Obituary of Robert Clarkson. as it appeared in the Grewelthorpe Parish magazine March 1931.
Friday January 30th 1931. The death of Robert Clarkson. just after completing his 85th year. [born 1846]. Grewelthorpe has lost one of its most respected Parishioners whom all will mourn.
Born in Ellingstring he never wandered far afield, and finally settled 55 years ago at Grewelthorpe, shortly afterwards moving into the home which he now has quitted only at death.
His late wife and he being childless, adopted the present Mr.J.Clarkson of Camp Farm in 1883 at the age of 3weeks. They tenderley cared for him as a son and the most affectionate relations have always existed between foster Father & adopted son, who took the name of Clarkson. Both he and his wife were with him when he passed away, mercifully, in his sleep.
By profession Robert Clarkson. was a woodman, well versed in forestry, but was an adept at all estate work such as planting, fencing etc. His work was thorough and beautifully neat. He was most conscientious [no “ca’ canny” about him] he even grudged minor interruptions by his employer asking his opinion on some other matter not immediately connected with the work in hand.
Some 50 years ago he was taken into the service of the late Bishop Gott, who as vicar of Leeds had bought the estate of “The Hutts”, which he further beautified by planting all present timber [except the old Beech Wood] so that Clarkson may be said to have been in at the birth of all The Hutts plantations, which he took a Fatherly interest and loved.
On Bishop Gott’s death about 1907 the property was purchased by the present owner who had known it in his youth when it was mostly whins and arable land. The writer takes liberty of quoting from a letter he has received from Mrs Frank Gott. of Leeds:
“I do not think there are many of us of whom it could be said as truly as of him, “well done thou faithful servant” he always put the interest of those he worked for before his own, and had the happy gift of making his work his chief happiness in life. he was at The Hutts when I first went over when engaged to be married, and I associate many happy hours spent with him, showing my husband what he had done in the woods since our previous visit.”
He was a Churchman and a God fearing man, and the trusted friend of his employer, leading a simple honourable life, never known to say ill-natured word about anyone. He might with all reverence be described as “a man without guile” and “One of nature’s noblemen.” Surely his straight forward hard working, simple, temperate life has now got its reward.
Robert was buried at Grewelthorpe on Feb. 2nd 1931.
Robert Clarkson.
Information taken from census records. Last update Oct. 2023
ANN CLARKSON. Born 22.10.1738. Kirkby Malzeard. Died 116 Skelton on Ure. Dau of James. Married Robert Inchbould. in 1760. He was Blacksmith in Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge.
ANN CLARKSON. Born 1786 Masham. Died April 1867 Masham of “Natural decay.” Dau of William & Ann Fountain. Married Joseph Ryder. of Coverham in 1807 They had 9 children.
ANN CLARKSON. Born 12.6.1796 Winksley. Died after 1891. Married 1817 to Edward Nelson. of Kirkby Malzeard.
ANN CLARKSON Born C1798 Harrogate. Dau of William & Kezia.
ANN CLARKSON. Born 1839 Masham Died 1902. Dau of Thomas & Margaret Bowes. Married Francis Bucktin. a Blacksmith from East Witton. They lived in Masham in 1891.
BENJAMIN BURTON CLARKSON. Born 10 August 1872 Leeds. Son of Benjamin & Louisa Burton. His Father was a Bailiff in Leeds. at age 18 Benjamin was a Coopers apprentice. Died 25 Feb 1954 at Vicarage Grewelthorpe. Married Annie Jackson. on 30 May 1895 and had a daughter Phyllis.
Grave of Benjamin Burton Clarkson in Grewelthorpe churchyard.
CHRISTOPHER CLARKSON Born C 1884 Masham. Builder. Married to Maud from Durham. In 1921 working for Ingleby builder in Masham.
CYRIL JAMES CLARKSON. Born 11 Dec.1921. Died 2017. Son of John William Clarkson & Minnie Baul. In 1939 he lived Camp Farm with Parents. Married Elizabeth Irene Pickles.
DOROTHY CLARKSON. Born 1758 Grewelthorpe. Died 13.10.1797 Kirkby Malzeard. Dau of Jeffery Clarkson & Margaret Horseman. Married William Lambert. of Kirkby Malzeard.
ELIZABETH CLARKSON. Born 1735 Kirkby Malzeard. Dau of James. Sister of Jane, Jeffery & John.
