Marton, Middlesbrough

File:Captainjamescookportrait.jpg

The explorer, cartographer and navigator, Captain James Cook was born to James and Grace Cook, in a clay-built cottage in the village of Marton in 1728, and he lived for a short time in the village, until the family moved to Great Ayton.The Captain Cook Encyclopædia, p. 144. John Robson. Random House Australia. {{ISBN|0-7593-1011-4}}. A contemporary drawing of the village by George Cuit has revealed the cottage to have significantly deteriorated by as early as 1788, a precursor to it being levelled by new local landowner, Bartholomew Rudd, in the 1790s.{{cite book |last1=Winn |first1=Christopher |title=I never knew that about Yorkshire |date=2010 |publisher=Ebury |location=London |isbn=978-0-09-193313-5 |page=70}} It was very close to where the original manor house Marton Lodge eventually stood, to which Rudd made many alterations. Cook later sailed his ship ({{HMS|Endeavour}}) from Whitby to discover and name for the western world the antipodean continents and islands as well as many islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The tiny community of Marton, Queensland, Australia, upstream from Cooktown on the banks of the Endeavour River, was named after James Cook's birthplace in remembrance of his 7-week stay in the region in 1770. There is also a town in New Zealand named Marton (renamed thus in 1869 in honour of Cook's birthplace). The name of the Yorkshire village derives from a mixture of Old English and Old Norse (marr-tūn) which means Marsh farm/settlement.{{cite book |last1=Ekwall |first1=Eilert |title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names |date=1960 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-869103-3 |page=317 |edition=4}}

In 1859, the ruin and the land that is now the park were bought by the Middlesbrough ironmaster H. W. F. Bolckow.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} He built a new hall, which, after serving for a short period of time as a museum, was destroyed during demolition by fire in 1960, after standing empty for several years.{{cite news |title=Mystery of hall fire finally solved - 51 years on |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/9850716.Mystery_of_hall_fire_finally_solved_-_51_years_on/ |access-date=2 July 2018 |work=The Northern Echo |date=2 August 2012}} The site is now home to the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, opened in 1978.{{cite news |title=Party for young and old marks park's 80 years |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2295361.Party_for_young_and_old_marks_park___s_80_years/ |access-date=2 July 2018 |work=The Northern Echo |date=24 May 2008}} In addition to viewing the large collection of Cook-related objects at the museum, visitors can view a grade II listed granite urn erected by Bolckow in 1858 on the site of the demolished Cook cottage.{{NHLE|desc=Memorial to Captain James Cook circa 80 metres south of Captain Cook Birthplace Museum|num=1137243|grade=II|access-date=2 July 2018}}

File:St. Cuthbert's Church, Marton - geograph.org.uk - 54654.jpg

There is no record of the foundation of St Cuthbert's Church, but there is evidence that it dates from the 12th century, in the Norman period. At that time the overlords of Marton were the de Brus family, ancestors of Robert the Bruce of Scotland.{{cite web |title=Parishes: Marton {{!}} British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/north/vol2/pp264-268 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk |access-date=2 July 2018}} They had founded Gisborough Priory in 1119, and succeeding generations of the family bestowed gifts of land and property on this and other religious houses in the area. The church at Marton was one of those gifts to Guisborough, given before 1187.

In 1540 when the priory was dissolved by King Henry VIII, all the property belonging to the priory reverted to the Crown. In 1545 the living of Marton was granted to the Diocese of York, where it remains to this day.

In 1843 and 1847 a major refurbishment took place, mainly financed by J.B. Rudd of Tollesby Hall, the local squire.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqMtjEZQo7AC&q=j+b+rudd+marton&pg=PA57 | title=Church Fabric in the York Diocese 1613–1899: The Records of the Archbishop's Faculty Jurisdiction : a Handlist | publisher=Front Cover Borthwick Publications | author=Evans, Peter | year=1995 | pages=57| isbn=9780903857598 }} A later pen portrait in the Parish magazine tells us that the Church was "restored, widened, and lengthened so that it became, from a little whitewashed, flat ceilinged, sash-windowed, dilapidated edifice with only two aisles and one transept, into the present beautiful building".[http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/stcuthbertsmarton/page5.phtml History of St. Cuthbert's Church] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630210526/http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/stcuthbertsmarton/page5.phtml |date=30 June 2012 }}

Captain James Cook was baptised at St Cuthbert's Church. The church is now ornamented with a stained-glass window commemorating Cook.{{cite EB1911 |last=Beazley |first=Charles Raymond |wstitle=Cook, James |author-link= Charles Raymond Beazley|volume=7 |page=71|short=1}}

The graves of Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan, the founding fathers of Bolckow Vaughan — the company which brought the steel industry to Middlesbrough – are in the churchyard. The graves, like the company, had been largely forgotten in the 20th century, but were refurbished in 2009.{{cite web | url=http://ts7.gazettelive.co.uk/local-news/marton-graves-of-middlesbroughs-founding-fathers-restored.html | title=Evening Gazette: Marton & Nunthorpe | publisher=TS7 | work=Marton graves of Middlesbrough's founding fathers restored | date=16 May 2009 | access-date=12 March 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603034126/http://ts7.gazettelive.co.uk/local-news/marton-graves-of-middlesbroughs-founding-fathers-restored.html | archive-date=3 June 2010 | df=dmy-all }}

In 1961 the civil parish had a population of 4393.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10447367/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Marton AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=7 May 2024}} On 1 April 1968 the parish was abolished to form Teesside.{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/cleveland.html|title=Cleveland Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=7 May 2024}} Until 1974 it was in the North Riding of Yorkshire, from 1974 to 1996 it was in Cleveland.

