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West Rainton, County Durham

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

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879



WEST RAINTON is an ecclesiastical parish, com-prising the townships of COCKEN, MOORHOUSE, and WEST RAINTON, and a portion of EAST RAINTON, and was formed in 1838 from the parishes of Houghton-le-Spring and Pittington; it is in the Northern divi-sion of the county, north division of Easington ward, Houghton-le-Spring union, county court district of Durham, rural deanery of Easington, and Durham archdeaconry and diocese. West Rainton is a town-ship, having a station at Leamside on the North Eastern railway, 4 miles north-east from Durham, and 260 from London, situated on the road from Durham to Sunder-land. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a handsome edifice of stone, and was rebuilt in 1861, at a cost of £5,000; the style is a severe form of the Earliest Middle Pointed, and the design is characterized by exceeding loftiness; it consists of chancel, nave, aisles and western tower, which is surmounted by a spire rising to an altitude of 130 feet. The register dates from the year 1825. The living is a rectory, yearly value £480, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham and held by the Rev. George Albert Ormsby, M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin, chaplain to the Duke of Manchester. There is a National school for boys, girls and infants, supported by the Dean and Chapter of Durham and the Marquis of Londonderry; also a school at Leamside, supported by the Dean and Chapter of Durham and the Earl of Durham, and the several colliery owners in this township. There is a library, news, and reading room here. The Dean and Chapter of Durham are lords of the manor and chief landowners. The soil and subsoil are clayey. The chief crops are wheat, oats and turnips. The area of the township is 1,788 acres; rateable value, £13,623; the population in 1861 was 1,447, and in 1871 was, township, 2,237; ecclesiastical parish, 3,209.

Parish Clerk, John Gibbony.

POST, MONEY ORDER & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, & Sa-vings Bank.—Mrs. Mary Lee, receiver. Letters from Fence Houses arrive at 8 a.m.; dispatched at 12.35 & 4.30 p.m

National School, James Turnbull, master; Catherine Chris-tie, mistress; Miss Jesse Thompson, infants’ mistress

School, Leamside, Miss Jesse Veal, mistress

Railway Station, Leamside, James Lowry, station master

Cocken is a township in the ecclesiastical parish of West Rainton, union of Chester-le-Street; it is situated about a mile west from the Leamside railway station on the North Eastern line, and 5 miles north-north-east from Durham, on the south bank of the river Wear. There is a coal mine in this township, worked by the Earl of Durham. Cocken Hall was formerly the resi-dence of a community of Teresian nuns; it is now unoccupied. Standish Carr-Standish, esq. is lord of the manor and sole landowner. The soil is clay and light loam, with a subsoil of clay. The chief crops are wheat, oats and turnips. The area is 437 acres; rateable value £2,195; the population in 1871 was 104.—Letters from Fence Houses. The nearest money order office is at West Rainton.

Moorhouse is in the ecclesiastical parish of West Rainton, 1 mile south-west, on the high road from Dur-ham to Sunderland. The Dean and Chapter of Durham are lords of the manor. The principal landowners are the Marquis of Londonderry and E. F. Boyd, esq. The area is 272 acres; rateable value, £3,080; the population in 1871 was 72.

Middle Rainton is a village in the ecclesiastical parish of West Rainton, about half a mile north-west from West Rainton, on the high road from Durham to Sunderland.—Letters through Fence Houses. The nearest money order office is at West Rainton.

West Rainton.

Caswell Rev. E. G. B.A

Crows Robert, The Cottage

Jarrett John, Belmont hall

Laverick Robert, Croudace house

Ormsby Rev. Fredk. Alex. B.A. [curate]

Ormsby Rev. Geo. Albert M.A. [rector]

Stephenson Joseph, Belmont cottage

Sutherland John Russell, M.R.C.S

COMMERCIAL.

Adamson Jane (Miss), Bull & Dog

Bell Ralph, farmer, Stables farm

Brantingham Mary (Mrs.), farmer

Brook Ambrose, mason

Brown John, Highland Laddie

Burn William, farmer, Wheatley head

Colman Robert, grocer

Cumberland Edward, greengrocer

Dixon Ralph, Three Tuns inn, Rainton gate

Draper Richard, butcher

Gentiles John, grocer

Gowland Hen. Railway inn, Leamside

Hodgson John, grocer & draper

Hopper John, Robin Hood

Hunter George, farmer, Blue House farm

Hunter Jseph. Nag’s Head, Rainton gate

Hutchinson Edward, Oak Tree

Hutchinson John, farmer

Jameson James, farmer, Horner hill

Jefferson Joseph, farmer

Kidd Caliph, farmer

Lee Frances Anne (Miss), confectioner

Marshall Joseph, Greyhound

Mawston William, farmer, Prior’s close

Minns Elizabeth (Mrs.), Three Horse Shoes

Palmer John, grocer

Ray John, farmer, Rees Bank farm

Richardson Ralph, farmer, Field house

Scorer Henry Whitfield, farmer & assistant overseer, White house

Scorer Whitfield, farmer, Leamside farm

Shipley Ralph, grocer, Freehold

Smith John, grocer, Leamside

Stephenson Wm. beer retailer, Freehold

Story Ralph, farmer, Wilson’s row

Stubbs Christopher, beer retailer

Sutherland John Russell, surgeon

Thornton William, Lord Seaham

Tindal Michael, Leamside hotel

Toddner Ralph, Beehive

Walker Jas. Fenwick, farmer & butcher

Welsh Anthony, farmer

Welsh Edward, grocer, Rainton gate

Welsh Thomas, farmer

Young Ths. Mason’s Arms, Rainton gate

Cocken.

Grainger William, wheelwright

Lawson Bros. farmers

Lowrey Joseph, farmer

Pearson William, farm bailiff to Wm. Stobart, esq

Moorhouse.

Boyd Edward Fenwick, J.P

Topham Wm. farmer, Moorhouse farm

Middle Rainton.

Bell John, Rose & Crown

Brown Thomas, Fox & Hounds

Brown William, grocer

Connorey John, Hope & Anchor

Forster Jane (Mrs.), grocer & draper

Gardner Joseph, grocer & draper

Hunter John, ironmonger

Johnson George, farmer, Rainton grange

Stout Edward, Foresters’ Arms






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Location: West Rainton, UK

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