Rochester with Byrness Civil Parish

Rochester with Byrness Civil Parish is located in Upper Redesdale in Northumberland, bounded to the north by the England-Scotland Border. It is about 34 miles north-west of Newcastle. The River Rede flows south-easterly through the parish. The A68 road transects the parish, roughly following close to the course of the river; there is a stopping place on the A68 at Carter Bar on the border with Scotland. The south of the parish is in the Northumberland National Park; including Bremenium Roman Fort at High Rochester. Whitelee Moor National Nature Reserve is in the north-west of the parish. The parish is sparsely populated; the largest settlements are the villages of Byrness and Rochester.

Byrness (village), Rochester (village).

There are several farms, hamlets and isolated houses, many of which are off the A68. These include: Ashtrees, Bennetsfield, Blakehopeburnhaugh, Brownrigg, Burdhope, Burdhopecrag, Catcleugh, Chattlehope, Cleughbrae, Cottonshope, Cottonshope Head, Cottonshopeburnfoot, Elishaw, Horsley, Ramshope, Rattenraw, Sills, Silloans, Spithope, Stobbs, and Whitelee

318 (2021 Census)

344 (2011 Census)

358 (2001 Census)

Historical

Ancient Townships

(in modern CP area)

Rochester Ward

Population:

• 379 (1801 Census)
• 446 (1851 Census)

Gazetteers:

• Rochester Ward (Lewis, 1848)
• Rochester Ward (Whellan, 1855)

Troughend Ward

Population:

• 393 (1801 Census)
• 264 (1851 Census)

Gazetteers:

• Troughend Ward (Lewis, 1848)
• Troughend Ward (Whellan, 1855)

Ramshope (extra parochial area)

Townships became civil parishes in their own right in 1866 (see below). Rochester Ward and Troughend Ward were civil parishes from 1866 to 1958, when Rochester Ward CP and most of Troughend Ward CP were merged to become Rochester Civil Parish (aka Rochester and Byrness CP or Rochester with Byrness CP).

Elsdon Parish (St. Cuthbert)

Population:

• 1,694 (1801 Census)
• 1,643 (1851 Census)

Gazetteers:

• Elsdon Parish (Lewis, 1848)
• Elsdon Parish (Whellan, 1855)

The parish covered a much wider geographical area compared to todays Elsdon Civil Parish.

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.

Tindale  (ward)

Bellingham Poor Law Union, formed in 1836. 

Bellingham Union Workhouse was built in 1839 on the north side of Bellingham, built to house 53 inmates.

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:

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

Tynedale District Council from 1974 to 2009.  Tynedale District merged the former Hexham and Prudhoe urban districts, along with Bellingham, Haltwhistle and Hexham rural districts.

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

Major Boundary Changes

1958 - Rochester CP was created from the merger of Rochester Ward CP and most of Troughesnd CP (the southern part of Troughend CP became part of Otterburn Civil Parish).

County / Unitary Authority

The ancient county of Northumberland was enlarged following the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844; Bedlingtonshire, Norhamshire, Islandshire, the Farne Islands and Monks' House all became part of Northumberland. Up to then they had been enclaves of County Durham.

Northumberland County Council formed 1889.

Major boundary changes came into effect on the 1st April 1974. This followed the Local Government Act 1972, which formed the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland. This excluded the City of Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside, which up to then had been part of Northumberland, but now became part of the newly formed Tyne & Wear.

Northumberland County Council became a unitary authority on the 1st of April 2009.