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Dufton Cemeteries (MIs) Census Church History Church Records Directories History Maps  Population Probate Records Taxation

"The parish of Dufton is bounded on the East by the parishes of Middleton in the county of Durham, Romaldkirk in the county of York, and Brough in the county of Westmorland; on the South, by the parish of St. Michael's Appleby; on the West, by the parish of Marton; and on the North, by the parish of Alston in the county of Cumberland, and the said parish of Middleton. It contains in the whole about 63 families [in 1777].

It is a rectory... The church is dedicated to St. Cuthbert."

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

Monumental inscriptions were transcribed in Monumental Inscriptions of Westmorland by E. Bellasis 1888-89 and are available on Westmorland Papers.

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.

Census returns are available from the usual sources for 1841-1901.

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.

Church History St Cuthbert's is close by Knock (in the parish of Long Marton). It is an attractive sandstone building with medieval nave and chancel. But the tower is only of 1784

Church Records

The parish records are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WPR41.

For searching on www.familysearch.org see Jake Prescott's list of IGI batch numbers.

Directories

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

History

Dufton, the Lordship of John Lord Graystoke, who having no Issue of his Own, and his Brothers and Uncles being dead without Issue Male, settled this and
divers other Estates upon his Nephew Ralph, the Son of William Fitz-Ralph, Lord of Grimthorpe in Yorkshire and Joan, his Aunt, and dying 34 Edward I.
left them to the said Ralph. He was summoned to Parliament by the Name of Ralph FitzWilliam, and dying 9 Edw. III. Left this Lordship, and his
other Lands to his Son Robert, who outlived him but one Year, yet left a Son Ralph eighteen Years old, Heir of his Estates. Elizabeth his Wife survived him,
and had for her Dowry an Assignation of this Lordship, and several others. The aforesaid Ralph being come to Age assumed the Name of Graystoke,
and was summoned to Parliament under that Title. He was poisoned at Gatsheved as he was at Breakfast, and left his Estates to his Son and Heir
William Lord Graystoke. He was summoned to Parliament from 22 to 31 Edw. IIII. Dying 32 Edw. III. Was found among other Estates to be possessed
of this Lordship, which he left to his Son Ralph Lord Greystoke, and his Heirs, some of whom it seems alienated it, for we find Roger Lord Clifford 4th
dying possessed of it 13 Rich. II. And leaving it to his Son and Heir Thomas.

Magna Britannica et Hibernia.Volume 6: Westmorland by Thomas Cox (Vicar of Bromfield, Essex) 45 pages, printed in 1731.
Transcription by Sarah Reveley,  Joan Fisher and Lisl Schoenwald. (Rootsweb Westmorland Listmembers)  (c)  2003

British History Online provides historical notes for Dufton from The Later Records relating to North Westmorland by John F. Curwen (1932)

According to Nicolson & Burn (1777): Duff was anciently a name in Scotland, and perhaps also in England. Macduff is a name well known; which means the son of Duff. And it is not improbable that Dufton (Duff's-town) might be so called from some person of that name.

More likely, according to Baron von Hymir de Dufton, the name 'Dufton' is derived from the mid-Saxon Dufa'-ton, = 'Place of Doves',

Earthwork fortifications stand on nearby Castle Hill, but recorded history begins after the Norman conquest when the manor was held by the Greystoke family.

The most famous son of Dufton was John Boste born in 1543 who was martyred in 1594 and canonised in 1970.

There is also a short history on the Dufton Village site

Maps

A present-day web map is available from Multimap.

Population    

Probate Records

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

Taxation

Hearth Tax records for 1674 Dufton transcribed on Edenlinks.

Last updated: Nov 2008 Dave Huddart