Kirkharle, Northumberland Genealogy

= Parish History =

Kirkhale St. Wilfred's Church was consecrated in the 14th century and is dedicated to St. Wilfredand includes Bibridge, Greatlaw, Hawick, Kidlaw, Little Harle, Mirlow House, Shield Hill, and Thrivewell.

The Church has no tower or side aisles. The bell cot and West Gable porch were added in the 18th century.

The design is one of simplicity and great beauty, it has an unusual feature in the chancel of two low side windows in north and south walls.

= Lancelot "Capability" Brown =

(born 1715, Kirkharle, Northumberland, Eng. — died Feb. 6, 1783, London) British master of naturalistic garden design. He worked for years at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, one of the most talked-of gardens of the day, under William Kent (1685 – 1748). By 1753 he was the leading "improver of grounds" in England. At Blenheim Palace he created masterly lakes and almost totally erased the earlier formal scheme. His landscapes consisted of expanses of grass, irregularly shaped bodies of water, and trees placed singly and in clumps. His style is often thought of as the antithesis of that of André Le Nôtre, designer of the formal Versailles gardens. Brown's nickname arose from his habit of saying that a place had "capabilities."

= Parish Records =

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/155 Date: 1762-1845 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.Kirkharle, St Wilfred: Records of baptisms 1695-1980, marriages 1692-1980 and burials 1695-1978 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1695-1875 and marriages 1692-1877 for this parish, but it is not included in Boyd's Marriage Index. Transcripts of baptisms 1697-1875, marriages and burials 1695-1875 and banns 1754-1875) are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. A transcript of monumental inscriptions at Kirkharle (microfiche TN84) 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.