Place:Whittingham, Northumberland, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

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

Whittingham is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is situated on the banks of the River Aln, roughly 4.5 miles (7 km) east of its source at Alnham and 7.3 miles (12 km) west of Alnwick. Its population at the 2011 UK census was 525.

The thirteenth/fourteenth century pele tower, Whittingham Tower, was converted into almshouses in 1845 and is now in private ownership.

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

"WHITTINGHAM, a township in Rothbury [registration] district, and a parish partly also in Alnwick [registration] district, Northumberland. The township lies 8½ miles W by S of Alnwick [railway] station; contains a village of its own name; and has a post-office under Alnwick, and a good inn. Acres: 6,103. Population: 703. Houses: 133. A vaulted peeled tower of the 14th century is here, and has been converted into alms houses.

"The parish contains six other townships, and comprises 17,484 acres. Real property: £15,286. Population: 1,923. Houses: 374. The property is not much divided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Durham. Value: £540. Patrons: the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle. The church is ancient and cruciform, and was much altered in 1842. There is a Presbyterian chapel."

Whittingham was an ancient parish of the Coquetdale Ward of Northumberland which became a civil parish during the 19th century. From 1894 until 1955 it was part of Rothbury Rural District. In 1974 rural districts were abolished and Whittingham became part of the Alnwick District until 2009 when Northumberland became a unitary authority.

Townships in Parish

• Callaly and Yetlington
• Glanton
• Great Ryle
• Little Ryle
• Lorbottle
• Shawdon

Research Tips

• Northumberland Archives previously known as Northumberland Collections Service and Northumberland County Record Office. Now based within Woodhorn Museum in Ashington and providing free access to numerous records for local and family historians alike.

Full postal address: Museum and Northumberland Archives, Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF; Phone: 01670 624455

There is a branch office in Berwick upon Tweed.

• Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and 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.
• Further information from GENUKI
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 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 Northumberland 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Northumberland 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, there is no Victoria County History for Northumberland.