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Ambleside Census Church History Church Records Directories History Probate Records Taxation

Ambleside is a parish in Kendal Ward. Formerly a township in Windermere parish. Now a popular Lake District tourist centre.

"Ambleside, from the similitude of the name, is supposed by Camden to have been the Amboglana in the Itinerary. But anciently it was written Hamelside, which hath not so much resemblance to the word Amboglana, but may seem rather to have been derived from the name of the owner. Ambleside is all within the manor of Windermere, but only part of it within the parish. All below the Stock is in the parish of Windermere; above the Stock, in the parish of Gresmere. In that part which is in Gresmere, stands the chapel, endowed by the inhabitants, and made parochial... in 1675."

    Nicolson and Burn: History and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland. 1777. Transcribed by A Nichols.

Census

Returns do not survive for the 'census' of 1787.

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

Church History

St Anne 1812 - now deconsecrated

St Mary 1850-4 by Sir G G Scott. Impressive spire. Stained glass memorial windows to Wordsworth, Matthew Arnold and W E Forster.

Church Records

The parish records and Bishop' Transcripts are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WPR63. There will be microfilm copies at Carlisle Record Office.

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

Directories

The Parson & White's Directory for 1829 is transcribed on EdenLinks.

History

"AMBLESIDE, a small Market-Town, situate on the upper End of the Lake,
known by the Name of Winandermere, whose Market is weekly on Wednesday, and
Fair yearly on
(blank). It was antiently a large City, as appears, not only from the many
Ruins of the Walls, and from the Rubbish of old Buildings still to be seen
without the Walls. The Romans had a Fort here of an oblong Figure,
fortified with a Ditch and Rampire, in Length an Hundred and thirty-two
Ells, and in Breadth eighty. That it was a work of the Romans, not Saxons
or Danes, is evident from the British Bricks and Mortar tempered with small
Pieces of Brick. To which, if we add, that little Urns, glass Vials, and
Roman Coins are commonly met with here, together with round Stones like Mill
stones (of which, being sodered together, they used of old to make Pillars)
and paved Ways leading to it, we have Proofs beyond Contradiction.
But the old Name is quite lost, unless we may infer from the Name
Ambleside, that it was the Amboglana, mentioned in the Notitia, where the
Cohers prima AElia Dacorum had their Quarters; but against that Conjecture
it is said, 1. That the Notitia places it ad Lineam Valli, which, if we
interpret of the Line or Track of the Picts Wall itself, it is not possible
it should be meant of this Place; but if we suppose it to signify (as it may
well) the Line of Communication, which several Auxiliaries had with those
who were quartered upon the Picts Wall, our Opinion may be reconcilable
enough with the Notitia. But some farther object, 2. That it is beyond all
Doubt, that the Cohors prima AElia Dacorum was quartered at Williford in
Cumberland, as appears by several Inscriptions, which have been found at a
little Distance from it (which see in Cumberland). But to this it may be
answered, there was at Williford (or rather at the Bank-End) A Fort assigned
for that Cohort, when they were called out upon extraordinary Occasions to
defend the Picts Wall; but Ambleside was their chief Station or standing
Quarters, of which this is a good Argument, that many Pieces of Roman
Antiquities have been found here, about the old Works, viz. several Medals
of Gold, Silver, and Copper, some of which are in the Collection, which Mr.
Thomas Brathwaite of Ambleside gave by Deed, dated Novemb. 26. 1674, to the
Library at the University of Oxford.
A small Mile North of the Town stands Ridal-Hall, a convenient and
large, but antient House; and in the Manor is a very high Mountain called
Ridal-Head, from the Top of which there is so large a Prospect, that in a
clear Day, Lancaster-Castle and much farther may be seen. The Manor
antiently belonged to the Family of Lancaster, to whom it defended from the
Brus's of Skelton, by the Marriage of Margaret de Brus, one of the Coheirs
of Peter de Brus, with Roger de Lancaster; for he & Edw. I procured a Grant
and Confirmation of the Forest of Ridal, which his Wife had before made over
to him, which proves 'twas her Inheritance. From the Family of Lancaster it
passed to that of Plaiz by the female Heir 8 Edw. III. And from them by the
Howards to the Flemmings in the Reign of King Hen. IV. Who had seen Lords of
it ever since. Sir Daniel Flemming, a Lover of antient Learning, was of
this Family, who was very helpful to the late Editors of the Britannia, in
giving them several useful Informations in this County and Lancashire."

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


Ambleside and Troutbeck  Records relating to the Barony of Kendale,  CWAAS, William Farrer & John F. Curwen (editors) are available on British History Online
Supplementary Records - Ambleside
Supplementary Records - Troutbeck

Probate Records

Wills for Ambleside will be at Carlisle since about 1858 but before that will be at the Preston R.O. as it was in the Diocese of Chester until that time.

Taxation

Hearth Tax records for 1674 Ambleside transcribed on Edenlinks transcribed on Edenlinks..

Last updated: Jan 2009 Dave Huddart