Thomas Woodward’s diaries in beautiful writing cover 80 pages up to his death and provide an incredibly detailed insight into his family, life in the village and surrounding area. BMDs are listed, many with comments, sales of buildings and land, wildlife, harvesting, the weather, vicars, alterations to the church, accidents etc etc. A very short selection is included here. A larger selection or files of the original pages may be obtained from Angela Ovenston. The original diaries along with other documents relating to the Woodward family may now be viewed at Northallerton Records Office.
1873
21st Feb First ascertained that Aldwark Bridge was erected by an Act of Parliament …and is exempt from rates and taxes
18 April Saw at Acaster Hill the first pair of swallows.
The Aurora Borealis visible at 10 o’clock at night in the NW.
29 April The cuckoo heard at Husthwaite
Old Betty Walker, widow of Thos Walker, died suddenly this afternoon
May 17 William Woodward jnr christened. Corncrake first heard
June 7 The pulpit, reading desk and seats in Husthwaite Church altered and a vestry made under the gallery during the two proceeding weeks
June 8 The Methodists held their first open air meeting front of Driffields (Manor House?)
31 July The black Martins, Swifts or Screamers disappeared and left us in a great measure with slight exception
1874
Aug 15 Wm H Woodward started harvest in Middle Buttrey? Stubbs, oats
Sir Geo Wombwell discontinued keeping deer in Newburgh Park
Oct 1st Robert Darley taken to the asylum
Oct 4th Severe frost. Aurora Borealis visible
1875
April 18th Saw the first pair of swallows
This morning Robt D Batty had a slight paralytic stroke
May 11th Saw Sand Martins near Baxby Beck
May and June A nightingale was heard in Sessay Wood for weeks, hundreds of people went to hear it
1877
Jan 10th Half the Stackyard at Husthwaite planted with fruit trees
April 20th Thomas Woodward was this day unanimously elected Chairman of the Easingwold Board of Guardians
Apr 23rd A very high flood in the Husthwaite Town Ings
Aug 17th Brother John Woodward had two beasts slaughtered at Baxby through having tumours growing near the gullet and windpipe
Sept 23rd The Prince of Wales left Newburgh
1878
Mar 7th John Gatenby retired farmer and butcher of Helperby, died suddenly at Brafferton Station through over exertion to catch a train
May 5th My two grandsons Thos and Wm Woodward began school at Husthwaite, schoolmaster Joseph Metcalfe
May 25th This day John Thos Reid only son of Wm Reid of Baxby Mill happened a fatal accident near Oswaldkirk by falling from a horse upon his head, he only survived until about 3 o’clock next morning and was interred at Coxwold 28th May
1879
June 4th 1879 (date confirmed by W Reid) Baxby Mill was discontinued running after being used for time out of mind (time immemorial)
1880
Aug 24th Wm H Woodward began harvest by cutting oats in the Close Boscar, pulling peas in Middle Barker, finished cutting Sep 7th
On the night between the 29th and 30th Dec 1880 the Elphin Bridge across the Beck near Husthwaite Station fell into the water caused by the flood and discontinuance of the use of Baxby Mill after being erected from time immemorial.
1881
The new bridge over the Beck near Husthwaite Station was built in the month of April
1882
Nov 10th A large comet seen for a length of time in the South East about 5 o’clock in the morning
1883
May 29 Rapers’s executors sold the Old Cottages commonly called the Old Castle, next to the Blacksmiths Arms Husthwaite…
August During this month Joseph Taylor renovated and repaired the aforesaid old castle and removed from the corner of one of the front windows a square dial with the words “At home, Sic vitae est” (? Sic vita est or “such is life” Indicates that a circumstance, whether good or bad, is an inherent aspect of living) inscribed at the top above the dial and “George Wailes 1749” at the bottom.
Sept 4th George Reid, flour meal and cake dealer died, born 1 Dec 1822. Younger son of John Reid of Baxby Mill by his wife Hannah, daughter of Thos
Askwith. He was a very amiable man and much respected, was a miller in his father’s time ?cadged to Raskelf and Coxwold. Married and resided in Husthwaite where he kept a flour meal bran, oats barley, ?Indie Corn, linseed, and cotton cake. Firebricks….? Memorandum broke peas into paper ? for sale. Was particularly fond of music, acted as ?farm gardener and in his father’s time took great delight in painting in water colour, also book binding.
Dec 6th Son William went to Ilkley for benefit of his health – 21st son William came home
1884
Aug 14th
W.H.Woodward began white harvest in Ox Close with oats and barley and finished in the same close on 23rd after cutting all his other white corn at Providence Hill, High Land and Outcroft as well as Boscar in the interval. Finished leading white corn Sep 6th and beans
1885
Jan 12th - 14th Heavy snow showers, about 15 inches deep in snow and much drifted. Jan 15th thaw
1886
Aug 5th Highthorn Estate containing…acres, situate in the townships of Husthwaite and Baxby was sold by auction at Harker’s Hotel, York to James Wilson of Liverpool, a native of Easingwold, formerly an apprentice with John Slater of Husthwaite, wheelwright for £7500.
On the third day the small garden, south of the school was sold privately to the School Committee for £10 content 11 perches. Etc
Aug 6th Mrs Woodward, Providence Hill, began harvest by cutting West Moor, Rye, Boscar
Sep 16th …ditto…finished cutting barley in Far Underhills. Having got all rye, wheat and oats stacked
June 17th Balloon from York Gala alighted half way between Husthwaite and Coxwold about 7 pm
1888
10th Mar William Reid’s sale Baxby Mill was held
1889
June 11th This day the first otter hunt took place in Baxby Beck. Sir Charles Legard Bart. brought his otter hounds and they killed two otters near the Stock Ings.
June 24th Grandson William became clerk to the Yorkshire Bank at Easingwold and
June 26th Grandson Thomas became clerk to the Yorkshire Bank at Leeds
1890
June 20th to 28th Bridge over the beck at Acaster Hill built by Thomas and Isaac Fox, stonemasons of Husthwaite
1892
1st Mar Grandson Harrison Woodward entered on apprenticeship at Scarboro’ with Mr Parkes as a Chemist.
8th July Polling Day for General Parliamentary Election at Coxwold for Thirsk and Malton Division of Yorkshire
1893
7th Apr Wm Harrison of Acaster Hill Easingwold was this day appointed a magistrate at Northallerton Sessions for N Yorks
Aug 14th-19th extremely hot days
23rd Sep Snow on Hambleton Hills
Nov 18th and 19th An uncommon high wind and storm of rain sleet and snow which did much damage on land and sea. Many ships were wrecked and a great number of lives lost (293) saved (625)
1894 (writing starts to deteriorate)
Jan 27th Our Jesuitical fanatical curate the Rev Wm Dale left Husthwaite for his new curacy at Aston nr Rotherham
Jan 28th Our new curate William preached his first sermon at Husthwaite
Sep 26th A new coloured glass window was placed in the East End of Husthwaite Church by Mr Thos Moncaster, Land Agent of Rosedale Abbey in memory of his ancestors interred in Husthwaite
1895
Nov 23rd During the preceding ten days three new windows were put in Husthwaite Church in the place of these old ones.
Note added
Thomas Woodward died 29 March 1897. Some of these later entries are in the hand of his daughter Mary…
1897
John Harrison Husthwaite died on the 6th June 1897. He was the first that was buried in the new cemetery at Husthwaite 9th June.
With grateful thanks to the Woodward family
Angela Ovenston August 2024