Egton is mentioned in the
Domesday Book as having three ploughlands and several
leagues of woodland. The name derives from an
Old English personal name,
Ecga and the word
tun, meaning Ecga's farmstead or settlement. The village was historically in the
wapentake of
Langbaurgh East, and in the
petty sessional division of
Whitby Strand. In 1974, the village and parish were moved from the old Whitby Rural District in the North Riding of Yorkshire, to the newer county of North Yorkshire. In 1269, a weekly market to be held each Wednesday was granted by Henry III. The king also granted the lord of the manor a yearly feast on the eve of St Hilda, the church's dedication. It appears that the market and feast-day ceased to be celebrated as a Tuesday only market was granted by William III . After the
Reformation, Egton retained a number of Catholic families (
recusants), this was due to the settlement being located near to the coast, and priests from Europe could be smuggled into one of the many sympathetic families in the area. Egton is an important local centre for family history. Prior to 1880, many important birth, marriage and death records were administered from Egton parish. The church in Egton holds detailed transcriptions of parish records, but these only date as far back as 1622. The cemetery is half a mile west, at the old church site, the church being demolished in 1878. After 1870 many parishioners were buried at nearby
Aislaby.
Population ‡ Estimated. ==Events==