Holmside, County Durham: People and Places of 1879

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

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The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

HOLMSIDE is a township in the civil parish of Lanchester, and with part of the township of BURNHOPE and HAMSTEELS, was formed into an ecclesiastical parish in 1865 from the parishes of Chester-le-Street and Lanchester; it is in the Northern division of the county, Lanchester union, Durham county court district, Western division of Chester rural deanery, and Durham archdeaconry and diocese, 2 miles north-eastfrom Lanchester, and 8 north-west from Durham. The church of St. John is a Gothic stone edifice, erected in 1870, consisting of chancel and nave: it has sittings to hold about 140 persons. The register dates from the year 1870. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £300, in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop of Durham alternately, and held by the Rev. Earle McGowan, M.A. Trinity College, Dublin, who resides at Shotley Bridge. The National schools are supported by the pence, supplemented by Bitton’s charity. The Colliery schools are supported by the principal coal proprietors of the township and neighbourhood. The Earl of Durham is lord of the manor. The chief landed proprietors are Messrs. James Joicey and Co. Miss Allgood, and — Wilkinson, esq. and there are some extensive collieries in the township. The soil is light on the hills and clayey in the valleys, the latter yielding good crops of hay, wheat and beans. The area of the parish is 4,007 acres; the population in 1871 was, of the parish, 1,921, and of the township, 1,450.

Letters are delivered here & to the villages of Craghead & South Moor by foot post via Chester-le-Street. Chester-le-Street is the nearest money order office

SCHOOLS:—

Colliery, George Young, master

National, John George Dixon, master

Hall Percival

Fairley James, Shafter house

Oxley Stephen, Craghead

COMMERCIAL.

Collison William, farmer, Whiteside

Co-operative Store (George Robertson, manager), Craghead

Cromford Thos. viewer, Burnop colliery

Dixon John, farmer, Ousterley, West ho

Elliott Johnson, grocer

Fitzgerald Wm.innkeeper, Low Oustrly

Hall Percival, surgeon

Hardy William, farmer, Hermitage

Herbert Robert, farmer, Holmside hall

Hind John Dixon, bailiff to Col. John Joicey, New acres

Jefferson Margaret (Mrs.), Wardle Bridge inn Oxley George, cartwright & timber merchant, Wardle bridge

Oxley Reuben, innkeeper, Craghead

Parmella Aaron, farmer, Burnop farm

Simpson Thomas, butcher

Smith Thomas, farmer, Faw side

Turnbull Joseph, farmer, Newhall

Turnbull Robt. frmr. Lower Ousterley

Wilkinson John, farmer, Morrowfield

Willey George, farmer, Ousterley

Willey John, farmer, Whitehouse