Birstall Topic List

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available. Please feel free to add or update with any additional information.

Bagshaw Museum Collection c.1664-1908 of Batley and Birstall deeds and other papers, including deeds 1687-1850 re Dickson of Batley, Chadwick of Birstall, Crowther of Gomersal, Fearnley and Spedding of Birstall, Akeroyd of Havercroft, Sykes of Dunningley, Hemingway of Batley, and Bedford of Brockholes; Batley and Birstall Wesleyan Circuits plans 1827-1828 and 1876-1877; notebook of Joseph Briggs of Batley, c.1731-1848; letters patent appointing William Osgoode as Chief Justice of Upper Canada 1792 KC82

Clara Barraclough, Birstall, notebook containing historical information mainly re Birstall, compiled c1901-1902 KC544

Batley Borough and West Riding County Council, file re the Old Hall, Birstall, preservation, listing, and inquiry 1964-1966 KA173

Batley Local Board and Borough, records 1856-1962 including Birstall Gas Light Company, stock transfers 1865-1873; Birstall UDC, agreements re public works 1878-1937 KA123

Battye and Firth, solicitors, Birstall, records 1782-1847 including correspondence and lists of voters in Batley, Birkenshaw, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Drighlington, Gildersome, Gomersal, Heckmondwike, Liversedge, Morley, Oakenshaw, Scholes, and Wyke, at Yorkshire elections 1806-1807 KC496

H S Bentley, 'The Bentleys of Birstall', extracts from parish registers 1600-1800 YAS, MS1283

Birkenshaw, Birstall and Gomersal, survey (photocopy) 1839 KX173

Birstall, account of moduses due in lieu of tithe hay in parish 1776 YAS, MS741

Birstall, deeds 16-19 cent YAS, MD44, MD138, MD174, MD193, & MD213

Birstall, deeds 1637-1822 WYAS: Leeds, accession 1299

Birstall, deeds 17-20 cent WYAS: Bradford, 47D75/1 & MM52

Birstall, deeds to property called Fox Hall 1770-1852 WYAS: Leeds, accession 3251

Birstall and Gildersome, deeds and probates 1811-1929 WYAS: Leeds, accession 3351

Birstall, plans by Butler and Illingworth of estates belonging to Trinity College, Cambridge 1882 WYAS:Wakefield HQ, C336

Birstall, miscellaneous wills 1790-1830 DD/ZC

Birstall and Birkenshaw Methodist Circuit and chapels, records 1782-1990 includes Birstall circuit (W); Birstall Mount Tabor circuit (UMFC); Birkenshaw and Gomersal circuit (UMFC); Birstall and Birkenshaw circuit; Birstall St Johns (W), Birstall Mount Tabor (UMFC), Birstall Mount Top (W), Birstall, Birkenshaw Bradford Road (UMFC), Birkenshaw Bottoms Mission (UMFC), Birkenshaw Old Lane (W), Drighlington Trinity (W), Gomersal West Lane (W), Gomersal West View (UMFC), Gomersal, Hightown St Johns (W), Holderclough (W), Tong Westgate Hill(W) WYAS: Wakefield C87 (see also C25, C294 & C863)

Birstall and Birkenshaw Wesleyan Methodist Circuit, records 1902-1977 comprising circuit schedule books 1928-1977, local preachers' minutes 1936-1963, foreign missions account book 1902-1917 KC273

Birstall Wesleyan Methodist Circuit plan 1827-1828 KC82

Birstall and Huddersfield Turnpike Trust, accounts 1802-1804 WYAS: Calderdale, RF12

Birstall District Nursing Association, minutes 1919-1948 KC146

Birstall, Fieldhead and Purlwell Playschemes, miscellaneous papers 1977-1985 including attendance registers 1977-1985 KC292

Birstall Industrial Co-Operative Society Ltd, minutes 1899-1977 WYAS: Bradford, 58D86/1/4'

Birstall Industrial Co-Operative Society Ltd, accounts and share pass books 1860-1904 WYAS: Bradford, 42D93/1

Birstall Local Board and UDC minutes 1864-1937 BB/B

Birstall Local Board and UDC (and then as part of Batley Borough), rating valuations 1881-1950 and rate books 1864-1952 BB/B

