Rookhope, County Durham: People and Places of 1879

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

---

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879

ROOKHOPE is a village and ecclesiastical parish in the Stanhope quarter of Stanhope parish, in the Southern division of the county, north-western division of the ward of Darlington, union of Weardale, county court district of Wolsingham, Stanhope petty sessional division, northern division of Darlington rural deanery, and Durham archdeaconry and diocese; it is situated on the left bank of the Rookhope burn, 3 miles north-west of Stanhope, 32 from Darlington, and 271 from London. The church (name unknown) is a plain stone building, consisting of chancel, nave and porch, with 1 bell. The register dates from the year 1855. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £400, with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor and held by the Rev. John Wagstaff. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have places of worship here. There are several mines of lead and iron ore in this district; the lead mines are worked by W. B. Beaumont, esq. M.P. and the iron by the Weardale Iron and Coal Company Limited. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are the lords of the manor and principal landowners. The cultivated portion of the land is in pasture and meadow; the soil is sand and clay; subsoil, limestone. The area is 8,660 acres, and the population in 1871 was 1,030.

Parish Clerk, Robert Forster.

Letters from Darlington are brought, via Eastgate, by foot messenger daily (sundays excepted) about 11 a.m. PILLAR LETTER BOX cleared at 2 p.m. Stanhope & St. John’s Chapel are the nearest money order & telegraph offices

Board School, Lot Squire, master; Miss Jessie Hare, mistress

Wagstaff Rev. John, Vicarage

COMMERCIAL.

Adamson George, boot & shoe maker

Adamson John, farmer, Pasture house

Bell Richard, miller

Bell Thomas, farmer, Chester Garth ho

Bowman George, farmer, Smales burn

Bowman Thomas, grocer & draper

Brown Joseph, Prince of Wales Fairless Cuthbert, grocer

Hogarth William, blacksmith

Oliver John & Walter, farmers, Red Burn

Ward Thomas, shopkeeper

Phillipson Thomas, flour dealer

Reading Room (John Forster, sec)

Rodham Joseph, farmer, Wolf Cleugh

Routledge Mary (Mrs.), grocer & draper

Rookhope Valley Mining Co. (Messrs. Donkin, agents)

Simpson Matthew, Commercial inn, & farmer

Vickers George, shopkeeper

Vickers Margaret (Mrs.), Stotzfield Burn inn Vickers William, flour dealer

Weardale Iron & Coal Co. Limited