William Thorpe and Mary Ann Walton

St Andrew's Church, Middleton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bill Henderson - geograph.org.uk/p/3310914

William Thorpe, Farmer of Beckhouse, son of William Maw Thorpe and Jane Brewster, married Mary Ann Walton, only daughter of John Walton and Betty Oliver, at St Andrew’s Church, Middleton, Ryedale on 19 Apr 1860. Witnesses at the wedding were Ralph Walton, bride's brother and Matthew Beal Clerk.

William Thorpe's parents had also married at Middleton - it has Viking Crosses - on 13 Sep 1823. One of at least nine children, William was baptised on 26 Aug 1832 at St Gregory's Church, Cropton. In 1841, William's parents and eight of their children were living with George Thorpe (65) - William's grandfather, presumably - at Cropton Beckhouse, Middleton, Pickering, while the nine year old William was employed as a M.S. (male servant) in the household of William Brewster (40) at Thornton Riseborough, Normanby, Pickering. Brewster being his mother's maiden name, it wasn't difficult to realise that this was his uncle.

Still working for his Uncle William Brewster (55), Farmer of 500 acres employing 5 men in 1851, William Thorpe (19) Farmer, was back at Beck House, Pickering, Yorkshire (while his parents were at Cropton Mill.)

Beckhouse is Beck House Farm, Cropton, Pickering, North Yorkshire and it's interesting that William Thorpe's family farmed here and he later takes it over, as also, in 1851, Thomas Hobbs had been Farmer of 108 acres (employing 1 man) at Beck House [Farm], Cropton. As son of Thomas Hobbs and Hannah Oliver, Thomas Hobbs was Mary Ann Walton's first cousin. There has to be a story behind why the cousin took over part of it and then shortly left.

William and Mary Ann Thorpe had nine children:

1. John Walton Thorpe b. 3 Dec 1860 D Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 357, bap. 5 Jan 1861 at St. Laurence's Church, Kirby Misperton.
2. William Brewster Thorpe b. 1863 M Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 09D Page 368, bap. 15 Mar 1863 at St Andrew's Church, Normanby.
3. Elizabeth Thorpe b. 1865 S Quarter in HELMSLEY Volume 09D Page 372, bap. 27 Aug 1865 at St Andrew's Church, Normanby.
4. George Thorpe b. 1867 J Quarter in PICKERING Volume 09D Page 385, bap. 30 Jun 1867 at St Gregory's Church, Cropton.
5. Thomas Oliver Thorpe b. 1869 D Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 379
6. Annie Thorpe b. 1871 S Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 401
7. Hannah Jane Thorpe b. 1873 S Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 401
8. Robert Thorpe b. 1875 D Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 421
9. Frances Mary Thorpe b. 1878 S Quarter in PICKERING Vol 09D Page 455

On the baptisms of William and Elizabeth, the family's residence is listed as Low Bottoms [Farm]. By the time of George's baptism in 1867, they were back at Beckhouse. After that, I found no further records of baptisms.

In 1861, William Thorpe (27) Son-in-law, Ann [Mary Ann] (26) Daughter and John Walton Thorpe (0) were listed in the household of Mary Ann's father, John Walton (57) Farmer of 150 acres at Little Barugh Street, Barughs Ambo, Pickering. But, William Thorpe (28) Farmer of 200 acres employing 3 labourers from Cropton, Yorkshire is also listed as the head of the household at Low Bottoms, Thornton Risebrough, Helmsley, Yorkshire, with those 3 Servants: Mark Gains (20) Foreman; George Moody (18) Plough Boy and Mary Coates (25) Dairy Maid. It's certain William Thorpe has been enumerated twice, as head of his own household and as Mary Ann returned to her parents home for the birth of the first child.

In 1871, they are again back at Beck House, Cropton, Pickering, Yorkshire with the household comprising: William Thorpe (38) Farmer, Mary Ann Thorpe (36), John Thorpe (10), William Brewster Thorpe (8), Elizabeth Thorpe (6), George Thorpe (4), Thomas Oliver Thorpe (2) and six Servants: William Lyth (30), William Frier (20), Robert Sollid (16), William Sollid (13), Ann Foster (17) and Hannah Barker (13).

In 1881, at Farm House, East and West Lutton, Driffield, Yorkshire, the household of 20 people included: William Thorpe (48) Farmer of 400 acres (1 labourer 4 servants); Mary Ann Thorpe (46), John William Thorpe [John Walton Thorpe] (20), William Brown Thorpe [William Brewster Thorpe] (18), Elizabeth Thorpe (16), George Thorpe (14), Oliver T Thorpe [Thomas Oliver Thorpe] (12), Ann Thorpe (9), Jennie Thorpe [Hannah Jane Thorpe] (7), Robert Thorpe (5), Francis [Frances Mary] (2) - even managed to change the sex on this last child, who was a daughter, not a son; John Walton (76) Widower, Father-in-law; two domestic servants, Jane Fletcher (20) and Emma Midgeley (14) - both erroneously listed as daughters; four Farm servant in door (love that term, one imagines them ploughing fields inside the house, although, of course, it usually means the single lads who live in the farm, rather than in outside cottages, generally reserved for married employees) William Colley (24), William Paul (17), Robert Coulson (15) and George Triffill (19). Also in the household as Visitors were William Davidson (31) Farmer and Andrew J Davidson (26) Cattle Dealer. (Only Uncle Tom Cobley was missing!)

And then nothing. Every search turns up no further records of the family. They could have moved to a completely new area and be listed as something other than Thorpe. Sons John Walton Thorpe and William Brewster Thorpe have names that are uncommon enough and I can trace them forward, married and with their own families, but the parents and younger children remain, for now, elusive.