Whitby, on the North Yorkshire coastline, has a history dating back to 657 AD, when the town was known as ‘Streoneshalh’.
Centuries later, in the early 1800s, the Whitby and Pickering Railway was built, connecting the town to York. Soon after, Whitby became a thriving tourism destination.
These photographs date to the late 18th century and show people working the farms and fishing, as well as enjoying their family lives.
1. Farm hands
circa 1880: Farm hands pitch hay into a cart on a farm near Whitby. (Photo by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe/Getty Images) Photo: Frank Meadow Sutcliffe
2. Fishing
circa 1880: Small fishing boats about to set sail from Whitby harbour. (Photo by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe/Getty Images) Photo: Frank Meadow Sutcliffe
3. Children playing
circa 1880: Children playing outside a shop at the foot of the church steps in Whitby. (Photo by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe/Getty Images) Photo: Frank Meadow Sutcliffe
4. By the roadside
A woman and two children playing by the roadside in Whitby, circa 1880. (Photo by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive