Place:Barrow, Northumberland, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Barrow from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"BARROW, a township in Holystone parish, Northumberland; 10 miles WNW of Rothbury. Population: 14.

The same online source provides the following description from John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles of 1887:

"Barrow, township, Alwinton par., W. Northumberland, 10 miles NW. of Rothbury, 1010 [acres], population: 11.

It is difficult to interpret these two entries, but it would appear that Barrow had associations with both Holystone and Alwinton ancient parishes and may have originally been part of Holystone and transferred to Alwinton at some unknown date. It became a separate civil parish in 1866. From 1894 until 1955 it was part of Rothbury Rural District. 1995 it was abolished and absorbed into the parish of Alwinton. (Source:A Vision of Britain through Time)

On the Ordnance Survey Map of 1900 referenced below, Barrow civil parish is marked southwest of Alwinton while Holystone parish is to the east of Barrow with Harbottle parish in between.

Research Tips

• Northumberland Archives previously known as Northumberland Collections Service and Northumberland County Record Office. Now based within Woodhorn Museum in Ashington and providing free access to numerous records for local and family historians alike.

Full postal address: Museum and Northumberland Archives, Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF; Phone: 01670 624455

There is a branch office in Berwick upon Tweed.

• Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and County Durham. The Family History Society have a research centre in Percy House in central Newcastle upon Tyne (full address on website), open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Browse the website to see what else the society can provide.
• Further information from GENUKI
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1832 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time. This map includes the boundaries of the various Wards (or "hundreds") in existence at that time.
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 1944 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• English Jurisdictions 1851, a parish finding aid provided by FamilySearch, particularly helpful in large towns and cities.
• Unfortunately, there is no Victoria County History for Northumberland.