Rillington Historypeople, places and everyday lives
Welcome to Rillington History!
I’m Pam Smith, and I’ve been researching the history of Rillington and Scampston since 2004. This website brings together that ongoing research, exploring the people who lived here, the places they knew and the changes they experienced.
Parish registers, census returns, maps, deeds, newspapers and photographs all contribute to the picture. Alongside local memories, they help us understand how this Yorkshire community lived and worked, and how its connections extended beyond the parish.
You can browse the history by subject or visit the blog, where I share discoveries, follow up questions and take a closer look at familiar places and less familiar names. If you have family connections, memories or photographs of Rillington or Scampston, I’d be pleased to hear from you.
About Me
I’m a local historian, retired professional genealogist and founder of the Rillington One-Place Study. My research combines family and local history to explore the lives of people across the parish of Rillington, historically comprising Rillington township and Scampston chapelry.
In 2026 I was awarded the Licentiateship in Heraldry and Genealogy by the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies. I also hold its Higher Certificate and Diploma in Genealogy, and an Advanced Diploma in Local History from the University of Oxford.
More about me
Explore Rillington
Rillington lies between Malton and Scarborough, at the northern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. Historically part of the East Riding, it is now in North Yorkshire.
Farming has long shaped the parish, but its history also includes trades, shops, schools, churches and chapels, as well as the roads and railway that connected it with the wider world. The buildings and landscape we see today provide starting points for exploring those earlier lives.
Explore Rillington
Places
Transport
