Melmerby, Cumberland Genealogy

England Cumberland  Cumberland Parishes

Parish History
"MELMERBY (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Penrith, Leath ward, E. division of Cumberland, 8½ miles (N. E. by E.) from Penrith; containing 329 inhabitants. This place was anciently of greater importance, and had a weekly market, and an annual fair; the former has been long discontinued, but a pleasure-fair is still held on Old Midsummer-day. The parish comprises by measurement 1651 acres of land in cultivation, exclusively of about 3000 of fell and common; there are extensive beds of limestone, some quarries of freestone, and a mine of lead. On the eastern side of the parish is Hartside Fell, a lofty mountain rising 1312 feet above the village, and over which passes a new road from Alston to Penrith. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £12. 11. 5½., and in the gift of John E. Pattenson, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £118, and the glebe comprises 35½ acres. The church is built of red freestone, and contains several ancient monumental stones. In the parish are two springs, one sulphureous, and the other chalybeate. The Roman road called the Maiden-way is visible here; its width is 21 feet."

From: Lewis, Samuel A., "A Topographical Dictionary of England" (1848), pp. 287-291. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51143 Date accessed: 15 September 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
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Census records
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Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Cumberland 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
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