Yorkshire was associated with the Wakes quite early on. According to "Bulmer's Gazetteer (1892) Part 1 A HISTORY OF HULL" Baynard Castle, Cottingham was the seat of Lord (John) Wake in 1298, and his heir Thomas arranged for the rebuilding of Cottingham church around 1320. Meanwhile, further north, in Felixkirk "About half-a-mile from the village is Mount St. John, where there once stood a Preceptory or Commandery of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, founded in the reign of Henry I., by William de Percy, who endowed it with lands in the vicinity to the amount of five knights' fees. Other benefactions followed, Robert de Ros, lord of Helmsley, who died in 1184, gave to the brethren the manor of Mount St. John, and grants of land were also given by Roger de Mowbray, Odo de Boltby, Baldwin Wake, and others." Baldwin's son Hugh had died in 1241 in the Holy Land, having gone to the Crusades, so the connection to the Knights Hospitallers was well established. The Wakes relationship to the Mowbrays is unclear, but we are told that "....(the land around)The village of Kirby Knowle (which) is situated about five miles N.E. of Thirsk (was owned by) Robert de Mowbray, of whom it was held by subinfeudation by Baldwin le Wake..." and also that "In the reign of Edward II., the Wakes, lords of Cottingham, were owners of the greater part of Kirk Ella and West Ella, but how it came into their possession is not known." We do know that Hugh Wake married Joan de Stuteville and obtained Baynard castle from her inheritance. The Genuki site has quite a bit on the Cottingham Wakes .*
These two areas, around Hull and around Middlesborough, were heavily populated with Wakes from then on. I don't know if I will ever be able to trace these lineages to the right "noble" Wake, but it seems fairly clear to me that the Wakes of Yorkshire descend from Baldwin and co. one way or another. In the following pages you'll see charts of all the Wakes I have so far been able to connect in these areas.
*The Lord Wake who burned down Baynard Castle mentioned in this article was Richard, who was born 1479 in Hartwell, Northamptonshire, but married Dorothy Dyve in Sawley in 1518. He had 18 children, who demonstrate very clearly just what the difference the position in a family makes. Eldest son John, Richard's heir, took the estate, and became Lieutenant of Salcey Forest, while the youngest, Francis, was a common criminal, arrested many times for theft and "other felonies". John's 11 brothers could have populated a fair bit of Yorkshire, but there are only two for whom I have information on descendants. Please see Chart 4