Ebchester, Durham Genealogy

England Durham



Parish History
Ebchester is a small village separated from Northumberland by the river Derwent and was a chapelry in Lanchester, Durham ancient parish. The Church of St. Ebba is thought to be Norman although some would argue it was earlier.

Ebchester is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Durham, created in 1743 from chapelry in Lanchester Ancient Parish.

EBCHESTER, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Lanchester, W. division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham, 12 miles (W. S. W.) from Gateshead; containing 331 inhabitants. Upon the banks of the Derwent at this place, St. Ebba, daughter of Ethelfrid, King of Northumbria, before the year 660, founded a monastery, which was subsequently destroyed by the Danes, when the royal foundress became abbess of Coldingham; and 500 years afterwards Ebchester is described as "the place of anchorets." The chapel and a few cottages occupy the site of a considerable Roman station, 200 yards square, with extensive works, supposed to be the Vindomora of Antoninus, and to have been partly constructed by the Legio Sexta Victrix, and of which traces are still discernible. Sepulchral and other monuments found upon the spot have been built up in the walls of the houses, and some are deposited in the library at Durham, with an urn of uncommon size and shape, having a small cup in the centre, as a lachrymatory or patera. The Roman Watling-street from Lanchester leads through the chapelry, where Gale places Ptolemy's Epiacum. David II., King of Scotland, in his unfortunate invasion, is said to have entered the county by this road, which may still be traced where it crossed the Derwent, by a ford near the present foot-bridge. The chapelry comprises 961a. 1r., of which 628 acres are arable, 300 pasture, and 24 woodland: the Derwent separates it from Northumberland on the north-west; on every other point it is bordered by the chapelry of Medomsley, whence the grounds fall gradually towards the north. A coal-mine is in operation, as is also a stone-quarry for building purposes. The village, which is on the road from Newcastle to Shotley-Bridge, stands at the foot of a long descent, yet on the edge of a still deeper declivity, on the south side of the Derwent; its cottages overlooking the green haugh-lands of the river. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Master of Sherburn Hospital, with a net income of £145. The chapel is a small ancient structure, dedicated to St. Ebba, and contains inscriptions to various members of the family of Surtees. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

From: 'Eaton-Hastings - Eccleshill', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 136-139. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50938 Date accessed: 26 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.

The Parish Registers for the period 1619-1973 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/Ebc).

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections DDR/EA/PBT/2/90 1766-1871 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at FamilySearch Historical Records. The transcripts are linked to the Medomsley Transcripts 1778-1779 and there are Medomsley transcripts at DDR/EA/PBT/2/176 which include Ebchester transcripts for 1776-1777, 1781-1782, 1783-1785, 1786-1788.

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.

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
Lanchester 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.