Ford, Northumberland Genealogy

England Northumberland



Parish History
Ford is an Ancient Parish in the county of Northumberland.

Other places in the parish include: Etal, Ford Common, Kimmerston and Broomridge, Heatherslaw and Flodden, Kimmerston, and Ford Forge.

FORD (St. Michael), a parish, in the union, and W. division of the ward, of Glendale, N. division of Northumberland, 9 miles (N. N. W.) from Wooler; containing 2257 inhabitants. On the western side of the village is Ford Castle, erected in 1287 by Sir William Heron, and rebuilt by the late Lord Delaval; two towers, the remains of the former castle, are retained in the present structure. The castle was demolished by the Scots in 1385, under the Earls of Fife, March, and Douglas; prior to the battle of Flodden, it was captured by James IV.'s troops; and in 1549 it was again taken by the Scots, who destroyed a great part of it. The parish contains a considerable quantity of coal, limestone, whinstone, freestone, and slate. Courts leet and baron are held about Easter. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £24; patron, the Marquess of Waterford. There are places of worship for Baptists and Presbyterians, and several charity schools. Flodden-Field, in the parish, was the scene of the celebrated battle fought on the 9th of Sept. 1513, by the Scots under James IV., and the English commanded by the Earl of Surrey, the former of whom were defeated, and their king slain; the top of the hill is now covered with fir-trees. As some workmen were digging in a field near Flodden, in 1810, they discovered a large pit filled with human bones.

From: 'Folkingham - Fordham', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 248-250. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50967 Date accessed: 13 March 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.

Parish Records
Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections DDR/EA/PBT/2/109 1762-1841Parish 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.

Ford, St Michael and All Angels: Records of baptisms 1684-1959, marriages 1684-1941 and burials 1684-1960 are available at [Northumberland Collections Service]. Bishops' Transcripts for the period 1762-1841 are deposited at Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections, Palace Green, Durham City. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1684-1875 and marriages 1684-1877 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1684-1812 and banns 1751-1812. Transcripts of baptisms, burials and marriages 1684-1812 are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. A transcript of monumental inscriptions at Ford (microfiche TN91) 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.

Etal, St Mary the Virgin: Records of baptisms 1917-1943 are available at [Northumberland Collections Service].

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

Poor Law Unions
Glendale 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
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
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren't mentioned above.