Place:Ryton, Durham, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

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

Ryton is a semi-rural small town near the western border of Tyne and Wear, England. Until 1974 it was an independent town in County Durham, but was incorporated into the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear and the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1974. By the 2011 Census the parish had been absorbed into the Gateshead MBC ward of Ryton, Crookhill and Stella. The total population of this ward was 8,146 in the UK census of 2011.

Ryton lies midway between Crawcrook and Blaydon, both in Tyne and Wear. Nearby settlements include Stargate, Clara Vale, Greenside, Stella and Hedgefield. Stargate is located on the outskirts of Ryton en route to Blaydon.

Traditionally, Ryton's economy was built upon agriculture and coal mining. Some think that coal-mining was taking place in the area as early as Roman times, however it was not until 1239 when Henry III granted that coal may be mined outside the walls that mining became extensive. The agricultural industry in Ryton was mixed and included both pastoral farming and arable farming.

As well as its coal industry, Ryton formerly contained the lead-smelting reverberatory furnaces of the Ryton Company, whose mines were on Alston Moor in Cumberland. This business was amalgamated into the London Lead Company in 1705.

Ryton soon became a place of migration for the wealthy, who wanted to escape the urban sprawl of the Industrial Revolution in Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne. A reminder of Ryton's affluent past is found in some of the old mansions at old Ryton village, a place rich in rural qualities because of its proximity to Ryton Willows on the banks of the River Tyne.

After the decline of the coal industry during the second half of the twentieth century Ryton became increasingly suburbanised and is now used as a commuter village for those that work in the more urban areas of Tyneside.

end of Wikipedia contribution

Ryton was an ancient parish in the Chester Ward of County Durham. It was made a civil parish in the 19th century and an urban district in 1894. In 1912 it absorbed the neighbouring parishes of Crawbrook and Ryton Woodside. As explained above it is now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in the county of Tyne and Wear.

As an ancient parish it contained the following townships:

• Crawbrook
• Ryton Woodside
• Stella
• Winlaton

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.