Another curious case of Thomas Hurtley

Robin Bundy
 JOURNAL 
 2008 
 North Craven 
 Heritage Trust 

Bill Mitchell’s item in the 2007 NCHT Journal concerning Thomas Hurtley’s book A Concise Account of some of the Natural Curiosities in the Environs of Malham, in Craven, Yorkshire was of particular interest to us. Hurtley was the master of the Free Grammar School in Malham for over sixty years until his retirement in 1828 at the ripe old age of 81. Malhamdale Local History Group, a few years ago, researched the history of education in Malhamdale from the 15th century to the present day and Hurtley was one of the many interesting characters who featured in that research. As Bill Mitchell points out, approximately three quarters of his book is devoted to the Lambert family and none of his poems are included. We were therefore fascinated to discover that a selection of Hurtley’s poetry was eventually published for private circulation in 1917 by Thomas Brayshaw. In his foreword to the poems Brayshaw surmises that the omission of the poetry from the book was because Hurtley was not satisfied with the quality of the verse and wished to improve them before publication at a later date. Brayshaw also draws attention to the fact that the book itself is a typographical curiosity, the first edition being one of the very few books typeset by the ‘Logographic Process’. It is not widely known that there was a second edition published in 1834 under the shorter title Hurtley’s Curiosities of Malham in Craven. What also caught our attention in this foreword was that Brayshaw had owned a copy of the prospectus circulated in 1785 calling for subscribers for the book, and that this copy had been framed and had been hanging in Kirkby Malham Parish Hall. It had thus survived when much of Brayshaw’s collection of documents and memorabilia was destroyed in a fire in May 1915.

I related this tale at the Members Night meeting of the Malhamdale Local History Group a couple of years ago and afterwards was approached by one of our members who said that after the death of Bill Wild, the noted blacksmith, artist and engraver in Malham, her husband had recovered from amongst Bill’s effects a framed document fitting Brayshaw’s description. The copy of the prospectus has various notes on the back (see illustration) which Brayshaw purports to be in Hurtley’s handwriting. The document is framed with glass on both sides and is now in safe keeping in Malhamdale.

Anyone interested in reading more about Hurtley, Malham Free Grammar School or the other eight schools which have served Malhamdale will find ‘Education in Malhamdale’ on Malhamdale Local History Group Website http:www.kirkbymalham.info/

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