More Durham parish records

Holly Cochran, Site Manager of Durham Records Online, reports on what’s new at the website.

Durham Records Online has added:

Sunderland Cemetery burials 1865-1874
7,179 burials at Sunderland Cemetery (Stockton Rd, Grangetown) for 1865-1874. Most burial records link the deceased to a parent, spouse, or occupation. Examples:

• 3 Jan 1865 Ellen Gilfoyle, of 6 Hat Case, age: 22, wife of John Gilfoyle (labourer)
• 10 Jan 1865 Nathan Close, of 8 Hat Case, age: 22 months, son of Nathan Close (blacksmith)
• 19 Jul 1866 Emil August Muller, age: 32, Captain of the Prussian barque ‘Amanda’, died of Cholera.

[Note: This is the first mention in this register of this dreaded disease which was then transmitted to the town of Sunderland.]

The cholera outbreak of 1866 is considered the last major cholera outbreak in Britain. This register shows 39 deaths from the dreaded disease between July and the end of October.

Heighington baptisms, marriages, burials 1765-1821
Records for Heighington St. Michael, in Darlington district, from 1765 to the end of 1821. Heighington is not indexed by the IGI, so this collection should provide many links and discoveries for researchers.

• 1,642 baptisms 1765-1821
• 1,158 burials 1765-1821
• 356 marriages 1765-1812 (we already had 1813-1837). Includes marriage witnesses.

The marriages are from the parish register. The baptisms and burials are from the parish register and the bishop’s transcripts of the parish register, so each record has a note stating its source.

Residences mentioned include Aycliffe, Broom Dykes, Burtee Gate, Coldsides, Darlington, Denton, Gainford, Haughton (le Side, Bank), Hawthorn, Heighington, Killerby, Middridge, Newbiggin, Piercebridge, Redworth, Royal Oak, School Aycliffe, Toytop, West Thickley, Walworth, Whitworth.

As usual, the 1798-1812 baptisms and burials at Heighington provide the most detail:

• baptism: 19 Feb 1801 Elizabeth Allison, born 17 Feb 1801, 1st daughter of Andrew Allison (native of Wearmouth, Sunderland) by his wife Margaret Longstaff (native of St. Helen, Auckland)
• burial: 24 May 1798 Jane Chapman, of Heighington, age: 6 months, died 22 May, daughter of Nicholas Chapman (cordwainer) & Margaret Allen, his wife

but earlier burials were often also quite informative:

• 16 Jan 1767 Elisabeth Tewart, of Heighington, wife of Morley Tewart, poor
• 27 Sep 1786 Lambton Surtees, son of Crozier Surtees (esquire) & Jane, his wife

and in burials from March 1816 to the end of 1820, the clerk resumed recording the parents of deceased children, husbands of deceased married women, and occupations of deceased men:

• 10 Mar 1816 Ann Robinson, of Redworth, age: 2 months, daughter of George Robinson (joiner) & Margaret, his wife
• 5 Dec 1820 Margaret Croft, of Heighington, age: 50, wife of Robert Croft

Crook Primitive Methodist Circuit baptisms 1850-1865
887 baptisms on the Crook Primitive Methodist Circuit, 1850-1865, serving residents of Billy Row, Bishop Auckland, Bitchburn, Bowden Close & Colliery, Brancepeth, Byers Green, Crook, Dans Castle, Grahamsley, Hedley Hope, Helmington Row, Hunwick, Mouth Pleasant, Newfield, North Bedburn, Quarryburn, Roddymoor, Rumby Hill, Sunnyside, Sunnybrow, Tow Law, Waterhouses, Wheat Bottom, White Lee, Willington, Witton le Wear, Witton Park, and Wolsingham. Some samples:

• 25 Dec 1856 Margaret Boddy, of Crook, child of Ralph Boddy (grocer) & Ann
• 7 Sep 1852 Thomas Dargue Holliday, of Roddymoor, child of George Holliday (miner) & Jane

Tow Law Wesleyan Methodist baptisms 1875-1885
395 baptisms at Tow Law Wesleyan Methodist chapel from Sept 1875 to the end of 1885. This chapel served Methodists in Tow Law, Frosterley, Hedleyhope, Hedley Hill, Saltersgate, Stanley, Crook, Sunnyside, and Thornley. Most baptisms give the child’s birthdate. For example:

• 22 Dec 1881 John Richard Batten, of Helm Park Terrace, Tow Law, born 19 Nov 1881, child of William Batten & Treaza [Theresa]
• 11 Sep 1882 Margaret Simpson, of Digens House Farm, Crook, born 15 Aug 1882, child of Thomas Simpson & Margaret

Combining the Crook Primitive Methodist Circuit baptisms and the Tow Law Methodist baptisms, we can follow 2 generations of Methodist families – witness the following baptisms at the Tow Law Methodist chapel, presumably belonging to the uniquely-named Thomas Dargue Holliday who was baptized (above) on the Crook Primitive Methodist Circuit in 1852:

• 24 May 1878 Mary Jane Holliday, of Tow Law, born 16 Apr 1878, child of Thomas Dargue Holliday & Annie
• 8 Jul 1880 George Frederick Smith Holliday, of Tow Law, born 13 Jun 1880, child of Thomas Dag [Thomas Dargue] Holliday & Annie

Byers Green baptisms & burials 1845-46
The parish of Byers Green St. Peter was formed out of Auckland St. Andrew in July 1845.

• 73 baptisms from July 1845 to the end of 1846
• 29 burials from Aug 1845 to the end of 1846

Residences mentioned include Byers Green, Newfield, Seldom Seen, and Todd Hills.

Auckland St. Helen baptisms 1818-1824 & burials 1813-1824

486 baptisms 1818-1824. From Sept 1822 onward, the clerk listed the child’s order in the family, similar to a 1798-1812 record:

• 30 Mar 1823 Richard Palister Caile, of Toft Hill, 6th son of John Caile (farmer) & Isabella

399 burials 1813-1824. Although no longer required, the clerk usually included occupations for deceased men, parents for deceased children, and husbands for deceased married women. Sample:

• 12 Apr 1824 Mary Fargeson, of West Auckland, age: infant, 3rd daughter of George Fargeson (confectioner) & Mary
• 5 Feb 1824 Elizabeth Stobbert, of West Auckland, age: 75, wife of Richard Stobbert (shoemaker)

Residences mentioned include Bildershaw, Brusselton, Etherley, Evenwood, Greenfield, Hummerbeck, Morley, Ramshaw Hall, Sloshes, St. Helen’s, Toft Hill, West Auckland, and Woodhouses in Auckland St. Andrew.

South Shields burials 1813-1814
761 burials at South Shields St. Hilda’s for 1813-1814. The oldest was:

• 22 Dec 1814 John Parkinson, of Union Alley, South Shields, age: 100

Ryton baptisms 1682-1709 updated
Replaced the baptism index for Ryton Holy Cross 1682-1709 with full entries, so the details of those 3,138 baptisms are now instantly available. Added 3 newly found baptisms in this period.

Merrington baptisms & burials available again!
Fixed a bug that had been making the Merrington baptisms and burials temporarily unavailable – so set your District to Auckland and try your search again! We apologize for any frustration this error may have caused you!

Coming Soon:

Hart burials and marriages
Wolsingham baptisms & burials 1852-54
Heworth baptisms & burials 1813-1817
baptisms and burials from Houghton-le-Spring, Trimdon, Gateshead Fell, Jarrow, Kelloe, Norton, Staindrop, Shildon, Hurworth, Cockfield, and Washington

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