Bishophill is an important historical area of York, playing a crucial role from as far back as Roman times. The merger of Bishophill History Group with Clements Hall Local History Group offers exciting opportunities for us all to widen our sphere of interest.
We are focusing on the area inside the city walls, west of the River Ouse, including the area north of Micklegate, as well as the more traditional area known as Bishophill. So this area of interest will be bounded by the river to the east and the City Walls, from Baile Hill to Wellington Row.
OS map of York 1852 (National Library of Scotland)
We are trying to identify as many aspects of Bishophill history as possible, and you can use the menu on the left to explore these. The aim is to lay the groundwork for future history group activity, building on all the invaluable work already carried out by the Bishophill History Group. We try to note research already carried out by local historians where possible, and to suggest some selected sources, but there will be much more to explore. A surprising number of resources can be accessed online, which is helpful under current restrictions. This list is a starting point, to which other themes and sources might be added in time.
We hope that members of our wider group may be enticed to:
think about relevant topics for future talks
read up a little more about some of these themes
perhaps write a blog post for our website reflecting on a theme
consider using primary sources, for example the census, trade directories, archival documents, to investigate a little-researched aspect, questioning published histories