ELIZABETH CLARKSON. Born 1786 Masham. Dau of William & Ann Fountain.
ELIZABETH CLARKSON [Nee ?]. Born 1803 East Witton. Married to Robert of Thornton Watlass. 1871 she was a poor widow woman living with her son Robert an unmarried Ag. Lab.
ELIZABETH CLARKSON Born C1841 Bedale. Dau of Thomas [carpenter] & Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH CLARKSON. Born C.1877 East Witton. Dau of Raper & Mary.
ESTHER CLARKSON. Born C.1849 Bedale. dau of William & Salley. married * ? Snow.* had son Frank. [b.1875].
FRANCES CLARKSON Born C1883 Bedale. Dau of John C. & Mary.
FRANCES MARY CLARKSON. Born 1911. Died 1995. Dau of John William & Minnie Baul. Spinster.
GEORGE CLARKSON. Born C1841 Masham. Son of Matthew & Mary. Married to Eleanor from Grimsby in C1897. He was A house painter living in Leeds 1911. He worked for Jackson’s cabinet works. In 1901 they lived Blackpool.
HARRIET MATILDA CLARKSON. Of Pateley Bridge married on Wed. 14 Dec 1814 William Weatherhead. iron monger of Pateley Bridge. Ref. Leeds Mercury Issue 2582.
HENRY CLARKSON Born C1882 Winksley. Son of James & Fanny.
JAMES CLARKSON. Born C. 1710. Lived Kirkby Malzeard. father of Ann, Jane, Jeffery, Thomas, Elizabeth. & John.
JAMES CLARKSON [This may be same as above] Died 24 June 1763. Married to Mary.
JAMES CLARKSON Born C1853 Winksley. Died 1939. Married C1877. to Fanny from York. Milk Waggoner. In 1921 he was a rural postman living Galphay.
JAMES CLARKSON. Winksley 1886. Report in Leeds Mercury Sept. 1886.
JAMES NOBLE CLARKSON Born C1886 Winksley. Son of James & Fanny. In 1911 a gardener. In 1921 he was a tram car driver working for Bradford Corp. married to Frances Elizabeth Peacock.
JANE CLARKSON. Born 23.1.1731 Kirkby Malzeard. Dau of James.
JANE CLARKSON Born C1845 Bedale. Dau of Thomas [carpenter] & Elizabeth.
JANE F.CLARKSON [NEE?]. Born C1847 Walden Head, Wensleydale. Married to Robert of Ellingstring.
JANE CLARKSON Born C1884 Bedale. Dau of John C. & Mary.
JEFFERY CLARKSON. Born 21.8.1732 Kirkby Malzeard. Son of James. Brother of Jane. Married Margaret Horseman.
JESSY CLARKSON Born C1877 Bedale. Dau of John C. & Mary.
JOHN CLARKSON Yeoman. Died 1745. Married to Mary. Had brother Thomas. [Ref. Probate records Masham]
JOHN CLARKSON. Born 1733 Kirkby Malzeard. Son of James. Brother of Jeffery & Jane.
JOHN CLARKSON. Born 1767 Masham. Married Alice Marsden. Had dau. Mary.
JOHN CLARKSON Born 1823. Watlass. Bedale. He enlisted in Coldstream Guards in 1842. He completed 21 years of service. Discharged in 1863.
JOHN CLARKSON Born C1843 Winksley. Farmer married to Maria in 1868.
JOHN C.CLARKSON Born c1844. Gardener at Bedale Hall. Married to Mary. Widower in 1911.
JOHN WILLIAM CLARKSON [Jack] Born 5 April 1883 as John William Thorpe. Adopted son of Robert Clarkson & Jane. In 1901 he was a cattleman at Littlethorpe. Died 1962. Married Minnie Baul.[Born 1880]. in 1910. In 1921 & 1939 living Camp Farm a Dairy Farmer.
JOHN CLARKSON. Born C1873 East Witton. Son of Raper & Mary.
JOHN CLARKSON Born C1879 Bedale. Son of John C. & Mary.
JOSEPH CLARKSON Born C1878 Bedale. Gamekeeper married in 1905 to Martha Hudson Had 3 children Elsie 1906; Joseph 1907; Hardy 1909.
JOSEPH ROBINSON CLARKSON Born C1918. Masham. Son of Christopher [builder] & Maud.
KEZIA CLARKSON nee Walker Born C 1775 Yorkshire. Died 1848 Bedale. Married in 1795 to William Clarkson cordwainer.
