Site last updated: January 20, 2007 7:44

The mediaeval village of Wilstrop vanished long ago but, six miles west of York, in the parish of Tockwith with Wilstrop, on the banks of the River Nidd archaeological remains are still visible. The name Wilstrop has Viking origins. In the part of Denmark known as Jutland, which has at times belonged to Germany, there are four villages named Vilstrup (the Danish use a V often where the English use a W). When the Vikings invaded England and occupied York in 870 AD they almost certainly named Wilstrop after one of these.

In 1085 William the Conqueror, William I of England, ordered a survey of land ownership. The information collected was completed in the Domesday Books less than a year later. The entry for Wilstrop states: Wilstrop Wi(u)lestorp: 2 of Osbern's men from Osbern d'Arcis. Wilstrop is the modern name and Wi(u)lestorp the name it was known by in 1086.

The land belonged then to two of Osbern d'Arcis' men. Sir Thomas Widdrington, Recorder of York and Speaker of the House of Commons, says in his 'Analecta Eboracensia or Remaynes of the Ancient City of York' printed in 1897.

"Wivellsthorp. This was anciently the lands of de Wivelsthorpe in the time of King John, but in the time of Edward I [1272-1307], I find, according to Esch. 34 Edward I, No. 12, that Robert Pontefract* was owner of this manor. From the Close Rolls, 40 Henry III, m. 15, in dorso, it appears that the King gave respite to Robert Wivelsthorp not to be made a Knight from Easter, next to come, till a year; and it was commanded to the Sheriff that he should not distrain him in the interim.

In another book 'The History, Topography and Directory of York, West and East Yorkshire' published in 1900, it says

"Sir Robert Pontefract was the Lord of the Manor, as was his son Thomas de Wilesthorpe."

From the evidence available it seems then that the village definitely existed by 1086 but that some kind of settlement could have been there as early as 870. It also appears that the Wilstrop family took their name from the village during King Edward I's reign in thelate thirteenth century.

From The History, Topography & Directory of York extract it seems likely that Thomas de Wilesthorpe was the first person to use the name.


The early spelling of Wilsthorp, instead of Wilstrop or Willstrop remained as a variant spelling until the middle of the 1800s when Ann Wilsthorp, daughter of James and Frances, was baptised in Pickering on July 11, 1808. When she married in the September quarter of 1850 the Wilsthorp variation disappeared forever.

The only other early reference found so far is for Margaret de Willesthorp, who was Prioress of Nun Monkton, a religious house. Margaret was confirmed in 1365 and died in 1376. Four hundred years later in Queen Anne's reign (1702-1714) a type of census, known as a Visitation, was carried out. Messengers of the Queen recorded details of the pedigrees of the nobility. In the Yorkshire Pedigrees the family tree of Sir Edmund Wilstropp, Knight was recorded. Sir Edmund's family tree gives enough detail to start building a picture of his descendants and also the events, which culminated in the destruction of Wilstrop village and the demise of the old family. The earliest date recorded on the tree is 18 September 1400 when Alice Wilstrop married Richard Banke, son of Thomas of Quixley.

Allowing about twenty-five years per generation, and working back from this date, Sir Edmund Wilstrop was probably born in about 1325. Sir Edmund's great grandson, Sir Miles Wilstropp, was the King's Escheator in Yorkshire in 1470-1. Until 1926 if there was no legal heir to land it reverted to the Crown. In the 1400s such land reverted to the feudal lords and it was the Escheator's task to make such claims. In 1484 Sir Miles acquired the manor of Bustardthorpe". But, by 1521 his son,Guy Wilstropp, had been "siesed of ye manors of Wilstropp, Tockwith, and Bustard Hall, in ye city of York". Even so until 1591 the Wilstrops are still recorded "of the manor Wilstropp".