Updated 2,849 baptisms at Dalton-le-Dale St. Andrew by adding the abodes, father’s occupations (and a few birth dates) and correcting errors. Also added one record we had previously missed.

If you have purchased any baptisms at Dalton-le-Dale in this period, we recommend you take another look at them to see if anything has been changed. You can review your purchased records by logging into Durham Records Online and clicking My Previous Orders in the menu at the left side of the page and looking for baptisms in Easington district between 1841 and 1877. Most errors that were corrected were minor spelling errors in names or abodes. If you purchased a record that had a more significant error, the corrected record has been emailed to you.

Sample before the update:

• 20 Jun 1841 Cuthbert Joseph Maugham,  son of Thomas & Mary Maugham

and after the update:

• 20 Jun 1841 Cuthbert Joseph Maugham, of Murton New Winning, son of Thomas (engineman) & Mary Maugham

If you have been unable to find somebody who should have been baptized at Dalton-le-Dale in this period, please search again – we may have had their name transcribed incorrectly earlier, and we have added many alternate spellings, so now you might find them. Remember to use wildcards when searching, especially in place of vowels – for example, “f%st%r” will find Foster, Forster, Forrester, Forstar, Fewster, Fuster, and Feustur. You might even want to put a wildcard at the end to catch any spellings such as Forrestiere.

In our “spare” time, we will continue to update our baptisms that are currently “extracts” (typically these are in Easington district and are missing father’s occupation, abode, and birthdates). We have now completed this task for Dalton-le-Dale.

Added 31 baptisms at Haughton-le-Skerne St. Andrew, covering May – Dec 1882, to finish out the year. Here is a sample:

• 20 Sep 1882 Teresa Nora Butchart, of Haughton, child of Andrew (ironworks secretary) & Elizabeth Butchart

719 baptisms and 873 burials at St. Giles in the city of Durham, from a combination of the parish register and the Bishop’s Transcript for maximum detail.

Sample baptisms – mothers (other than single mothers of illegitimate children) are not named until July 1773, and abodes are usually not listed:

• 19 Jan 1772 Mary Westwick, daughter of Bartholomew Westwick
• 23 Jul 1773 William Plumpton, son of William & Catherine Plumpton
• 10 Dec 1782 Mary [Gargat/Cateran], illegitimate daughter of William Gargat & Ann Cateran
• 6 Mar 1796 Mary Brown, illegitimate daughter of Mary Brown, born at Westoe, privately baptized at Jarrow, and received into this Church today
• 10 Dec 1797 Henry Sharp, born 8 Dec, son of John Sharp (weaver) & Mary his wife late Richardby

Sample burials – for children, only the father is named until Sept 1775, after which both parents are usually named. Before Sept 1775, only illegitimate children have their mothers named:

• 13 Jan 1772 Philadelphia Lamb, wife of the Rev’d Mr. Lamb, vicar of Norham, Northumberland
• 11 Mar 1773 Thomas Child, son of Ralph Child
• 11 Jun 1782 William Wood, of the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons
• 25 Mar 1783 Mrs. Elizabeth Patrick, of the parish of St. Nicholas, wife [or widow?] of John Patrick
  [Note: The original burial register says "Mrs. Elizabeth Patrick of the parish of St. Nicholas, widow", but the Bishop's Transcript says "Elizabeth wife of John Patrick of the parish of St. Nicholas".]
• 18 Apr 1790 John Ivison, son of Thomas & Margaret Ivison
• 3 Jan 1797 John Humbers, son of John (of the Surry Militia) & Ann Humbers

Abodes mentioned in burials include Kepier, Old Durham, the Palace Green, Ravensflat, the chapelry of St. Margaret’s, St. Mary le Bow, St. Nicholas, and St. Oswald’s, Sunderland, and Woodwell House.