In the 2023 local elections, the following members were returned to Middlesbrough Borough Council:{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough May 2023 Election Results|url=https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/elections/election-results/|date=May 2023}}

Other notable persons who lived in the parish of Marton include Bolckow's business partner John Vaughan (1799–1868), who lived at Gunnergate Hall until his death; Sir Raylton Dixon (1838–1901), a Middlesbrough shipbuilder; Henry Cochrane, an ironmaster; Agnes Spencer (died 1959), the wife of the founder of Marks and Spencer.{{cite book |last1=Winn |first1=Christopher |title=I never knew that about Yorkshire |date=2010 |publisher=Ebury |location=London |isbn=978-0-09-193313-5 |page=74}}

Marton is also the base for a junior football club, Marton F.C., which was founded in 1982 and for which Jonathan Woodgate (born 1980), David Wheater (born 1987) and Stewart Downing (born 1984), subsequent Middlesbrough F.C. professional footballers, once played.

Marton has three primary schools: Lingfield Primary School, Captain Cook Primary School and Marton Manor Primary School.{{cite web |title=Primary and Secondary Education in Middlesbrough |url=https://middlesbrough.gov.uk/sites/default/files/School%20Admissions%20Guide%20for%20Parents%202017_18.pdf |website=Middlesbrough.gov.uk |access-date=2 July 2018 |pages=17–18 }} There are no secondary schools in Marton. Most pupils go to nearby Nunthorpe School, the King's Academy, in Coulby Newham or Trinity Catholic College.

{{Main|Demographics of Tees Valley}}

File:Marton Shops - geograph.org.uk - 477695.jpg

Marton Shops, a parade of local supermarkets, eateries, banks, pharmacy and various other outlets is located on the A172 (Stokesley Road). Marton Library & Community Hub is located on Laurel Road, just behind the shops.{{cite news |title=Marton Library & Community Hub |url=https://www.middlesbroughmatters.co.uk/Services/735 |access-date=4 November 2019 |work=Middlesbrough Council Website |date=4 November 2019}}

Public houses include the Southern Cross and the Rudds Arms (both on the A172); the former is located adjacent to the A172 / Stainton Way crossroads and the latter close to the A172 / A174 interchange. The Marton Hotel and Country Club (closed October 2017) was located almost directly opposite to the Rudds Arms before being severely damaged and subsequently demolished in a large blaze in June 2019.{{cite news |last1=Huntley |first1=David |title=Devastating fire tears through derelict Marton Hotel and Country Club |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/huge-fire-tears-through-marton-16427983 |access-date=4 November 2019 |work=Teesside Live Website |date=13 June 2019}}

Marton Cricket Club (founded c.1853), located adjacent to the Rudds Arms, play in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League (NYSD) league.{{cite news |title=Marton Cricket Club A Brief History |url=https://www.martoncc.co.uk/history/default.aspx |access-date=20 January 2022 |work=Marton Cricket Club Website |date=20 January 2022}} The club's pavilion includes a function room available for hire for occasions such as wedding receptions, birthdays, anniversaries, christenings and funerals etc.

Marton is served by bus routes provided by Arriva North East 28, 28a, 29 that connect to Middlesbrough town centre.

File:Marton railway station July2014.jpg

Stations in the area are on the Esk Valley Line. Northern operate all services on the line, improvements to the timetable in 2014 meant up to 17 trains (each way) calling at both {{rws|Marton|North Yorkshire}} and {{rws|Gypsy Lane}} railway stations through the week,{{cite web|url=http://www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk/timetable.html|title=Esk Valley Railway : Northern Rail Timetable|publisher=Esk Valley Railway Development Company|access-date=7 April 2014}} with a full hourly service being introduced in 2017 including on Sundays.{{cite news |last1=Bowe |first1=Charlotte |title=Timetable changes for new Sunday rail services |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15712897.timetable-changes-for-new-sunday-rail-services-to-and-from-middlesbrough/ |access-date=2 July 2018 |work=The Northern Echo |date=10 December 2017}} Marton station is located further away to most Marton residents than Gypsy Lane and generally receives less patronage. Marton station is located just off the B1380 (Ladgate Lane), close to the entrance of Ormesby Hall whilst Gypsy Lane station is located approximately halfway along Gypsy Lane, accessed via Stainton Way or Guisborough Road depending on the direction of approach. Gypsy Lane is a no through road at the station.

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Marton, Middlesbrough}}

• [http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ Middlesbrough Council website]
• [http://www.community-council.org.uk/MartonWest/ Marton West Community Council website]

{{Middlesbrough}}

Category:Places in the Tees Valley

Category:Areas within Middlesbrough

Category:Former civil parishes in North Yorkshire