The books on this CDrom will be of interest to anyone researching their ancestors in the Swaledale and Wensleydale areas of Yorkshire.

Romantic Richmondshire: to quote from the Darlington and Stockton Times of the period:

"Mr. Speight is to be congratulated on having, at immense labour and research, added another standard work to the literature of Yorkshire. There is not a page in the volume that does not reveal some fresh fact or correct some old error. The illustrations, too, are excellent and many of them of great rarity." "It is certainly the ablest contribution to the history and antiquities of Richmondshire since the time of Dr. Whitaker, whose history is now so scarce and valuable."

The 3 days of Wensleydale:

The 3 days covered are those dealing with the change of the religion of the country changing from Roman Catholic through the change to the Present day (1854). The book is well researched and is mentioned in the preface to Romantic Richmondshire..

In order to give you a better idea of the information in the books the following items are available here on line:

Romantic Richmondshire:

• A summary of the Old Yorkshire families and of the chapters
• The index of names (over 700)
• The General Index
• Press reviews of the book.
• A modern review of the book is given below.
• The Preface in Acrobat format (4 pages)

The 3 days of Wensleydale:

• The Contents list is:
  • Prologue
  • The Catholic Day
  • The Day of change
  • The Present day
  • L'envoi
  • List of Birds, plants, etc.
  • Extracts
  • Sanctuary Roll
  • Appendix
• The whole of the Prologue in Acrobat format (13 pages - this is a large file).
• There is no index for this book, however the book is machine searchable.

"Thenadays - The Richmondshire Reminiscences of Lord Russell of Liverpool " was published circa 1910. The book contains a total of over 80 pages and 3 photographs..

The following are available to help you ascertain the contents of the book (there is no Index or Preface):

• A short review of the book (below)
• A transcription of the Contents of the book (below)
• An Acrobat pdf file containing the Title page, contents and the first 3 pages of the book.

The above Acrobat files were extracted from the main pdf file and show the quality of the images. You will need at least version 5 of Acrobat to open this file. If you do not have an up to date version please go to the Adobe web-site to obtain a free version of Acrobat Reader.

Summary of families and chapters in Romantic Richmondshire :

Of old Yorkshire families more particularly dealt with may be mentioned the following: Alderson, Allen, Aske, Atkinson, Banks, Bathurst, Bellerby, Birkbeck, Blackburn, Blades, Bolton, Booth, Bowes, Brown, Bulmer, Burgh, Calvert, Chapman, Chaytor, Clarke, Clifford, Close, Coates, Conyers, Coverdale, Cradock, Croft, D'Arcy, De la Mare, Denys, Dundas, Ellerton, Fawcett, Fitzhugh, Fothergill, Fulthorpe, Gale, Gascoigne, Gaunt, Gibson, Gill, Harker, Harrison, Hertford, Hicks, Horne, Hutchinson, Hutton, Ingleby, James, Jaques, Johnson, Kearton, King, Lawson, Leeds, Lennox, Lightfoot, Lister, Loftus, Malolacu, Marmion, Mason, Metcalfe, Milbank, Montacute, Moorhouse, Mowbray, Neville, Norton, Osborne, Other, Pattison, Peacock, Pigot, Raine, Rawe, Robinson, Routh, Ryder, St. Quintin, Scott, Scrope, Smith, Spensley, Swale, Taylor, Tempest, Thoresby, Tiptoft, Topham, Walker, Wandesforde, Webster, Whaley, Wharncliffe, Wharton, Wickliffe, Wilkinson, Willis, Winn, Wood, Wyvill, Yarker, Zetland.

The book contains more than ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS of historic buildings, scenery, portraits, &c., by the best artists and engravers. Amongst the subjects are the following :—The Conqueror granting Richmondshire to Earl Alan ; Keep of Richmond Castle early this century; Remains of Chapel on Catterick Bridge; Brough Hall a century ago; Bedale in the Coaching Days; the old Church in Coverdale; Middleham Castle in 1780; Remains of Knights Templars Chapel on Penhill; Anglo- Saxon Skeleton found in Wensley Park ; Aysgarth ; Bedstead of Mary, Queen of Scots; Nappa Hall a century ago; Thomas, Marquis of Wharton; Dr. Fothergill, F.R.S.; Thomas, Earl of Zetland; Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of Canterbury; the late Lord Bolton ; Sir Wm. Lawson, Bart. ; Major Scrope; Lady Byron ; "Sister Dora"; Betty Webster (aged 106); etc.