Publications of the Surtees Society, Volume 97, has the following (slightly paraphrased) footnote regarding Philadelphia Lamb (the first sample burial above):

Rev. Robert Lamb is supposed to have been a native of Durham. He was an MA of St. John’s College, Cambridge, a Minor Canon of Durham, and in 1747 was presented by the Dean and Chapter to the Vicarage of Norham, which he retained till his death during a visit to Edinburgh 7th May 1795. He wrote a History of Chess in 1764 and a ballad called The Laidley Worm of Spindeston, and edited Weber’s Ballad of Flodden with a preface and miscellaneous notes. Dr. Raine, in his ‘History of North Durham‘, describes this curious incident:

After going to Norham, he [Lamb] bethought him of one Philadelphia Nelson, the daughter of a carrier between London and Edinburgh with whom he had become acquainted in Durham, and invited her by letter to come to him and be his wife. He undertook to meet her on the pier at Berwick on Tweed, and having retained apparently an imperfect recollection of her features, desired her to carry a tea caddy under her arm whereby he might recognize her. The article selected suggests to one’s mind that like Dr Johnson, he may have been a great tea drinker and had a tender memory of many cups which Philadelphia had regaled him with at Durham. She went, but he, being perhaps excusable as a scholar, forgot the appointment and the poor young woman paced the pier for many hours faithfully carrying her tea caddy. There was living at Berwick an old naval officer called Howe, whose habit was to walk to the end of the pier and back regularly three times a day before his meals. Before his dinner and again before his tea, he had observed her with her tea caddy, and in his third walk, found her sitting on a stone tired and disconsolate. This time he addressed her, and having heard her story, said, “Ha! Robin Lamb is a great friend of mine. Just like him, but he’ll make you a capital husband.” Next morning, he took her by coach to Norham, where she and Lamb were married 11th April 1755.

The story as above given is derived from a paper in “Archaeologia Aeliana, vol viii” by the late Rev. James Raine, the historian of North Durham, who says that he had himself got it from the widow of Lambe’s successor in the Vicarage of Norham.

Replaced the Chester-le-Street baptism index for 1725-1743 with full entries so those 3,238 baptisms are now instantly available, including 1 new record we missed the first time around.

Abodes are mentioned in nearly all of these baptisms. Abodes mentioned besides Chester-le-Street included Allan Flatts, Ashes, Battles Green, Birtley, Birtley Dike Heads, Birtley Lane, Broadmires, Broomy Wham, Chartershaugh, Chester Burn, Edmondsley, Fatfield, Flatts, Floaters Mill, Foulbridge House, Garden House, Hagg, Harraton, Harraton Outside, High Flatts, Hill  Top, Houghton Gate, Ladies Flats, Lambton, Lee Fields, Low Flatts, Lumley (and Lumley Castle, Mill, Moor, Park, and Thicks), Nettlesworth, Newfield, Ouston, Outside Hall, Pelaw and Pelaw Lane, Pelton, Picktree, Plawsworth, Pockerley, Rickleton, Stella, Sunnyside, Tanhill, Twizell, Urpeth and Urpeth Pits, Waldridge, West Edmondsley, West Lane, Wheatley & Wheatley Green, Whelp Letch, Whitecross House, Whitehill, Whithill Mill, and Woodstone House.

Mothers are named in only a few baptisms in this period, and in those cases, the fathers are not named.

Samples:

• 28 Apr 1728 Alexander Ord, of Lumley, son of John Ord
• 9 Mar 1735 Ann Ord, of Plawsworth, daughter of Edward Ord
• 22 May 1743 William Tinkler, of Chester-le-Street, illegitimate son of Mary Tinkler

9,425 baptisms at Wallsend St. Peter in Tynemouth district, county of Northumberland, covering 1901-1945.

Most of these baptisms have birth dates. You will find many of the same family names in Wallsend as in Heworth, Gateshead, and Jarrow, as families moved back and forth across the river or used the parish across the river if it was more convenient or if it was their home parish. Residences mentioned in Wallsend records include Byker, Howdon, Howdon Pans, Newcastle, North Shields, Point Pleasant, Rosehill, Tynemouth, Walker (Longbenton), Wallsend, Wallsend Quay, Willington, Willington Quay, and Willington Square. Many addresses also specify if the street address is actually in one of the adjacent parishes of Willington St Mary, Howdon St Paul, or Wallsend St Luke.

