Bielby


Bielby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated about south of Pocklington.
According to the 2011 UK census, Bielby parish had a population of 258, a decrease on the 2001 UK census figure of 281.
About two miles north-east of Bielby, on the edge of Hayton, lie the ruins of an ancient Roman military fortress, an important archaeological site. The University of Durham, Dept of Archaeology, led an excavation between 1995 and 1998 with assistance from local residents and University of Leeds students. A well, a bath-house and many other parts of the Roman fortress have been identified.
Etymology
The place name Bielby, a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, is recorded as Belebi or Bielebi in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is generally interpreted as Old Norse in origin, reflecting the Viking settlement of Yorkshire following the Great Heathen Army’s capture of York in 866 CE. The second element, by, is Old Norse for “farm” or “settlement,” common in Danelaw place names like Whitby and Selby. The first element, Biele or Bele, is debated, with two primary theories: a Norse personal name Beli and a possible Slavic Biele.
Norse Etymology
The prevailing etymology, endorsed by the English Place-Name Society, derives Bielebi from the Old Norse personal name Beli and by, meaning “Beli’s farm.” Beli, possibly meaning “roarer,” appears in Norse mythology and Danelaw place names like Belby and Belton. The Domesday Book spellings are attributed to Anglo-Norman scribal variations, with Beli as the likely root.
Slavic Etymology Hypothesis
An alternative hypothesis suggests Bielebi may derive from a Slavic personal name or nickname Biele, meaning “white” in Old East Slavic, linked to a warrior from the birch-rich lands of modern Belarus who settled in Yorkshire during the 9th century. This theory posits that Swedish Varangians, establishing Kievan Rus’ around 862–882 CE, recruited East Slavic warriors while navigating rivers through present-day Belarus. A warrior from this region, characterized by white-barked birch forests, could have been nicknamed Biele by Varangians, reflecting the Slavic term for “white.”
This warrior may have joined a Varangian group traveling westward, possibly integrating with the Danish-led Great Heathen Army, and settled in East Riding after 866 CE, receiving land near Pocklington. The resulting farm, named Bielebi, could reflect his nickname, with the village established by 1086. Supporting evidence includes:
Spelling Consistency: The Domesday Book and later records consistently use “ie” or “ye,” aligning with Slavic bely phonetics rather than Norse Beli, which typically appears as Bel- or Bil-.
Cultural Parallels: Bielby’s historical association with goose farming, possibly supplying Pocklington, mirrors Belarusian village traditions, though goose-keeping was also common in Viking-Age England.
Birch Forests: The white birch forests of Belarus could inspire a Biele nickname, consistent with medieval naming by geographic features.
Challenges to the Slavic hypothesis include the dominance of Norse names in the Danelaw, the lack of direct evidence for Slavic settlers in Yorkshire, and the possibility that “ie” spellings reflect scribal variations of Beli. The term Belaya Rus’ appears later, suggesting a 9th-century warrior would be identified as Rus’ or by tribal affiliation.
Conclusion
The Norse Beli + by etymology is the scholarly consensus, supported by Danelaw naming patterns and similar place names. However, the Slavic Biele hypothesis, driven by the “ie” spelling and Varangian-Slavic interactions, offers a plausible alternative. Further archaeological or documentary evidence, such as Slavic artifacts in East Riding, could clarify the name’s origin.
The total rent collected from tenants in Bielby dropped from 1066 to 1086 from £56 to £8. By the 11th century Bielebi had almost 10 residents.
One home in Bielby is proudly named Bielbyville. Most homes in Bielby have a name plate sign displayed either on the front exterior wall or in the yard. Another House at the end of the village is Manor Cottage where many a farmers worked on land next to the house.
Bielby has an Anglican church, which dates back more than 900 years. The Methodist revival which swept England in the 18th century still has a visible presence in Bielby, although the old Methodist Church building in the village is now a private residence.

