Hundred: Skyrack

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Johnny39
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Joined: Mon 11 Jun, 2007 3:54 pm

Post by Johnny39 »

ArmleyLass47 wrote: The Skyrack wapentake derives its name from a large oak that grew for centuries in Headingley. It is believed that the word "skyrack" comes from the Old English phrase - 'Scir ac' meaning "Shire Oak" under which meetings were held.[1] The tree finally collapsed in 1941. There is a plaque to commemorate it on the outside of the garden wall of the Original Oak pub. It also gives its name to the Skyrack pub opposite the Original Oak.wapentake an administrative division of the English counties of York, Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, and Rutland, first clearly referred to in 962/963 and corresponding to the "hundred" in other parts of England. The term wapentake is of Scandinavian origin and meant the taking of weapons; it later signified the clash of arms by which the people assembled in a local court expressed assent. Danish influence was strong in those English counties where wapentakes existed. Think these two specks of knowledge from someone might explain what it means.Skyrac with a K or C seems to have been how the scribe at the time interpreted what he heard. Having done Ancestry for 7 years now and seeing the spelling on the Census etc. You have togo with the flow and accept that not many people could read and write in those day thescribe interpreting what people said with very thick accents did their best to write it down as he or she heard it. Thanks for that A.L. your explanation says it all. Funny enough I seem to remember the stump of the original oak at Headingley behind some protective railings in the late 1940's.
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jim
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Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

I had the same recollection of a stump of the oak behind railings in the late 1940s Johnny39, but so many references refer to complete clearance of the oak made me think I had a faulty memory. Perhaps someone may know of a photograph of the site at that period might be able to settle the matter.Anyone?

jonleeds
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Post by jonleeds »

I think there are some photos of the old Shire Oak on Leodis, I believe it was just at the side of the Otley Road where the Original Oak beer garden wall is. I'm not sure if they replanted new oak trees from acorns or cuttings from the original tree. I'm sure I've heard something or seen something about furniture or souvenirs made from the wood of the Original Shire Oak, it might be there is something in St Michaels church which is made out of pieces of wood taken from the old tree - or I might be imagining this..
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Cardiarms
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Post by Cardiarms »

I think there is something in St michael's. Knowing the original oak was failing a replacement was planted outside the Skyrack at the turn of the century. It didn't thrive though and was grubbed up and replaced by the war memorial.I think the current tree planted by the original oak was planted in the late 60s, may be wrong..

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uncle mick
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Post by uncle mick »

jim wrote: I had the same recollection of a stump of the oak behind railings in the late 1940s Johnny39, but so many references refer to complete clearance of the oak made me think I had a faulty memory. Perhaps someone may know of a photograph of the site at that period might be able to settle the matter.Anyone? jim, The oak collapsed on 26th May 1941 & by October 1943 the railings had gone. http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL    
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Oak October 1943.jpg
Oak October 1943.jpg (68.76 KiB) Viewed 2412 times

jim
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Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

Thanks for the photo links uncle mick. There is a reference in the responses to the photo in the second link saying that the remains were removed in 1948 - must be a case of repeating faulty memories!

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