According to
A Dictionary of British Place Names, Blacktoft's joint derivation is from the
Old English with
Old Scandinavian for "dark coloured homestead." In it was recorded as "Blaketofte." In 1823 Blacktoft was in the
wapentake of
Howdenshire. It had a population of 268, with occupations including two farmers, a corn
miller,
blacksmith, tailor, shoemaker, and a carpenter, and a coal dealer who was also the
landlord of the Bay Horse
public house. Professions included a church
curate. There were two
surveyors of highways providing for the maintenance of parish roads. The village had a chapel and its own
parish constable. At that time on the opposite bank of the Ouse, "great quantities" of river vessels were at times docked in what was considered good anchorage, and
steamboats passed on the route between
Selby or
Thorne and
Hull. Low tide exposed sand beds, the sand from which was used as
ballast for small craft. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was designated a Grade II
listed building in 1966 and is now recorded in the
National Heritage List for England, maintained by
Historic England. The church was constructed in 1841 by
John Harper, of
ashlar masonry with a west tower,
Perpendicular-style windows, and a
nave with
apse at the east. The stability of a previous Blacktoft church was causing concern in the early 1740s. A contemporary court report noted that the
chancel of the church had been re-built to a lower height than one existing earlier, resulting in a gap between the top of the new chancel and
nave. This gap was closed by stooths—wooden studs or battens—on the exterior of the nave supporting a beam. The court heard that the earlier higher chancel roof had collapsed in the early 1660s as the congregation were leaving the church—this information was treated with scepticism by a prosecutor, but was supported by local
masons and carpenters. In 1842 Blacktoft
ecclesiastical parish covered an area of , and had a population of 394. The
parish register dated from 1700. The
Chapelry of Blacktoft had been held by the
Bishop of Durham and Durham Monastery—who provided for a stipendiary (paid) priest—up to the reign of
Edward VI, this afterwards being granted to a William Jobson, a Hull merchant, who became lay patron (
impropriator) of Blacktoft
incumbent clergy. Patronage reverted to the
Dean and Chapter of
Durham Cathedral during the reign of
George I. In the late 18th century
the inclosure of land at Blacktoft was enacted by the
Inclosure Act 1773. A further Blacktoft land inclosure act, the ''''
(11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4. c. 13'' ) was passed, with this act including the lands of
Gilberdyke and
Faxfleet. In early December 2013 Blacktoft, among other regional settlements including
Reedness,
Saltmarshe,
North Ferriby,
Hessle and
Kingston upon Hull and many more, was subject to flooding due to a tidal surge on the Humber, the largest in 60 years. According to the
Environment Agency, damage caused would have been worse had it not been for the Hull Tidal Surge Barrier. A 2014 Flood Investigation Report from East Riding of Yorkshire Council recommended that affected property owners should "develop a personal flood plan". However, improved flood defences are likely to be introduced across the
Humber Estuary including the significant raising of the river bank in order to ensure such flooding does not happen again. The Environment Agency expressed confidence in such flood defences being improved by the government in order to prevent flooding re-occurring in the Haltemprice and Howden constituency and across the East Riding of Yorkshire. ==References==