Torpenhow, Cumberland Genealogy

England Cumberland Parishes TORPENHOW (St. Michael), a parish, in the poorlaw union of Wigton, Allerdale ward below Derwent, W. division of Cumberland; including the townships of Bewaldeth with Snittlegarth, Blennerhassett with Kirkland, and Bothel with Threapland; and containing 1067 inhabitants, of whom 315 are in the township of Torpenhow with Whitrigg, 2½ miles (W. by N.) from Ireby. This parish, which is bounded on the north by the river Ellen, abounds with freestone and limestone. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £33. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Bishop of Carlisle: the tithes were commuted for land under inclosure acts, in 1807 and 1814. The church is principally in the Norman style; the roof of carved oak, is painted and curiously embellished, On a hill called Caer Mot, are the remains of a square double intrenchment, intersected by the old road from Keswick to Old Carlisle; near it is a smaller encampment, defended by a rampart and fosse.

From: 'Torbrian - Torworth', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 377-380. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51350 Date accessed: 02 September 2011.

Parish History
"TORPENHOW (St. Michael), a parish, in the poorlaw union of Wigton, Allerdale ward below Derwent, W. division of Cumberland; including the townships of Bewaldeth with Snittlegarth, Blennerhassett with Kirkland, and Bothel with Threapland; and containing 1067 inhabitants, of whom 315 are in the township of Torpenhow with Whitrigg, 2½ miles (W. by N.) from Ireby. This parish, which is bounded on the north by the river Ellen, abounds with freestone and limestone. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £33. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Bishop of Carlisle: the tithes were commuted for land under inclosure acts, in 1807 and 1814. The church is principally in the Norman style; the roof of carved oak, is painted and curiously embellished, On a hill called Caer Mot, are the remains of a square double intrenchment, intersected by the old road from Keswick to Old Carlisle; near it is a smaller encampment, defended by a rampart and fosse."

From: Lewis, Samuel A, "A Topographical Dictionary of England" (1848), pp. 377-380. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51350 Date accessed: 02 September 2011.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
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Census records
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Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Cumberland Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
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 * England Jurisdictions 1851 *Vision of Britain

Web sites
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