Lamesley, Durham Genealogy

England Durham



Parish History
Lamesley was a chapelry within the ancient parish of Chester le Street. The chapelry which had stood on the site previously was rebuilt and extended in 1759 with subequent additions in 1821 and restoration in 1884. The parish includes Hedley, Ravensworth and Kibblesworth.

LAMESLEY, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Chester-le-Street, Middle division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham, 3½ miles (S.) from Gateshead; containing 2262 inhabitants, of whom 1846 are in Lamesley township. This chapelry includes the townships of Lamesley, Ravensworth, Kibblesworth, and Hedley, and comprises by computation 6648 acres, of which two-thirds are arable land; the surface is undulated, the soil principally clay, and suited to the growth of wheat, and the scenery pleasing and diversified. Ravensworth Vale, in which the castle of that name stands, is greatly admired for its beauty, being well wooded, and having the river Team flowing through it. There are extensive coal-mines, and several quarries for grindstones and for building purposes; ironstone also is found in some parts contiguous to the coal. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £138, which includes £20 per annum, being a commutation for petty tithes and Easter-offerings; patron and impropriator, Lord Ravensworth. In 1843, a glebe-house was erected in the Elizabethan style, on a site given by his lordship. The chapel existed before 1286, the date of the foundation of the collegiate church of Chester, which possessed the patronage till the Dissolution, and in which Lamesley formed the second prebend: the edifice was rebuilt in 1759; a tower was added in 1821, and a vestry a few years since. At Eighton-Banks are two small places of worship for Wesleyans.

From: 'Lambley - Lancaster', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 6-17. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51089 Date accessed: 22 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.

Church records
To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections DDR/EA/PBT/2/163 1765-1851 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.

The Parish Registers for the period 1603-1987 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/Lam).

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

Poor Law Unions
Chester le Street Poor Law Union, Durham

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