Nearby Places
CUMWHITTON, Cumberland
"Lies on the east side of the river Eden, and is bounded on the north
by Great Corby, on the south by Leath Ward, on the east by Cumwhitton
and Carlatton, and on the west by the above-named river. In 1847,
and for some years subsequently, there were 5,670 acres in the parish
subject to assessment; at present the rateable acreage is only 5,170,
of which the gross estimated rental is £4,875 15s. 6d., and assessment
value £4,388. This, like many other purely agricultural
parishes, has witnessed a decrease in its population during recent
years; in 1841 there were 533 inhabitants, and in 1881, 497."
[Description from
T. Bulmer & Co's History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland, 1884]
- "THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient structure,
consisting of nave, chancel, and tower. The period of its first
erection is not known, but a church occupied the spot when the Valor
of Pope Nicholas was taken, in 1291, at which time it was returned
as a rectory, valued at £8 14s. 6d. A few years later, when Edward
II., in order to raise money laid a tax on church livings, Cumwhitton,
or as it was then called Cumquintington, escaped on account of its
poverty. This church was possessed of rectorial privileges until
appropriated to the priory of Carlisle by one of the early lords. After
the suppression of monastic establishments, all the church patronage,
held by the prior of Carlisle, was transferred to the Dean and
Chapter, who have since continued to exercise that privilege. The
tithes were commuted in 1840 for a yearly rent-charge of £175, viz.,
great tithes for £105, and meal tithes £70. Hutchinson tells us that
"the Dean and Chapter demise all the rectory of Cumwhitton, except
the curate's house and garden, viz., all the glebe lands and meadows
called Kirkcroft, tithes, oblations, &c., under the yearly rent of fifteen
eskeps of haver meal, and 10s. in money, besides the curate's stipend
of £10." The living is now worth £295, and is held by the Rev.
William Maudsley. There is very little in the church requiring
special mention. A small circular window of stained glass has been
inserted in the south side to the memory of the Rev. John Leach,
incumbent of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and member of a family resident
in this parish for many generations ; and a new bell, raised by
subscription, has been recently placed in the tower. The vicarage,
erected about 50 years ago, is a very plain building, situated at the
south end of the village."
(Extract from Bulmer's 1884 History & Directory, cited above)
- 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.
- A Description of Cumwhitton transcribed from
T. Bulmer & Co's History, Topography and Directory of East Cumberland, 1884
by Don Noble.
- Cumwhitton 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 on 15 Nov 1997 and updated 2 Sep 2004 - Phil Stringer]
© Copyright Rosemary Lockie, GENUKI and Contributors 1999-2008, &c.
GENUKI is a registered trade mark of the charitable trust GENUKI, see
About GENUKI as an Organisation
Are you lost in the Genuki hierarchy or arrived here from a Search Engine?
If so, use the up-arrow(s) at the top of the page to go up the hierarchy.
URL of this page: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CUL/Cumwhitton/index.html
[Adopted 8 Sep 2004. Last updated 2 Jul 2008 - 10:36 by Rosemary Lockie]
