Stamfordham Civil Parish

1,173  (2021 Census)

1,185  (2011 Census)

1,047 (2001 Census)

Historical

Ancient Townships

(in modern CP area)

Cheeseburn Grange

Dalton

Eachwick

Hackwell

Harlow Hill

Heugh

Nesbit Hill Head

Ouston

Stamfordham

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

In 1955, the nine civil parishes of these former townships were merged to form the current Stamfordham Civil Parish.

Stamfordham Parish  (St Mary)

The ancient parish os Stamfordham covered a much larger geographical area, compared to the modern Civil Parish Stamfordham. It also included the townships of Fenwick, Ingoe, Kearsley, Matfen (East), Marfen (West), Ryal - now in Matfen Civil Parish. Also, the townships of Bitchfield,  Black Heddon and Wallridge - now in Belsay Civil Parish

Eachwick township was in the ancient parish of Heddon-on-the-Wall. Dalton township was in the ancient parish of Newburn.

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.

Tynedale

Castle Poor Law Union, formed in 1836. 

Castle Union Workhouse was initially based in an existing workhouse in Heddon on the Wall. A new workhouse was built in Ponteland in 1848, accommodating 120 inmates. The workhouse buildings were extended in the 1850s and in 1910.

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:

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

Castle Morpeth, formed in 1974, by the merger of the Borough of Morpeth, Morpeth Rural District, and part of Castle Ward Rural District.

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

Major Boundary Changes

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Cheesburn Grange Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Dalton Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Eachwick Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Harlow Hill Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Harkwell Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Heugh Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Nesbit Civil Parish

1955 - Stamfordham CP was enlarged by the abolition of Ouston 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.