born in 1845.  In 1879 he married Mary Reade, who was born in Birmingham, New York.

Major Cary retired from the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1883 with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and succeeded to the title on the death of his uncle in 1886.  He and his wife had six children, all of whom will have spent some time at Skutterskelfe before the estate had to be sold.  The 1891 census shows the family living at 43 Lowndes Square with a full complement of staff: cook,  monthly nurse, housemaid, 2nd nurse, kitchen maid, nurserymaid, 2nd housemaid, scullerymaid, butler, valet, footman and odd man.

On 15 August 1907, the King made Viscountess Falkland a Lady of Grace of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England for her philanthropic work, [London Gazette].

The Viscountess died in 1920, and the Viscount in 1922.

Matthew Bewick Bainbridge described himself as a 53 year old "builder & contractor & farmer" in the 1891 census.  He and his wife Hannah and children James (29) bricklayer, Elizabeth (27), John (22) bricklayer, and Fred (20) joiner, lived at No 3 & 4 North End.


The Sidesmen were T Bowes Wilson, Christopher Smith, Joseph Mease and William Johnson

Thomas Bowes Wilson (1845-1929) of the Cleveland Sailcloth Mill lived at Enterpen Hall.

Christopher Smith.  There were two Christopher Smiths – a farmer in Middleton, and a grocer in Hutton:

1891 Census: Christopher Smith (71), farmer at Spyknave Hill, Middleton upon Leven.  He was born at East Rounton.  He and his wife Elizabeth (57) had John (27), Christopher (24), William (22), Emily (20), Arthur (18), Jane (16), Thomas (14) and granddaughter Theresa (9)

1891 Census: Christopher Smith at 15 & 16 South Side, grocer (59) and his wife Jane (54).  Their daugher Edith J. (16) and son Christopher S. (16) were both grocer's assistants.  Their daughter Ethel A. (12) was at school.  Their granddaughter Lily Ward (13) was also in the household.

Joseph Mellanby Mease (1827-1928).  He and his wife Harriet lived at Leven Valley.  The 1891 census shows his occupation as Sanitary Inspector, Assistant Overseer.

William Johnson.  This is probably the William Johnson, joiner, born Stokesley living at 21 South Side at the 1891 Census, when he was 41 years old.  His wife Dorothy was born in Skelton and they had five school age children, Mary E., Edwin, David P., Allan P., and William K. or H.  They lived next door to Thomas Milburn.


The Organist was Miss Elizabeth Bainbridge.

Elizabeth Bainbridge was the daughter of Matthew Bewick Bainbridge.  She was organist for many years: [cf Winifred Blair’s Scrapbooks]

“Some years ago” [Mr Leeper said] “a little girl with a golden plait and big blue eyes, sat at a harmonium at our church.  Her toes just touched the pedals.  The little girl was Miss Bainbridge.  Since then she has seen all sorts of vicissitudes and changes in the church’s history.  She has played in days when there has been a fine choir, and she has played when the choir has not been quite as good” … she had been organist from 1886 to 1934…”

The Clerk was William Johnson (see above)

The Sexton was Thomas Milburn.  He was aged 76 at the 1891 census.  A sailcloth weaver, he lived with his wife Isabella (65) at 23 South Side. (There is no No 22 South Side listed – possibly William Johnson's house had been enlarged.)  Their lodger was George Sidgwick, a widower aged 75, described as a pauper.

The office of Sexton was vacant from February 1892 after the death of Thomas Milburn, who was buried on 12 January 1892, aged 77.

The Superintendant of All Saints' Sunday School (which was held in the School House at 9.45am and 2.30pm) was William Chapman.
William Chapman lived and farmed with his sister Jane at Old Hall, Sexhow.  He was 41 in 1892.  On his death, after many years as churchwarden and Sunday School superintendant, his siblings gave the church a cover for the font.

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