Place:Black Heddon, Northumberland, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Black Heddon is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Belsay, in the county of Northumberland, England. It is situated to the north-west of Newcastle upon Tyne, between Stamfordham and Belsay. In 1951 the parish had a population of 45.

According to local legend, the village was once haunted by a ghost named Silky, who used to jump onto travellers' horses. In nearby Belsay is a tree overlooking a waterfall which is known as Silky's Chair.

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

"BLACKHEDDON, a township in Stamfordham parish, Northumberland; on an affluent of the river Blyth, 11 miles SW of Morpeth. Acres: 1,619. Population: 68."

Black Heddon was a township in the ancient parish of Stamfordham and became a separate civil parish in 1866. In 1955 the civil parish was abolished and the area was absorbed into the parish of Belsay.

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.