Topics > Civil Parishes in Cumbria > Brigham Civil Parish

Brigham Civil Parish


Parish boundaries may have changed - for the latest map see the Parish Council or Cumbria County Council.

About the Parish

Main Settlements:

Brigham (village), Broughton Cross

Population:

1,085  (2021 Census)

756  (2011 Census)

699  (2001 Census)

Area: 4.7 km2
Parish Council: Brigham Parish Council
Unitary Authority: Cumberland Council

Historical

Ancient Townships

Brigham Township

Townships became civil parishes in their own right in 1866 (see below).

Ancient Parish:

Brigham Parish  (St Bridget)

The ancient parish covered a much wider area than todays Brigham Civil Parish. It included the borough and market-town of Cockermouth, and the townships of Blindbothel, Brigham, Buttermere, Eaglesfield, Embleton, Gray-Southan, Mosser, Setmurthy, and Whinfell.

Ancient parishes refer to the parishes before the split between ecclesiastical (church) and civil parishes in the 19th century. They had a parish church and often were composed of multiple townships and chapelries. In many cases, townships and parishes were originally based on the territory of manors from the feudal system during medieval times. Civil parishes were created following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866, in which Church of England parishes, extra-parochial areas, townships and chapelries, became "civil parishes" which could set their own poor rate (tax). Then the reforms of Local Government Act 1894 established elected civil parish councils (or parish meetings for parishes with less than 300 residents) and created urban and rural districts. Boundaries of parishes and civil parishes may have changed over time.

Ancient District:

Allerdale above Derwent (ward)

Poor Law Union:

Cockermouth Poor Law Union, formed in 1838.

Cockermouth Union Workhouse was located by Sullart Street in Cockermouth, opening in 1841. This replaced smaller existing workhouses in Cockermouth, Maryport and Workington.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 parishes were grouped into Unions, each of which had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one. It ended the old system of locally provided poor relief which had come under strain as numbers out of work grew, following increasing mechanisation of agriculture and the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars, along with changing social attitudes. The workhouse provided those unable to support themselves financially with accommodation and work. Inmates were generally segregated into men, women, boys and girls. 

The workhouse system was abolished by the Local Government Act 1929, but many workhouses lived on as ‘Public Assistance Institutions’ until the National Assistance Act 1948.

County:

Cumberland, until 1974, then:

Cumbria, which was created on the 1st of April 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972. The new county absorbed Cumberland and Westmorland, and added some parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Cumbria County Council was abolished in 2023 and replaced by 2 new Unitary authorities. Cumbria remains a ceremonial county; retaining ceremonial boundary and the roles and responsibilities of the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Cumbria - based on 'The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022'.

District Council:

Cockermouth Rural District (1894 - 1974)

Allerdale Borough (1974 - 2023)  Created by the Local Government Act 1972. Allerdale absorbed the former municipal borough of Workington; the urban districts of Maryport, Cockermouth and Keswick; and the rural districts of Cockermouth and Wigton.

Allerdale and the 5 other district councils of Cumbria, along with the county council, were abolished as part of local government reorganisation in 2023; and replaced by two unitary authorities on 1st April 2023.

Unitary Authority:

Cumberland Council was created on the 1st April 2023. The 'new' Cumberland unitary authority area includes most of the historic county, with the exception of Penrith and it's surrounding area, which is part the 'new' Westmorland and Furness unitary authority.

 

See also:  Historic Buildings and Monuments in Brigham Civil Parish. Note: listed buildings are generally the responsibility of the county council / unitary authority, rather than the parish council.

Civil Parishes in Cumbria Broughton Cross, Cumbria Brigham Brigham Parish, 1848 Historic Buildings and Monuments in Brigham Civil Parish Whinfell Township (Bringham), 1848
Brigham
  Co-Curate Page
Brigham
- Overview About Brigham Map Street View   The village of Brigham, near the town of Cockermouth, Cumbria, England, has existed as a settlement since neolithic times. History Brigham was an …
from http://www.brighamparishcounc…
Brigham Parish Council

Added by
Simon Cotterill
from https://www.facebook.com/brig…
Brigham Parish Council - Facebook
- Facebook pages of Brigham Parish Council

Added by
Simon Cotterill
from https://www.cumbriacountyhist…
Brigham
- "Township in Brigham parish, Allerdale above Derwent ward, Cumberland. ....Landownership: one of Five Towns within honour of Cockermouth. Manor of Brigham had been divided by 13th century between heiresses, moieties …

Added by
Simon Cotterill
Broughton Cross, Cumbria
  Co-Curate Page
Broughton Cross, Cumbria
- Overview Map Street View Broughton Cross is a hamlet in Cumbria, located on the south side of the River Derwent, just over ½ mile south of Great Broughton, which is …

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