Horton, Northumberland Genealogy

Parish History
Horton St Mary The Virgin was created in 1734 from a parochial chapelry in Woodhorn,_Northumberland Ancient Parish and included: Bebside, Cowpen, East Hartford, and West Hartford.

HORTON, a parochial chapelry, in the union of Tynemouth, E. division of Castle ward, S. division of Northumberland; containing, with the townships of Bebside, Cowpen, and East and West Hartford, 2838 inhabitants, of whom 218 are in the township of Horton, 7¼ miles (S. E.) from Morpeth. Possessions were anciently held here by the knightly family of Horton, and by the family of Charron, of whom was Guischard de Charron, sheriff of Northumberland in the 13th century; among later proprietors occurs Sir Bertram Monboucher, Knt., sheriff of the county, and knight of the shire, in the 14th century. The chapelry is bounded on the north by the Blyth river, and comprises 5217 acres, extending five miles from east to west, and in breadth from one to three miles. Its soil, though various, is generally a strong clay, producing excellent crops of wheat and beans; there is some good turnip-land, and oats thrive well. The surface is for the most part level, but relieved by gentle undulations, whose slopes are richly wooded: the timber consists of oak, ash, beech, elm, black poplar, and some of the larger species of willow; and several small plots of ground are covered with young trees. Lord Hastings is owner of 2313 acres, forming the township of Horton, and abounding in coal and stone. The ancient village is seated on a gradual slope, about three miles west of the sea, and once consisted of several houses, but at present is reduced to one farm and a few cottages, with the chapel. At Low Horton stood the ancient manor-house, or castle, belonging to the Delaval family, which was strongly fortified by licence in 1293, and surrounded by a double moat and rampart of earth; the greater part of the foundation was razed, and the intrenchment levelled, in 1809. The chapelry formed part of Woodhorn parish until 1768, when it was abscinded: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar of Woodhorn, with a net income of £150; impropriators, the Mercers' Company, and the rector of Hampstead, near London. The old chapel was taken down in 1827, and a new structure erected on its site, at an expense of £400, defrayed partly by a rate, and partly by subscription; it stands on the road between Newcastle and Blyth.From: 'Horton - Horton, Monks', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 557-559. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51047 Date accessed: 08 March 2011.

= Parish Records =

Durham University Library Archives and Special CollectionsReference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/140 Date: 1762-1856  Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at Record Search.

The dates of the post-1760 transcripts have been noted in detail and sometimes only cover years. For most parishes in the collection there are gaps in the sequence of transcripts. It is advisable to consult the original parish registers for these years and events

Horton, St Mary the Virgin: Records of baptisms 1648-1944, marriages 1660-1987 and burials 1725-1985 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. Baptisms 1649-1944, marriages 1660-1970, banns 1754-1809, 1853-1863, 1903-1913, and burials 1725-1956 can also be seen at Tyne and Wear Archives Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1648-1812 and marriages 1660-1809 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1660-1809 and banns 1754-1809. Transcripts of baptisms 1648-1812, marriages 1660-1812 and burials 1725-1812 for Horton are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. Transcripts of monumental inscriptions at Horton (microfiche TN72 and TN86) are published by Northumberland and Durham Family History Society and these records are also available in book form at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Department.


 * Blyth, St Mary: Records of baptisms 1864-1965 and marriages 1864-1979 are available at Northumberland Collections Service.
 * For other churches in Blyth see Earsdon Parish.