Ovingham, Northumberland Genealogy

England Northumberland



Parish History
Ovingham St Mary the Virgin is an Ancient Parish and was consecrated about the year 1050. It is thought that it was built on the site of an even earlier Christian meeting place marked by a standing cross, a fragment of which is under the church pulpit. The building has three distinct architectural styles - a Saxon tower, a Norman doorway and early English Nave and Chancel. The registers date from 1679. Part of the former vicarage, located to the south of the church, dates from around 1378. In 1823 a Chapel of Ease dedicated to St George was built in the village of Mickley and this became a distinct parish in 1867. Ovingham Parish was further subdivided with the formation of the parishes of Prudhoe, St Mary Magdalene in 1880 and Wylam, St Oswin in 1886.

Other places in the parish include: Broomley, Wylam, Dukers Hagg, Dukes Hagg, Eltringham, Harlow Hill, Hedley, Hedley-on-the-Hill, Hedley Woodlands, Hedley Woodside, Horsley, Horsley near Wylam, Nafferton, Ovington, Prudhoe, Prudhoe Castle, Rouchester, Rudchester, Spital, Spittle, Welton, Whittle, and Duke's Hagg.

OVINGHAM (St. Mary), a parish, partly in the union of Hexham, and partly in that of Castle ward, E. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland; containing 3429 inhabitants, of whom 257 are in Ovingham township, 11 miles (W.) from Newcastle. The parish comprises the townships of Dukershagg, Eltringham, Harlow-Hill, Hedley-on-theHill, Hedley-Woodside, Horsley, Mickley, Nafferton, Ovingham, Ovington, Prudhoe, Prudhoe-Castle, Rutchester, Spittle, Welton, Whittle, and Wylam. It is on both sides of the Tyne, on the borders of which river the soil is productive, and interspersed with wood; in some parts the land is bare of wood, and a strong clay soil. Several coal-mines are in operation; small quantities of ironstone are found, and freestone in most of the townships. The road from Newcastle to Hexham, and the old military road, now a public highway, pass through the parish. The township of Ovingham comprises 446 acres, and is situated on the north bank of the Tyne, parallel with which, on the south side, runs the Newcastle and Carlisle railway: in the village are a brewery, and a dye-house and bleaching-grounds. Fairs are held on 26th April and 26th October. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued in the king's books at £5. 8. 4., and recently endowed by C. W. Bigge, Esq., who is patron and impropriator, with £21 per annum; total net income, £161. There is a glebe-house, with 39 acres of land; the house, which is ancient, occupies the site, and includes the remains, of a cell of Black canons, founded by one of the Umfravilles, and the revenue of which at the Dissolution was £13. 4. 8. The tithes of Ovingham township have been commuted for £78. The church is an elegant and commodious structure in the early English style, in the shape of a Greek cross, with a very ancient tower of the date 1180. At Hall-Yards, near Mickley, is a chapel, consecrated 31st August, 1824. The Wesleyans, Independents, and Presbyterians have places of worship; and numerous schools have been built. Thomas Bewick, the celebrated wood-engraver, was born in the parish; as was also John Jackson, one of the best wood-engravers of the present day.

From: 'Overton - Ovington', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 498-500. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51199 Date accessed: 18 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.

Parish Registers
Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections Reference number: DDR/EA/PBT/2/203 Date: 1762-1869 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.

Ovingham, St Mary the Virgin: Records of baptisms 1679-1928, marriages 1679-1999 and burials 1680-1913 are available at Northumberland Collections Service. The International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) includes baptisms 1679-1812 and marriages 1679-1812 for this parish, and Boyd's Marriage Index includes marriages 1679-1812 and banns 1751-1812. Transcripts of baptisms, burials and marriages 1679-1812 for Ovingham are available in the Local Studies Departments of Newcastle Central Library and Gateshead Central Library. A transcript of monumental inscriptions is available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept and the Northumberland and Durham FHS have published these on fiche (microfiche TN97).

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

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Poor Law Unions
Hexham 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

Web sites
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren't mentioned above.