Kirkstall Genealogical Records

Kirkstall Birth & Baptism Records

England & Wales Birth Index (1837-2006)

An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

St Stephen, Kirkstall Baptism Records (1829-1910)

Baptism registers are the primary source for birth documentation before 1837, though are relevant to the present. They record the date a child was baptised, their parents' names and more.

Yorkshire Birth Index (1837-2010)

A growing index of births registered in the county. Records include a reference to the sub-registration district, making it easier to order the correct certificate.

Yorkshire: Bishop's Transcripts of Baptisms (1578-1914)

An index to 1,250,301 baptisms, linked to images of the original registers. These records will provide parents' names, residences, occupations and occasionally other details.

British Birth and Baptism Records (1400-2010)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

Kirkstall Marriage & Divorce Records

England & Wales Marriage Index (1837-2008)

An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

St Stephen, Kirkstall Marriage Records (1836-1935)

Marriage registers record Anglican marriages in St Stephen, Kirkstall. They are the primary marriage document before 1837 and contain the same details as marriage certificates from then on. They typically record residence and marital status, though may contain ages and father's names.

Yorkshire Marriage Index (1837-2011)

A growing index of marriages registered in the county. Records include a reference to the sub-registration district, making it easier to order the correct certificate.

Yorkshire: Bishop's Transcripts of Marriages (1534-1899)

An index to 585,995 marriages, linked to images of the original registers. These records will provide parents' names, residences, occupations, ages and other details.

British Marriage Records (1392-2011)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of marriage records that cover over 160 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

Kirkstall Death & Burial Records

England & Wales Death Index (1837-2006)

An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

St Stephen, Kirkstall Burial Records (1829-1940)

Burial records for people buried at St Stephen, Kirkstall, detail the deceased's name, residence and age from 1829 to 1940.

Yorkshire Death Index (1837-2010)

A growing index of deaths registered in the county. Records include a reference to the sub-registration district, making it easier to order the correct certificate.

Yorkshire: Bishop's Transcripts of Burials (1578-1972)

An index to 968,658 burials, linked to images of the original registers. These records will provide age, residence and occasionally other details.

Yorkshire Burial Transcripts (1441-1909)

Transcripts of Anglican burial registers from over 100 churches in Yorkshire.

Kirkstall Census & Population Lists

1939 Register (1939)

An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.

England, Wales, IoM & Channel Islands 1911 Census (1911)

The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Yorkshire Lay Subsidy (1301)

A tax on the county's wealthier residents, ordered by wapentake or liberty and settlement.

1901 British Census (1901)

The 1901 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

1891 British Census (1891)

The 1891 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Newspapers Covering Kirkstall

Bradford Daily Telegraph (1868-1870)

A searchable newspaper providing a rich variety of information about the people and places of the Bradford district. Includes obituaries and family announcements.

Huddersfield Chronicle (1850-1900)

A local paper including news from the Huddersfield area, legal & governmental proceedings, family announcements, business notices, advertisements and more.

Bradford Observer (1834-1875)

Local news; notices of births, marriages and deaths; business notices; details on the proceedings of public institutions; adverts and a rich tapestry of other local information from the Bradford district. Every line of text from the newspaper can be searched and images of the original pages viewed.

Leeds Times (1833-1901)

This fully searchable newspaper will provide a rich variety of information about the people and places of the Leeds district. Includes family announcements.

Leeds Mercury (1807-1900)

Fully text-searchable articles from a local newspaper covering the Leeds district. It includes family announcements, obituaries, court proceedings, business notices and more.

Kirkstall Wills & Probate Records

England & Wales National Probate Calendar (1858-1966)

Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.

York Peculiar Probate Records (1383-1883)

Digital images, indexed by testor's name, of 28,716 wills, administrations, inventories and other probate documents. The records can shed light on an individual’s relations, possessions, land holdings, legal agreements and more. They cover various jurisdictions throughout the north of England.

York Prerogative & Exchequer Court Probate Index (1688-1858)

An index to 263,822 wills, administrations and other probate documents proved by an ecclesiastical court in York. The index included the testor's name, residence, year of probate, type of document and reference to order copies of the referenced document(s.).

York Prerogative & Exchequer Court Probate Index (1267-1500)

An index to 10,195 wills, administrations and other probate documents proved by an ecclesiastical court in York. The index included the testor's name, residence, occupation, will & probate year, language, type of document and reference to order copies of the referenced document(s.).

