Lanchester, County Durham

Enjoy a glimpse of history about Lanchester, in County Durham, England, UK.

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The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

LANCHESTER is an extensive parish, township, union town and polling place for the Northern division of the county, in the west division of Chester ward, Durham county court district, Chester rural deanery, archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. The village has a neat appearance, and has a station on the North Eastern railway: it is situated on the high road from Wolsingham to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and is about 8 miles north-west from Durham, 9 west from Chester-le-Street, 9 north-east from Wolsingham and 14 south from Newcastle-upon-Tyne: the river Smallhope winds through the village and township. The church of St. Mary is an ancient stone-built edifice, and comprises chancel, nave, aisles, square embattled tower, supported by buttresses, and containing 6 bells and clock: a lofty arch divides the nave from chancel; in the latter is a well-toned organ: adjoining the chancel is a vestry room, over the entrance of which are sculp-tured figures (the Saviour surrounded by angels): the eastern window has three lights; the subjects are the “Resurrection” and the closing events of our Lord’s history; it was erected as a memorial to Joseph Davison, esq. by his children. There are several mural tablets to the Hutchinson, Greenwell, Thompson and Clavering families: there are a side and end galleries, and a handsome stone font. The register dates from the year 1560. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £300, with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor and held by the Rev. John Dingle, B.A. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. In the vicinity are the remains of a Roman station, contiguous to which is a subterranean chamber, to which the descent is by stone steps. There are a few handsome residences in this locality—Ford Hall, of Matthew Kearney, esq. D.L. 1 mile south; Colepike Hall, of E. Taylor-Smith, esq. J.P. 1 1/2 miles south-west; Burnopside Hall, of George Hedley, esq.; Woodlands Hall, of W. B. Van-Haansbergen, esq. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor. The principal landowners are the trustees of John Clavering, Edward Taylor-Smith, Matthew Kearney and John Fawcett, esqs. The soil is light, and subsoil rocky on the hills. Ironstone, coal and stone abound in the neighbourhood. The valleys are heavy and yield good crops of wheat, oats, barley and peas. The area of the township of Lanchester (inclusive of the township of Holmside and Burnop with Hamsteels, now formed into an ecclesiastical district) is 11,918 acres; rateable value, £15,426, and the population in 1871 was 3,137. The area of the entire parish is 46,082 acres; and the population in 1871 was 30,731.

Post & Money Order Office & Savings Bank.—Mrs. Ann Cumming, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive from Durham at 8.5 a.m.; dispatched at 6.15 p.m

County Magistrates for West Division of Chester Ward.

Matthew Kearney, esq | H. Smith, esq

A. H. Talmadge, esq | John Eden, esq

E. T. Smith, esq | Lieut.-Colonel John Joicey

J. Leadbeater Smith, esq

Clerk, John Watson, Durham

Petty sessions held at the Police station every thursday

The following places are included in the Petty Sessional Division:—Lanchester, Butsfield, Cornsay, Ebchester, Esk, Greencroft, Healeyfield, Hedleyhope, Kyo, Langley, Medomsley, Muggleswick, Satley & Tanfield

PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS:—

Police Station, Adam Scott, inspector

LANCHESTER UNION.

Board day every other thursday

The union embraces the townships of Benfield-Side, Billing-Side, Burnop & Hamsteels, Butsfield Colliery & Pontop, Conside & Knitsley, Cornsay, Ebchester, Esb, Greencroft, Healeyfield, Hedleyhope, Holmside, Iveston, Kyo, Lanchester, Langley, Medomsley, Muggleswick, Satley & Tanfield. Gross estimated rental, £253,384; rateable value, £229,962, & the population in 1871 was 40,549

Clerk, William Henry Ritson

Overseers & Collectors, Joseph Towns & Wm. Leybourne

Relieving Officers, Ralph Walton, Lanchester; John Moon, Cemetery road, Blackhill

Vaccination Officers, George Ridley, Stanley, by Chester-le-Street; John Proud, Lanchester

Medical Officers, John Wilson, Lanchester; Thos. Benson, Stanley, by Chester-le-Street; W. T. Bolton, Ebchester

Superintendent Registrar, George Alder, Lanchester

Registrars of Births & Deaths, George Ridley, Stanley, Chester-le-Street; J. J. Thompson, Lanchester

Registrar of Marriages, W. W. Thompson, Lanchester

Workhouse, Walter Brotherhood, master; Rev. John Dingle, chaplain; John Wilson, surgeon; Mrs. Brotherhood, matron

RURAL SANITARY AUTHORITY.

Clerk, William Henry Ritson

Medical Officers, J. Wilson, m.d. T. Benson & W. T. Bolton

Inspector of Nuisances, William Ground, Lanchester

Inspector of Diseased Cattle, John Cockrill

National School, Thomas Dunn, master

Railway Station, Thomas Sadler, station master

CARRIER TO DURHAM.—John Henderson, on saturday

Greencroft is a township in the parish of Lanchester, Shotley Bridge county court district, 1 1/2 miles north-west, 8 north-west from Durham and 15 south-west from Gateshead. Greencroft Hall, the seat of John Clavering, esq. 1 1/2 miles north of Lanchester, is a spacious and elegant mansion, commanding fine views of the surrounding country. Little Greencroft Hall, the residence of David Balleny, esq. is 3 miles north from Lanchester. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are the lords of the manor. John Clavering and David Balleny, esqs. are the chief landowners. The soil and subsoil are clay and stone beds. The chief crops are wheat, oats and grass. The area is 2,460 acres; rateable value, £7,999, and the population in 1871 was 1,602.

