“What a fantastic resource !
I typed in my grandfather’s name and had his family tree in minutes”

At the Weardale Museum we have a unique and powerful family history resource - Data from censuses, parish records and gravestone inscriptions have been brought together into our formidable genealogical database, “Weardale People”, which we run on a well known commercial family history program, and which currently contains some 45,000 individuals whose family relationships can be displayed as ancestor charts or descendant trees.

For those visitors who are not comfortable with computers, we hold many of our records in printed paper format.

All of our stewards are volunteers so, if help and guidance is required to navigate and examine the computer files, it is advisable to make an appointment with one of our expert helpers  (01388)517208 or (01388)517433

Our Family History resource contains the following

Click each of the bars for more information or click here for a Word file.

 

Census Records 1841 - 1911 We have fully computer-searchable transcripts of the complete censuses for the Parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham, which together cover the whole of Weardale. The files are in a spreadsheet format searchable by a number of useful fields – surname, forenames, residence, birthplace, occupation, etc – so that searchers can instantaneously locate all entries relating to a particular family or place. Memorial Inscriptions The inscriptions on all of the extant gravestones in every churchyard and cemetery in Weardale have been transcribed and indexed. Photographs of most of the memorials are available. Cemetery No of Memorials No of Names COPT HILL 21 50 COWSHILL 29 92 BURTREEFORD 213 361 ST JOHN’S CHAPEL 522 1011 WESTGATE 235 425 EASTGATE 102 167 ROOKHOPE 202 425 STANHOPE CHURCHYARD 519 1003 STANHOPE HIGH STREET 248 428 STANHOPE CROSS HILL 609 593 FROSTERLEY 343 628 WOLSINGHAM 1214 2645 Transcripts of Parish Registers A selection of baptismal, burial and marriage records taken from Parish and Non-Comformist Registers have been transcribed in fully-searchable spreadsheet format. Register Baptisms Burials Marriages Stanhope 1762-1833 1762-83, 1791-1833 1762 - 1833 St John’s Chapel 1773-1840 1771-82, 1791-1840 1828-37, 1867-2004 Heatherycleugh 1825-1839 1825-1839 1828-1837 Ireshopeburn Presbyterian 1783-1820     Ireshopeburn Methodist High House Chapel 1813-1837, 1842-1858     Stanhope Municipal Cemetery Burials 1872-2001 A transcript, in spreadsheet format, of the burial records of the municipal cemetery at High Street Stanhope. This file includes records of individuals with no headstone inscription. Searchable fields  include: surname, forenames, occupation, residence, place of death, relatives’ names, etc. Tithe Map and Apportionment 1842 The Tithe Apportionment of 1842 indicates who owned and occupied each plot of land (field, allotment, farm or house). Being so close in date to the 1841 census, it can be used to complement the latter source, and to more accurately locate a particular family. (For example see Cleugh House illustrated and below.) We have transcriptions (in fully-searchable spreadsheet format) of the Apportionments for two (Forest and Park) of the four quarters of the Parish of Stanhope, together with copies of the large scale maps of the areas. The Tithe map and apportionment 1842 showed that Cleugh House and adjoining fields in the Forest Quarter  (368, 369 and 370) were owned by Mssrs Featherstone (Newcastle) and occupied by Thomas Milburn.The total land comprising 8 acres was used for grass and pasture and the rent including house was 1 shilling and 4 pence. Thomas was also tenant of a 16 acre plantation of woodland. The 1841 census showed that he was a lead miner and had a wife Mary and five children John, Mary, Hannah, Thomas and Phoebe. Old Maps In addition to the 1842 Tithe Map mentioned above we have copies (JPEG images) of several 19th century maps covering various areas of the parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham. The “Roddam Map” of 1851, covering all Stanhope Parish, was produced by a local land agent and surveyor, John Joseph Roddam. The 6” Ordnance Survey map of 1857 for Stanhope and Wolsingham Parishes. Portions of the 1896 second series Ordnance Survey map.   Wearhead School Admissions This fully-searchable spreadsheet file is a transcript of the Admissions Register for Wearhead School.  