The small hamlet of Roxby with its church on the skyline stands on the hills between the moors and the sea over looking Staithes. The church was once one of the guides that the fishermen of Staithes lined up with when entering the harbour. The village is small and scattered. It was founded in the reign of Henry VIII by the Boynton family.

In 1600 Sir Hugh Chomley 4th Bart of Whitby was born in the Manor at Roxby. During the 1644 Civil War he was commander at Scarborough Castle. During this time he changed his allegiance from the parliamentarians to the Royalists. In 1645 the castle was captured by the Parliamentarians and a Colonel Boynton then took over the castle and he too switched allegiance form the Parliamentarians to the Royalists, and also suffered defeat.

The Boynton family owned the manor at Roxby until the 18th century, when Sir Griffith Boynton,Bart., of Barmston and Burton Agnes sold the manor and estate to J. Turton, Esq. physician to the royal household. He died in 1806 and having no family of his own left his estates to Edmund Peters who took the name and arms of Turton. In 1876 the family erected a school here for the children of Roxby and Borrowby. In 1890 it was mainly the property of Captain E.H. Turton of Thirsk. In 1923 it was in the possession of Mr Edmund Rossborough Turton of Upsall Castle.

All that is left of the manor house today is one small corner close to the church. The church is a popular place for people interested in brass rubbing as it has set in its floor not far from the altar a brass plaque showing a member of the Boyton family in full armour.

The school is still standing though no longer a school. A stone building opposite the school has a fascinating horseshoe shaped doorway in its centre with the inscription Turton Cottages 1858. I have been unable to establish why it was built in this shape but believe it was something to do with the Turton Family as near the great house at Upsall is a forge that has the same horseshoe shaped archway with the words Upsall Town 1859 carved over it. Could this building at Roxby also have been a forge? References are shown in a number of publications referring to Roxby having a blacksmith in the 1800’s.

Trades in the 1800’s

In Baines directory in 1823 Roxby was listed as having 4 farmers, 1 blacksmith, 1 wheelwright, 1 tailor and 1 vict. board. By 1840 in White’s directory it had risen to 1 schoolmaster, 1 blacksmith, 1 miller, 1 vict. board and 7 farmers one of whom was also an auctioneer.

In Bulmer’s directory for 1890 there was 1 bootmaker, 1 publican, 1 schoolmaster, 1 mason, 1 blacksmith and 1 joiner.

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