Birstall Mount Top Wesleyan Methodist Church, marriage register 1920-1974 NM/BL

Birstall, Oakwell Hall, deeds and papers (photocopies) 1503-1949 including Piggott family, wills 1503-1514, Batt family, deeds, wills and inventories 1564-1706, John Mattison, steward, correspondence and accounts 1609-1611, Fearnley family, deeds and wills 1755-1793, schedule of deeds 1914-1937, counsel's opinion re the estate 1937, survey map 1806, history of the hall by Percy Robinson n.d. KX1-KX79

Birstall, Oakwell Hall Farm, deeds, maps and papers (photocopies) 1925-1972 KX80-KX91

Birstall, Oakwell Hall, copy deeds with plan 1928-1929 YAS, MD275

Birstall Old Hall Preservation Society, records 1964-1984 KC874

Birstall sick poor fund (containing Boots for Bairns) records 1951-1998 KC944

Birstall St John's Methodist Church, records 1955-1975 comprising minutes 1966-1973, financial records 1960-1975 KC273

Birstall St Peter, parish records 1558-1950 including baptisms 1558-1913, marriages 1558-1919, burials 1560-1955, churchwardens' accounts 1718-1798; tithe maps; Birstall School records 1741, 1830-1884 WYAS: Wakefield D5 & D81

Birstall St Peter, church register of pews (photocopy) 6 January 1606 WYAS: Wakefield Z162

Bowling Iron Company, records 1647-1919 including deeds re Birstall 17-20 cent WYAS: Bradford, BIC

Bradford Borough Council Town Clerk, papers re Birstall, Farsley and Shelf water arbitration 1914-1917 WYAS: Bradford, BBD 1/1/126

The Brayshaw collection 1503-1944 chiefly title deeds, wills and related papers for various places in West Yorkshire including Birstall 1653-1895 WYAS:Calderdale, BRA

Hannah Briggs (nee Heaton), Birstall, papers 1865-1995 including correspondence, diaries, financial papers, school exercise books, genealogical papers, papers re cookery, gardening and handicrafts, notebooks; Batley Grammar School, magazines; Batley Girls Grammar School, magazines; records re Grove Congregational Church, Gomersal KC753

James Carr, attorney, Birstall, precedent books 18-19 cent WYAS: Leeds, accession 707

John Charlesworth of Horbury, deeds 14-19 cent including some re Birstall YAS, MD363

Clapham family, letters 1801-1869 comprising letters of George Clapham 1801-1824 and John Clapham 1843-1869; also a copy of Birstall tithe map 1848 with part of schedule extracted by Barbara Clapham 1995 YAS, MS1597

Joshua Clegg, apprenticeship indenture to James Schofield of Birstall, clothier (photocopy) 1793 WYAS: Leeds, accession 1654

Crosland and Fenton, solicitors, Huddersfield, and successors, clients' papers 1441-1965 including Birstall and Huddersfield Turnpike Trust 1866-1871 KC315

Douglas, Lawson and Co Ltd, engineers, Union Works, Birstall, records 1880s-1970 including financial records 1889-1945, correspondence 1900-1970, wages 1890-1915, production records 1890-1970 including technical drawings 1902-1969 KC488

Douglas, Lawson and Co Ltd, engineers, Birstall, records 1897-1965 including correspondence, order books and files, ledgers, wage books, purchases books and technical drawings WYAS: Bradford, 10D76/6

George Elam, Birstall, letter to Mr Clapham, Sheffield 1842 WYAS: Wakefield Z178

Dr John Hall of Kipping, Bradford, pocket notebook 1681-1686 containing details of visits to patients in Bradford and district including Birstall; also prescriptions, diagnoses, costs of medicines mainly purchased from Thomas Priestley, apothecary, Halifax; also chapel dues, taxes WYAS: Wakefield C376

Hellewell and Sutton, solicitors, Gomersal, deeds and wills including some re Birstall 1565-1837 DD/HS

George Hirst and Sons, mungo and shoddy manufacturers, Birstall, records 1929-1968 WYAS: Leeds, accession 1787

Howorth and Howorth, architects and surveyors, Cleckheaton, records including sale plans 1852-1925 including some re Birstall KC1'

Ingram family of Temple Newsam, estate records including correspondence re Oakwell Hall, Birstall, 1594-c.1902, also inventory 1611 and steward's accounts 1609-1612 WYAS: Leeds, TN/4

Kirklees and Wakefield Chamber of Commerce and Industry records 1853-1985 including minutes and reports for Spen Valley Chamber of Commerce 1878-1967, Batley and Birstall Chamber of Commerce 1945-1973 S/KCC & KC105