—Letters through Durham, viâ Annfield Plain; the latter is the nearest money order office.

Langley is a township, 3 3/4 miles south-east of Lanchester. The farms are for the most part scattered, and the only group of houses is around Wall Nook mill. The area is 2,119 acres; rateable value, £2,279, and the population in 1871 was 116.

Lanchester.

Dingle Rev. John, b.a. [vicar], Vicarage

Dormand John

Gee Mrs. The Lodge

Haansbergen W. B. Van, Woodlands hall

Hedley George, Burnopside hall

Kearney Matthew, d.l., j.p. Ford hall

Taylor-Smith Edwd. j.p. Colepike hall

Wilson John, m.d

COMMERCIAL.

Bolam Joseph, farmer, Maiden law

Brown Wm. W. farmer, Howden Bnk. top

Buckham George, cartwright, Bargate

Buckham John, timber mer. & saw mills

Buckham Michael, farmer, Low meadows

Burdon Robert, farmer, Bargate

Burlison Joseph, smith

Burrell John, grocer

Cumming Ann (Mrs.), shopkeeper, & post office

Dickinson William, shoe maker

Dickson William, farmer & road surveyor, Branch villa

ormand john, coal owner

Fenwick Thomas, tailor

Ferens & Love, coal owners & fire brick manufacturers

Gibson Matthias, farmer, Newbiggin

Green John, butcher & shopkeeper

Green John, shoe maker

Grundy Jno. farmr. East Knitsley grange

Hall William, joiner & cartwright

Henderson John, carrier

Hodgson Peter, Bell, & butcher

Holmes Francis, farmer, Path house

Hornsby Mary (Mrs.), farmer, Chapman’s well

Haugham Wm. farmer, Humber house

Innis Robert, farmer, Lizards

Jackson George, blacksmith

James Samuel, shoe maker

Leybourne Bros. farmers, Margery flatt

Leybourne Mary (Mrs.), tailor

Leybourne Wm. farmer, Upper houses

Lough John, blacksmith

Lovett George Thomas, tailor

McLain John, travelling draper

Milburn John, farmer, Adelphia

Munkaston Geo. farmer, Spring gardens

Musgrove James, King’s Head

Oliver William, farmer, Hurbeck

Oswald Mary (Mrs.), baker

Pallister Thomas, butcher & farmer

Pattison John, farmer, Newbiggin

Reed John, grocer & seed merchant

Robinson Ann (Miss), dress maker

Robinson Mary (Miss), day school for girls

Salkeld Jacob, farmer, Holehouse

Saunderson Fras. farmer, Manor farm

Smith James, farmer, Hollingside

Spencer Matthew, farmer, West Knitsley grange

Thompson John James, registrar of births & deaths

Towns Joseph, Queen’s Head

Wake Joseph, farmer, Moor leazes

Wake Thomas, farmer, Taits house

Wall Thomas & Son, butchers

Wall John, Bull

Wall Jonathan, grocer

Wall Joseph, farmer, Crow hall

Walton John, joiner

Walton Ralph, relieving officer

Ward Thomas, joiner & builder

Wheldon Jane & Ellen (Misses), ladies’ school

Wilson Geo. Wm. inland revenue officer

Wilson John, m.d. surgeon

Greencroft.

Clavering John, j.p. Greencroft hall

Balleny David, Little Greencroft hall

Hudson Jhn. Hogden, Little Greencroft

Suddes Mrs. Little Greencroft

COMMERCIAL.

Ayre Robert, farmer, Maiden hall

Bean Nicholas, farmer, Park head

Buckham John, farmer, New houses

Clarkson Joseph, farmer, Marshfield

Gray Joseph, viewer, South moor

Gray William, grocer

Hodgson John, farmer, Stanley burn

Hunter Launcelott, farmer, Esp green

Jammieson Wm. farmer, White house

Rainshaw Joseph, farmer, Moor edge

Ritson George, farmer, Moor side

Ritson Henry, farmer, Fen hill & High house

Skelton Samuel, innkeeper, South moor

Smith Thomas, farmer, Durham hill

Turnbull Matthew, farmr. Lums houses

Whitfield Elizabeth (Mrs.), farmer, Marshfield

Wake Matthew, Three Horse Shoes, Maiden lane

Langley.

Logan William, Stubble Lea house

Burn John, farmer, Broom house

Clarke Robert, veterinary surgeon

Cumming John, agent to Lord Durham, Soblee

Hall Andrew, farmer, Parkhouse

Lawson William, Black Horse

Lowes Nichol, farmer, Wall nook

Wiggen Wm. miller, Wall Nook mill