Replaced the index to baptisms at Whickham for 1760-1784 with full details, so those 3,572 baptisms are now instantly available, including 5 new ones we missed the first time around. Samples:

  • 30 Jul 1769 Zachariah Tyzack, of Ryton, son of John Tyzack by his wife Margaret
  • 14 Feb 1773 Thomas [Owen/Maddison], of Lowhand, illegitimate son of Thomas Maddison by Ann Owen
  • 6 May 1781 John Spotswood, of Whickham, son of Thomas Spotswood by his wife Jane

Many baptism records in this period at Whickham have the abode declared as “Sw Cr” or “Swal Crowley” or “Whic Crow”. There was a large and important
ironworks owned by the Crowley family, which employed and housed many Whickham residents. We have concluded that these entries meant one or more of the following:

  1. father worked for Crowley
  2. father lived in a house provided by Crowley
  3. child was baptised at the ironworks chapel (but recorded in the Whickham register)

We have designated the abode in such records as Swalwell (Crowley’s factory) or Whickham (Crowley’s factory) or similar.

Here is a good descriptive site about Crowley’s factory at Swalwell: