Benfieldside, Durham Genealogy

England Durham  Durham Parishes

Parish History
BENFIELDSIDE, a township, in the chapelry of Medomsley, parish and union of Lanchester, W. division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham, One of the first meeting-houses for the Society of Friends in the north of England was established in the township; there are also places of worship for Primitive Methodists and Wesleyans.—See Shotley-Bridge. Benfieldside St. Cuthbert was created in 1847 from St. Ebba Ebchester, Durham;  Medomsley, Durham St. Mary Magdalene.

Parts of this parish became part of these parishes: Blackhill St. Aidan (1884); Consett Christ Church (1862)

Although not a village in its own right (ecclesiastically it incorporates Shotley Bridge, Bridgehill and much of Blackhill), it is signposted and locally known. The name 'Benfieldside' survives in Benfieldside Road, a school of that name, the local tennis club and the church. Its post office no longer exists, though one remains in the village of Shotley Bridge. The Parish Church is dedicated to St. Cuthbert and is situated on Church Bank. The area is situated directly to the north of Consett, to which it is effectively attached.

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 1848-1979 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/Be).

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

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