MARGARET CLARKSON Born C1837 Bedale. Dau of Thomas [carpenter] & Elizabeth.
MARTHA CLARKSON Born C1850 Bedale. Dau of Thomas [carpenter] & Elizabeth.
MARY CLARKSON. Born 1784 Masham. Dau of William & Ann Fountain.
MARY CLARKSON. Born 1795 Middlesmoor. Dau of John & Alice Marsden. Married in 1820 to Matthew Brown of Masham. Had 9 children.
MARY CLARKSON. Born C1838 Ellingstring. Dau of Robert of Thornton Watlass & Elizabeth.
MARY CLARKSON. Born C1839 Masham. Dau of Matthew [the grocer] & Mary.
MARY CLARKSON [nee?]. Born C1841 East Witton. Married C1870 to Raper Clarkson. A widow in 1901 living with married son Robert in E Witton.
MARY ANN CLARKSON Born C1848 Bedale. Dau of Thomas [carpenter] & Elizabeth.
MATTHEW CLARKSON. Born C1812 Masham. Died 1864. He was a grocer. Married to Mary. Father of George.
MATTHEW CLARKSON Born C1817 Bedale. Son of William [cordwainer] & Kezia.
RAPER CLARKSON. Born C1839 Ellingstring. Died 1900. Son of Robert of T.Watlass. & Elizabeth. Married Mary of East Witton. In 1881 in East Witton. Had 5 children.
ROBERT CLARKSON. Born C1799 Thornton Watlass. Died before 1871. Married to Elizabeth of East Witton.
ROBERT CLARKSON. Born C1846 Ellingstring. Died 1931 see obit. above. Son of Robert [b1799] of Thornton Watlass & Elizabeth [b.1803] East Witton. Married to Jane Frances Sayer of Walden Head. in 1872. Had adopted son John Wiliam Thorpe. b.C1883 Grewelthorpe. he took the name of Clarkson.
SARAH CLARKSON Born C1878 Bedale. Dau of John C. & Mary.
1911 census entry.CLARKSON Robert. Head Widower age 65 born 1846 General Labourer On Estate born Ellingstring.
SMARTHITT Grace. Single age 54 b.1857 Domestic Housekeeper born Healy.
ROBERT JOSEPH CLARKSON. Born C1871 East Witton. Son of Raper & Mary. Married Elizabeth Ann of Gummersgill about 1901. He was an estate Labourer.
ROBERT Wm. CLARKSON. Born 19 April 1913. Died 1975. Son of John William & Minnie Baul. Married Lena Horner.[born 1913]. A joiner living Cross Hills in 1939.
SARAH CLARKSON. Born 1670 Kirkby Malzeard. Died in Lancashire. Married Leonard Burniston. of K.Malzeard.
THOMAS CLARKSON. Born 1737 Kirkby Malzeard. Son of James.
Brother of Jane, Jeffery, John, Elizabeth & Ann.
THOMAS CLARKSON. Born 1806 Masham. Died 1858 Masham. Son of William & Mary Jackson. Married in 1838 to Margaret Bowes. Had 9 children.
THOMAS CLARKSON. Born C. 1811 Fingall. Married to Mary [b.1834] of Craven. He was a Medical Practitioner in Pateley Bridge in 1891. had a son William born C1857 in Bradford.
THOMAS CLARKSON Born C1815. Carpenter in Bedale. Married to Elizabeth.
THOMAS BOWES CLARKSON. Born 1841 Masham. Died 1901 New Zealand. Son of Thomas & Margaret Bowes. Married Grace Potts Pole. in New Zealand in 1868. They had 11 children.
TOM CLARKSON. Born C.1880 East Witton. Son of Raper & Mary.
WILLIAM CLARKSON. Born 1759 Kirkby Malzeard. Died June 1825 Masham. Married Ann Fountain. in 1779 in Masham.
WILLIAM CLARKSON. Born C1786 Kirkby Malzeard. Married to Jane. In 1841 he was a flax dresser in Mickley.
WILLIAM CLARKSON. Born C1816. Son of William & Jane. In 1841 a flax dresser living Mickley.
WILLIAM CLARKSON. Born C.1819 Bedale. Married to Salley of Colsterdale [b.1820]. Had dau Esther [b.1849]. He was a farmer.
WILLIAM CLARKSON. Born C1875 East Witton. Son of Raper & Mary.
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