History

The Great Heathen Army of the Vikings captured much of the area in 866, and, in 876, their remnants settled permanently in parts of the Yorkshire countryside. The Great Heathen Army marched directly through the section Bielby would be established near in 865, conquering what would become York in 866. Viking kings ruled the whole region around Bielby, known to historians as "The Viking Kingdom of Jorvik", for almost a century. In 954, the last Viking king, Eric Bloodaxe, was expelled and his kingdom was incorporated in the newly consolidated Anglo-Saxon state.

Notable people from Bielby

  • John Smith, of Bielby, was a maker of sundials and "a remarkable man in his way".

People named Bielby

Until recently, residents named Bielby lived in the village. The last Bielby was an Alice Bielby who formerly taught in the village school during the middle 20th century. There are no known Bielbys left in the village.
Some Bielby's have their names spelled Beilby or Beelby on different documents.
There are people bearing the name Bielby or Beilby living across England, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere. Some Bielbys who spread throughout England became famous for their glass-blowing skill. The Beilby goblets boast the highest auction prices of any King's goblets sold in markets in recent history. Rev. Beilby Porteus was a well-known preacher and author who was Bishop of London from 1787 until his death in 1809.
Some of the Bielbys in Canada and America have known forefathers who were Methodist He is mentioned in Methodist articles from that time period as a significant lay member of their movement. Traces of Methodist influence from England into America via the Bielbys exist primarily in Canada. Other than St. Giles Church, the old Methodist Church-which is now a home, no other religious organizations were represented in Bielby.
Bielbys who were multi-generational pioneers of Ontario, Canada: Richard Bielby migrated with some of his family from Weaverthorpe, Yorkshire, England to York, Ontario, Canada. His son, Richard Milson Bielby was also born in Weaverthorpe, Yorkshire, England and died in Ontario Canada. He was a noted Wesleyan lay leader in Ontario. His son Richard O. Bielby was born and died in Ontario. Then Richard Matthew Bielby was a pioneer of Missaukee County, Michigan, United States. This Richard Bielby was the first railroad engineer in the county, hauling freshly cut timber from the developing county to nearby Traverse City, Michigan in an early model steam engine. This same Richard Matthew Bielby was the local bank President, Sheriff and owned and operated a local Hardware Store in Lake City, Michigan. His family also helped found the first Presbyterian Church in Lake City, Michigan. Richard Matthew Bielbys brother, John H Bielby followed him down to Lake City, Michigan, United States from Ontario, Canada years later. Married Richard Matthew Bielby's wife sister, Alice White. The White sisters were some of the first pioneers in Missaukee County. Jennie was "the first white baby" to arrive in the county. So all of the descendants of these two Bielbys are double cousins. The descendants of these four Richard Bielbys represent most of the Bielbys living in North America today. Another interesting wrinkle in this history, is that the White sisters were the daughters of a direct descendant of a passenger on the Mayflower's very first voyage to America. Thus making all of the Bielbys who descend from the double cousin Bielbys of Lake City direct descendants of 1620 Mayflower passengers who settled in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts Bay Colony!
These multi-generation Bielby pioneers represent most of the Bielbys living in North America alive in the early 21st Century.
In addition to St. Giles, The College Arms, Bielby is mostly residential, with a few newer homes. Geese are still raised on the edge of the village. The Pocklington Canal still provides a splendid water supply for such purposes. A Beck also runs close to Bielby and used to drive an old flour mill, but from time to time it can flood, as it did in June 2007, overflowing the streets of Bielby up to the doorsteps of some homes.
Karl Pearson's grandmother was named Bielby. She lived in Crambe and other places near Bielby.

Church restoration

The parish church of St Giles has recently been restored. Plaster has been removed and sandstone walls restored. Two arches on the outside of the church, and a pillar and skeleton on an inside wall, have been uncovered. Removal of the external rendering has uncovered a history of the church, with pillars and arches now visible that would have been part of a larger structure. Inside, an ancient blue-coloured painting was revealed, showing the legs of St Christopher. The plasterwork had deteriorated to such an extent that when efforts were made to protect it, it crumbled off the wall in fragments. The box pews are among the best-preserved in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The church was designated a Grade II* listed building in January 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.