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Woodhorn

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"WOODHORN parish bounded on the north by Widdrington chapelry, on the west by Bothal and Ulgham, on the south by Bedlingtonshire, and on the east by the German Ocean. It is about four and three-quarter miles in length, by two and a half in breadth, and comprises an area of 8,546 acres. The number of inhabitants in l801, was 1,208; in 1811, 1,172; in 1821, 1,378; in l831, 1,416; in l841, 1,618; and in 1851, 1,598 souls. The soil of this district is generally fertile. The parish contains the chapelry of Newbiggin, and the townships of Cresswell, Ellington, Hurst, Linmouth, North Seaton, Woodhorn, and Woodhorn Demesne." [From History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland, Whellan, 1855]

"HORTON, a parish in the eastern division of CASTLE ward, county of NORTHUMBERLAND,.......Horton formed part of the parish of Woodhorn until the year 1768, when it was severed from it......." [Samuel Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 © Mel Lockie]

"WIDDRINGTON, a chapelry (parochial), in the eastern division of MORPETH ward, county of NORTHUMBERLAND,  ... The church is ancient, and appears to have been once much larger. A Scotch church was erected here in 1765.' Widdrington was separated from the parish of Woodhorn, and invested with distinct parochial rights, in 1768....." [Samuel Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 © Mel Lockie]

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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 CN24) Woodhorn, Widdrington, Ulgham, Warkworth (part), Bothal, Hebron & Felton (part) (PRO piece HO 107/2418 folios 461-641) (Type B) (Book) published by the https://www.ndfhs.org.uk/may be of value to researchers interested in this parish.
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Church History

  • Woodhorn, St Mary the Virgin was built in the early eleventh century but most of the external features are from a restoration of 1842. The church was made redundant in 1973 and is now Woodhorn Church Museum. It is located in the village of Woodhorn, 1 mile northwest of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
  • Cresswell, St Bartholomew was built in 1836 to serve the Baker-Cresswell family and their estate workers. It is situated in the coastal village of Cresswell, just south of Druridge Bay.
  • Seaton Hirst, St John the Evangelist was built in 1896 to serve a mining community just to the east of Ashington. It became a parish in 1905. A mission church, Seaton Hirst, St Andrew the Apostle, was built in 1905. The present brick building was erected in 1932 and replaced the original temporary structure which was known locally as the "Tin Church". St John's is located on Newbiggin Road and St Andrew's is on Hawthorn Road.
  • Lynemouth, St Aidan in Market Street was built in 1925 and became a parish church in 1961.
  • The Ancestral Indexes website provides information about Seaton Hirst, St Andrew and Seaton Hirst, St John.
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Church Records

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Civil Registration

  • This area is within Northumberland Central Registration District.
  • Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be ordered Locally from Northumberland County Council.
     
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Description & Travel

  • The Northumberland Communities website includes pages relating to Ellington and Lynemouth. They provide "a range of learning resource material that reflects Northumberland's heritage, providing a base for studying the County's history. The website provides a starting point for understanding the development of communities in Northumberland. It also seeks to illustrate the range of sources for family and local history research that are available via Northumberland Archives Service."
You can see pictures of Woodhorn which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The history of Woodhorn Parish is included in:- Hodgson, J., History of Northumberland, Part 2, Volume 2. Newcastle, 1832. (Available on fiche from Ancestral Indexes).
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Maps

  • Woodhorn - Maps - links and information.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NZ272871 (Lat/Lon: 55.177779, -1.574888), Woodhorn which are provided by:

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Military Records

LEST WE FORGET -
St Bartholomew Cresswell
5 August 1940 - John Edward Stokoe  age 38 Corporal 398779 1st Kings Dragoon Guards Royal Armoured Corps, son of Edward and Margaret Stokoe [grave 232]
16 October 1920   J. B Cresswell, Lieutenant Royal Navy HMS Excellent [grave S Section]
 
Seaton Hirst St John
WWl
13 August 1916  W Hughes Sergeant 1866 1st/7th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers age 38, husband of Bessie Hughes 146 1/2 Hawthorn Road Ashington [grave E 7.20]
24 August 1917  W A Bell Private 27274 10th Bn Yorkshire Regiment
12 October 1916   William Watson, Private 29947 Northumberland Fusiliers (29th Tyneside Scottish), transferrd to 84th Training Reserve, age 37 born Jedburgh, son of Andrew and Janet Watson, husband of Susan Rump (formerly Watson) of Seaton Hirst [grave E 6/2]
25 October 1918   Samuel Barlow, Driver T/418604 661st Coy Army Service Corps [grave K 4/18]
6 Nov 1920   George Graham Moscrop, Private 94427 Northumberland Fusiliers 3rd Bn, age 29 son of Charles and Elizabeth Moscrop of Ashington [grave N 2/17]
11 Nov 1919    Ralph Jackson, Private 18652 Royal Army Veterinary Cps, age 42 husband of Elizabeth Curry of Ashington [grave M 4/9]
25 Nov 1918   Gilbert James Edmondson, Private 19/1572 Northumberland Fusiliers 4th Bn, age 26 son of Gilbert and Agnes Edmondson of Ashington [grave K 6/7]
28 Nov 1918   T.W. Curry, Private 36221 East Surrey Regiment 3rd Bn,  [grave K 6/10]
30 Nov 1918   T Cookson, Private 103506 Royal Armoured Corps  [grave E 4/7]
9 Dec 1918   Hastings Brown Smith,  Private 109619 3rd Bn Durham Light Infantry age 21 born Warkworth, son of George and Margaret Smith of Lynemouth   [grave K 6/13] 
 
WWll
5 August 1946 Reginald Marks Mariner RME/16429 Royal Marine Engineers age 19 son of William and Hilda marks of Ashington [grave Sec T Row 18. 7]
7 August 1941 Leslie Atkinson Dunn Gunner 555255 Royal Artillery age 27 son of George and Kate Amelia Dunn (his wife and son died in same incident) [grave Sec S Row 21.40]
5 September 1944  John Henry Rose Sapper 4273944 Royal Engineers age 24 son of Mary Ann Rose of Ashington grandson of Annie Rose [grave T.9.12]
27 September 1944   Thomas William Lightly, Sergeant 1076061RAF Volunteer Reserve, husband of A lightly of Ashington [grave T 7/21]
9 October 1939   William James Emery, Aircraftman 2nd Class 620231 7 Squadron RAF, age 23 son of William J and Ellen Jane Emery of Ashington [grave S 18/1]
9 October 1940   George William Brown, Sgt 56655077 Squadron RAF, son of George E and Isabel Brown of Ashington [grave S 17 51]
5 Nov 1940   Sidney Watson, Private 3776506 The Kings Regiment (Liverpool)) 9th Bn, son of William and Mary Watson of Ashington, husband of Irene Watson of Ilford Essex [grave S Row 18/51]
9 Nov 1943   Florence Ellison, Private W/147286 Auxilliary Territorial Service, age 21 daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Ellison of Ashington [grave T Row 4/19
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Woodhorn Parish was part of Morpeth Poor Law Union. The Union Workhouse was located in Newgate Street, Morpeth. Some records are held at Northumberland Record Office  but these are of limited genealogical value.