Gateshead, Durham Genealogy

Guide to Gateshead, Durham family history and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
GATESHEAD (St. Mary), a borough and parish, and the head of a union, locally in Chester ward, N division of the county of Durham, 14 miles N by W from Durham. There are places of worship for Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, Methodists of the New Connexion, Independents, and Presbyterians.

Additional information: Gateshead St Mary the mother-parish for Gateshead is an ancient parish and the church is reputed to date in part from the twelfth century. It suffered damage from a major explosion in Gateshead in 1854 and required substantial rebuilding.

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
Gateshead 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 Durham County Record Office.

Non Conformist Churches

 * Methodist New Connexion
 * Presbyterian
 * Primitive Methodist
 * Roman Catholic
 * Society of Friends (Quaker)
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Wesleyan Methodist

Genealogy From Periodicals
Hancock, Susan. My Elusive Great Grandmother. History, photos and family history of John Aiston, and Madgalene nee Gordon, with the following surnames: Dixon, Peel, Tegget, Shivers, Chivers, Adie, Riddick. Family seems to be scattered, Scotland, Dumfriesshire, Gateshead, Addison, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Article dated 1851-1974, and is found in Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Journal. vol.39. no.4, pages 169-172, Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo vol.39. no.4, (winter 2014)

Cook, Jim. Thomas Towns of Gateshead. History and photos of George William Cook married Mary Ellen Towns originally from Longbenton, but later on Gateshead. Photos showing family life in the Gateshead area in the late 1800s. Article dated 1800-1953, and is found in the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Magazine, vol.29. no. 2, page 51 (summer 2004). Family History Library Reference 942.80 B2jo vol.29, no.2.

Owen, J. Philip. A Northumbrian Musician. William Gillies Whittaker D. Mus. F.R.C.O. History of William Gillies Whittaker and his wife Mary Ann, and descendants on both the paternal and maternal side. Parents were: John Whittaker and Mary Jane nee Gillies, and William and Susannah Walton Gillies with the following surnames: Turner, Heads, Pearson, Taylor, Siddell, Purves, Watkins, Swan, Percey, with photos. Article dated 1799-1976, and is found in the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, vol. 35. no. 4, pages 127-131. Family History Reference 942.8 B2jo vol.35, no.4.

Jones, Andrew Forsyth. The French Family of Sunderland and the USA. History of the family of Joseph and Mary Ann French with description of their son Joseph French born 1847, Gateshead, and his wife Frances Ann Samuel, born Sunderland, July 1846. Photo included on their golden wedding. The family of Joseph and Frances and all but one of their children emigrate to USA in 1887, and settle in St Paul, Minnesota, and after 5 years move onto San Francisco. Photo of Andrew Forsyth, and Elizabeth nee French in 1903. Other surnames mentioned: Bennett, Forsyth, Douce, Winks, Lundgren. Article dated 1846-1954, and is found in the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Journal. vol. 32, no. 2, pages 48-49 (summer 2007) Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo vol. 32. no. 2.

Betts, Enid. A Sanderson Family and Its Branches. History of Stepen Sanderson born 1811, and his wife Elizabeth Aisbitt and descendants. According to the IGI the Sandersons were in Houghton le Spring, from the late 1500s. Other areas the descendants were in: Eighton Banks, Gateshead Pelaw, Bishop Wearmouth, with a branch going to USA and another branch to Australia. Surnames mentioned: Liddell, Fenwick, Wynn, Armstrong, Hunter, Best, Murray, Reay, Lockey, Wanless and Smith. Article dated 1560-1985, and is found in the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, pages 92-95 (autumn 2002). Family History Library Reference 942.8 B2jo v.27. no.3.

Poor Law Unions

 * Gateshead 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

Websites
Gateshead on GENUKI