Place:Woodhorn, Northumberland, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Woodhorn is a village in Northumberland, England about 2 miles (3 km) east of Ashington. The village is sometimes identified with Wucestre, given to St. Cuthbert by King Ceolwulf when he gave up his throne in 737 to become a monk at Lindisfarne. A medieval bell at Woodhorn, inscribed "Ave Maria", is said to be one of the oldest in existence.

The main employment was at the coal mine. The mine has since closed [date not given]. The site of the old pit is now the location for Northumberland Record Office (see below), a purpose-built building having been constructed to replace the two previous buildings at Morpeth and Gosforth.

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

"WOODHORN, a township and a parish in Morpeth [registration] district, Northumberland . The township lies on the coast, 2½ miles N of North Seaton [railway] station, and 8 ENE of Morpeth. Acres: 2,558; of which 1,082 are water. Population: 171. Houses: 31.

"The parish includes Newbiggin [by the Sea] township, which has a post-office under Morpeth, North Seaton township, where is the [railway] station, and five other townships; and comprises 8,456 acres. Real property: £12,116; of which £2,000 are in mines. Population in 1851: 1,598; in 1861: 2,962.

Woodhorn was an ancient parish in the Morpeth Ward which also became a civil parish in the 19th century. From 1894 it was part of Morpeth Rural District. In 1974 rural districts were abolished and Woodhorn became part of the Wansbeck District until 2009 when Northumberland became a unitary authority.

Townships in parish

• Cresswell
• Ellington
• Hirst
• Horton
• Lynemouth
• Newbiggin by the Sea
• North Seaton
• Widdrington
• Woodhorn Demesne

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.