Place:Middridge Grange, Durham, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

Middridge Grange was situated to the south of Shildon in County Durham, England. In 1937 it was split between the civil parishes of Shildon and Heighington.

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

The house, Middridge Grange, is a Grade II listed building situated just outside the village itself, between Shildon and School Aycliffe. It is one of the oldest buildings in the region, beginning life as a large Elizabethan manor in 1578. The Byerley Turk, the great stallion owned by Captain (later Colonel) Robert Byerley (1660–1714), was arguably Middridge's most famous resident. The Byerley Turk was one of the three founding stallions of today's thoroughbred horses and was stood at Middridge Grange, until being moved to Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, when his owner married his cousin, Mary Wharton, in 1692.

end of Wikipedia contribution

Middridge Grange was originally a township in the ancient parish of Auckland St. Andrew in County Durham. It became a separate civil parish in 1866. From 1894 it was part of Auckland Rural District. In 1937 it was abolished and split between the civil parishes of Shildon and Heighington with Heighington taking more than three quarters of the acreage. Between 1974 and 2009 Shildon became part of the larger Sedgefield non-metropolitan district and Heighington became part of the Darlington District. Since 2009 County Durham has been a unitary authority. (Source: A Vision of Britain through Time)

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.