Escomb, County Durham

Enjoy a glimpse of history about Escomb in County Durham, North East England, UK.

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

ESCOMB is a parish in the North division of the county, north-west division of Darlington ward, union and county court district of Auckland, rural deanery of Darlington (northern division), archdeaconry and diocese of Durham, 1 1/2 miles west from Bishop Auckland and about 12 south from Durham. The church of St. John, erected in 1863, at a cost of £1,100, is a handsome Gothic stone building, has chancel, nave and 1 bell, and contains handsome east window to a member of the Stobart family ; there are sittings for 230 persons. The register dates from the year 1545. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £300, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham and held by the Rev. Thomas Ebenezer Lord. The parsonage, built in the Elizabethan style by Bishop Maltby, is situated at the south end of the village. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have places of worship. Old Etherley colliery and a fire-brick manufactory are worked by Henry Stobart and Co. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor. The principal landowners are Thomas Jackson and John Jackson. The soil is clayey ; subsoil, rock. The chief crops are wheat, oats and grass. The area is 1,050 acres ; rateable value, £13,230 ; and the population in 1871 was 4,313.

Parish Clerk, William Kirby.

POST OFFICE.—William Bousfield, postmaster. Letters through Bishop Auckland arrive at 8.15 a.m. ; dispatched at 4.55 p.m. The nearest money order offices are a Bishop Auckland and Toft Hill.

Assistant Overseer, John Smith, Etherley

National School, Robert Davison, master ; Miss Todd, infants' mistress

Lord Rev. Thomas Ebenezer [vicar], Vicarage

Dowson Lancelot

COMMERCIAL.

Beckwith Thomas, beer retailer

Blades Joseph, butcher

Blades William, butcher

Blenkinsop & Morgan, fruiterers

Blenkinsop Wm. grocer & draper

Bowman William, greengrocer

Brass Elizabeth (Mrs.), Angel inn

Bromley William, Royal Oak

Burnett William, tailor

Denby Charles Smith, grocer & draper

Dowson Lancelot, coke inspector

Hallimond John, colliery engineer

Hallimond Robert, colliery engineer

Lightfoot Thomas, butcher

Little Thomas, Blue Bell

Millmoor John, grocer

Morgan & Dixon, grocers

Morgan Jessie, tailor & draper

Nicholson Joseph, telegraph engineer

Owens James, Bay Horse

Spark William, grocer

Stobart Henry & Co. colliery proprietors (Geo. Bradford, viewer), George pit, Etherley colliery