SAINT HELEN’S CHURCH, ESTON
PARISH REGISTERS 1590-1837
CHURCHYARD and ESTON & NORMANBY CEMETERY

Article based on the researches of Sylvia Fairbrass into the Parish Registers of Saint Helen’s Church
and of its churchyard which was extended to form the Eston & Normanby Cemetery.
This information was augmented with associated research by Sylvia.

The article features
Names appearing in Registers 1590-1595
Transcript of Marriages in Registers 1590 to 1837
Page examples from Registers
Cemetery Monuments & Inscriptions
and associated research

Researched by Sylvia Fairbrass   July 2013

© 2013 Sylvia Fairbrass   Normanby Local History Group

CONTENTS

Scroll Down to read sequentially or Click on a Heading below to jump to that Section

• INTRODUCTION
  • Saint Helen’s Church and Eston & Normanby Cemetery
  • Saint Helen’s Parish Church Clergy
• SAINT HELEN’S CHURCH PARISH REGISTERS 1590-1837
  • Saint Helen’s Parish Registers 1590-1812
  • Parish Register Entries of Interest 1590 - 1812
  • Research Studies
  • Civil War and Commonwealth Period Parish Register Examples
  • Woollen Tax
  • Saint Helen’s Parish Registers 1724-26
  • Good Example of Best Practice: Page from 1788 Register
  • Parish Registers 1813 to 1906
  • Rebuilding of St Helen’s Church 1824
  • A New Church for Eston with Normanby 1884
  • Saint Helen’s Parish Register Transcript - Surnames 1590-95
    
  • Saint Helen’s Parish Register Transcript - Marriages 1590 to 1837
    
• SAINT HELEN’S CHURCHYARD AND ESTON & NORMANBY CEMETERY
  • Introduction
  • Monumental Inscriptions in Eston & Normanby Cemetery
  • Eston Cemetery Monuments
  • Headstone of Stephen Busfield - Tragic Death 1890
  • The New Mortuary Chapel in the Cemetery 1881
  • Eston and Normanby Burial Board - Newspaper Articles
• APPENDICES
  • Appendix I -- High Death Rates in Eston & Normanby
  • Appendix II -- Ralph Jackson's Diaries
  • Appendix III - Parish Register of St Cuthbert’s Church Ormesby
  • Appendix IV - Eston and Normanby Parish Magazine
  • Appendix V -- Possible Future Research

INTRODUCTION

Saint Helen's Church and Eston & Normanby Cemetery

   Saint Helen's Church started life as a 12th century Chapel of Ease within the parish of Ormesby, and received its own priest in 1545.   The Nave was completely rebuilt in 1822.   Three additional acres of land were purchased in 1861 for £240 to enlarge the church yard.   It became a parish church in 1868 until 1884 when Christ Church was built.   It then became a cemetery chapel.

  This early 1900s photo shows Saint Helen's Church with the East Cemetery Lodge in the left background.   The Jackson family grave is in the right middle foreground.

  This 1990s photo shows Saint Helen's Church boarded up as belated protection from the vandals who had also damaged the Jackson family grave in the foreground.   After several fires this grade II listed church was dismantled in 1998 with some interesting finds.   The numbered stones were moved and stored at Beamish Open Air Museum.

  The rescued remnants were stored for over 10 years until 2011 when Beamish Open Air Museum began rebuilding Saint Helen's Church in the 1822 Georgian Style.
   (photo & above drawing © Beamish Open Air Museum)

  Good progress was made and by August 2012 the main fabric had been completed and made secure before the winter weather.    When funding has been raised the interior of the church will be restored with a recovered font, box pews & bells.

  The firm C.G. Bennett and Sons, Undertakers and Funeral Carriage Masters, based on Normanby Road, South Bank are proudly shown outside West Lodge at the entrance to the cemetery.   Richard Bean son of Alice Bean was born in the lodge in c1890 and can be seen standing next to the first coach.   The reverse of this post card belonging to Ann Rudge states, "Up to date glass hearses, morning coaches and a stud of black horses.   Bennett's is a guarantee of the superior, highly finished and cheap work which they turn out."   The flower bed pre-dates the present memorial erected in 1920.

                   The Evan's Monument which is also listed.

  The location of St.Helen’s Church and Eston & Normanby Cemetery shown on a present day Google Map at "H".

  The location of Christchurch, the new church that replaced Saint Helen’s as the Eston & Normanby Parish Church in 1884, is shown at "C".

                  


  The location of St.Helen’s Church and Eston & Normanby Cemetery shown to the north of Normanby village on the top edge of a pre-1945 map.

© 2013 Sylvia Fairbrass   Normanby Local History Group

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Saint Helen’s Parish Church Registers 1590-1837