Belford Parish, 1855

BELFORD PARISH. 

BELFORD is a parish chiefly in the northern division or Bambrough Ward, and partly in Islandshire, an insulated portion of the county formerly belonging to the county of Durham. It is bounded on the north by Islandshire, on the west by the parish of Chatton, on the south by Bambrough parish, and on the east by the German Ocean. It extends four miles and a half from east to west, and about three miles from north to south, and comprises the market town of Belford, and the townships of Detchant, Easington, Easington Grange, Elwick, Middleton, and Ross. The area of the parish is 11 ,604 acres, and its population in 1801, was 1,324; in 1811, 1,473; in 1821, 1,783; in 1831, 2,030; in 1841, 1,789; and in 1851, 1,857 souls. Like the adjoining parishes, Bedford abounds in coal, lime-stone, and building-stone, the soil is also very fertile

BELFORD is a township and market-town, in the parish of the same name, containing 2,698 acres, the property of the Rev. John Dixon Clark, J.P, of Belford Hall, and its rateable value is £3,772 17s. 6d. The number of its inhabitants in 1801, was 902 ; in 1811, 931 ; in 1821, 1,208; in 1831, 1,354; in 1841, 1,157; and in 1851, 1,226 souls The manor of Belford was formerly possessed by the Huntercombe family, one of whom, Walter de Huntercombe, having served under King Edward I., in his Welch wars, received from that monarch a grant of free warren in Belford and other places in the county. This Walter de Huntercombe was summoned to the parliaments held from the sixth of Edward I. to the fourth of Edward II. He died in the sixth year of the reign of Edward II., leaving his possessions to his wife, Alice. The manor was afterwards transferred to the Meinell family, from whom it passed to the Hepburns, coming subsequently into the possession of John Forster, Esq. of Bambrough Castle. Abraham Dixon, Esq., one of its late owners, obtained the privilege of holding a market and fairs at Belford, and his son raised the place from the position of a small village to that of a neat and well built town. 

THE TOWN of Belford is pleasantly situated on an eminence, in a picturesque and romantic part of the county, two miles from the sea, and forty-nine miles north of Newcastle. Since the construction of the railway from Newcastle to Berwick, the business of this town has considerably declined. Belford contains an hotel and five or six inns, where travellers will meet with comfortable accommodation. A lamb fair is held here annually, on the 2nd of July, and a ewe fair takes place on the 25th of September. Petty sessions are held on every alternate Wednesday, at the Board Room, West-street, the presiding magistrates are the Rev. J.D. Clarke, M.A.; Rev. L. S Orde, M.A.; W. Darnell and P.J. Selby, Esq. of Twizell House. The County Court is held at the Blue Bell Hotel once every two months, James Losh, Esq., judge.

THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Mary, is a plain substantial edifice, situated at the north side of the town, and capable of accommodating about six hundred persons. The living, a perpetual curacy in the archdeaconry of Lindisfarne and deanery of Bambrough, returned at £94., gross income, £147., is in the patronage of the Rev. J. D. Clarke, M.A., of Bedford Hall, and incumbency of the Rev. G. Walker, M.A. THE UNITED PRESBITERTAN CHURCH was erected in 1777. It is a commodious building, and possesses sittings for four hundred persons, Rev. John Hunter, minister. THE SCOTCH CHURCH, situated in West-street, is a plain building, and it will accommodate five hundred hearers. Rev. M. Wallace, minister. Gas works were established here in 1845, by a joint stock company, composed principally of the inhabitants of Belford.