The file includes pupils from all parts of Upper Weardale to the west of St John’s Chapel. It is searchable by surname, forenames, parent’s (or guardian’s) names, residence, etc; and it includes date of birth for most pupils. Weardale War Memorials The ten village war-memorials in Weardale – Cowshill, Wearhead, Ireshopeburn, St John’s Chapel (right), Westgate, Eastgate, Rookhope, Stanhope, Frosterley and Wolsingham – record the names of those dalesmen who made the supreme sacrifice in the two world wars. We have compiled brief biographical files of these war heroes which incorporate information (rank, regiment, next-of-kin, place of burial) from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.   Weardale Wills We have a growing collection of copies and transcripts of wills of Weardale residents or of people with strong Weardale connections. There are currently approximately 130 wills in the collection, ranging in date from 1569 to 1974. Emigrant Family Letters Throughout the 19th century large numbers of Weardale inhabitants were forced to move to seek employment elsewhere, and many adventurous families chose to emigrate. When this happened, letters would be exchanged between the émigrés and those they left behind, and such letters often paint a very vivid picture of life and conditions here or abroad. We have collected together several series of such letters, of which the following are a selection: Dent family letters from Australia and from USA Fenwick family letters from USA Graham family letters to USA Nattrass family letters to Canada Ridley family letters from Australia Robinson family letters from South Africa Vickers family letters to USA Watson family letters to and from USA, Australia and South Africa The letters naturally enough give news of the close family members, but very often also mention friends, neighbours and the wider community. Transcripts of Deeds We have collected several sets of deeds outlining the transfers of land and property within and between families, in some cases over several centuries. Most are concerned with land in and around the Westgate area, and in that respect can be regarded as following on from the deeds and other documents contained in the famous “Weardale Chest”, the subject of one of the museum’s displays. Cuttings from Local Newspapers The museum has recently received a large file containing transcripts of newspaper articles and notices relating to news and events within the North Pennines, including Weardale, Teasdale and the Allendales. The subject matter includes notices of births, marriages and deaths, news of emigrations, accounts of industrial accidents in the lead mines and quarries, and accounts of industrial unrest resulting from the decline and closure of the lead mines.   Weardale Postcard Collection A collection of postcards mostly from the early to middle 20th century illustrate the houses, farms, hamlets, villages, and general scenery of Weardale.   Weardale Genealogies Many of our visitors and correspondents have generously donated to the museum copies of their family histories and genealogy researches, making them available to other visitors. The following family names are amongst those represented in the collection: Adamson, Bee, Coatsworth, Coulthard, Dalkin, Eggleston, Emerson, Featherstone, Fenwick, Fleming, Gardiner, Gowland, Graham, Longstaff, Maddison, Milburn, Parker, Peart, Pickering, Thompson, Walton, Watson, Wearmouth, Wilson. Genealogy Database "Weardale People" Data from all of the above sources has been brought together by the construction of a major genealogical database using a commercial family tree program. 18th and 19th century Weardale inhabitants numbering some 45,000 and representing around 300 interconnected families, can be displayed and printed in various formats – family groups, pictorial or narrative descendancy trees, ancestry charts, etc, together with notes containing associated supporting data. The database is an on-going project which is regularly updated with new entries and new data from all manner of local sources, including information provided by visitors and correspondents.

If you are doing research from a distance we can conduct a search for you. There are no formal charges but donations are appreciated for this service.

Click here to make your donation using a downloadable gift aid form.

Unfortunately our records do not extend out of the Parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham.

For more information e-mail

ken.heatherington@btinternet.com or telephone (01388)517208
dtheatherington@ormail.co.uk or  telephone (01388)517433


If you are planning to visit the area for a few days see our page on Accommodation

The Trustees of the Weardale Museum are grateful to the Friends and supporters who have gathered this information and for giving their permission to share it with other family history researchers.