Place:Lanchester, Durham, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

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

Lanchester is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England, and was in the former district of Derwentside (1975–2009). It is 8 miles (13 km) to the west of the city of Durham and 5 miles (8 km) from the former steel town of Consett. Its population was measured at the 2011 UK census as 4,054.

Although there was a small drift mine on the edge of the village which closed in the 1970s, Lanchester's economy was mainly based on agriculture. It is now a residential village in which a number of housing estates have been developed since the late 1960s.

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Lanchester from John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles of 1870-72:

"Lanchester, par., township, and vil. with [railway] sta., Durham. Parish (containing Leadgate and parts of Consett and Tow Law), 46,082 acres, population: 45,346; township, 15,235 acres, population: 4038; village [located] on Smallhope burn, 9 miles NW. of Durham; P.O., [telegraph office]; on hill top to W. of vil. are remains of a remarkable Roman station."

Lanchester was originally an ancient parish in the Chester Ward and also the Darlington Ward of County Durham. It was made a civil parish in the 19th century and became part of the Lanchester Rural District when it was formed in 1894. Between 1974 and 2009 it became part of the larger Derwentside non-metropolitan district. Since 2009 County Durham has been a unitary authority.

In 1887 and again in 1935 Lanchester altered its boundaries with many of its neighbouring parishes. For further information see A Vision of Britain through Time. Townships in Parish

• Benfieldside
• Collierley
• Cornsay
• Ebchester
• Greencroft
• Healeyfield
• Iveston
• Kyo
• Langley
• Medomsley
• Satley

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.