Kirkby Malzeard & Laverton

Churchyard

Moot-hill or Preaching Cross
The original name of the village, Churchebi, suggests that the village and church were established in Saxon times. Certainly they were here when the Danes came, as the Hogback stone proves.
Probably the first preacher here was an itinerant priest who set up a wooden Cross to show his faith and establish his position, and preached beside it. Many churches began this way, with a shelter for the priest and the Cross made and becoming the chancel, and a shelter for the congregation being the nave.
Usually a higher piece of ground was chosen for the meeting place and the mound in the churchyard may well mark the spot.
This spot will also have been used for the people of the parish to discuss and settle certain issues within the area.

The cross now standing there is comparatively new, the top being the most recent, the shaft older, and the base the oldest. None of it is original Saxon work if you compare it to the original Saxon Cross in Masham churchyard.

Hogback Stone
What is a Hogback Stone?
Hogback Stones are carved, fairly ornate, ‘monuments’ that have a humped ridgeline. They are widely believed to date from between c.920 and c.950. The designs on them are the same style which appeared in Scandinavia.
They are highly unusual monuments that are only found in the British Isles, mainly in the north of England. There have been 51 known examples found throughout northern England and Midlands. Only two known examples in the West Riding, which Kirkby Malzeard used to be in, the other being Burnsall.
It’s difficult to know the original purpose of the stones, as the vast majority have been discovered in the early nineteenth century during renovations to Norman churches, many being found in the foundations, as was the case in Kirkby.

The Hogback Stone in Kirkby was, according to W. G. Collingwood writing in 1914, referred to the restoration of the church after a fire in 1876. He explains that the aisle wall, built around 1190, was taken down and rebuilt in 1878. ‘During this work, a Hog-back grave was found buried beneath the foundations. It was of the Brompton and Ingleby Arncliffe type. The sides were divided into three panels, containing knots, and the ridge was ornamented with a plait. The figures of bears were somewhat rudimentary’.

Photo from N. Pearson
‘The dimensions are given as 3 feet 11 inches in length by 1 foot 5 inches in height in the middle. ‘It was totally destroyed in the conflagration of 1908.’
The Kirkby Hogback seems to be a rough copy of a type otherwise found confined to the Tees Valley and to Allertonshire.
Although it’s believed that these stones were used as grave markers, there doesn’t seem to be any conclusive evidence.

George Wharton Aged 112?
George Wharton is buried in the churchyard, after reaching the grand old age of 112…or did he?!
According to the 1841 census he is 105, classed as ‘Independent’, and living in Laverton with a servant called Mary Richmond, aged 30.
Another twist to the mystery is that his grave stone has been altered where his age is written, as you might be able to see from the photo.

We do know that he was born in London, and was forced to work as a sailor, spending many years at sea. By 1802 he was living in the area, and by 1838 was living in ‘Missise’ in Laverton.
He has been desribed as a being very clean, well dressed gentleman with buckles on his shoes.
He died at Masham Moor Heads.