Three generations of the Huntriss family lived in Sherburn during the period 1740 to 1860. Most of the current generation of the Huntriss family are descended from William Huntriss who was born in Scarborough in 1714, but had moved to Sherburn by the time his first child was born in 1741.
Sherburn in Elmet is a large village, situated near to Selby in North Yorkshire.
Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of only three places in the area to be explicitly associated with the ancient Celtic kingdom of Elmet via featuring the kingdom's title in its name, the others being Barwick-in-Elmet and Scholes-in-Elmet.
During the Civil War two skirmishes took place in Sherburn - first of all in 1642 and then 1645. The latter of these was more significant and resulted in a rout of the Royalist forces commanded by Lord Digby.
In the 18th century the new turnpike road along the line of the present A162 brought with it the coaching Inns that served the mail and passenger coaches to and from York. There were services to London, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Newcastle, Selby (connecting to the steam packet) and Scarborough, and at one time there were at least 4 inns serving this trade in Sherburn. One of these was the Red Bear (run by Robert Hough) - which also acted as the meeting place for the local magistrates.
The 19th century brought the Railways and one of the earliest routes from Leeds to Selby in 1834 brought jobs and development to the area. Soon after in 1839 the York and North Midland line created the railway communities at Sherburn station and Milford Junction.
Until early in the twentieth century the village was almost self supporting, not only with grocers, bakers and butchers but with blacksmiths, wheelwrights, tailors, dressmakers and boot and shoe makers.
Sherburn was well known in the nineteenth century for growing teasel for use in the West Riding textile industry.
Julius Falconer's novel "
Death by Aloe Seed" is a fictional account of life in Sherburn during this period. The names of his characters were drawn from the parish records of the time.