Malhamdale Non-Conformist Chapel Records

Malhamdale had a Quaker Meeting House from the end of the 17th Century and Methodist Chapels since the early 19th Century, so not all the local genealogical records from the dale are covered by the parish records for St Michael’s in Kirkby Malham.

Marriages

Until Civil Registarion began in 1837 legal marriages of members of other churches (non-conformists) could only take place in the parish church, the only exceptions allowed for in the 1754 Marriage Act were Jews or Quakers. Most “nonconformists” or “dissenters” were therefore married in the parish church before 1837 and records of these marriages will be found in the Kirkby Malham parish church registers.

After 1837 marriages could take place in any registered place of worship, the registration of the marriage being undertaken by the district registrar, who travelled to the chapel, so there was no need to keep a chapel marriage register.

The 1898 Marriage Act gave nonconformists the right to ask the Registrar General to authorise a member of their congregation to act as registrar of marriages. This authorised person made returns of marriages at the chapel to the superintendent registrar. A duplicate of the register was kept at the chapel, so many nonconformist marriage registers begin in 1898.

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Burials

Although the Quaker Meeting House has a small burial ground, non of the Malhamdale Methodist Chapels have graveyards, so prior to the Waltonwrays Cemetery being opened in 1874
at Skipton, burials would generally have been at Kirkby Malham parish church.

	Scosthrop Methodist ChapelBuilt in 1833 and replaced by the Airton Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built in 1896.The records for this chapel and the earliest records for the Airton Chapel which replaced it have not been located yet.
Malham Methodist ChapelErected in 1865 when the Scosthrop chapel proved too small for all the Malhamdale congregation.The records for this chapel have not been located yet, though they are still likely to be in the keeping of the chapel.
	Airton Wesleyan Methodist ChapelErected in 1896 to replace the much smaller chapel in Scosthrop, the chapel closed at the end of 2007.The records for the Airton Chapel before 1903 have not been located yet. The records from 1903 to closure are held at the Skipton and Grassington Methodist Circuit office at St Andrew’s.Malhamdale Local History Group can assist with enquiries about Marriages and Christenings after 1903. .
Airton Friends Meeting HouseThe Society of Friends Meeting House was built by William Ellis (1658-1709) a linen weaver and his wife Alice. They purchased the site of the Meeting House in 1697 and completed building in 1700, and it is still in use today.This website has a reconstructed list of burials. Monumental Inscriptions Index for the Airton Burial Ground. The National Archives hold a variety of material which include records for Airton including: RG6/891 – Settle Births 1795-1834 RG6/892 -Settle Burials 1795-1834 RG6/1509 – Rylstone & Airton Meeting Minutes RG6/1116 – Settle Meeting Minutes