"The History of Wakefield " by Thomas Taylor (1886) : The full title of the History of Wakefield is “the History of Wakefield – the Rectory Manor with biographical and other notices of some of the persons connected therewith” and includes details of various families with several pedigrees and wills etc. The huge appendix contains details of rentals for copyhold land, list of graves, presentments, inclosure act etc. etc. This book has no Contents pages.

"The early History of Dewsbury" by John B. Greenwood (1859) : The “early Ecclesiastical History of Dewsbury” includes extracts from parish registers, the plague, the Rectory Manor etc. There is no index for this book (but the lack of this is made up for by being machine searchable). The list of Contents is given below.

The following are available to help you ascertain the contents of the books:

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A review of the Books on the CDrom by Angela Petyt:

Anyone researching Wakefield ancestors needs Thomas Taylor's 'History of Wakefield'. Containing an interesting account of the Rectory Manor, this book is also a rich source of names. From the list of subscribers (a veritable 'who's who' in late Victorian Wakefield), to the 17th and early 18th century transcripts of court rolls and deeds, 16th century tenants of the Rectory Manor, survey of the Soke of Wakefield in 1300 with tenants, medieval coroner's rolls, some gravestone inscriptions, Domesday book entries, history of the famous Six Chimneys, pedigrees and histories of prominent local families - this book is absolutely full of people, Wakefield people, from rare and unusual sources. There is also an 18th century description of the town and a detailed map from 1728. A very large index completes the work. This is, without doubt, essential reading for those interested in the West Riding's county town and the people who lived there.

John B. Greenwood's 'Early History of Dewsbury' focusses in particular on church history, with good sections on Paulinus and his Christian missionary work at Dewsbury. The history of the Minster and Kirklees Priory are recorded, as well as Anglo-Saxon and medieval life. Of interest to the family historian are 16th & 17th century parish register extracts, details of plague victims in 1593, local charities and their founders and a history of the Savile family. Known mainly as an industrial mill town, this scholarly work brings to the forefront the importance of Dewsbury in the history of Christianity in England.

Angela Petyt, January 2005.

List of contents of "The early History of Dewsbury"

INTRODUCTION
BOOK THE FIRST:
CHAPTER I.
Roman Period
CHAPTER II.
Anglo-Saxon Period
CHAPTER III.
Introduction of Christianity into England by Augustin and his Fellow-Missionaries
CHAPTER IV.
Paulinus, the Missionary of Northumbria
CHAPTER V.
Paulinus's Cross at Dewsbury.—First Church at Dewsbury
CHAPTER VI.
Crosses
CHAPTER VII.
Churches of Stone, &c
CHAPTER VIII.
The Crosses of Iona
CHAPTER IX.
First Church at Dewsbury, probably destroyed by the Danes
CHAPTER X.
Establishment of Bishopricks.—Missionaries.—Corruptions creep in
CHAPTER XL
Domestic Architecture of the Anglo-Saxons
CHAPTER XII.
Dewsbury Church at the Norman Conquest
CHAPTER XIII.
Domesday Book
CHAPTER XIV.
Saxon Parish of Dewsbury
CHAPTER XV.
Origin of Parishes in general
CHAPTER XVI.
The Grant to Earl Warren of the Rectory and Rectory Manor of Dewsbury
CHAPTER XVII.
Grant of the Advowson of the Church of Dewsbury to the Collegiate Chapel of St. Stephen at Westminster
CHAPTER XVIII.
Present Parish Church : its Architecture, &c.
CHAPTER XIX.
Kirklees Priory or Nunnery.—Nunnery of Kirklees, or Kirkleghes, anciently Kuthales
CHAPTER XX.
Rectory Manor of Dewsbury ...
CHAPTER XXI.
The Plague at Dewsbury
CHAPTER XXII.
Parish Registers.—Extracts from the Early Registers of Dewsbury
CHAPTER XXIII.
Charities of Dewsbury .. 133

BOOK THE SECOND.
CHAPTER I.
Parish of Dewsbury : from Dr. Whitaker's Loidis and Elmete [page 298 to 309]; reprinted with Notes
CHAPTER II.
Dr. Whitaker's Dissertation on the Origin and Progress of Domestic Architecture : from his History of Whalley, bk. vi., chap. ii., p. 499. 3rd edition. 1818.
Page CHAPTER III.
The Savile Family

APPENDIX.
No. 1.
Sir Henry Ellis's Notice of Dewsbury
No. 2.
On the Fragments of Crosses discovered at Leeds in 1838.
By the Rev. Daniel Henry Haigh, of Erdington
Na 3.
Extract from Valor Eccles Henrici VIII.
No. 4.
Charter of King Edward III. as to the First Foundation and Endowment of Saint Stephen's Chapel at Westminster
No. 5.
Extract from Inquisition of Survey for the Lordship of Wakefield
No. 6.
Account of Greensted Church
No 7. -
Foundation Deed of the Dawgreen Charity Schools
No. 8.
Certificate of Commissioners for Rebuilding Dewsbury Parish Church, in 1766, as to a Seat in the Nave of the Church, and Sittings in the South Gallery