Doddington Parish, 1855

DODDINGTON PARISH

DODDINGTON parish is bounded on the north by Lowick, on the west by Kirk Newton, on the South by Wooler, and on the east by Chatton. It contains 9,110 acres, and its population in 1801, was 734; in 1811, 887; in 1821, 865; in 1831, 903; in 1841, 941 ; and in 1851, 825 souls. It comprises the townships of Doddington, Earle, Ewart, Humbleton, and Nesbit, and is remarkable for its fertility.

DODDINGTON is a township and village in the parish of the same name, the property of the Earl of Tankerville, who is also lord of the manor. The township contains 4,798 acres, and the number of its inhabitant in 1801, was 339; in 1811, 403; in 1821, 419; in 1831, 426; in 1841, 441; and in 1851, 397 souls. There is an important coal mine in this township. THE VILLAGE of Doddington is pleasantly situated three miles north by east of Wooler. THE CHURCH was enlarged and beautified in 1838, by which means 120 additional sittings were obtained, and in consequence of a grant from the "Incorporated Society for promoting the enlargement, building, and repairing of churches and chapels,'' 105 of that number are declared free and unappropriated for ever, in addition to ninety sittings formerly provided forty-five of which were free. In this church are deposited the remains of Horace St. Paul, Esq., of Ewart Park, and Anne his wife, as also the remains of their son Henry Heneage St. Paul, Esq. The living is a perpetual curacy in the archdeaconry of Lindisfarne and deanery of Bambrough, gross income £200. Patron, the Duke of Northumberland; incumbent, the Rev. William Procter, M.A. THE NATIONAL SCHOOL is a neat stone building erected by subscription in 1851, at a cost of £400. Towards this amount the National Society gave £35; Durham School building society £30; Sir Horace St. Paul £100 ; the Bishop of Durham £30; Lord Crewe's trustees £20; and Lord Ossulston gave the ground. The school will accommodate 120 children, average attendance 70 ; John Cairns, teacher. The late Robert Thorp, Esq., left a bequest of £50 to the Rev. William Procter, M.A., for educational purposes in the parish of Doddington.

POST OFFICE, DODDINGTON.-William Pattie, postmaster. Letters arrive at 1 p.m. and are despatched at 4 p.m.

EARLE is a township containing 1,240 acres, the property of Charles Selby, Esq., and William Roddam, Esq. It is situated one mile and a half S.S.W. of Wooler, and its population in 1801, was 51; in 1811, 70; in 1821, 60; in 1831, 86; in 1841, 80; and in 1851, 49 souls. For many generations, Earle was the property of the Swinburne family, from whom it passed to the present proprietors.

DIRECTORY. David Brown, farmer, North Earle; David Hownan, farmer; George Luke, farmer and corn miller, Earle Mill; and Robert Thompson, farmer.

EWART is a township and hamlet the property of Sir Horace St. Paul. The area of the township is 1,612 acres, and its population in 1801, was 140; in 1811, 154; in 1821, 150; in 1831, 173; in 1841, 176; and in 1851, 157 souls. THE HAMLET of Ewart is finely situated on the south side of the river Till, about one mile and a half west of Doddington. EWART PARK HOUSE the seat of Sir Horace St. Paul is a beautiful edifice situated between Ewart and the Coldstream Road. The St. Pauls are a Warwickshire family, and their original name was Paul, but by an act of parliament, passed in January, 1768, they were authorised to prefix the name of Saint to that of Paul. In February, 1814, two swords were found at Ewart Park; they seemed to be a compound of brass and copper, the handles quite wasted by time. They were twenty .. one inches long from the handle to the point, and were found in a perpendicular position, as if stuck down on purpose. One of them was presented to the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle.

DIRECTORY. Sir Horace St. Paul, Bart., Ewart Park, George Robson, land agent, and agent to Sir Horace St. Paul, Bart., Ewart Park and Galewood; Williarn Hutchinson, blacksmith ; Thomas Stawart, farmer, Newton Ewart; and James Tait, farmer, Ewart Thirlings.

HUMBLETON is a township and village comprising 784 acres, the property of Matthew Cully, Esq., and John G. L. Blenkinsop, Esq. The population in 1801,was 141; in 1811, 195; in 1821, 184; in 1831, 171; in 1841, 185; and in 1851, 159 souls. THE VILLAGE of Humbleton occupies an elevated situation one mile west by north of Wooler, and in its vicinity are some remarkable remains of antiquity. On a gentle eminence near Humbleton Burn, is an entrenchment, called Green Castle, and on an adjoining hill is an ancient circular encampment with a large cairn. The hill is cut into several terraces, each twenty feet deep, rising one above another. In the plain below, a stone pillar has been set up to commemorate a sanguinary battle fought here, in 1402, between the Scots under Earl Douglas, and the English under Lord Percy and the Earl of March, in which the former were defeated. The conflict was so bloody, that the field has received the name of Redriggs. In 1811, au urn and a stone coffin, enclosing a gigantic skeleton, were discovered here.

NESBIT township is situated four miles north by west of Wooler. It contains 776 acres, and the landowners are the Messrs. Clarke of Newcastle. The number of inhabitants in 1801, was 63; in 1811, 65; in 1821, 52; in 1831, 47; in 1841, 59; and in 1851, 63 souls. DIRECTORY. James Grey,. Esq.; Kimmerston.