Samples:

• 8 Jan 1901 George Thomas Mole McMullen, of 23 Hadrian Road, Wallsend, born 18 Dec 1900, child of George Thomas McMullen (assistant staithsman) & Anne Grace McMullen
• 18 May 1907 Bessie Sarah Girdlestone, of 156 Laurel Street, born 13 Aug 1903, child of Elijah (coalman) & Amy Girdlestone, aged 3 yrs
• 8 Dec 1917 David Fiddes Cruickshanks, of 47 Holly Avenue, parish of St Luke, born 12 Nov 1917, child of David Fiddes Cruickshanks (cabinet maker) & Mary
• 26 Sep 1930 Grace McLachlan formerly Perry, of 4 South Terrace, born 19 Jun 1885, child of John Perry (joiner) & Ellen, adult baptism
  [Note: Maiden name Perry, married name McLachlan.]
• 24 Nov 1945 Ethel May Scott, of 75 Holly Avenue, born 31 Oct 1945, child of William Scott ([occupation not shown]) & Ethel May Scott, R.I.P. next to William

Added 608 witnesses to our existing 225 marriages at Heighington in Darlington district from 1818 to mid-1837 when civil registration began. If you previously purchased a marriage at Heighington in this period, you can see the additional information by clicking My Previous Orders and reviewing the marriage. We also corrected several errors and notified the purchasers of those records.

Sample:

• 17 May 1814 Robert Chapman (bachelor), of Bolton upon Swale, Yorkshire married Elizabeth Oliver (spinster), of this parish, by banns
  Witnesses: Thomas Richmond, Elizabeth Richmond, John Oliver Newcomb

At St. Giles parish church in the city of Durham, from a combination of the original register and the Bishop’s Transcript for maximum detail:

• 517 baptisms covering 1798-1812
• 520 burials covering 1798-1812
• 191 marriages covering 1791-1812

As most of you know, 1798-1812 is the wonderful period where baptisms and burials contain genealogically significant details such as the birthplace of the parents and maiden surname of the mother, and usually the birth date of the child. In a few baptisms, which we have annotated, the Bishop’s Transcript contained a detail or two, such as father’s occupation or mother’s maiden surname, that had not been recorded in the original baptism register.

Sample baptisms:

• 7 Apr 1799 Jane Nebison [Nevison], born 6 Mar, 2nd child of John Nebison [Nevison] (labourer, [native] of Bishop Auckland) & Ann his wife late Oliver ([native] of Sedgefield)
• 20 Jan 1804 Thomas Hope [Harburn], born 10 Jan, illegitimate child of Thomas Harburn (farmer, parish of Crossgate) & Isabella Hope ([native] of West Auckland)
• 11 Jul 1811 Ann Hannah Harriot Travis, born 4 Jan 1809, 2nd child of Mr. Henry Travis (Staff surgeon, native of Scarbro’) & Ann late Holmes ([native of] Kimbolton. Huntingdonshire)

We’re glad we usually compare the Bishop’s Transcript to the original register, because in this case we found 3 burials in the Bishop’s Transcript that are not in the original burial register. How could this happen? Well, sometimes the busy priest or clerk would jot down on scraps of paper the baptisms or burials he had just performed, and enter them in the register later. We have seen many other cases where the information on the scraps didn’t make it into the original register, but at the end of the year when the transcript was being created for the Bishop of Durham, perhaps the scraps were discovered in a pocket or tucked into the register for future recording, or perhaps some entries were recreated from the priest’s or clerk’s memory, and they were then entered into the Bishop’s Transcript.

Sample burials – the amount of detail in these varies; sometimes you get just mother’s maiden surname, sometimes her birthplace, sometimes both, sometimes neither, but you almost always get the occupation of a deceased adult male, one or both parents in the burial of a child, and often the husband of a deceased married woman is named:

• 18 Feb 1798 David Murray, of St.Giles, age: 3, died 17 Feb, son of David Murray (soldier of 39 Regiment of Foot) & Jane late Keith
• 17 Mar 1801 Elizabeth Crow, of St.Nicholas, age: 103, died 14 Mar, widow of John Crow (labourer late of St.Oswald)
  [Note: This burial (along with 2 others on the same day) is not in the original burial register, but appears in the Bishop's Transcript, in chronological order where it belongs.]
• 26 Jan 1812 Anthony Watson, of St.Nicholas, age: 49, tinner & brazier, died 23 Jan

