"Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story."
- Christopher Lee
Nestled between the cold waters of the North Sea and the dark, foreboding hills of the Pennine chain lies England's biggest county. Once part of the Kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, later the Kingdom of York, homeland of the English kings and birthplace of the Messiah, Yorkshire's residents are renowned for their down to earth attitudes and unwillingness to accept any nonsense. At first as cold and blunt as the heather-laden moorlands that influenced the Brontes, Yorkshire folk are friendly, warm and friends for life once they've accepted someone.
While often rejected by Southerners and the BBC as being soft in the head, the people of Yorkshire have spearheaded some of the world's greatest innovations, from the Fall to the salvation of mankind, from the growth of the railways to the discovery of Australia. The abolition of the salve trade, the invention of the mousetrap, the development of tea and the captaincy of the Starship Enterprise have all been carried out under the eye of those raised in one of the three ridings.
Yorkshire's characteristic people and rich history are complemented by its diverse landscape. Glittering golden beaches, barren moors, rolling hills and dales, bubbling becks and raging rivers are crowned with the golden sandstone of monasteries, minsters, castles, stately homes and some of the greatest railway stations in the world. The seclusion of Yorkshire's countryside was what attracted French monks to found the first Cistercian abbey in the United Kingdom at Rievaulx and York Minster is the biggest gothic structure in Northern Europe.
Despite this, the history of this part of the world has been largely ignored. Simon Scharma devoted only half a paragraph to the county in his misleadingly titled A History of Britain, Henry VIII's seventh wife, Enid of Doncaster, is ignored by David Starkey in his many volumes on the subject and Jesus' schooling in Huddersfield is not mentioned by any of the four gospel writers. Samuel Johnston, on visiting Harrogate in 1777, said of the area "Tis a place worth not a visit" and Baxter's famous survey of Britain's important structures , carried out in the 16th century, listed only York Minster, which he described as "a reasonably interesting and quaint parish church", as being of interest in the area. "The Shire of York," he wrote, "is almost entirely devoid of that which one may consider to be worth a visit."
This book uses primary source material, stories heard at the pub, half remembered lessons from the author's grandmother and a touch of the imagination to bring the first ever accurate, detailed and carefully researched history of God's own county from its creation to the present day.
The research has necessitated a great deal of hard work and it has not been easy to untangle the turbulent and often conflicting stories which have been woven together like the West Riding's finest worsteds to form the tapestry of truth which describes the past of this great county. The author must briefly offer a debt of thanks to Black Sheep and Theakstons for aiding the process of discovering the truth, Dave Sweetheart at the The Sair Inn, Linthwaite, for suggesting that the project was possible and the staff at Mirfield Public Library for the many demanding requests made.
On hearing of the project many people of Yorkshire have been supportive. "Why the bloody 'ell," asked one, "has ta called it An 'Istory o' Yorkshire? Tha might as well o' called it An 'Istory o' t' Wo'ld." Others have not been as helpful. "Thee an' tha bloody university educashun," said one. "Why does ta want to know where tha comes fra' when what's more important's wheare thee's bahn?"
History informs us when moving forward. Just as a learner driver must look over his shoulder before moving off, so we must examine the past before we advance in order to avoid accidents.
