Knaresdale, Northumberland Genealogy

= Parish History =

Knaresdale St Jude was an ancient parish and the 14th century church was demolished in the 19th century for a replacement church. Knaresdale church history includes the following dispute about a memorial in the church yard:

Hodgson's History of Northumberland Pt II Vol III page 80

"We hide the following disgraceful doggerel on a tombstone, near the church door of Knaresdale in the smallest type our printer's office affords:- "In memory of Robert Baxter, of Far-house, who died Oct 4 1796, aged 56. Also of etc. All you who please these lines to read, It will cause a tender hearts to bleed; I murdered was upon the fell, And by the man I knew full well; By bread and butter which he laid, I being harmless, was betrayed. I hope he will remembered be That laid that poison there for me." This Robert Baxter, on his way home to his sheep on the fell, found some bread and butter, neatly folded up in paper, and soon after eating it, was seized with violent convulsions, and died - under the belief that a malicious neighbour, with whom he had lately quarrelled, had in it laid a poisoned bait to kill him; and though the report was current and much believed, no inquest was holden on his body - (Mack. ii 320). A tombstone, bearing some doggerel calumnies, was refused, by the incumbent, to be put up in the chapel-yard in Heworth; but in his absence in London, in 1819, to procure funds to re-build the chapel, it obtained forcible entrance, and was set up; and he found he could not remove it. Certainly, some easy remedy should exist for such foul indecencies."

= Parish Records =

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/161 Date: 1769-March 1856 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.

Knaresdale, St Jude: Records of baptisms 1695-1863, marriages 1695-1955 and burials 1695-1887 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1695-1812 and marriages 1703-1812 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1701-1812. Transcripts of baptisms 1695-1812, marriages 1701-1812 and burials 1695-1812 for Knarsdale are available in the Local Studies Departments of Newcastle Central Library and Gateshead Central Library. A transcript of monumental inscriptions for Knarsdale (up to 1910) is available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept.

= Nonconformist Records =

Early Wesleyan Methodist chapels in this area belonged to Alston W.M. Circuit. Records for 1810-1951 can be seen at Cumbria Record Office in Carlisle.