Marton Village

Richard Lawton, Marton a short history (Marton Parish Meeting, Marton, 2009). 171pp. £12.50 (paperback)

Marton is a small village (with a population varying between 150 and 250 during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) situated in the parish of Sinnington in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire. Like many similar villages, it does not lay claim to having played any significant role in British history; however, its development typifies the gradual social and economic changes that occurred throughout rural Britain. What distinguishes this account from other village histories is that it is written by Richard Lawton, former Professor of Geography at Liverpool University. It therefore provides a rich and detailed account of the village exploiting the available historical sources.

 

Chapter one starts off with a general introduction to the geology and history of the region from the Ice Age onwards. It is only from the Domesday Book of 1086 that written evidence for Marton occurs, although direct references from the medieval period are sparse, partly because the village formed part of a larger parish and no houses built before the seventeenth century survive. Marton was depicted for the first time in 1577 on Christopher Saxton’s map of Yorkshire. Residents recorded their vital events in Sinnington parish register and their identification is dependent on other sources such as the Hearth Tax Returns which listed only nine individuals in 1677. This means that it is not until the late eighteenth century that Land Tax and Enclosure Award records can be used to provide a clear picture of the layout of the village. From 1841 the census enumerators returns reveal Marton to be a small agricultural village with a good range of trades and like many similar places it suffered population decline (from 240 in 1841 to 148 in 1901, p. 54) and experienced substantial population turnover (of 47 families resident in 1881 only 21 remained in 1901, p. 65).

 

By the beginning of the twentieth century a greater number of individuals can be identified; their roles in village life are described and skilfully interwoven with the sections detailing the general history of the village. The impact of the two world wars is also discussed and much of the rest of the book is concerned with how modernisation affected the village. The population declined to only 139 in 1931, but during the late twentieth century Marton witnessed something of a building boom and it became increasingly important as an attractive residential and retirement settlement with a number of second homes, although this has not halted the decline in local services. In this and in many other respects Marton may be considered typical of small villages throughout Britain.

 

This very readable history is richly illustrated with nearly 60 photographs and maps. The author appears to have left no stone unturned in his quest to discover how the village developed over time―indeed, he even distributed a short questionnaire to the villagers in 2006 in order to provide an up-to-date perspective on contemporary village life. His book can be readily recommended as a model for anyone contemplating a similar village study.

 

Chris Galley