GUYS of Muker

[Angela Guy]

I am researching the Guy Family History for my father-in-law who is 92. His grandfather was John Guy born 24/8/1838 Muker. I hope that these snippets may be of interest, and if anyone has information regarding the Guy families of Muker I would very much like to hear from them



1. Will of George Guy b18/11/1712 dc 1780, late of Oxnop in the Parish of Grinton, can be found at the West Yorkshire Archives Service Leeds ref RD/AP1/152/4 detailing considerable assets of my father-in-law's 3rd great grandfather. (Pity the wealth now seems to have disappeared!). I have transcribed a copy of this will, but had to sign an undertaking not to publish it.
2. A reference to one Richard Guy: "Master of the Bulls" for Muker: From "Swaledale, Valley of the Wild River" by Andrew Fleming, Edinburgh University Press 1998, a book about the landscape history of Swaledale:
" To convey something of the flavour of commons regulations, it is worth quoting from an agreement made in 1790 between one Richard Guy and 'the inhabitants of the Town of Muker'.
Richard Guy
in consideration of his having and receiving the Rents and Profits of the Bull Pasture, and the sum of forty shillings a year, to furnish and supply the aforesaid inhabitants with two good and sufficient bulls to be approved of by James Clarkson of Satron, James Grime of Muker, and Christopher Peacock of Appletreethwaite during the time that the cows are upon the Pasture, and one Bull as aforesaid for the remainder of the year. All persons not Inhabitants [this word is crossed out, and the word Land-owners' inserted] of Muker who stock the Pasture with Cows or Queys, to pay one Shilling each for such Cow or Quey. All persons who change their stock after the 26th day of May annually to pay half a crown each for such cow or quey, one half to the Master of the Bulls, and the other moiety to go towards the payment of the aforesaid forty Shillings. All cows which are kept to graze in the enclosed pastures belonging to the Town, to be allowed to be bulled with the Pasture Bulls, as they can agree with the Master of the Bulls....
Original source: "Byelaw Book of Muker" late eighteenth century NYCRO ZRD 2
TO BE CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS RICHARD GUY BORN 1749.

[wifey]

Hello Angela, I think you may be a family member. I too have a few George and Richard Guy family members in my tree. I can check for you how far back I can trace, but I have a George Guy who married an Alice Guy whose fathers were brothers.

[wifey]

Richard Guy born 1749 was my six times great grandfather!! He was a large character then in the community it seems. If you want to contact me you can email me direct.

[Stubbsy]

Hi,

My 4 x gt grandmother was Rachel Guy born 1753 who married James Milner at Muker 22nd October 1774.

We always thought she was one of the Muker Guys but her place of birth is given as Garsdale.

Can anyone enlighten us as to why this should be, and does she connect with the previously mentioned Guys?

Cheers,
John

[wifey]

Hello John it looks like the families in Garsdale had very close links with Swaledale. Perhaps the county borders have moved over the centuries, maybe they preferred to think of themselves as Yorkshire folks not Cumbrians. Garsdsle is not that far from Hawes about 11 miles away I think. Lets hope we find out which relaties moved and when I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[wifey]

Hi John,
Garsdale it seems is a valley not a village which runs from Sedbergh to Hawes. Perhaps this explains things it's part of Cumbria but maybe births were registered at Hawes if the people lived at that end of the valley and not at the other end near Sedbergh. Just a guess.

[Stubbsy]

Hawes is a good idea - I'll do a bit more detective work in that area. Garsdale as a valley rather than a village would ring true - all the Guys seem to have been farmers.

John

[wifey]

Hi Glad to help John hope you find out more soon, you are right about them being farmers so they could have had farms all along the valley. We may have been past a few years ago and never known how they were linked to the family. My relatives used to take me for long drives up and around there during the summer months.

[wifey]

Just found out more info on Richard Guy's wife Margaret Mayson. She was one of ten children born to William Mayson and Mary Alderson (I have found other Alderson family members on other branches of the tree too). They had the following children:-
John born Feb 1803 Calvert House
Peggy born Calvert House 1804 died 1804
Margaret (a.k.a. Peggy) born Ivelet Side 1805 died 11 June 1833 (my ancestor)
James born 1806 Ivelet Side
William born 1808 Ramps Holme
George born 1809 Ramps Holme
Miley (male) born 1811 Ramps Holme
Bella born 1813 Ramps Holme
Anthony born 1814 Ramps Holme died July 1857
Nathan born 1816 Ramps Holme
All of the children seem to have been christened in Muker.
I can not find any other records for William Mayson before his marriage to Mary Alderson in 1802, there only appears to be one possible christening for Mary 9 April 1769 in Grinton father given as Jno. Alderson.