Lee and Priestley, solicitors, Pudsey, deeds 1765-1972 re property in Birstall 1839-1972 B/LP

Leeds to Birstall Turnpike Road, papers 1823-1890 WYAS: Leeds, DB224

Leeds Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway, book of reference n.d. re branch to Yorkshire and Lancashire Railway at Bradford, additional lands at Bradford New Road in parish of Birstall WYAS: Bradford, 86D77

W A Lindsay, Clarencieux King of Arms, deeds and documents 13-15 cent including some re Birstall YAS, MD70

Methodist Circuits, plans and directories 1958-1986 including some for Birstall and Birkenshaw KC362

Joseph Nussee of Birstall, bond 1732 YAS, MD326

Ellen Nussey of Birstall, letter to Mrs Abbott 1872 KC134

Ellen Nussey of Birstall, letter (unsigned and incomplete) from Charlotte Bronte 1847 mentions Branwell Bronte and Rev A B Nicholls KC133

Oakwell Joint Hospital Board minutes 1909-1948 BB/JB/H

Ray and Fitzroy families, deeds re estates in Yorkshire including Birstall c.1583-1960 WYAS: Leeds, accession 4193

Rhodes family of Birstall, letter from Joshua Rhodes in America 1844 KC135

John Rhodes of Shipley, gentleman, papers re administration of his estate and family papers 1855-1891 including abstracts of title and sale catalogues for properties in Adwalton, Birstall, Saltaire and Shipley 1877, executors' papers 1868-1891, will of John Rhodes 1858 WYAS: Bradford, 10D76/3/114

Richardson family of North Bierley, deeds 1478-1834 including some for Birstall WYAS: Bradford, MM82

Sir George Savile, agreement re tithe in parish of Birstall 1769 YAS, MD94

John James Stead, Heckmondwike, antiquarian, cuttings books 1862-1919 including excursions of the Heckmondwike Antiquarian Society 1880-1883 with photographs of Oakwell Hall; Birstall and Thornhill churches; Hirst House and Swallow Nest, Heckmondwike; Kirklees Hall; Lees Hall; New Hall, Elland; Stainbro Hall; Liversedge Hall; Roberttown Hall; Quaker Chapel and Middle Hall, Hightown; Paper Hall, Mirfield; Norththorpe Old Hall; and newspaper cuttings re Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Gomersal, Hartshead, Heckmondwike, Liversedge, Mirfield, and Savile Town DD/JJS

Taylor, Sigston, and Booth families, Gomersal, records 1577-1937 comprising deeds and papers relating to properties in Birstall, Dewsbury, Gomersal, Mirfield and district, and to properties in Heptonstall, Liverpool and Middlesborough; also family papers including commonplace book of John Taylor c.1700 KC52

Taylor family, Gomersal, records 1690-1829 including papers re Birstall YAS, MD292

Tempest family of Tong Hall, family and estate records 14-20 cent including deeds and papers re Birstall WYAS: Bradford, TONG

Hartley Thwaite, papers 1600-20 cent consisting of notes, transcripts and photocopies of documents and correspondence relating to Yorkshire history, including index of Birstall parish registers 1600-1800 YAS, MS1202

Walker family, Liversedge, deeds 14-19 cent including some re Birstall YAS, MD128

West Riding, miscellaneous deeds 18-20 cent, including deeds re Oakwell Hall Estate, Birstall WYAS: Wakefield C595

West Yorkshire United Methodist chapels and circuits, special trust schedule forms 1924 re chapels in various places including Birstall WYAS: Wakefield C352

West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, Department of Chief Executive and Clerk, letters and maps 1985 concerning permissive footpaths in Birstall, Normanton, and Swillington including paths alongside the Aire and Calder Canal; the Calder and Hebble Canal, and the Huddersfield Canal WYAS: Wakefield A142

Whitakers, mining surveyors, Birstall, maps and plans c.1854-1972 including plans of mineral workings, seams and estates at Howden Clough 1861-c.1972 KC290

Wormald family, deeds and papers including estate at Birstall 1876-1924 WYAS: Leeds, accession 2442

Yorkshire maps 1800-1849 including copy of map of south-west quarter of a larger map (Thorpe's 'Ten Miles round Leeds') 1822-1849 which includes Birstall WYAS: Wakefield Z156