St Wilfrid’s and St Mary’s

St Mary’s Historical Information

12aThe parish of South Milford was formed in March 1859 from that of the neighbouring village of Sherburn -in-Elmet.
The church was consecrated by the then Bishop of Ripon, the Rt. Rev'd Charles Longley on November 25th 1846.
The land for the church was given by University College, Oxford with additional land from.Benjamin Crosland of 'Milford House'
The Crosland family retained links with the church until 1988 and the passing of Maimie Crosland , the spinster daughter of Walter Crosland JP and wife Emma. The present pulpit, a finely carved specimen by the "Mouseman" Robert Thompson was given to the church by Maimie in 1954, as a lasting memory to her parents.

The church was built at a cost of £1,500 by Benjamin Bulmer of Thorpe Arch and constructed in the local Huddleston limestone to designs by George Fowler Jones.  Of note on the south side, a stained glass window in memory of Georgina Young, wife of the first rector, the Rev'd Frederick Young who retained the South Milford living for 49 years.

The Rectory, across the road on Westfield Lane was opened in 1866 and sold in 1968 when a new Rectory in the form of a bungalow was built further down the lane. This was also sold in 1985 when the parish merged with that of the neighbouring village of Monk Fryston. The new Rectory is located in Main Street, Hillam and is the home of the current Rector and family.

The picture is from a lithograph - circa 1846