Cononley Village History
With gratitude to David Gulliver for providing this remarkable resource.
This archive originated from more than half a century of collecting and study by Trevor Hodgson (1927-2013).
In the year 2000 ‘The History of Cononley: an Airedale Village’ was published, based heavily on Trevor’s research and collections but with additional research by David Gulliver. This was followed by the book of photographs. Both books included additional illustrations lent by local people and can be downloaded by clicking on the covers below.
Subsequently (as the ‘Cononley Local History Association’) Trevor and David collected many more manuscripts and documents. Most of these, including the 1813 map, have been transferred to the West Yorkshire Archive at Bradford. The ‘Trevor Hodgson Collection’, including his own extensive notes, newspaper cuttings and photographs is now available for study in Skipton Library. The whole collection has been digitised.
Enquiries about the collection can be sent to: cononleylha@btinternet.com.
Cononley Maps
Amongst many items which Trevor saved from destruction is the unique 1813 Swire map which can be found in our Cononley Maps page
Further research by David, with the support of Trevor over the last 20 years has resulted, amongst other things, in researching (and publishing) the part Cononley people played in more than forty manor court meetings held between 1518 and 1852. The manorial legacy of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John has been found to have involved many of the inhabitants of Cononley, right up until the middle of the nineteenth century.
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The contents of this Cononley History section of the website are protected by the laws of copyright and intellectual property. Record offices, museums and private individuals have generously allowed reproduction here on the condition that the material is not re-published in any form.
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Thanks are due to Christ Church, Oxford for the remarkable 1768 ‘View of Kildwick’ and for several 19th c. documents relating to St John’s Church.
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Thanks are due also to John Swire & Sons Ltd. for the miniature portrait of John Swire 1737-99 which was not available when the other Swire portraits were included in the book.