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Gosforth

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"GOSFORTH parish comprises the townships of East Brunton, West Brunton, Coxlodge, Fawdon, North Gosforth, South Gosforth, and East and West Kenton. It is bounded on the north-west by Dinnington parish, on the west by Newburn parish, on the south by the parishes of All Saints, St Andrew, and St. John, and on the east and north-east by Long Benton parish. It is about two miles from north to south, about three miles from east to west, and comprises an area of 6,355 statute acres. The number of inhabitants in 1801, was 1,385; in 1811, 1,988; in 1821, 3,295; in 1831, 3,546; in 1841, 3,020; and in 1851, 2,319 souls. There are several excellent coal mines in this parish, in which great numbers of the inhabitants are employed." [From History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland, Whellan, 1855]

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Bibliography

  • History of the parish of Gosforth  Richard Welford 1897
  • Gosforth remembered  Andrew Clark & George Nairn 2017
  • A History of the County of Northumberland by John C Hodgeson 1840 vol 13 includes Gosforth
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Cemeteries

  • Tyne & Wear Archives  have records for Gosforth Cemetery.
  • Grave registers 1908-1923 for Hazelrigg Cemetery (Jewish) can be seen at Tyne & Wear Archives
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Census

  • Northumberland County Record Office holds copies of Census Returns 1841 - 1891 and provides a useful User Guide  
  • The 1851 Census Index (microfiche CN14)
  • 1891 Census Ponteland 1A (Ponteland, High and Little Callerton, Darras Hall, Coldcoats, Milbourne, Belsay, Whalton, Ogle, Twizell, Shilvington, part of Stannington, North and South Gosforth and Coxlodge) (PRO piece RG12/4240) (Type B) (Book) (Volume 50)
  • 1891 Census Ponteland 1B (Coxlodge, Fawdon, East and West Brunton, Kenton, Dinnington, Mason, Brenkley, Prestwick, Woolsington, Horton Grange, Kirley and Berwick Hill) (PRO piece RG12/4241) (Type B) (Book) (Volume 51) ALL  published by the https://www.ndfhs.org.uk/ may be of value to researchers interested in this parish.
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Church History

  • The parish is thought to date from Saxon times, but nothing is known of the first church. The church demolished here in 1799, may itself have been a replacement for the original church. The present church of St Nicholas, on Church Road, was built in 1799 and enlarged in 1820, 1833, 1884, 1913 and 1959. The churchyard still contains many headstones.
  • Gosforth, All Saints, on West Avenue was built in 1887 to serve a large area in the north and west of St Nicholas Parish. Modern parishes of The Ascension at Kenton, and The Epiphany, now serve parts of this area.
  • The Ancestral Indexes website provides information about Gosforth All Saints.
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Church Records

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Civil Registration

  • This area is within Newcastle upon Tyne Registration District
  • Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be ordered by post.
    Information.   Searches.
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Description & Travel

    You can see pictures of Gosforth which are provided by:

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    Gazetteers

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    History

    • The history of Gosforth Parish is included in:- Northumberland County History Committee, History of Northumberland, Volume 13. Newcastle, A. Reid, 1930. (Available on fiche from Ancestral Indexes).
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    Maps

    • Gosforth - Maps - links and information.

    You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NZ230688 (Lat/Lon: 55.013249, -1.642414), Gosforth which are provided by:

