Morpeth, Northumberland Genealogy

= Parish History =

Morpeth St Mary is an Ancient Parish and a market town in the county of Northumberland. Ulgham is a chapelry of Morpeth.

Other places in the parish include: Newminster Abbey, Parkhouses, Shilvington, Stobhill, Tranwell and High Church, Twizell, Buller's Green, Bullers Green, Catchburn, Cottingwood Common, Hepscott, Leipscot, Morpeth Castle, and Morpeth Castle with Catchburn, Parkhouses and Stobhill.

Church of England parish registers begin in 1583. Church of England Bishops' transcripts exist from 1769. A second parish was created in 1846 after it's foundation:

Illustrated London News 3/8/1844 MORPETH, July 25.- The foundation stone of an intended new church has this day been laid in this town by Lord Morpeth. The church is dedicated in memory of St. James the Great.

Built from local stone to the designs of Mr. Benjamin Ferrey in the Norman style; started in 1844, the church was consecrated in 1846.

The choir vestry was added in 1887 to mark the jubilee of its major benefactor - the then Rector Canon F.R. Grey. The heavily carved oak memorial rood screen was the combined work of a class of amateur woodcarvers at the turn of the century.

The nave windows are clear glass with roundels depicting scenes from the life of Christ as also do the elaborate murals in the apse. [The Newcastle Diocesan Gazetteer (1982), page 117.]

= Parish Records =

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/183 Date: 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.

Morpeth, St Mary: Records of baptisms 1583-1953, marriages 1583-1954 and burials 1583-1956 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1583-1812 and marriages 1583-1812 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1583-1812 and banns 1754-1775. Transcripts of baptisms and marriages 1583-1812, burials 1583-1587, 1592-1633, 1646-1812 and baptisms of dissenters 1750-1808 are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept. A transcript of monumental inscriptions at Morpeth (microfiche TN77) 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.

Morpeth, St James: Records of marriages 1891-1959 are available at Northumberland Collections Service.

= Nonconformist Records =


 * Morpeth, St Bede later St Robert (Roman Catholic): Records of baptisms 1780-1960, marriages 1808-1990 and deaths 1801-1982 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. Transcripts of baptisms 1780-1837, marriages 1808-1840 and deaths 1804-1868 are available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept.

Northumberland Collections Service also has records for the following nonconformist churches in Morpeth Parish:


 * Carmel Full Gospel Church, Dacre Street. - Marriages 1979-1986.
 * Dacre Street (Congregational) - Births/baptisms 1829-1872, 1915-1976, marriages 1915-1972 and burials 1915-1928. (Births/baptisms 1829-1837 also at Tyne and Wear Archives Service).
 * Manchester Street (Methodist) - Marriages 1901-1962
 * Morpeth Wesleyan Circuit (Methodist) - Baptisms 1839-1908
 * Morpeth Methodist Circuit - Baptisms 1908-1962
 * St George (Presbyterian) - Births/baptisms 1747-1848.
 * Early Primitive Methodist chapels in this area belonged to Hexham P.M. Circuit. Records for 1824-1837 are included on the IGI (listed as Bull Bank or Bethania Chapel).