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Crosby Ravensworth

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"CROSBY-RAVENSWORTH, a parish in WEST ward, county of WESTMORLAND, 4 miles (N. by E.) from Orton, containing, with a portion of Birkbeck Fells, 863 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Carlisle, rated in the king's books at £7. 13. 4., endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £200 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Hon. F. G. Howard. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, a handsome structure with a square tower, was rebuilt in 1814: near it stands the ancient manorial mansion, a tower building embosomed in trees, and formerly moated. A school was founded and endowed by the Rev. William Willan, in 1630; the schoolroom was rebuilt, in 1784, by William Dent, Esq., who, in conjunction with others, raised the income to about £30 per annum, for which twenty-five children are educated and supplied with books."
[From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831) - copyright Mel Lockie 2016]

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Cemeteries

M.I.s for Crosby Ravensworth were transcribed in Monumental Inscriptions of Westmorland by E. Bellasis 1888-89 and are available on Westmorland Papers.

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Census

Returns survive for the 'census' of 1787 and are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WQ/SP/C. They are transcribed in Vital Statistics published by Curwen Archives Trust 1992. ISBN 1897590008. There are trancriptions on EdenLinks for

Census returns are available from the usual sources for 1841-1911.

Transcript and index for 1851 has been published by the Cumbria Family History Society and also in 'North Westmorland - An Index to the 1851 Census' compiled by David Lowis and Barbara Slack.

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Church History

 

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St Lawrence
Late C15th W tower but rest of curch C12 - 14th .
S porch by Rober Smirke. Mid C16th tomb chest.
Historical and architectural notes on National Heritage List (English Heritage site).
Photograph(s) and description on VisitCumbria.
Access and contact details on Church of England site
More details and maps in Genuki Westmorland Church Database
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Church Records

Parish Registers and Bishop's Transcripts are held by Cumbria Archives :
originals at Kendal RO and microfilm copies at Carlisle RO.

Baptism registers1568-1896
Marriage registers1569-1955
Banns registers1754-1947
Burial registers1568-1876
Bishops transcripts1665-1874

See the CASCAT online calogue for WPR7 for information on these and other parish records..

For searching on LDS familysearch.org see IGI batch numbers (compiled by Jake Prescott)
or use the batch number search site (by Hugh Wallis).

The registers for 1570-1812 have been transcribed by Roland Grigg:
( A ) : ( B ) : ( C ) : (DE) : ( F ) : ( G ) : (HI) : (JKL) : (MN) : (OP) : ( R ) : ( S ) : (TUV) : (WY)
These are included in a combined Cumbrian parish register index

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Description & Travel

Nicolson and Burn: The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland. 1777.Transcribed by Anne Nichols.:

"There are many places of the name Crosby, which imports no more than Cross-town, or Church-town: And they are commonly distinguished by some additional description; from which vulgar pronunciation, and ignorance of languages and etymology in former ages, have been variously written. Amongst all the variations of the additional name of this place, that of Ravensworth is the most unlikely to be the true one. It was never anciently written Ravensworth, nor is it easy to conjecture, from whence that termination could arise. Ravens, at such a place, are easily accounted for. It was most frequently written Ravenswath, as if so called from some ford there before the erection of the bridge: sometimes Ravenswart, and Ravensthwaite; unto which last, the situation of the place seemeth well to accord; for thwaite signifies a level ground inclosed with hills or wood: The common people pronounce it Ravenside, which in sound comes nearest to Ravensthwaite. The parish is bounded on the East by the parishes of St. Laurence Appleby, and Asby; on the South, by the parishes of Asby and Orton; on the West, by the parishes of Orton and Shap; and on the North, by the parishes of Shap and Morland: and contains about 158 families, all of the church of England.nIt is not very certain, to whom this church was dedicated. According to the account of Randall Sanderson, M..A., who was born in this parish, it was dedicated to St. Laurence. The reverend Thomas Machel says, it was dedicated to St. Leonard. It is a vicarage. The church is a fair building, having a square steeple or tower, with three bells.

Mauld's Meaburn. . . Until Maud de Veteripont's time, the whole tract, including both the Meburns, and the space between called Meburn Field, went by one general name of Meburn. It was often anciently written Medburn; which seemeth to indicate, that it received this name from the burn or rivulet (of Lyvennet) running all down the middle of the vale.

Regill. . . This place of old time was invariably written Renegill: From what original, is not certain. Perhaps it was from the name of the owner. Rene was a name in the time of William the Conqueror, and long after. There was here anciently a chapel or oratory : of which there are some remembrances, in the names of chapel garth, chapel lands, and the like."

You can see pictures of Crosby Ravensworth which are provided by:

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Directories

The details for the parish from the Parson & White's Directory for 1829 are transcribed on Edenlinks site.

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Gazetteers

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History

The Later Records relating to North Westmorland by John F. Curwen (1932) on British History Online

Cumbria County History Trust has published a "Jubilee Digest" for the township of Crosby Ravensworth and Sleagill

See Chronicles of Crosby Ravensworth J T Relph (160 pages)
ISBN 0 951 9151 [first published 1992]
163;5.50 by post UK from Holly Cottage, Crosby Ravensworth, Cumbria.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NY615133 (Lat/Lon: 54.513911, -2.596282), Crosby Ravensworth which are provided by:

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Population

1641/2552(est)
1671597(est)
1787828
1801789
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Probate Records

Crosby Ravensworth is in the diocese of Carlisle and wills will be in Carlisle Record Office.

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Taxation

Hearth Tax records for 1674 Crosby Ravensworth transcribed on Edenlinks.

Hearth Tax records for 1674 Birkbeck Fells (Crosby Ravensworth) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Maulds Meaburn (Crosby Ravensworth) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Reagill & Sleagill (Crosby Ravensworth) transcribed on Edenlinks.

Window Tax records for 1777 Crosby Ravensworth transcribed on Edenlinks.
Window Tax records for 1777 Sleagill transcribed on Edenlinks.
Window Tax records for 1777 Ros(e)gill & Sleddale transcribed on Edenlinks.