Hang East

Hang East and Hang West were originally one wapentake (Hang), and formed part of the Honour of Richmond from the 11th century. Hang was divided into two in the 13th century; this is why Hang East wapentake derives its name from a hill which was no longer in its area.{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=A H|title=The place-names of the North Riding of Yorkshire|date=1928|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|pages=228–229|oclc=847221166|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/epns/documents/north-riding-of-yorkshire.pdf}}

Its name derives from its meeting place of Hang Bank which was halfway between Hutton Hang and the village of Finghall. Hang is believed to derive from the Old English word Hangar which meant a wooded slope.{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=A H|title=The place-names of the North Riding of Yorkshire|date=1928|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|page=229|edition=1|oclc=906264189|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/epns/documents/north-riding-of-yorkshire.pdf}} The place is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Hotun.{{cite book|last1=Horsfall-Turner|first1=J|title=Yorkshire place names : as recorded in the Yorkshire Domesday Book, 1086|date=1908|publisher=Horsfall-Turner|location=Idel[sic]|page=59|oclc=181784558}}

Hang East was divided up into nine parishes; Bedale, Catterick, Hornby, Kirkby Fleetham, Masham, Patrick Brompton, Scruton, Thornton Watlass and Well.{{cite web|title=The wapentake of Hang East|editor-first=William |editor-last=Page |editor-link=William Page (historian)|publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1914 |work=Victoria County History. A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1 |access-date=2 March 2021 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/north/vol1/p291}} It was bordered to the south by Claro Wapentake and to the east by HallikeldThe spelling of this Wapentake varies between Halikeld and Hallikeld. and Gilling East Wapentakes. To the north lay Richmond and Gilling West Wapentake with Hang West on its western edge.{{sfn|White|1840|p=601}}

In 1831, the Wapentake was measured as covering {{convert|64,000|acre}}{{cite book|title=The parliamentary gazetteer of England and Wales, adapt|date=1845|page=250|oclc=563582350}} and was {{convert|8|mi}} across at its widest and was {{convert|15|mi}} from north to south.{{sfn|White|1840|p=573}} It was chiefly agricultural in nature and possessed two market towns; Bedale and Masham. Its land was described as being more fertile and low-lying than Hang West wapentake (to the west) which contained steeper valleys and higher peaks.{{cite book|last1=Langdale|first1=Thomas|title=A topographical dictionary of Yorkshire : containing the names of all the towns, villages, hamlets, gentlemen's seats, &c. in the county of York|url=https://archive.org/details/atopographicald01langgoog|date=1822|publisher=Langdale|location=Northallerton|page=46|oclc=963312803}} In modern times, the area that the Wapentake covered is divided between the Hambleton and Richmondshire districts of North Yorkshire.

The table below lists the settlements within the Hang East Wapentake. These are as listed in Bulmer's North Riding{{cite web|title=Genuki: NRY HISTORY CONTENTS: , Yorkshire|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/YRY/NRY/NRYHistory/NRYHistory04|website=www.genuki.org.uk|accessdate=16 March 2018}} and White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory, of the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire.{{sfn|White|1840|p=574}}

(BP=Bedale Parish, CP=Catterick Parish, HP=Hornby Parish, KFP=Kirkby Fleetham Parish, MP=Masham Parish, PBP=Patrick Brompton Parish, SP=Scruton Parish, TWP=Thornton Watlass Parish, WP=Well Parish)

Exelby with Leeming and Newton used to be in Hallikeld Wapentake, but was transferred to Hang East in the early 19th century, hence the sign on the road with Hang East instead of Hallikeld.{{sfn|White|1840|p=574}} The HD on the sign stands for Highway District (Hang East Highway District took its name from the wapentake) and the Highways District maintained the roads in the former Wapentake area.{{cite web|last1=Heywood|first1=Richard|title=The Mattison mileposts of the North Riding|url=http://www.yorkshire-milestones.co.uk/all-about-waymarkers/63-the-mattison-mileposts-of-the-north-riding|website=www.yorkshire-milestones.co.uk|accessdate=15 March 2018}}

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• {{cite book|last=White|first=William|title=History, gazetteer, and directory, of the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire|publisher=White|location=Sheffield|year=1840|oclc=319907952}}

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Category:Wapentakes of the North Riding of Yorkshire