Nearby Places
CASTLE CARROCK, Cumberland, Cumberland
"Is bounded on the south by Leath Ward, on the west
by Cumrew and Carlatton, on the north by Brampton and Hayton, and on the east by
Northumberland. It contains, according to the Ordnance Survey,
8,030½ statute acres, of which 34½ are public roads and 13½ water.
The rateable area is 2,879 acres, which are assessed at £2,143, and
have a population of 297. The parish lies on both sides of the river
Gelt, and comprehends the northern portion of the lofty range of
mountains extending from Cross Fell, near Alston."
[Description from
T. Bulmer & Co's History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland, 1884]
- History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland,
T.F. Bulmer, T.Bulmer & Co., Manchester, 1884.
- "The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a small edifice,
capable of accommodating 150 worshippers, erected in 1828, at a cost.
of £250. The old church, which had long been in a dilapidated
condition, is supposed to have been built out of the ruins of an old
castle, that stood upon one of the entrenchments mentioned above;
and what seems to corroborate the tradition is, that there were in the
walls of the old church several broken pieces of carved stone, evidently
taken from some other building. On the bell, which was removed
from the old church, is the following inscription "Praise thou the
Lord, 0 Castle Carrock." The benefice is a rectory, in the patronage
of the dean and chapter of Carlisle, and now held by the Rev. Robert
Johnson Gorman. It is valued in the King's Book at £5 12s. id.,
but is now worth £200 a year. When the common was enclosed 290
acres were allotted to the church in lieu of all tithes.
The chapel of the Independent Methodists was erected in 1853,
at a cost of about £200; both the site and building were the gift of
Mr. Ralph Watson."
(Extract from Bulmer's 1884 History & Directory, cited above)
- The following church records are available at the Carlisle office of the
Cumbria Archive Service:
Church of England (CRO Reference: PR15)
| Baptisms | Marriage | Banns | Burial | Bishops Trans |
| 1689-1964 | 1679-1948 | 1754-1893 | 1689-1917 | 1665-1874 |
- Beginning 1 July 1837, births, deaths and marriages, regardless of religious affiliation,
were recorded with Civil Registration Offices in Cumbria,
as in the rest of England. Copies of certificates recording these events may be purchased.
- "The first name which appears on the manorial roll of Castle Carrock
is Eustace de Vallibus, grantee under his kinsman, Hubert de
Vallibus, or Vaux, upon whom Henry II conferred the barony of
Gilsland as a recompense for services rendered the young prince in
his contest with Stephen. The posterity of Eustace adopted the
local name, and probably had their castle here which has given a name
to the parish. Robert de Castle Carrock, the fourth in descent, left
three daughters, among whom the manor was divided, and descended
for a long time in severalties, some of which eventually passed to the
Dacres. The whole is now vested in the Earl of Carlisle, whose
ancestors purchased the several parts at sundry times. The principal
landowners are the Exors. of tbe late John Watson, Esq., Gelt
House; William Watson, Esq., Holme Eden; Ralph Watson, Garth
Foot; James Proctor Watson, Esq., Gelt Hall; Mrs. Elizabeth
Carrick and the resident yeomen.
On the summit of the fell are two cairns, one of which, called
Hespeck Raise, is of considerable magnitude. Near Gelt bridge was
another cairn, and when the stones were removed in 1775, by the
farmer on whose land it was situated, a cistaven or rude stone coffin
was found, in which was a human skeleton. About fifteen years ago
another cistaven, containing a human skeleton, was unearthed by two
farmers near to Greenwell; accompanying it were an urn and a flint,
probably the hatchet of the warrior chief, whose mouldered remains
were thus brought to view 2,000 years after his entombment."
(Extract from Bulmer's 1884 History & Directory, cited above)
- Castle Carrock fell under the authority of the ancient diocese of Carlisle
and wills prior to 1858 were proved in the consistory court there.
Records from 1548 to 1858 include original wills, letters of administration
and inventories, although there are significant gaps in the years
before 1661. These are deposited with the CRO at Carlisle.
Comprehensive indexes exist, at the Carlisle CRO, in card files
easily accessible in the reading room. The indexes cover from
1617 to 1941, listing the year of probate and the residence of
the deceased. This is extraordinarily helpful in distinguishing
between many individuals of the same name. Microfilm of many of
these records, and a partial typescript of the indexes, is available
at the Kendal office of the CRO.
- The Province of York covered most of northern England, including
this parish, and anyone who died leaving property in more than one
diocese within the province would have their will proved in the
Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York (PCY) or sometimes
in the Chancery Court of the Archbishop of York. These records
are now deposited with York University,
Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.
- For probate from 1858 on, and general information, see our
England - Probate page.
However please note registered copy probate records for Cumberland are also available
1858-1941 at the Record Office in Carlisle.
[Page originated by Don Noble in 1997 and updated 2 Sep 2004 - Phil Stringer]
© Copyright Rosemary Lockie, GENUKI and Contributors 1999-2008, &c.
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[Created 25 Sep 1997. Last updated 7 May 2009 - 09:35 by Rosemary Lockie]
