Monk Hesleden, Durham Genealogy

= Parish History =

Monk Hesleden is an ancient and extensive parish including  Hulam, Hutton Henry, Monk Hesleden, and Sheraton. In 1883 the ecclesiastical district of St. John's was formed from the parish, and includes Castle Eden. The Church, dedicated to St. Mary, is Norman.The tower wasbuilt in 1750, and contains two bells of pre-Reformation times, supposed to have been founded about the close of the fifteenth century. The vicarage near the church was built in 1860 and disclosed the foundations of what was believed to have been an old monastery with several valuable archaelogical finds.

St. John's Church, situated at Castle Eden Colliery,was built in 1882 to serve the needs of the large mining village community.

= Parish Records =

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections DDR/EA/PBT/2/181 1769-1840 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at Record Search.

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 1578-1948 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/MH).