Gosforth, Cumberland Genealogy

England Cumberland  Cumberland Parishes

Parish History
"GOSFORTH (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Whitehaven, Allerdale ward above Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 6¾ miles (S. E.) from Egremont; containing 1113 inhabitants. The parish comprises a large tract of moorland, affording indifferent pasture, and there are several peat-mosses; it is intersected by numerous small streams, which unite with the Bleng, and fall into the river Irt. Freestone of excellent quality is extensively quarried. Fairs, chiefly for cattle and horses, are held on Bornwood common, on the 25th of April and the 18th of October. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £17. 14. 7., and in the patronage of the family of Senhouse, with a net income of £85: the tithes were commuted for land in 1810. In the churchyard is an ancient stone pillar, which was formerly surmounted by a cross. A copper battle-axe has been dug up at Bolton wood; and at Seascales are the remains of a Druidical temple."

From: Lewis, Samuel A., "A Topographical Dictionary of England" (1848), pp. 315-319. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50985 Date accessed: 09 September 2011.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
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Census records
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Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Cumberland Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

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 * England Jurisdictions 1851 *Vision of Britain

Web sites
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