Haltwhistle, Northumberland Genealogy

Guide to Haltwhistle, Northumberland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
HALTWHISTLE (Holy Cross), a town and parish, and the head of a union, in the W. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland; comprising the townships of Bellister, Blenkinsopp, East Coanwood, Featherstone, Haltwhistle, Hartley-Burn, Henshaw, Melkridge, Plainmellor, Ridley, Thirlwall, Thorngrafton, and Wall-Town. At Beltingham is an ancient endowed chapel, a handsome edifice; and at Greenhead another chapel, erected in 1828. There are places of worship in the parish for Independents, Presbyterians, Primitive Methodists, Wesleyans, and the Society of Friends.

Additional information:

Haltwhistle Holy Cross is an ancient parish. It is only in 1178 that any solid reference to a church at Haltwhistle is made. Before this time it is believed that Aidan and Paulinus had links to Haltwhistle.

After the Battle of Heavenfield in 635 in which Oswald the Christian king of Northumbria defeated the heathen armies of Penda and Cadwallon, Aidan was sent from Iona to convert Northumbria. It is suggested that Aidan’s ministry in Haltwhistle is preserved in the place name of ‘Edens Lawn’, which lies to the west of the church, probably taken from the Celtic ‘Llan Aidan’.

The Grave covers to be found in the Sanctuary bear coats of arms of two local families, the Blenkinsopps and the Thirlwells. The Blenkinsopp grave covers contain three corn sheaves and the Thirlwell’s three boars heads.

Church Records
Haltwhistle parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

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

Records are also available at the Northumberland Archives.

Nonconformist Records

 * 1613-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index (dates may vary by parish)

Northumberland Collections Service has the following records for nonconformist churches located in this parish:


 * Haltwhistle, St Wilfred (Roman Catholic) - Baptisms 1860-1900
 * Haltwhistle (Presbyterian) - Births/baptisms 1752-1874.
 * Greenhead, Blenkinsopp (Methodist) - Marriages 1900-1965
 * Haltwhistle P.M. Circuit (Methodist) - Baptisms 1851-1941
 * Haltwhistle Wesleyan Circuit (Methodist) - Baptisms 1844-1954
 * Haltwhistle, Westgate Circuit (Methodist) - Baptisms 1941-1968
 * Haltwhistle, Front Street (Methodist) - Marriages 1899-1972
 * Henshaw (Methodist) - Marriages 1899-1937
 * Bishops' Transcripts for the following Societies of Friends burials are available online at FamilySearch Historical Records.

Allendale, Alston, Edmondbyers And Haltwhistle Society of Friends:Allendale, Alston, Edmundbyers and Haltwhistle Friends (Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham) Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/2 Date: 1871-1892 Contents: In the ecclesiastical parishes of Allendale St Cuthbert (Northumberland), Alston (Cumberland), Edmundbyers (Durham) and Haltwhistle (Northumberland) Related material at DULASC: DDR/EA/PBT/2/9 1871-1892


 * Haltwhistle Society of Friends: 1865-1885Allendale, Alston, Edmundbyers and Haltwhistle Friends (Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham) Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/2 Date: 1871-1892 Contents: In the ecclesiastical parishes of Allendale St Cuthbert (Northumberland), Alston (Cumberland), Edmundbyers (Durham) and Haltwhistle (Northumberland) Related material at DULASC: DDR/EA/PBT/2/9
 * Alston and Haltwhistle Friends: 1873-1884 Alston and Haltwhistle Friends (Cumberland, Northumberland) Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/9 Date: 1873-1884 Contents: In the ecclesiastical parishes of Alston (C) and Haltwhistle (N) Related material at DULASC: DDR/EA/PBT/2/2
 * A transcript of monument inscriptions for Coan Wood Society Of Friends burial ground is available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept.

Genealogy From Periodicals
Waugh, John R. &amp; Harper, Linda. Searching For A Lost Geordie. A history of two men from Haltwhistle, that emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand and their military history. History of John Waugh 1854-1938, father and mother John Waugh and Hannah nee Milburn. (2) Joseph Herbert Waugh, the son of Willian and Hannah Waugh, the nephew of John Waugh. Article in the Northumberland &amp; Durham Family History Society Journal, vol. 35, no.1, pages 18-20. Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo vol. 35,no.1. (spring 2010).

Poor Law Unions
Haltwhistle 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