Place:Esh, Durham, England

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

Esh is a village and civil parish situated around five miles northwest of Durham in County Durham, England. The central area of the village contains a stone cross, which probably replaced a former market cross. This is locally known as St Cuthberts Cross and bears the inscription IHS, and the date 1687. Esh is now a rural village, nestled between a number of working farms.

end of Wikipedia contribution

Esh was a chapelry in the ancient parish of Lanchester. It became a separate civil parish in 1866. From 1894 until 1974 it was part of Lanchester Rural District. In 1935 and 1956 large sections of the parish were transferred to Brandon and Byshottles parish and Cornsay parish respectively. In 1974 the civil parish was abolished and the area was absorbed into the non-metropolitan district of Derwentside. Since 2009 County Durham has been a unitary authority. (Source: A Vision of Britain through Time)

Formerly there were a number of coal mines within the parish. Three colliery villages, Quebec, Esh Winning and Ushaw Moor, have been redirected here as has Ushaw, a Roman Catholic seminary within the parish. The three colliery villages each have articles in Wikipedia.

A 19th century description

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

"ESH, or Ash, a village and a township-chapelry in Lanchester parish, Durham. The village stands 4 miles NNW of Brancepeth [railway] station, and 5 WNW of Durham; and has a post office under Durham. The chapelry comprises 3,016 acres. Real property: £2,915. Population: 942. Houses: 118. The property is divided among a few. A Roman Catholic college, on a large scale, with about 300 students, is at Ushaw. The living is a [perpetual] curacy in the diocese of Durham. Value: £190.* Patron: the Bishop of Manchester. The church is good; and there is a Roman Catholic chapel. See Ushaw. [below]"

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

"USHAW, a place, with a Roman Catholic college, in Esh chapelry, Durhamshire; 4 miles WNW of Durham. The college stands on a bleak hill; was founded in 1804, and opened in 1808; underwent extension in 1850 and following years; includes a fine chapel, opened in 1848; forms an open quadrangle, together with a long cloister and a seminary; and has commonly about 300 students, and about 100 boys."

Research Tips

• County Durham Archives. Durham County Record Office is located on the Lower Ground Floor of County Hall, the administrative headquarters of Durham County Council, in Durham City.
• Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and the northern part of 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.
• The Cleveland, North Yorkshire & South Durham Family History Society covers the southern part of County Durham as well as the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire on the south side of the River Tees. Their homepage includes a map to show the society's coverage. (Once again, full address and other details on the website)
• Further information from GENUKI
• Ordnance Survey map of Durham 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 Durham 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Durham 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, the Victoria County History for Durham is limited in its coverage. It only includes the cathedral city of Durham, including an account of the cathedral itself. Also covers Stockton Ward in the south-east of the county (bordering North Yorkshire) including Hartlepool and Stockton on Tees.