Haughton-le-Skerne, County Durham: People and Places of 1879

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

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

HAUGHTON-LE-SKERNE is a village, township and parish, $1\frac{1}{2}$ miles east-north-east from Darlington, 10 west from Stockton-on-Tees, 9 from Sedgefield and 240 from London, in the Southern division of the county, ward, union and county court district of Darlington, rural deanery of Darlington and archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. This parish comprises the townships of HAUGHTON, GREAT BURDON, COATHAM-MUNDEVILLE, BARMPTON AND WHESSOE. The townships of Sadberge & Morton Palms have been formed into an ecclesiastical parish, given under Sadberge. The village of Haughton-le-Skerne is pleasantly situated on the north bank of the river Skerne and on the turnpike road from Darlington to Stockton. The Stockton and Darlington and the North Eastern railways pass through this township. The parish church of St. Andrew is a plain structure of the eleventh century, with a chancel, nave and tower: a circular arch connects the chancel and nave, which are panelled with oak: there is a baldachino. The register dates from the year 1569. The living is a rectory, yearly value about £1,000 with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham: the Rev. Edward Cheese, M.A. of Balliol College, Oxford, is the rector, appointed in 1861. The rector is generally entitled to tithes, and possesses a small copyhold manor, extending over part of the township of Haughton. Here is a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, erected in 1825. There is a Parochial reading room and library, which was founded by the present rector in 1862. The Sunday school is well attended: it was founded by rector Le Mesurier in 1813. The National school for boys and girls, which was founded in the same year, 1813, has been considerably enlarged during the incumbency of the present rector. There are charities of about £9 2s. 4d. annual value. Red Hall, the seat of Mrs. Colling, is pleasantly situated on an eminence on the south bank of the Skerne. Whinfield, the seat of John Feetham, esq. J.P. is situated about a mile from the village, and is a handsome brick building with a tower. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the rector are lords of the two manors. The principal landowners are Mrs. Colling, W. A. Wooler, esq. J.P. Miss Fenwick, John Feetham, esq. J.P. the Rev. E. Cheese, and John Robert Ord, esq. The soil is loamy and of a very productive description. The chief crops are wheat, beans, oats, peas and clover. The acreage is 1,898; rateable value, £11,226; its total area is 10,301 statute acres; and the population of the township in 1871 was 661.

POST OFFICE.—George Dodds, postmaster. Letters arrive from Darlington at 7.15 a.m.; dispatched at 5.30 p.m.; box closes at 5.25. Darlington is the nearest money order office

INSURANCE AGENT:—Royal, G. Dodds

Assistant Overseer, John Dodds

National School, John Glover, master; Miss S. A. Bruell, mistress; Miss Martha Proctor, assistant mistress

Barmpton township is in the parish of Haughton-le-Skerne, $1\frac{1}{2}$ miles north-east from the parish church and three from Darlington. The village is situated on the northern bank of the Skerne. Barmpton with Skerningham were anciently the property of the prior of Durham. The trustees of the late E. Waldy, esq. are lords of the manor. Mrs. Waldy, Mrs. Pickard, and the Croft and Thoroton trustees, are the principal landowners. The acreage is 1,725; rateable value, £2,205 16s.; the population in 1871 was 112.

Great Burdon is a small village and township in the parish of Haughton-le-Skerne, from which it is 1 mile east-north-east; it is situated on the high road from Darlington to Stockton: this was one of the places restored to the priory of Durham by Henry I. and was also included in Bishop Flambard’s charter of restitution. The tenure of the land is partly freehold and leasehold, under the Dean and Chapter of Durham, who are also the owners of the mines and minerals: acreage, 588; rateable value, £2,124 5s.; the population in 1871 was 112.

Coatham-Mundeville is a village and township in the parish of Haughton-le-Skerne, $3\frac{1}{2}$ miles north-west from the village of Haughton and 4 north from Darlington; it is situated on the Great North road. The Stockton and Darlington railway passes through this township. The chapel of St. Mary Magdalene here was rebuilt by the present rector of Haughton-le-Skerne in 1865: it is a beautiful structure of the Early Pointed period: the chapel is served from the parish church of Haughton-le-Skerne. There was an ancient chapel at Coatham till the middle of the seventeenth century, at which time it was mentioned by Mickleton as being a ruin. Coatham Hall is the property of Mrs. Henry Hardinge. Coatham Hall Garth, the property and residence of Mrs. Pascoe Smith, is pleasantly situated in this township. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor. The principal landowner is Mrs. Harding. The area is 1,517 acres; rateable value, £2,347; and the population in 1871 was 125.

POST OFFICE.—Thomas Swinbank, receiver. Letters received from Darlington at 7.40 a.m.; dispatched at 4.50 p.m. The nearest money order office is at Aycliffe

Whessoe forms a township (Whessoe-with-Beaumont Hill) in the parish of Haughton. Whessoe is situated on the west side of the Great North road and Beaumont Hill on the east, 2 miles north of Darlington. The manor of Whessoe is held by lease, or copy of court roll, under the see of Durham. The schools of St. Peter, Whessoe, were built by the present rector of Haughton in the year 1871: they are capable of containing 200 children, and are fitted up with every convenience and are now used as Sunday schools. The principal landowners are the Dean and Chapter of Durham, Sir Edmund Stracey Hardinge, bart. Rev. E. Cheese, John Hardcastle Bowman, esq. and James Senior, esq. The acreage is 1,412; rateable value, £5,063; the population of the township in 1871 was 442.

—Letters through Darlington, which is the nearest money order office.

HARROWGATE is a hamlet 2 miles north of Darlington.