Place:Islandshire, Northumberland, England

Islandshire was an ancient district in the north of Northumberland, England. The name was carried over from the time before 1844 when the area was part of County Durham (despite the fact it was on the border with Scotland). With the introduction of rural districts in 1894 it became part of Norham and Islandshires Rural District. Islandshire covered the islands just off the coast of Northumberland at the mouth of the River Tweed, plus Ancroft and Tweedmouth which were adjacent on the mainland.

Parishes in Rural District

• Ancroft
• Holy Island
• Kyloe
• Lowick
• Tweedmouth

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.