Ryton, Durham Genealogy

England Durham

Parish History
Ryton, The Church of the Holy Cross, is an Ancient Parish and includes: Chopwell, Crawbrook, Ryton Woodside, Crawcrook, Greenside, and Crawcock.

RYTON (Holy Cross), a parish, in the union of Gateshead, E. division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham; containing 2570 inhabitants, of whom 677 are in the township of Ryton, 6 miles (W.) from Gateshead. This place frequently suffered from the incursions of the Scots, particularly in 1297, when the village was reduced to ashes by Wallace, who at that time occupied Hexham. The parish comprises the townships of Ryton, Ryton-Woodside, Stella, and Crawcrook, and the village of Greenside, sometimes called Long Row, and formerly Cadger's Row; it contains 6530 acres, two-thirds arable, and the remainder pasture, with 10 acres of woodland. At Ryton-Woodside and Stella are coal-mines, the produce of which is chiefly shipped to London and to foreign markets; there are also quarries of limestone in the parish. The Newcastle and Carlisle railway runs between the Tyne and the village of Ryton. The village is highly picturesque, and contains several handsome mansions; the scenery around it embraces an extensive view of the vale of the Tyne to the east and west. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £42. 10. 10., and in the patronage of the Bishop of Durham, with a net income of £956, and a rectory-house. The tithes of Ryton township have been commuted for £246, and the glebe consists of 53 acres. The church is a structure of much interest, in the early English style, with a tower surmounted by a lofty octangular spire of curiously-constructed wood-work cased with lead. The interior is remarkable for its elegant arrangement and its decorations. A light and beautiful screen separates the nave and chancel; some ancient stalls remain, and over the communion-table are embellishments of richlycarved oak. Within the chancel is a recumbent figure of a mitred abbot; likewise some brasses to the memory of the Thorp family. It has been lately beautified with three lancet windows of stained glass, the gift of the present incumbent, the Venerable Archdeacon Thorp, warden of Durham University, to whom the parish is in many respects indebted. The churchyard is ornamented by a row of noble elms; and the church, from its commanding position and the height of its spire, forms a conspicuous object for a considerable distance. Ryton savings' bank was the first established in England. 'Rutchester - Ryton-Woodside', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 719-725. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51251 Date accessed: 24 March 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
To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Durham University Library Archives and Special ollections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/215 Date: March 1765-1867 Contents: Including transcripts from Winlaton Mill, 1798-March 1812, and Winlaton St Paul, September 1828-1832 DDR/EA/PBT/2/275 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at FamilySearch Historical Records.

The dates of the post-1760 transcripts have been noted in detail and sometimes only cover years. For most parishes in the collection there are gaps in the sequence of transcripts. It is advisable to consult the original parish registers for these years and events.

The Parish Registers for the period 1581-1986 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/Ryt).

FamilySearch Historical Records includes England Durham Marriage Bonds and Allegations (FamilySearch Collection)

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Poor Law Unions
Gateshead Poor Law Union, Durham

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

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.