Esh, Esh Coliiery and Langley Park, County Durham: People and Places in 1879

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


The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879


ESH is a township, ecclesiastical parish (formed in 1834 from the mother parish of Lanchester) and scattered village, situated on a lofty eminence, 5 1/4 miles west-by-north-west from Durham, 1 1/2 south-west from Witton Gilbert station on the Consett branch of the North-Eastern railway, 3 south-east from Lanchester and 8 south-by-south-west from Chester-le-Street, in the Northern division of the county, west division of Chester ward, Lanchester union, Durham county court district, rural deanery of Chester, archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. The church of St. Michael is a small stone building, consisting of nave and south transept ; the east window is stained, representing the Offering of Isaac, the Presentation in the Temple, and Our Saviour blessing the Children : the edifice was almost entirely rebuilt by subscription about 1859. The register dates from the year 1567. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £300, in the gift of the Bishop of Manchester, and held by the Rev. Edmund Lee, B.D., LL.D. of Trinity College, Dublin. There are six schools, two British and a National ; the others for Catholic children. The Catholics have two small chapels in the township, of which the Right Rev. Monsignor Thompson and Rev. Philip Charles Fortin are the priests. The principal object of attraction in the parish is Ushaw College, about one mile from the village, standing on an eminence overlooking the ruins of Beaurepaire, and commanding very extensive views of the surrounding country : it was founded by Dr. Gibson, the Catholic bishop of the district, in 1804, and taken possession of in 1808, although not completed till 1819 : its object is the education of youth in the Catholic religion : in 1858 it underwent very extensive alterations and enlargement : the Rev. William Wrennall is the president, and the Rev. James Lennon, vice-president. Sir Charles Frederick Smythe, bart. is lord of the manor and the principal landowner. The soil is various ; the chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and grass ; the acreage is 3,016 : rateable value, £16,494 10s. The population of the township in 1861 was 942 ; and in 1871, 3,386.

At NEW HOUSES (taken from the name of a farm close by) are a Catholic chapel and schools, which were built in 1872 ; the Rev. Philip Charles Fortin is the priest.

ESH COLLIERY and LANGLEY PARK are colliery villages which have sprung up within the last few years ; the former is situated 1 mile south and the latter 1 mile north from the village of Esh. There is a small chapel of ease at Esh Colliery, also a British school : a science and art class is held in connection with the Science and Art Department, South Kensington. There is a British school at Langley Park, in which divine service is conducted on Sunday.

Parish Clerk, John Bouch Johnston.

POST OFFICE RECEIVING HOUSES.—(Esh), John Bouch Johnston, receiver. Letters arrive from Durham at 9 a.m. ; dispatched at 4.15 p.m. (Hill top), James Farrow, receiver. Letters from Durham, 8.55 a.m. ; dispatched, 4.25 p.m. The nearest money order office is Cornsay Colliery. (Langley Park), Mrs. Elizabeth Raper, receiver. Letters from Durham, 8 a.m. ; dispatched, 6.40 p.m. Witton Gilbert is the nearest money order office. (Esh Colliery), Edmund Lamb, receiver. Letters through Durham via Waterhouses arrive at 9.20 a.m. ; dispatched 4.5 p.m. ; Waterhouse is the nearest money order office

INSURANCE AGENT.—Sovereign Life, J. B. Johnston

SCHOOLS:—

National (Village), John Bouch Johnston, master ; Mrs. Ann Johnston, mistress

Catholic, Miss Esther Ann Daglish, mistress

British (Esh Colliery), William J. Mackay, master

British (Langley Park), George Henderson, master

Catholic (New Houses) (mixed), Miss Mary Morris & Miss Maria Rafferty, mistresses

Catholic (Ushaw Moor), Hugh Fitzpatrick, master ; Misses Mary & Margaret McShane, mistresses

Esh.

Dent Rev. John [curate]

Fortin Rev. Philip Charles [Catholic], New Houses

Lee Rev. Edmund, B.D., LL.D. [vicar]

Lennon Rev. James [Catholic], Ushaw College

Smith Henry, J.P. Esh hall

Smith John Leadbitter, J.P. Flass hall

Thompson The Right Rev. Monsignor [Catholic]

Wesley Rev. Francis Gwynne, B.A. [incumbent of St. John, Hamsteels]

Wrennall Rev. William [Catholic], Ushaw College

Atkinson John Robt. farmer, Flass farm

Brown Elizabeth (Mrs.), Cross Keys

Cant John, mason

Chaytor Hy. coal master, Ushaw moor

Cumming William, land steward to Ushaw College, Esh hall

Esh Co-operative Society (Jonathan Reah, manager)

Farrow James, shoe maker, Hill top

Fenwick Joshua, farmer

Forster Elizabeth (Mrs.), blacksmith

Forster John, shoe maker

Goundry & Gleadson, shoe ma. Hill top

Goundry William, shopkeeper, Hill top

Hand James, farmer, Heugh farm

Hedley Mary (Mrs.), farmer, Lower Finings

Hemy Henri Fredric, teacher of music

Hewett Robert, farmer, Underside farm

Holliday Roger, coal master, Hill top

Kidd John, farmer, Greenland farm

Laybourne Thos. farmer, New Houses

Mallabar John, shoe maker

Marsden Geo. farmer, New Houses farm

Milburn William, farm bailiff to Ushaw college

Morin Timothy & Son, tailors, Hill top

Ord William, shoe maker

Oyston James, grocer, Hill top

Oyston William, ale & spirit dealer

Pease Joseph & Partners, colliery ownrs

Roe Thomas, tailor

Rutter Edward, builder

Stevenson Michael, farmer

Stoddard John, butcher

Suddes William, jun. joiner

Towns John, joiner &c

Waugh Thomas, Board, Hill top

Esh Colliery.

Croft John George, Esh villa

COMMERCIAL.

Adamson James, butcher

Bee Stephen, greengrocer

Brown William, butcher

Clement William, shopkeeper

Gale John, earthenware dealer

Grey Thomas, grocer & draper

Hodgson Thomas, shoe maker

Hodgson Valentine, butcher

Hodgson William, grocer

McCallum Duncan, grocer & draper

Maughan William, farmer, Hag house

Minton George, grocer

Raw Jane (Miss), draper & milliner

Robson James, shopkeeper

Rowley Thomas, painter &c

Langley Park.

Bell John Francis, The Firs

COMMERCIAL.

Brown Charles, shopkeeper

Brown Samuel, greengrocer

Burdon Thomas, tailor

Burton Robert, boot & shoe maker

Consett Iron Co. Limited (William Logan, manager)

Buxton William, tailor

Co-operative Stores (George Ritchie, manager)

Guest Thomas, ale & spirit dealer

Irving Thomas, shopkeeper

Lakey Timothy, Langley Park hotel

Nattress Nicholas, shopkeeper

Nelson Richard, grocer & draper

Peacock Abraham, Station hotel

Raper Elizabeth (Mrs.), shopkeeper

Robinson Thomas, butcher

Soames George, shopkeeper

Wardle Jonathan, shoe maker

Welford George, joiner

Wherly George, draper

Wiggen Wm. Robt. miller, Wall nook

Willey Jonathan, butcher











Comments