The first mention of Kirkby Malzeard appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Churchei, which means 'church in the clearing'. The name has evolved to Kirkby Malzeard which means 'church in the bad or stony clearing'.

The Honor, or Manor, of Kirkby reached from Great Whernside to the Ripon boundaries and passed through various hands until it ended up in the Mowbray family. In 1174 Roger de Mowbray joined a conspiracy with Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, to replace the King with his cousin, Prince Henry. The castle at Kirkby was besieged and captured by Geoffrey Plantagenet, the Bishop-elect of Lincoln and an illegitimate son of the King. William the Lion, King of Scotland, who also supported the rebellion, was also captured and at this point the resistance collapsed. Roger de Mowbray surrendered, but although he received a pardon, his castles at Thirsk and Kirkby were demolished.

The Mowbrays remained Lords of Kirkby until the late 15th century when Anne, the only daughter of John Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk, died without having any children. Finally in 1490 all association of Kirkby with the Mowbray family was ended when Thomas Stanley, Earl of Derby, bought the Honor and his descendants held it until the eighteenth century.

If you are interested in finding out more about the history of our region you could also visit Ripon Historical Society.

If you have any information or photos we can add to these pages please contact kirkbymalzeard@hotmail.com. We would like to add anecdotal history given by local residents, so if you have any interesting or amusing memories of life in this area please let us know!