Derbyshire Will Index (1858-1928)

An index to wills, proved by the Derby Probate Registry. Index includes name, residence and year of probate. Contains entries for Yorkshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and other counties.

Kirkstall Immigration & Travel Records

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists (1878-1960)

A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.

Victoria Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists (1839-1923)

An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.

Alien Arrivals in England (1810-1869)

Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.

17th Century British Emigrants to the U.S. (1600-1700)

Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.

Kirkstall Military Records

North East War Memorials (1882-1951)

An inventory of memorials commemorating those who served and died in military conflicts.

North-East Diary (1939-1945)

A chronicle of happenings in the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire relating to the war in Europe. Contains much detail on ship building.

Roll of Officers of the York and Lancaster Regiment (1756-1884)

Lists of officers by rank, regiment and name.

Officers of The Green Howards (1688-1931)

Biographies of hundreds of men who served as officers in The Green Howards, an infant regiment in the King's Division. Details given include parentage, date of birth, military career and later professional career.

Records of the 1st West York Regiment of Militia (1086-1876)

A general history of the militia preceded by an overview of Yorkshire's military history since the conquest.

Yorkshire Feet of Fines (1486-1503)

Abstracts of records that detail land conveyances.

Eyre Rolls for Yorkshire (1218-1219)

Transcriptions of pleas brought before a court. They largely concern land disputes.

South Yorkshire Asylum Admission Records (1872-1910)

Transcripts of 17,368 admission records, including name, gender, age, occupation, date of admission, cause of insanity, outcome of incarceration, date of leaving the institution and more.

Home Office Prison Calendars (1868-1929)

Records of over 300,000 prisoners held by quarter sessions in England & Wales. Records may contain age, occupation, criminal history, offence and trial proceedings.

Central Criminal Court After-trial Calendars (1855-1931)

Over 175,000 records detailing prisoner's alleged offences and the outcome of their trial. Contains genealogical information.

Kirkstall Taxation Records

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1868)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1807)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1741)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Lincolnshire Domesday & Lindsey Survey (1066-1118)

A transcription of the Lincolnshire section of the Domesday Book, which records land ownership, use and value in the late 11th century; and similar survey completed in 1118.

Yorkshire Lay Subsidy (1301)

A tax on the county's wealthier residents, ordered by wapentake or liberty and settlement.

Kirkstall Land & Property Records

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1868)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1807)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for Yorkshire (1741)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Yorkshire Feet of Fines (1486-1503)

Abstracts of records that detail land conveyances.

Yorkshire Domesday Records (1086)

An English translation of Yorkshire domesday records. This transcripts details the county's landowners in 1086.

Kirkstall Directories & Gazetteers

Kelly's Directory of Leeds (1936)

A directory of settlements in the area detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.

Kelly's Directory of Leeds (1927)

A directory of settlements in the area detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.

Leeds & District Trades Directory (1902)

Lists of tradesmen in the Leeds area.

White's General Directory of Leeds & Bradford (1875)

A comprehensive gazetteer of cities, towns and townships; to which are appended lists of their residents, trades and occupations.

Porter's Directory of Leeds & Neighbourhood (1872-1873)

A topographical and commercial directory of Leeds borough, townships and villages up to six miles around. Also includes trade sections for Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and Sheffield.

Kirkstall Cemeteries

Yorkshire Graves Index (1408-2003)

An index to close to 150,000 names listed on gravestones in Yorkshire.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

Mausolea and Monuments (1500-Present)

Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.

Maritime Memorials (1588-1950)

Several thousand transcribed memorials remembering those connected with the nautical occupations.

Kirkstall Obituaries

iAnnounce Obituaries (2006-Present)

The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

Musgrave's Obituaries (1421-1800)

This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.

British Medical Journal (1849-Present)

A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.

Kirkstall Histories & Books

Yorkshire Domesday Records (1086)

An English translation of Yorkshire domesday records. This transcripts details the county's landowners in 1086.

Victoria County History: Yorkshire (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

North-East Diary (1939-1945)

A chronicle of happenings in the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire relating to the war in Europe. Contains much detail on ship building.

North Yorkshire Church Photographs (1890-Present)

Photographs and images of churches in North Yorkshire.

The Annals of Yorkshire (2000 BC-1860)

A chronological rendering of the county's history.

Kirkstall School & Education Records

National School Admission & Log Books (1870-1914)

A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.

