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Bielby

Coordinates: 53°52′55″N 0°48′05″W / 53.882044°N 0.801260°W / 53.882044; -0.801260
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For a surname, see Bielby (surname).

Bielby
St Giles Church, Bielby
Bielby is located in East Riding of Yorkshire
Bielby
Bielby
Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire
Population258 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid referenceSE788435
• London165 mi (266 km) S
Civil parish
  • Bielby
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townYORK
Postcode districtYO42
Dialling code01759
PoliceHumberside
FireHumberside
AmbulanceYorkshire
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
53°52′55″N 0°48′05″W / 53.882044°N 0.801260°W / 53.882044; -0.801260

Bielby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Pocklington.

According to the 2011 UK census, Bielby parish had a population of 258,[1] a decrease on the 2001 UK census figure of 281.[2]

About two miles north-east of Bielby, on the edge of Hayton, lie the ruins of an ancient Roman military fortress, an important archaeological site. The University of Durham, Dept of Archaeology, led an excavation between 1995 and 1998 with assistance from local residents and University of Leeds students. A well, a bath-house and many other parts of the Roman fortress have been identified.

Etymology The place name Bielby, a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, is recorded as Belebi or Bielebi in the Domesday Book of 1086.[3] The name is generally interpreted as Old Norse in origin, reflecting the Viking settlement of Yorkshire following the Great Heathen Army’s capture of York in 866 CE.[4] The second element, by, is Old Norse for “farm” or “settlement,” common in Danelaw place names like Whitby and Selby.[5] The first element, Biele or Bele, is debated, with two primary theories: a Norse personal name Beli and a possible Slavic Biele.

Norse Etymology The prevailing etymology, endorsed by the English Place-Name Society, derives Bielebi from the Old Norse personal name Beli and by, meaning “Beli’s farm.”[6][7] Beli, possibly meaning “roarer,” appears in Norse mythology and Danelaw place names like Belby (Lincolnshire) and Belton (Beli + tún).[8][9] The Domesday Book spellings (Belebi, Bielebi) are attributed to Anglo-Norman scribal variations, with Beli as the likely root.[10]

Slavic Etymology Hypothesis An alternative hypothesis suggests Bielebi may derive from a Slavic personal name or nickname Biele, meaning “white” in Old East Slavic (bely, бѣлый), linked to a warrior from the birch-rich lands of modern Belarus who settled in Yorkshire during the 9th century.[11] This theory posits that Swedish Varangians, establishing Kievan Rus’ around 862–882 CE, recruited East Slavic warriors (e.g., Dregovichs, Krivichs) while navigating rivers through present-day Belarus.[12][13] A warrior from this region, characterized by white-barked birch forests, could have been nicknamed Biele by Varangians, reflecting the Slavic term for “white.”[14] This warrior may have joined a Varangian group traveling westward, possibly integrating with the Danish-led Great Heathen Army, and settled in East Riding after 866 CE, receiving land near Pocklington.[15] The resulting farm, named Bielebi (Biele + by), could reflect his nickname, with the village established by 1086.[16] Supporting evidence includes: Spelling Consistency: The Domesday Book and later records (Beleby, Bielby) consistently use “ie” or “ye,” aligning with Slavic bely phonetics rather than Norse Beli, which typically appears as Bel- or Bil-.[17]

Cultural Parallels: Bielby’s historical association with goose farming, possibly supplying Pocklington, mirrors Belarusian village traditions, though goose-keeping was also common in Viking-Age England.[18]

Birch Forests: The white birch forests of Belarus could inspire a Biele nickname, consistent with medieval naming by geographic features.[19]

Challenges to the Slavic hypothesis include the dominance of Norse names in the Danelaw, the lack of direct evidence for Slavic settlers in Yorkshire, and the possibility that “ie” spellings reflect scribal variations of Beli.[20][21] The term Belaya Rus’ (“White Rus’”) appears later (13th century), suggesting a 9th-century warrior would be identified as Rus’ or by tribal affiliation.[22] Conclusion The Norse Beli + by etymology is the scholarly consensus, supported by Danelaw naming patterns and similar place names.[23] However, the Slavic Biele hypothesis, driven by the “ie” spelling and Varangian-Slavic interactions, offers a plausible alternative. Further archaeological or documentary evidence, such as Slavic artifacts in East Riding, could clarify the name’s origin.[24] 

The total rent collected from tenants in Bielby dropped from 1066 to 1086 from £56 to £8. By the 11th century Bielebi (Bielby) had almost 10 residents.