Marriages in this period are usually fairly terse, with no parents named, but in some of these St. Giles marriages, the birthplace of the groom or bride is given (which is very unusual; usually you just get the current residence), and many have the groom’s occupation. There are many marriages where the groom is a soldier from somewhere far away, currently stationed at Durham, probably residing at the barracks in Gilesgate. We also found 12 marriages that are not in the IGI, so some researchers may find exciting new discoveries. Here are some sample marriages:

• 18 Aug 1792 George Clennell, of the parish of Monkwearmouth married Alice Crawford, of this parish, by licence
  Witnesses: Cuthbert Stawford, John Tilly
• 8 Mar 1800 Samuel William Pyall (in the West Middlesex Militia, native of Chesham, Buckinghamshire), of this parish married Hannah Grievson, of this parish, by banns
  Witnesses: Peter Grievson, John Tilly
• 20 Jun 1805 Isaac Gregory (native of Newcastle on Tyne), of this parish married Mary Yeall (native of Hartlepool), of this parish, by banns
  Witnesses: Richard Tilly, John Tilly
• 1 Jun 1812 John Troy (of the 2nd Dragoon Guards), of Prescot, parish of Baschurch, Co. Salop married Mary Robinson, of the parish of St Giles, Durham, by banns
  Witnesses: Christopher Robinson, Ralph Robinson, Ann Robinson

Abodes are usually not mentioned in these baptisms – this is normal for 1798-1812. Abodes mentioned in burials and marriages include Framwellgate, Pittington, Sherburn, Shincliffe, St. Giles, St. Margaret’s, St. Mary le Bow, St. Nicholas, St. Oswald’s, Sunderland, many other parishes all around County Durham, and many other counties in the marriages of soldiers.

Replaced the Chester-le-Street baptism index for 1700-1724 with full entries so those 3,421 baptisms are now instantly available, including 2 new records we missed the first time around.

Abodes are mentioned in 98% of these baptisms. Abodes mentioned besides Chester-le-Street included Allan Flatts, Battles Green, Birtley, Bogglehole, Brimywham, Broadmires, Chartershaugh, Chester Lane, Edmondsley, Fatfield, Flatts, Floaters Mill, Foulbridge House, Harraton, Harraton Outside, Hill  Top, Houghton Gate, Howlmire, Lambton, Low Flatts, Lumley (and Lumley Castle, Moors, Park, Ridings, and Thicks), Marley Head, Nettlesworth, Newfield, Ouston, Pelaw, Pelton, Picktree, Plawsworth, Pockerley, Rickleton, Stellas, Sunnyside, Twizell, Urpeth & Urpeth Mill & Urpeth Pits, Waldridge, Wheatley & Wheatley Swangs, Whitehall or Whitehill, and Woodstone House.

Mothers are named in only 8 baptisms in this period, and in those cases, the fathers are not named.

Samples:

• 5 Aug 1700 Cuthbert Rutter, of Chester-le-Street, son of James Rutter
• 13 Aug 1710 Elizabeth Crosby, of Harraton, daughter of Lancelot Crosby
• 23 Jul 1719 Mr. Hedworth Dove, of Grenwich, London, a Quaker adult
• 18 Jun 1721 Timothy Bell, of Ouston, son of Elizabeth Bell

8,601 burials at Hartlepool Old Cemetery, also known as Borough Cemetery, Hart Warren, and Spion Kop, covering 1901-1930.

Because these are municipal cemetery records rather than church burial records, they present many more genealogically useful details. Most of these burials provide the occupation of the deceased, or a parent or spouse’s name. Many also give information about how or where the person died.

