| Name | Cumberland |
| Alt names | CUL | source: Chapman County Code (GENUKI) |
| Type | Historic county, Administrative county |
| Coordinates | 51.545°N 3°W |
| Located in | England ( - 1974) |
| See also | Cumbria, England | modern county into which Cumberland merged in 1974 |
- source: Family History Library Catalog
Cumberland is one of the historic counties of England that existed from the 12th century until it was abolished for administrative purposes in 1974, with its territory merging with the neighbouring county of Westmorland, the northern part of Lancashire and a small portion of the West Riding of Yorkshire to form the modern administrative county of Cumbria.
Early History
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
In the Early Middle Ages, Cumbria was part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde in the Hen Ogledd, or "Old North", and its people spoke a Brittonic language now called Cumbric. The first record of the term 'Cumberland' appears in 945 CE, when the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded that the area was ceded to Malcolm I, king of Alba (Scotland), by King Edmund I of England. As with , the native Welsh name for Wales, the names 'Cumberland' and 'Cumbria' are derived from kombroges in Common Brittonic, which originally meant "compatriots".
At the time of the Domesday Book (1086 CE) most of the future county was part of Scotland, although some villages around Millom, which were the possessions of the Earl of Northumbria, had been incorporated into Yorkshire.
In 1092 CE, King William Rufus of England invaded the Carlisle district, settling it with colonists. He created an Earldom of Carlisle, and granted the territory to Ranulf le Meschin. In 1133, Carlisle was made the see of a new diocese, largely identical with the area of the earldom. However, on the death of King Henry I of England in 1135, the area was regained by King David I of Scotland. He was able to consolidate his power and made Carlisle one of his chief seats of government, while England descended into a lengthy civil war. The Cumbric language is believed to have become extinct in the 12th century.
The area returned to the English crown in 1157, when Henry II of England took possession of the area (from Malcolm IV of Scotland). Henry II formed two new counties from the former earldom: Westmorland and Carliol – originally an abbreviation of the Latin '[bishop] of Carlisle'. Westmorland also included areas formerly part of the Earldom of Lancaster. The lead- and silver-mining area of Alston, previously associated with the Liberty of Tynedale was later also added to the new county of Carliol for financial reasons. By 1177, Carliol had become known as Cumberland. The border between England and Scotland was made permanent by the Treaty of York in 1237.
Further Social and Economic History
The Wikipedia article Cumbria provides more information on the history of Cumberland (and Westmorland) from the 12th to the 20th century.
Internal Boundaries and Subdivisions
The Wikipedia article Cumberland includes
- a discussion of boundaries and subdivisions used from the 12th century until the 19th
- local government changes in the 19th century, including poor law and municipal reform (1830s), local boards and sanitary districts (1848 and 1875), and the local government acts of 1888 and 1894 (see also Cumberland County Council)
- reform of government in the 20th century, ending with discussion of the 1974 act which merged Cumberland with Westmorland and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. (see also Cumbria where there are maps of the county)
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