One home in Bielby is proudly named Bielbyville. Most homes in Bielby have a name plate sign displayed either on the front exterior wall or in the yard (even though the homes are modest in size). Another House at the end of the village is Manor Cottage where many a farmers worked on land next to the house (although since 2009 been empty).

Bielby has an Anglican church (St. Giles), which dates back more than 900 years. The Methodist revival which swept England in the 18th century still has a visible presence in Bielby, although the old Methodist Church building in the village is now a private residence.

History

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Great Heathen Army battles

The Great Heathen Army of the Vikings captured much of the area in 866, and, in 876, their remnants settled permanently in parts of the Yorkshire countryside. The Great Heathen Army marched directly through the section Bielby would be established near in 865, conquering what would become York in 866. Viking kings ruled the whole region around Bielby, known to historians as "The Viking Kingdom of Jorvik", for almost a century. In 954, the last Viking king, Eric Bloodaxe, was expelled and his kingdom was incorporated in the newly consolidated Anglo-Saxon state.

Notable people from Bielby

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  • John Smith (1807–1895), of Bielby, was a maker of sundials and "a remarkable man in his way".[25][failed verification]

People named Bielby

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Until recently, residents named Bielby lived in the village. The last Bielby was an Alice Bielby who formerly taught in the village school during the middle 20th century. (source: A Bielby village bearer of the key for St. Giles Church in 2001) There are no known Bielbys left in the village.

Coates Bridge
The College Arms

Some Bielby's have their names spelled Beilby or Beelby on different documents. There are people bearing the name Bielby or Beilby living across England, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere. Some Bielbys who spread throughout England became famous for their glass-blowing skill. The Beilby goblets boast the highest auction prices of any King's goblets sold in markets in recent history. Rev. Beilby Porteus was a well-known preacher and author who was Bishop of London from 1787 until his death in 1809.

Some of the Bielbys in Canada and America have known forefathers who were Methodist (see the John Bielby family and descendants from Lake City, Michigan, immigrating from Ontario to Michigan in about 1900. Also his grandfather, Richard Milson Bielby, was a noted Holiness Church member in Huntsville, Ontario during the last half of the 19th century) He is mentioned in Methodist articles from that time period as a significant lay member of their movement. Traces of Methodist influence from England into America via the Bielbys exist primarily in Canada. Other than St. Giles Church, the old Methodist Church-which is now a home, no other religious organizations were represented in Bielby.

Bielbys who were multi-generational pioneers of Ontario, Canada: Richard Bielby (1774 to 1835) migrated with some of his family from Weaverthorpe, Yorkshire, England to York, Ontario, Canada. His son, Richard Milson Bielby (1809 to 1882) was also born in Weaverthorpe, Yorkshire, England and died in Ontario Canada. He was a noted Wesleyan lay leader in Ontario. His son Richard O. Bielby (1834 to 1899) was born and died in Ontario. Then Richard Matthew Bielby (1860 to 1943) was a pioneer of Missaukee County, Michigan, United States. This Richard Bielby was the first railroad engineer in the county, hauling freshly cut timber from the developing county to nearby Traverse City, Michigan in an early model steam engine (1890s).[26] This same Richard Matthew Bielby was the local bank President, Sheriff and owned and operated a local Hardware Store in Lake City, Michigan. His family also helped found the first Presbyterian Church in Lake City, Michigan. Richard Matthew Bielbys brother, John H Bielby followed him down to Lake City, Michigan, United States from Ontario, Canada years later. Married Richard Matthew Bielby's wife (Jennie White) sister, Alice White. The White sisters were some of the first pioneers in Missaukee County. Jennie was "the first white baby" to arrive in the county.[27] So all of the descendants of these two Bielbys are double cousins. The descendants of these four Richard Bielbys (and their siblings) represent most of the Bielbys living in North America today. Another interesting wrinkle in this history, is that the White sisters were the daughters of a direct descendant of a passenger on the Mayflower's very first voyage to America. Thus making all of the Bielbys who descend from the double cousin Bielbys of Lake City direct descendants of 1620 Mayflower passengers who settled in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts Bay Colony!