Here are some sample burials:

• 9 Jun 1901 Barbara Dixon, of 8 John Street South, age: 80, wife of Benjamin Dixon
• 24 Mar 1908 Bernard Kenny, of [blank abode], age: 25 , labourer, suffocated on Slag Bank near Cemetery, body brought from Throston parish
• 14 Jan 1909 Theodore Antonsen, of Middleton Street, age: 32, ship’s fireman from Arendal, Norway, body brought from Throston parish
• 23 Feb 1920 William Rowntree, of 15 Croft Street, age: 45, brass finisher
• 7 Feb 1929 Marian Eleanor Nelson, of 14 Greenland Cottages, age: 27, daughter of Maddison Horsley Nelson, found drowned, body brought from West Hartlepool parish

Here is a particularly unusual burial of a man whose parents are named even though he is 86 years old:

• 29 Nov 1918 David Mitchell, of 2 Friar Street, age: 86, son of John Thomas Mitchell & Sarah Albina Mitchell, retired shipyard plater

Besides street addresses in Hartlepool, abodes mentioned include Howbeck House, Middleton,  Throston, and West Hartlepool and some far distant places for the sailors who died while in port here or when shipwrecked off the coast.

1,684 baptisms and 1,135 burials at Aycliffe St. Andrew in Darlington district, covering 1762-1812, from a combination of the Bishop’s Transcript and the parish register. The original register is in very bad shape and nearly impossible to read in places, so the Bishop Transcript is especially valuable for those sections.

In these baptisms, the clerk started following the new law a little early, recording the mother’s maiden surname and the birthplace of both parents in Dec 1797, but before that, the names of the mothers were generally not recorded, except for single mothers. Here are some sample baptisms – note the last one for the fourteenth child of the parents!

• 17 Jan 1762 Ralph Rowel, of Woodham, son of William Rowel
• 4 Dec 1772 Catharine Swinbank, of Brafferton, daughter of George Swinbank
• 23 Mar 1783 Elizabeth Pinkney, of New Lodge, daughter of James Pinkney
• 25 Dec 1795 Margery Elizabeth Rippon, of Aycliffe, illegitimate daughter of Margery Elizabeth Rippon now Swales
• 16 Oct 1803 William Fenwick, born 23 Jun 1803, 5th son of Thomas Fenwick (native of the parish of Lanchester) by his wife Ann Linton (native of the parish of Brancepeth)
• 11 Oct 1812 Hannah Richardson, of Nunstainton, born 10-Sep 1812, 14th child of Thomas Richardson (farmer, native of South Cowton in Yorkshire) by his wife Hannah late Dunn (native of Smeaton in Yorkshire)

Sample burials:

• 4 May 1762 Ralph Lyster, of Woodham, son of Thomas Lyster
• 26 Jan 1773 Jane Graham, daughter of Michael Graham (late of St. Andrews Auckland)
• 3 Jan 1784 Eleanor Robson, of Aycliffe, wife of the Rev’d James Robson (vicar of Aycliffe)
• 5 Apr 1795 Alice Cowper, of Aycliffe, age: above 100 years
• 11 Nov 1798 Mary Hodgson, of Aycliffe, age: 60, died 8 Nov, widow of the late Thomas Hodgson Esq of Aycliff & daughter of the late William Norton (Esq, of Acorn Bank in Westmoreland)
• 1 Oct 1801 William Simpson, of Aycliffe, age: 101, farmer, died 30 Sep, lived in 3 centuries
• 27 Dec 1807 Margaret Wood, of Aycliffe, age: 25, died 24 Dec, wife of Joseph Wood, paper stainer, daughter of Thomas (of Darlington) & Margaret Bently
• 26 Jul 1812 James Moor, of Aycliffe, age: [blank], late schoolmaster, but lately a lunatic, died 24 Jul, suffocated with eating

Abodes mentioned besides Aycliffe include Aycliff Moor, Blythman Pasture, Bradbury Mill, Brafferton and Brafferton Mill, Broadberry Mill, Carr House, Coatham and Coatham High House and Coatham Mill, Codlinghouse, Copelaw and High Copelaw, Deanhead, Grange, Grindon, Hallgarth, Haughton-le-Skerne, High House, Hill House, Howhills, Ketton, Leehall, Long Cowton, Lowfield, Moorhouse, New Lodge, Newtown, Nunstainton, Preston or Preston le Skerne, Proud Hill, Redhouse, Rickland and Rickland Mill and Rickland Grange, Rye Close, Sparrow Hall, Stainton Hill Houses, Travellers Rest, Whinfield, Whitworth, Woodham, and Woodham Burn.