THL BELFORD POOR LAW UNION comprehends thirty-six parishes and townships, embracing an area of 41,753 statute acres, and a population in 1851, of 6,871 souls. The parishes and townships are Adderstone, Bambrough, Bambrough Castle, Beadnell, Belford, Bradford, Budle, Burton, Chathill, Detchant, Easington, Easington Grange, Elford, Ellingham, Elwick, Farn Islands, Fleetham, Glororum, Hoppen, Lucker, Middleton, Monk's House, Mousen, Newham, Newstead, Outchester, Preston, Ratchwood, Ross, Shorstone, Spindlestone, Sunderland (North), Swinhoe, Tuggall, Warrenford, and Warrenton. THE UNION WORKHOUSE, situated in West-street, is a small building. The number of inmates at present (1854) is 17.

POST OFFICE, BELFORD, William Septimus Hindmarsh, postmaster. The mails arrive from the South, at 9-10 a.m. and 9-10 p.m.; and are despatched to the South at 3-22 p.m. and at 8-42 p.m.; and to the North at 8-50 a.m. and 3-22 p.m.

DIRECTORY

CONVEYANCES from the Railway Station, about a. mile from Belford.- William Pawson station master. 

CARRIERS. - To Alnwick, Thomas Moffat.- To Berwick, George Purvis, both on Saturdays. 

DETCHANT is a township containing with the township of Midd1eton 3,094 acres. The annual value of Detchant is about £1,200, and its population in 1801, was 110; in 1811, 109; in 1821, 128; in 1831, 180; in 1841, 178; and in 1851, 150 souls. Stephen F . Gillum, Esq. is the proprietor of the whole township, which is two and a quarter miles N.N.W. of Belford, with which place its directory is given.

EASINGTON township is the property o£ the Rev. J. D. Clark M.A. of Belford Hall, and James Grieve, Esq. of Orde. It is situated one mile north-east of Belford, and contains 848 acres, of which the annual value is £1,000. The number of its inhabitants in 1801, was 151; in 1811, 195; in 1821, 186; in 1831, 203; in 1841, 180; and in 1851, 174 souls. Easington Demesne is the property of James Grieve, Esq., of Orde, above-mentioned. Here is an assemblage of cottages inhabited by trades people and agricultural labourers.

DIRECTORY. John Clarke, shoemaker; James Robertson, farmer; David Hope; John Robinson, blacksmith; James Cuthbertson, joiner; and Charles Clapperton, shopkeeper.

EASINGTON GRANGE is a township, situated one mile and a half N.N.E. of Belford. It contains 547 acres, and its population- in 1801, was 57; in 1811, 57; in 1821, 54; in 1831, 62; in 1841, 64; and in 1851, 78 souls. It is the property of Edward Tyzack, who occupies the whole township. There is a corn mill here worked by Mr. Robert Embleton.

ELWICK township is the property of the Earl of Tankerville. It contains 819 acres, and its rateable value is £850. Its population in 1801, was 54; in 1811, 78; in 1821, 73; in 1831, 79; in 1841, 84; and in 1851, 69 souls. Part of this township formed a portion of the county of Durham, until October, 1844, when it became for all purposes part of Northumberland. It is distant two miles north-east from Belford, and is entirely occupied by Mr. Ralph Nesbit. 

MIDDLETON is a township situated one mile N.N.W. of Belford, and contains with Detchant 3,094 acres, the property of Stephen F. Gillum, Esq. Its rateable value is about £1,200, and the number of its inhabitants in 1801, was 50; in 1811, 57·; in 1821, 79; in 1831, 87; in 1841, 70; and in 1851, 111 souls. Its directory is given with that of Belford.

ROSS township, like that of Elwick, is situated in Islandshire, and was formerly a portion of the county of Durham. It is three miles north-east of Belford, and contains 3,598 acres, the rateable value of which is £900. This township is the property of the Earl of Tankerville. Its population in 1801, was - in 1811, 46; in 1821, 55; in 1831, 65; in 1841, 56; and in 1851, 49 souls. Ross and Elwick townships occupy a projecting tongue of land on the north side of Budle Bay, and consist of two large farms, with extensive rabbit warren. Large quantities of cockles are found upon the sands in the neighbourhood. Mr. Hardy is the present occupier of Ross township.