Place:Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

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

Kirkwhelpington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northumberland about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Hexham. It is on the River Wansbeck alongside the A696 trunk road between Otterburn and Ponteland. It was also an ancient parish with medieval origins.

end of Wikipedia contribution

Kirkwhelpington was an ancient parish in the Tynedale Ward which also became a civil parish in the 19th century. From 1894 it was part of Bellingham Rural District. In 1958 the townships/civil parishes listed below were abolished and absorbed into Kirkwhelpington or another parish. In 1974 rural districts were abolished and Kirkwhelpington became part of the Tynedale District until 2009 when Northumberland became a unitary authority.

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

"KIRKWHELPINGTON, a village, a township, and a [registration] sub-district in Bellingham [registration] district, and a parish partly also in Castle-Ward district, Northumberland. The Village stands on a cliff above the river Wansbeck, 1 mile N of Knowes-Gate [railway] station, and 10 E by N of Bellingham; contains a good specimen of the smaller peel towers; is a seat of petty sessions; and has a post office, under Newcastle-on-Tyne.

"The township comprises 2,778 acres. Population: 190. Houses: 43.

"The [registration] sub-district contains all the parish, except one township; and contains also five other parishes, and part of another. Population: 2,833. Houses: 592.

The parish contains the township of Kirkwhelpington, West Whelpington, Crogdean [Crookdean], West Harle, Great Bavington, Catcherside, Coldwell, Fawns, and Little Harle in Bellingham [registration] district, and the township of Capheaton in Castle-Ward district. Acres: 13,351. Real property: £6,825. Population: 644. Houses: 131. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to the Duke of Northumberland. Most of the land is pasture. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Durham. Value: £288. Patron: the Lord Chancellor. The church is ancient but good, and has a tower."

Other Townships in Parish

All the townships became civil parishes, probably in 1866. A number of these townships have always been very small and little information about them is known (Wilson's Gazetteer reports them to have had between 1 house and 10 in 1871 and there is no article in Wikipedia). These townships are listed below in italics and have been redirected here.

• Capheaton (remains a separate civil parish)
• Catcherside (very small, absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958, redirected here)
• Coldwell (very small, absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958, redirected here)
• Crookdean or Crogdean (very small, absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958, redirected here)
• Fawns (very small, absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958, redirected here)
• Great Bavington (abolished to create Bavington parish in 1955
• Kirkharle (absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958)
• West Whelpington (very small, absorbed into Kirkwhelpington parish 1958, redirected here)

(Source: A Vision of Britain through Time)

Notable former resident

The distinguished engineer and inventor Sir Charles Parsons (1834-1931) is buried here with his wife Katherine (there is a memorial to them in the church). Sir Charles Parsons was best known for his invention of the compound steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields. He also developed optical equipment for [[wikipedia:searchlight|searchlights and telescopes.

In 1889, he founded C. A. Parsons and Company in Newcastle to produce turbo generators to his design. In the same year he set up the Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company (DisCO). In 1890, DisCo opened Forth Banks Power Station, the first power station in the world to generate electricity using turbo generators. The Parsons turbine company survives in the Heaton area of Newcastle and is now part of Siemens, a German conglomerate.

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.