Howick, Northumberland Genealogy

England Northumberland  Northumberland Parishes

Parish History
HOWICK (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Alnwick, S. division of Bambrough ward, N. division of Northumberland, 5½ miles (N. E. by E.) from Alnwick.

HOWICK (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Alnwick, S. division of Bambrough ward, N. division of Northumberland, 5½ miles (N. E. by E.) from Alnwick; containing 242 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1620 acres, and is bounded on the east by the North Sea, the coast of which is lined with rocks of dreary and rugged aspect, with the exception of part of the shore, where is a quarry of freestone, whose eastern bank is worn by the action of the waves into caverns of romantic form. The soil is mostly a strong rich loam, on a retentive clay or marl, and the surface is generally flat. Howick Hall, the seat of Earl Grey, is a noble mansion, of stone raised from the quarry above noticed; it consists of a centre and two wings, and is pleasantly situated in an extensive park, comprehending a variety of scenery, and ornamented with thriving plantations. A fine trout stream, called Howick Bourne, over which is a bridge, skirts the lawn in front of the Hall, to the east of which is an artificial lake covering five acres, and well stored with fish. Coal has been found in the parish, and mines were formerly worked, but the produce was insufficient to remunerate the labour and expense, and they have remained undisturbed for many years. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £36. 13. 4., and in the gift of the Bishop of Durham: the tithes have been commuted for £317, and the glebe comprises 3 acres. The church, situated in the pleasure grounds of the Hall, at a small distance from the mansion, was rebuilt in 1746, at the expense of Sir Harry Grey, Bart. A school, founded and built by the first Sir H. Grey, has been endowed by the family. On the eastern side of Howick Park are the remains of a Roman encampment, where, more than half a century since, spears, swords, coins, and gold rings were discovered; and in the vicinity have been found several large urns. Howick confers the inferior title of Viscount upon the family of Grey.

Additional information:

Howick St Michael and All Angels is an Ancient parish.

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.

Parish Records
Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/143 Date: 1763-1874 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at FamilySearch 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 Howick, St Michael and All Angels: Records of baptisms 1678-1995, marriages 1686-1991 and burials 1686-1995 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1679-1814 and marriages 1686-1812 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1686-1812 and banns 1754-1812. Transcripts of baptisms 1678-1812 and marriages and burials 1686-1812 are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. A transcript of monumental inscriptions at Howick (microfiche TN71) is published by Northumberland and Durham Family History Society and these records are also available in book form at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Department.

Poor Law Unions
Alnwick Poor Law Union, Northumberland

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Northumberland 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
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