A review of "Romantic Richmondshire"

Those who may have sampled other Yorkshire books by author Harry Speight will, without doubt, enjoy his extremely readable account of “Romantic Richmondshire”, published in 1897. Those who have not yet read any of his books, have a treat in store.

Specifically, this 521-page book is an account of the “History, Antiquities and Scenery” of the region known to us as Swaledale and Wensleydale - the valleys of the rivers Swale and Yore. To set the scene, Speight supplies the reader with census numbers for the various villages in both 1881 and 1891, as well as information concerning the general terrain, the roads, and the rainfall. Following an account of the seventeenth century Raydale Riot which takes its name from the three days' siege of Raydale House near Semerwater, the author then deals systematically with the various dales villages, and their residents over the centuries.

This is no dry-as-dust history, but a vibrant account of ancient places and of many persons perhaps not appearing in standard historical works of this sort. I found the informative chapter on the parish of Marske and the Hutton family particularly appealing, but for those whose interests lie in other parts of the dales, there is without doubt, equally much of interest to the reader. Any genealogist will especially approve of the many details presented - for example, the text of the will dated 1675 of the catholic Sir Soloman Swale; the many cases of longevity cited; the useful source footnotes provided; and each chapter interspersed with many fine old sketches and photos. This is a most enjoyable book.

Nancy McLaughlin, New Zealand 2008.

A short review of "Thenadays" by Nancy McLaughlin:

This book can perhaps best be described as a pot pourri of stories relating to the people and places of Richmondshire. The Contents Page, with its "active links" is, as always, a pleasure to use.

Not intended as an in-depth study of the area, this book introduces the reader to many Yorkshire historical delights, places to visit, and people of some note - the latter including Henry Jenkins who lived to the great age of 169 years, Canon James Tate of the Richmond Grammar School and Sister Dora Pattison of Hauxwell.

Through the eyes of the author, we learn of the places he has loved, the routes he has travelled, and the folk he has met. We are privileged to experience, in some small measure, Richmondshire as it was during Lord Russell's boyhood.

A transcription of the Contents of "Thenadays" :

• Aske
• Aysgarth Falls
• Baggazeen, (The)
• Barnard Castle
• Barr, (The)
• Bell, Matthew
• Bible Society
• Bishop Blaize
• Bolton Castle
• Bolton on Swale
• Byron, Lady
• Catterick
• Christmas Festivities
• Clarkson, Christopher
• Clink Bank
• Compostella
• Cult, George
• Dan Race
• Derby Ram
• Dickson, Canon
• Drives
• Earls of Richmond
• Easby Abbey (2)
• Easby Church
• Green (The)
• Grinton
• Hipswell
• Huttons, (The)
• Isabella TInkler
• Jenkins, Henry
• Kean, Edmund
• Keep, (The Castle) (2)
• Lass of Richmond Hill (2)
• Lawrence, Lord
• Leyburn
• page Longley, Archbishop
• Market Day
• Marske
• Mary, Queen of Scots
• Middleham Castle
• Morris Dancers
• Morritts, (The)
• Old Time Customs
• Oliver Ducket
• Parish Church
• Police, thenadays
• Politics, thenadays (2)
• Railway, the building of the
• Redmire
• Reeth
• Restoration Times
• Rokeby
• Round Howe
• School, (Grammar)
• School Seal
• Scott, Sir' Walter
• Sister Dora
• St. James' Chapel
• St. Martins
• Tate, Canon
• Theatre Royal, (The)
• Trinity Church
• Voltigeur
• Walburn Hall
• Wensley
• Wesleyan Methodism (4)
• Willance's Leap
• Woods, Richmond's)
• Zetland, Marquis of