Middleton in Teesdale, Durham Genealogy

England Durham

Parish History
Middleton-in-Teesdale is an extensive ancient parish, forming the south-western extremity of the county of Durham, and comprises the four townships of Middleton, Eggleston, Newbiggin, and Forest and Frith. Due to its size chapleries and later parishes were formed from within it's boundary. The Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, replaces one which was standing here of about the date 1160 or 1180. The later church was pulled down in 1876, and the present one built in the same style.

MIDDLETON-in-Teesdale (St. Mary), a markettown and parish, in the union of Teesdale, S. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the county of Durham; comprising the chapelry of Egglestone, and the townships of Forest with Frith, Middleton, and Newbiggin; and containing 3787 inhabitants, of whom 1770 are in the township of Middleton, 10 miles (N. W.) from Barnard Castle, and 253 (N. N. W.) from London. This town, which of late years has been very much improved, and through the whole of which neat and convenient footpaths have been constructed, presents a handsome appearance, and is situated in the midst of hills, and the most picturesque and romantic scenery. The environs abound with great varieties of rocks; the basalt forms a striking feature, and, in connexion with numerous waterfalls, adds much to the beauty of the landscape. The fertile valleys and sloping eminences in the neighbourhood of the town, enriched by the rapid and serpentine river Tees, a fine trout-stream, which meanders through the vale, and bounds the parish on the south, cannot fail to attract the attention of the lover of nature. About three miles above the town is Wynch bridge, a light and neat suspension chain-bridge, seventy feet in length and two feet in width, thrown from rock to rock across a tremendous chasm about fifty feet in depth; and higher up the river are the stupendous cataracts of High Force and Caldron Snout. The inhabitants are principally occupied in raising, washing, and smelting lead-ore, produced in considerable quantities in the vicinity. The market is on Saturday; and there are fairs on the third Thursday in April, July 7th, and the second Thursday in September. The townhall is a neat edifice with a market-place beneath it, erected at the expense of the Duke of Cleveland. Courts leet and baron are held annually for the manor. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £25. 17. 1., and in the patronage of the Crown. The church is a small ancient edifice, the tower of which is several yards distant from the rest of the building; the parsonage is neat, with hanging-gardens and a terrace, and forms a handsome object in the scenery. At Forest, a chapel and a parsonage-house were built in 1844, by the Duke of Cleveland, who maintains the minister; and at Egglestone and Harwood are other incumbencies. There are places of worship for Primitive Methodists, Wesleyans, and Baptists. The inhabitants of Middleton and the neighbourhood, chiefly miners, are remarkable for their orderly and peaceable conduct, and evince considerable intelligence.

From: 'Middleton-in-Teesdale - Midley', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 310-313. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51149 Date accessed: 30 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 DDR/EA/PBT/ 2/178 1762-1832 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at Family Search 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:-


 * Eggleston 1795-1920 (EP/Egn).
 * Middleton-in-Teesdale, St. Mary the Virgin 1578-1952 (EP/MT)
 * Forest and Frith, St. James the Less 1845-1970 (EP/FF)

are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL.

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
Teesdale 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.