Haydon Bridge, Northumberland Genealogy

England Northumberland

Parish History
Haydon is a chapelry in Warden, Northumberland Ancient Parish and includes: Haydon Bridge North Side, Haydon Bridge South Side, Langley, Lipwood, Brokenhaugh, Chesterwood, Dean-Row, Deanrow, and Ellerington.

The manor of Haydon was formerly the property of Anthony, Lord Lucy, of Cockermouth, who, in 1344 obtained a charter from Edward III., in which permission was granted to hold a weekly market here on Tuesdays, and an annual fair on the feast of St. Mary Magdalen, and the three following days, but these privileges have long been disused.

"An interesting building for the ecclesiologist with a possible early date of 1190 for the original structure. The evidence is the east end which has three stepped round headed lancet windows and the chancel of the original church, with a chantry added in the fourteenth century. A chapel in the south aisle, is all that remains, and the west end is part of a restoration by C.C. Hodges in 1882. The font is a Romas altar, probably obtained from a site on or near the Roman Wall.

The key for the old church can be obtained from Haydon Bridge Vicarage". [The Newcastle Diocesan Gazetteer (1982), page 48.]

HAYDON, a chapelry, in the parish of Warden, union of Hexham, N. W. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 7 miles (W.) from Hexham, 27 (W.) from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 30 (E.) from Carlisle; containing 1893 inhabitants. The village of Haydon-Bridge, situated on both sides of the South Tyne river, is in this chapelry, and is large and well built, and the scenery around it very beautiful: the bridge consists of six arches, two of which were rebuilt in 1733, and three of them in 1809; it has cost the county at various periods large sums of money, but is now substantially repaired. Two extensive land-sale collieries are in operation, as is also a foundry; and a mile south of Langley Castle, in a desolate situation, stand the laboratories for smelting and refining the ores of lead and zinc raised in the Alston mining districts, under the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, who are proprietors of a considerable portion of the chapelry, and owners of Hudgill-Burn mine. The Newcastle and Carlisle railway has a station here, immediately behind the chapel. Edward III., in 1344, granted permission to Anthony, Lord Lucy, then owner of the manor, to hold a market on Tuesday, and a fair on St. Mary Magdalene's day and the three following days, both of which have fallen into disuse. The present chapel, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, and forming a chapel of ease, was built in 1796, on a new site, near the north end of the bridge, given by the Governors of Greenwich Hospital: the old edifice, which was spacious and venerable, and situated on a conspicuous knoll commanding a wide prospect, still exists, but diminished in size, and partly decayed. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. In 1685, the Rev. John Shaftoe conveyed an estate, now producing £1000 per annum, for the support of schools, which are conducted by a head master, two under masters, and two female teachers; the head master must be a clergyman of the Church of England, and to his duties were added, in 1819, the performance of divine service in Haydon chapel twice on each alternate Sunday. Mr. Shaftoe's trustees subsequently obtained an act of parliament empowering them to erect 20 almshouses, in which 20 men and women receive each half a crown weekly, with a limited quantity of coal, and a garment annually. The school-house is conspicuously seated on the brow of the right bank of the Tyne, and, with the almshouses, and additions of embattled walls, has a very peculiar appearance. The chapel of Langley stood on the south side of the river, perhaps on the ground called Chapel Hill, on which the school-house and almshouses now stand; it was suffered to grow into disuse when the bridge was built. The ruins of Langley Castle form a lone and solemn mass of building, consisting of an oblong square, 82 feet (within) from north to south, and 25 feet the other way, and flanked by a massy tower at each corner: the castle is mentioned in 1365 and 1368, in inquests respecting the Lucys. Threepwood, in the chapelry, was the birthplace, in 1769, of John Tweddell, the accomplished scholar and indefatigable traveller.

From: 'Hawling - Hayfield', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 450-454. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51017 Date accessed: 15 March 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.

Parish Records
Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/129 Date: 1769-1870 Related material at DULASC: Some Haydon Bridge transcripts 1783-1843 are included with Warden transcripts DDR/EA/PBT/2/260 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at FamilySearch Historical Records which is working to improve access to the Haydon Bridge transcripts within Warden parish transcripts.

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.

Haydon Bridge, St Cuthbert: Records of baptisms 1654-1957, marriages 1655-1953 and burials 1654-1903 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1654-1812 and marriages 1655-1812 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1655-1812. Transcripts of baptisms, burials and marriages 1654-1991 and of monumental inscriptions are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. A transcript is available at Gateshead Central Library, Local Studies Dept. covering baptisms 1654-1812, banns 1791-1812, marriages 1656-1812 and burials 1654-1812. Northumberland and Durham FHS publish an indexed transcript of baptisms and marriages 1654-1900 and burials 1654-1991 (microfiche PR208).

FamilySearch Historical Records includes England Durham Marriage Bonds and Allegations (FamilySearch Collection)

Nonconformist Records.
Records for the following nonconformist churches in the parish of Haydon Bridge are available at Northumberland Collections Service:


 * Elmfield (Methodist) - Baptisms 1942-1950
 * Haydon Bridge (Congregational) - Births/baptisms 1817-1996 and Burials 1881-1887
 * Haydon Bridge Wesleyan (Methodist) - Marriages 1905-1944
 * St John of Beverley (Roman Catholic) - Baptisms 1875-1944
 * Early Wesleyan Methodist chapels in this area belonged to Hexham W.M. Circuit. Records for 1797-1836 can be seen at Northumberland Collections Service and are included on the IGI.

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Poor Law Unions
Hexham Poor Law Union, Northumberland

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Northumberland 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
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren't mentioned above.