Teacher's Registration Council Registers (1870-1948)

A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.

Oxford University Alumni (1500-1886)

A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge University Alumni (1261-1900)

A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Kirkstall Occupation & Business Records

Collieries of The North (1869-1991)

Profiles of collieries in the north of England, with employment statistics, profiles of those who died in the mines and photographs.

Northern Mining Disasters (1705-1975)

Reports of mining distastes, includes lists of the deceased and photographs of monuments.

Smuggling on the East Coast (1600-1892)

An introduction to smuggling on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.

Who's Who in Northern Mining (1852-1910)

Abstract biographies of people connected with mining in the North of England.

Yorkshire Rugby Union Commemoration Book (1914-1919)

A searchable book detailing the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union around the time of the Great War. Contains the names of many players and other persons associated with the sport.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Kirkstall

Victoria County History: Yorkshire (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Kirkstall Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

Victoria County History: Yorkshire (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

The Visitation of Yorkshire: 1584-5 (1000-1585)

Pedigrees compiled from a late 16th century heraldic visitation of Yorkshire. This work records the lineage, descendants and marriages of families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.

The Visitation of Yorkshire: 1612 (1000-1612)

Pedigrees compiled from a early 17th century heraldic visitation of Yorkshire. This work records the lineage, descendants and marriages of families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Kirkstall Church Records

Kirkstall Parish Registers (1829-1940)

The parish registers of Kirkstall are a collection of books essentially documenting births, marriages and deaths. Their records can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.

Yorkshire Parish Registers & Bishop's Transcripts (1538-2001)

Digital images of baptism, marriage and burial registers from Church of England places of worship in Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Confirmations (1859-1915)

Records recording teens and young adults commitment to the Christian faith.

England Parish Registers (1914-2013)

Documentation for those baptised, married and buried at England. Parish registers can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.

England Parish Registers (1538-1934)

The primary source of documentation for baptisms, marriages and burials before 1837, though extremely useful to the present. Their records can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.

Biographical Directories Covering Kirkstall

Yorkshire Who's Who (1912)

A listing of the prominent residents of the county of Yorkshire, giving details on family, education, careers, hobbies, associations and more. Also includes details on the county's government officials, military officers, members of parliament, religious leaders and demographics.

Officers of The Green Howards (1688-1931)

Biographies of hundreds of men who served as officers in The Green Howards, an infant regiment in the King's Division. Details given include parentage, date of birth, military career and later professional career.

Who's Who in Northern Mining (1852-1910)

Abstract biographies of people connected with mining in the North of England.

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Kirkstall Maps

Maps of Yorkshire (1407-1922)

Digital images of maps covering the county.

Collery Maps of The North (1807-1951)

A number of maps of northern England with the locations of collieries plotted.

UK Popular Edition Maps (1919-1926)

Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.

Ordnance Survey 1:10 Maps (1840-1890)

Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Kirkstall Reference Works

England Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.

Parish Register Abstract (1538-1812)

Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.

Building History Research Guide (1066-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.

Surname Origins (1790-1911)

A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.

British Family Mottoes (1189-Present)

A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.

Historical Description

The remains of Kirkstall Abbey are situated at Kirkstall, a small village upon the river Aire, about three miles from Leeds. Dr. Whitaker, in his History of Craven, observes, that "among the monastic remains of the north of England, this abbey may claim the second place, whether it be considered as a feature in landscape, or as a specimen of architecture. In the former view it must yield the palm to Bolton; with the latter indisputably to Fountains."The lead and timber only were removed at the dissolution, and nearly the whole building yet remains, with few additions to the structure of Abbot Alexander; and fewer losses by removal or decay. The whole exhibits that struggle between the Norman and early Gothic styles, which took place in the reign of Stephen. The windows are single round-headed lights, the doors of the same shape, adorned with zigzag or rectangular mouldings; the columns of the church massy, but clustered, with pointed arches and with Saxon capitals, each varying in pattern from the rest. The cloister quadrangle, with the various apartments surrounding it, is nearly entire. The original refectory (for there is another of much later date), has been a magnificent vaulted room, supported on two fine cylindrical columns, each of a single stone. The Chapter-house is partly of the original structure, and partly an enlargement, little prior to the dissolution. The tower, according to the practice of the twelfth century, was carried at first little higher than the roof, but a lofty and graceful addition made to it, apparently about the time of Henry VII. so loaded the columns on which it stood, that about twenty years ago the northwest pillar suddenly gave way, and drew after it an enormous ruin of two sides of the whole tower, which has perhaps contributed to the picturesque effect of the whole. The cloister court was the monk’s cemetery, and about three years ago, the gravestone of one of the last of the society was found in fragments, though nothing more of the inscription was legible than m'nachus hujus Domus A.D.BDIII At the same time the remains of a coffin, consisting of plates of beaten iron, were discovered.

