Gainford Civil Parish

1,241  (2011 Census)

1,110  (2001 Census)

Historical

Gainford Township

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

Gainford Parish  (St Mary)

The ancient parish covered a much wider area than the modern civil parish. It included the chapelries of Barnard-Castle, Denton, and Whorlton, and the townships of Bolam, Cleatlam, Gainford, Headlam, Houghton-le-Side, Langton, Marwood, Morton-Tynemouth, Pierse-Bridge, Stainton with Streatlam, Summerhouse, and Westwick.

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.

Teesdale Poor Law Union, formed in 1837.

Teesdale Union Workhouse was located at Barnard Castle. 

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.

District Council:

Barnard Castle Rural District, formed in 1894. The district was abolished in 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972.

Teesdale District (County Durham) from 1974 to 2009.

The district council was abolished when County Durham became a unitary authority on the 1st of April 2009.