Low Dinsdale, County Durham: People and Places of 1879

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

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

DINSDALE or LOW DINSDALE, as it is sometimes called, is a small village and parish, 5 miles south-east-by-east from Darlington, 8 north-west-by-west from Stockton-on-Tees, and 5 from Yarm; it is in the Southern division of the county, south-western division of the ward of Darlington, union and county court district of Darlington, rural deanery of Stockton, archdeaconry and diocese of Durham. The Stockton and Darlington railway passes through this parish, there being a station at Fighting Cocks, about 3 miles from the village. The church of St. John is a small building, erected about 1196 on the site of a Saxon church, with a chancel, nave, and south aisle: it formerly contained a chantry, dedicated to St. Mary, founded by William Britton, who died rector of this parish in 1239: the church was restored in 1876 and a tower added to it, at a cost of more than £2,000; it contains 5 stained memorial windows. The parish register commences in 1556. The living is a discharged rectory, yearly value £246, with residence, and about 60 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, and held by the Rev. John William Smith, M.A. of Jesus College, Cambridge. Here is a school, erected in 1851 upon land given by Mr. Surtees, in exchange for the site of the old school. There is a Wesleyan chapel. This village, and the adjoining one of Middleton-One-Row, are much visited in the summer season by persons who wish to receive the benefit of the excellent sulphureous spring on Mr. Surtees’ estate in this parish; the water was first discovered in 1789 by some workmen employed by Wm. H. Lambton, esq. in searching for coal: the remarkable quality of the water having attracted attention, a hole was made in the ground, in the channel of the spring, for the purpose of bathing, and one of the workmen, who for many years had suffered from chronic rheumatism, was cured by drinking the water and using the bath: from this period till 1797 it was much resorted to by the neighbouring villagers, for whose use a bath was built; but it soon became too small for the accommodation of the rapidly increasing number of the visitors attracted here by the powers of the water, and a suite of hot and cold baths was erected for invalids: the spa and baths are now occupied by Miss Shipman: invalids and others visiting the spa generally reside in the village of Middleton-One-Row, in the adjoining parish of Middleton St. George: a pleasant footpath, with seats at convenient distances, leads from this place to the baths. Dinsdale Park has been occupied as a residence for mental invalids for the last 20 years; Dr. J. W. Eastwood is the resident physician and proprietor: the house is well adapted for patients of the higher classes: its southern aspect and elevated situation on the north side of the river Tees overlooking a large portion of the North Riding of Yorkshire, and the varied scenery of the Cleveland hills, render it a healthy and cheerful residence: attached to the mansion are upwards of 100 acres, of which a considerable portion is laid out in gardens and pleasure grounds. John of Darlington, Archbishop of Dublin, was born at Dinsdale, but assumed the name of the larger town in preference to that of his native village. The Manor house, an ancient

residence in this village, is the property of the Rev. Scott Frederick Surtees. The Rev. Scott Frederick Surtees, H. A. W. Cocks, esq. S. R. C. Ward, esq. Geo. J. Scurfield, esq. jun. and Wm. Wooler, esq. are the principal landowners: all the land is of freehold tenure. The soil is of a mixed character, and produces excellent crops of wheat, beans, barley, turnips, and potatoes.

Eastwood Joseph Wm. M.D., M.R.C.P. Dinsdale park

Emmerson Charles

Smith Rev. John William, M.A., J.P. Dinsdale rectory

Elam Joseph & Sons, millers & farmers, Dinsdale mill

Emmerson Charles, farmer

Meggison John, farm bailiff to Wm. A. Wooler, esq. of Sadberge hall, Thorntree farm

The acreage is 1,171; rateable value, £3,252 17s. The population in 1871 was 243.

Parish Clerk, John Bone.

School, Miss Sarah Dutton, mistress

Letters arrive from Darlington at 8 a.m.; dispatched at 6.30 p.m.; post office is at Fighting Cocks. The nearest money order office is at Middleton-One-Row

Ogden Michael Frederick, land agent & assistant overseer for Middleton St. George, Bath villas

Shipman Jane (Miss), proprietor of Middleton spa

Taylor Joseph, farmer, Stodhoe