Kirkstall Abbey was founded in the year 1152, for Cistertians, whom Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, first settled at Bernoldswick, near Gisburne in Craven. Dr. Whitaker gives an interesting account of the circumstances which led to the translation of the monastery, and its final dissolution, to which we must refer the reader.

The ruins of the abbey occupy a very considerable space; their length from north to south measuring 340 feet, and from east to west 445 feet. The choir is fifteen yards by eight and a half with three chapels on each side; five yards and a half by three and a half. The transept nine yards and a half square. The nave 48 yards long, by eight and a half without the aisles; which are three yards and a half. The altar, of white free tone, lies broken to pieces; the authors of this violence are said to have come to untimely ends. The site of the abbey, upon its dissolution, was granted to Archbishop Cranmer and his heirs.

Mr. Thoresby, the historian of Leeds, describes many curious painted bricks found among the ruins of the abbey, of different sizes, some of which were in the shape of those now in use, but larger: the largest of them was about eleven inches long, five in breadth, and two in thickness. These bricks were found near the foundation. A curious altarpiece is said to be preserved, formerly belonging to the abbey, on which was painted the history of Joseph of Arimathea, entombing our Saviour. Eight alabaster statues, gilded and inclosed in a space of nine inches broad, and thirteen long, were attached to this piece, and also the iron box for preserving the important papers of the society.

The revenues of the house at the dissolution were valued at 329l. per annum.

Topography of Great Britain (1829) by George Alexander Cooke

KIRKSTALL, situated on the Aire, is a large and pleasant village and ecclesiastical parish formed in 1831 from the parish of Leeds, in the Township of Headingley-cum-Burley, Eastern division of the Riding, wapentake of Skyrack, honor of Pontefract, Leeds union, county court district and rural deanery, Craven archdeaconry and diocese of Ripon; it is a station on the Midland railway, 3 ½ miles west-north-west from Leeds, 10 ½ north-east from Bradford, and 197 from London. The church of St. Stephen, built in 1828, at a cost of about £3,600, granted by Parliament, and renovated and enlarged in 1863 at a further cost of £4,000, is a stone building, consisting of chancel, nave, transepts & spire; there are several stained windows, one of which, to the memory of William Beckett esq. was placed at the expense of his widow, another is a memorial to Richard Oastler esq. The register dates from the year 1828. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £310, in the gift of the trustees of Leeds vicarage and held by the Rev. Henry James Wilkinson M.A. of Brasenose College, Oxford. There are Wesleyan, Congregational, Baptist, and Primitive Methodist chapels. Picturesquely situated in a valley on the left bank of the Aire are the ruins of the once magnificent abbey, still surviving the devastation of time and the vandalism of successive generations, by whom these massive remains have been treated simply as a quarry from which to supply materials for modern structures: the principal portion remaining is the church, which has been a cruciform building of late Norman character, but having some more recent features: the nave has had 8 bays with a clerestory and triforium; the transepts were composed of three chapels; between these, at the intersection of the nave and choir, rose the tower, a great portion of which fell towards the end of the last century; other portions remaining are the chapterhouse, near the south transept, and what is supposed to have been the kitchen, the refectory, and part of the dormitories, with a detached gateway: the abbey was founded in the 12th century for Cistercian monks, and had, at the Dissolution, when it lapsed into the possession of Cranmer, a revenue of about £600. The adjoining iron works, known as Kirkstall Forge, are considered to be the earliest establishment of the kind in the kingdom. The trustees of the late Earl of Cardigan are lords of the manor. The principal landowner is Sir Lumley Graham bart. The soil is loam; subsoil clay. The land is chiefly pasturage. The area is 3,058 acres; rateable value, £13,468: the population in 1861 was 2,896; 1871, 3,461.

Schools

National, Charles Wragby, master; Miss Charlotte Mary small, mistress.

Girls & Infants, Mrs. Mary Coats, mistress.

Kelly's Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire (1881)