These multi-generation Bielby pioneers represent most of the Bielbys living in North America (Many provinces of Canada & and many states in the United States) alive in the early 21st Century.

In addition to St. Giles, The College Arms (a small pub serving lunch and dinner), Bielby is mostly residential, with a few newer homes. Geese are still raised on the edge of the village. The Pocklington Canal still provides a splendid water supply for such purposes. A Beck also runs close to Bielby and used to drive an old flour mill, but from time to time it can flood, as it did in June 2007, overflowing the streets of Bielby up to the doorsteps of some homes.

Karl Pearson's grandmother was named Bielby. She lived in Crambe and other places near Bielby.

Church restoration

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Medieval wall painting of St Christopher in St Giles Church

The parish church of St Giles has recently been restored. Plaster has been removed and sandstone walls restored. Two arches on the outside of the church, and a pillar and skeleton[clarification needed] on an inside wall, have been uncovered. Removal of the external rendering has uncovered a history of the church, with pillars and arches now visible that would have been part of a larger structure. Inside, an ancient blue-coloured painting was revealed, showing the legs of St Christopher. The plasterwork had deteriorated to such an extent that when efforts were made to protect it, it crumbled off the wall in fragments. The box pews are among the best-preserved in the East Riding of Yorkshire.[citation needed]

The church was designated a Grade II* listed building in January 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Bielby Parish (1170211140)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ UK Census (2001). "Local Area Report – Bielby Parish (1543504187)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  3. ^ Domesday Book: A Complete Translation. Edited by Ann Williams and G.H. Martin. Penguin Books, 2003, p. 816.
  4. ^ Richards, Julian D. Viking Age England. Tempus, 2004, pp. 17–25.
  5. ^ Smith, A.H. The Place-Names of the East Riding of Yorkshire and York. English Place-Name Society, vol. 14, Cambridge University Press, 1937, pp. 45–46.
  6. ^ Smith, A.H., 1937, p. 46.
  7. ^ Mills, A.D. English Place-Names. Oxford University Press, 1993, p. 34.
  8. ^ Cleasby, Richard, and Guðbrandur Vigfússon. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 1874, p. 55.
  9. ^ Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 1960, p. 38.
  10. ^ Fellows-Jensen, Gillian. Scandinavian Settlement Names in Yorkshire. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag, 1972, pp. 22–25.
  11. ^ Proposed by David A. Bielby, personal communication, 2025.
  12. ^ Franklin, Simon, and Jonathan Shepard. The Emergence of Rus, 750–1200. Longman, 1996, pp. 38–49.
  13. ^ The Russian Primary Chronicle: Laurentian Text. Translated by Samuel Hazzard Cross and Olgerd P. Sherbowitz-Wetzor. Medieval Academy of America, 1953, pp. 59–61.
  14. ^ Morozova, L.E. History of Belarus. Minsk University Press, 1990, pp. 12–15.
  15. ^ Duczko, Wladyslaw. Viking Rus: Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe. Brill, 2004, pp. 142–155.
  16. ^ Domesday Book, 2003, p. 816; Palmer, J.J.N. The Domesday Economy. Boydell Press, 2002, p. 45.
  17. ^ Smith, A.H., 1937, p. 46; cf. Watts, Victor, ed. The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names. Cambridge University Press, 2004, p. 59.
  18. ^ Local tradition, per personal interview with a slavic historian; cf. Banham, Debby. Food and Drink in Anglo-Saxon England. Tempus, 2004, pp. 45–47.
  19. ^ Wilson, David M. The Vikings and Their Origins. Thames & Hudson, 1989, pp. 98–100.
  20. ^ Fellows-Jensen, 1972, pp. 22–25.
  21. ^ Richards, 2004, pp. 20–22.
  22. ^ Plokhy, Serhii. The Origins of the Slavic Nations. Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 23–25.
  23. ^ Mills, 1993, p. 34.
  24. ^ Duczko, 2004, pp. 142–155.
  25. ^ Nikolaus Pevsner; David Neave (1995). Yorkshire: York and the East Riding. Yale University Press. p. 324. ISBN 9780300095937. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Railroad Magazine March 1942 p.46-51".
  27. ^ "Missaukee County".
  28. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Giles (1084123)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  • Gazetteer — A–Z of Towns Villages and Hamlets. East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 2006. p. 3.
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