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    Military Records

    LEST WE FORGET
    Gosforth St Nicholas
    WW1
    23 August 1915  Henry Thomas Richardson Lieutenant 1st/5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers [grave 11]
    28 August 1915  Arthur Cowley Private 2020 1st/5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers [grave 4]
    14 August 1916  John Robert Wadge Major 1653 Northumberland Fusiliers 22(Tyneside Irish) MILITARY CROSS [grace old ground]
    10 August 1919  Charles Thomas Gibson Sergeant M2/104574 Royal Army Service Corps,MILITARY MEDAL age 35 son of the late Robert and Jane Gibson of Brandling Village, husband of Isabell Gibson of Gosforth [grave 1.7.10]
    15 September 1919  W.S. Wood, Private 98694 40th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, age 44 husband of Ellen Wood of Edinburgh [grave 1.12.15]
    28 September 1915  John Thomas Elsby, Sapper 102205 Royal Engineers, age 48 son of James and Charlotte Elsby of Stoke on Trent, husband of Sarah Annie Elsby also of Stoke [grave 1.12.9]
    4 October 1916   Leslie Hairby, Private 5936 20th Bn London Regiment, age 19 son of Alfred and Mary Ann Hairby of Brixton London [grave l. 11. 12]
    4 October 1920   J Perkins, Private 3877 6th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, husband of Johannah Perkins of Gosforth [grave C. l. 5]
    12 Oct 1918   H. E. Goldsmith, Private 34943 2nd garrison Bn Bedfordshire Regiment [grave l.8.10]
    16 Oct 1917   Robert Sterling, Captain Royal Army Medical corps  [grave l.3.3.]
    25 Oct 1920   Dryden Bell, Private 240551 D Coy 5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, age 29 son of Mary Jane and the late George Bell of South Gosforth [grave C. 7]
    26 Oct 1914   Thomas Worthington, Private 8561 3rd Bn Northumberland fusiliers, age 31 (born Crook Co Durham) son of Matthew and Ann Worthungton, husband of Jane Worthington {formerly Robson) of South Gosforth [grave 1.12.5]
    31 Oct 1915   T. Walton, Private 24354 Depot, Northumberland Fusiliers, age 31 son of William and Margaret Walton of Gosforth [grave 2]
    5 Nov 1917   John James Everest, Cpl 19539 12th Bn Durham Light Infantry [grave 1.11. 13]
    3 Dec 1918   W. Grubb,  Gunner 86746 Royal Field Artillery Transfered to (323155 Labour Corps [grave 1.ii.12]
    4 Dec 1916   John Charles Bucklitsch Porter, Private 110458 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Bn, age 22 son of David and Mary Paterson Porter of New Brunswick Canada [grave 1. 10. 12]
    WW2
    19 August 1940  Joseph Asquith Hodgson Log Aircraftman 944900 RAF Volunteer Reserve, age 20 son of Joseph Asquith and Annie Collis Hodgson of Fawdon [grave F.172]
    21 August 1944  Robert Windham Batt Lieutenant 3062 Royal Army Ordnance Corp, age 36 son of Colonel Reginald C and Violet Batt, husband of Felicity Mary Batt of Ipswich [grave F.45]
    25 August 1944  John Polwarth Leading Aircraftman 149942 619 Squadron RAF Volunteer Reserve, age 57 son of Robert and Catharine Polwarth husband of Florence Hannah Isabella Polwarth of South Gosforth [grave F.44]
    28 August 1943  George Markham Heppinstall Sergeant 1530110 RAF Volunteer Reserve, age 21 son of Richard Winstanley and Caroline Heppinstall of South Gosforth [grave F.328]
    30 September 1943  Eric Mearis, Pilot Officer 149942 619 Squadron, RAF Volunteer Reserve, age 23 son of Arthur Herbert and Eleanor Jane Mears of Gosforth [grave F. 44]
    30 Nov 1942   James Robert Allen,  leading Aircraftman 941124 RAF Volunteer Reserve 2793 Squadron, age 25 son of Robert and maud Allen of Cramlington [grave F 198]
     
    Ashburton R.C. Cemetery Gosforth
    11 August 1916 Patrick Grandon age 42 private 2777 12th Bn Australian Infantry A.I.F  son of George and Mary Grandon of Cardiff [grave C426] 
    15 Oct 1918   Michael Westman, Private 7305 4th Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers age 26 son of Mrs M Westman, husband of Mary Westman of Knockfoble tipparary [grave C 380]
    20 Oct 1918   Michael Beaudette, L/Sergeant 243539 22nd Bn Canadian Infantry,Military Medal, age 24 son of Mr and Mrs A Beaudette of Montreal [grave C 379]
    20 Nov 1940   Michael Leonard, Gunner 4271637409 Btty 5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers Searchlight regiment Royal Artillery, age 23 son of Michael and Jane Leonard of Corsenside [grave Sec D 350]
    30 Nov 1918  Joseph Alexander McGuckin, Air Mechanic 2nd Class 49572 RAF, age 42 son of the late John and Mary McGuckin of Desert Martin Co Cork [grave C378]
     
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    Poor Houses, Poor Law

    • Gosforth Parish was part of Castle Ward Poor Law Union. The Union Workhouse was located near the village of Ponteland. Some records relating to the workhouse have survived and are held at Northumberland Record Office, though they are of limited use for family history.
    • Asburton House,  Elmfield Road,  Gosforth, a Roman Catholic Industrial School for Girls opened in 1884, and was run by the Sisters of Charity in 1895, it could accommodate 100 girls up to the age of 12. The school was closed in 1905 and girls still at the school were transferred to Darlington. The hose was demolished in 1907. No records have been traced for this establishment
    • The Chadwick Memorial Industrial School for Roman Catholic Boys opened in 1882 in a building formerly used as the grandstand to the old racecourse on Grandstand Road Newcastle, it could accommodate 200 boys between the age of 7 and 16 for had been 'detained' by magistrates. The boys were removed to new premises in Stanwix near Carlisle in 1905. The building on Grandstand Road was later used as an ice rink and later as a factory for building aircraft and airships by Armstron Whitworths. No records have been traced for this establishment.