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Alnwick

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"Alnwick is the county town of Northumberland, 310 miles from London. Seated on the little river Alne, it is populous and well built. It has a fine market square, surrounded with piazzas. One of the old gates is still standing. There is an ancient castle near it, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland. Market, Saturday. Population, 6626." [From Barclay's Complete and Universal English Dictionary, 1842]

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Archives & Libraries

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Bibliography

  • Alnwick a short history Frank Graham 1973 reprint 1994
  • A descriptive and historical view of Alnwick the County Town of Northumberland, William Davison 1973
  • Alnwick in the Great War, Craig Armstrong 2016
  • Guide to Alnwick and district, George Skelly 1882
  • A history of Alnwick parks and pleasure grounds, Colin Shrimpton 2006
  • The making of Alnwick Gardens, Ian August 2006
  • Upper Coquetdale its history folklore and scenery, David D Dixon 1987
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Biography

William of Alnwick 1275-1333 Franciscan Theologian and Bishop of Giorinazzo

Henry 'Hotspur' Percy 1364-1403

John Busby 1765-1857 Mining Surveyor and Civil Engineer

William Davison 1781-1858 Pharmacist Printer Bookseller and Publisher

Prideaux John Selby 1788-1867 ornithologist and Botanist

George Biddell Airy 1801-1892 Mathematician and Astronomer Royal -1835-1881

George Tate 1805-1861 Topographer and Freeman of the City

Thomas Turner Tate 1807-1888 mathematician (brother of George Tate and father of Ralph Tate)

Sir James Brown Patterson KCMG, 1833-1895, born at Patterson Cottage Alnwick, joined in the 1852 goldrush to Australia, elected Mayor of Chewton Victoria, Elected to Victoria Legislative Assembly for Castlemaine in 1870, Postmaster General in 1880 17th Premier of Victoria 1893, awarded KCMG 1894

Thomas James Cobden-Sanderson 1840-1922 Artist and Bookbinder Associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement

Ralph Tate 1840-1901 Botanist (son of Thomas Turner Tate)

Bernard Bosanquet 1848-1923 Philosopher and Political Theorist, born at Rock Hall Alnwick

David Adams 1936-  miner, trained for the Ministry, Rector of Holy Island, Canon of York Minster in 1989

Sid Waddell 1940-2012, Sports Commentator TV Presenter 'The voice of Darts'

Jeremy Darroch 1962- , Businessman CEO of Sky plc.

Melissa Jane Robson, aka Stella Vine, 1969-  Artist

 

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Cemeteries

  • Burial Registers 1856-1945, Burials Grant Books 1858-1960, Headstone Inscriptions 1866-1883 and 1906-1945 for Alnwick Civil Cemetery are available at Northumberland Record Office
  • Alnwick Cemetery opened in 1856 and is owned and managed by Alnwick Town Council it is open 7 days a week 8.00am till dusk, Cemetery Records are held at the Lodge Office and you can request a search (by post) make arrangements to visit in person Search fees apply.
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Census

  • The 1851 Census Index (microfiche CN32) Alnwick and Eglingham (part) (PRO piece HO107/2419 folios 280-557) (Type B) (Book)
  • The Census 1891 Northumberland – Alnwick (Alnwick town) (PRO piece RG12/4264) (Type B) (Book) (Volume 74)  and
    The Census 1891 Northumberland – Alnwick (Alnwick, Bassington and Denwick) (PRO piece RG12/4263) (Type B) (Book) (Volume 73)  BOTH published by the https://www.ndfhs.org.uk/ may be of value to researchers interested in this parish
  • Northumberland County Record Office hold copies of Census Returns 1841 - 1891 and provide a useful User Guide
  • Index to 1851 census vol 22,  Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle City Library [shelf ref; L312]
  • Index to 1891 census vol 74, Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle City Library [shelf ref;L312]
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Church History

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Church Records

  • Alnwick - Church Records - links and information.
  • Alnwick St Mary RC Baptisms 1794-1840,  Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle City Library [shelf ref; L929.3 A453]
  • Alnwick St Mary Marriages 1856-1921 transcribed by Jane Rose, Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle Central Library [shelf ref; L929.3 A453]
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Civil Registration

  • This area is within Northumberland North Second Registration District.
  • Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be ordered locally from Northumberland County Council.
     
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Court Records

Court Records Quarter Sessions and Petty Sessions are held by Northumberland Archives Ref: NRO 530/14 1770-1935

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Description & Travel

  • The Northumberland Communities website includes pages relating to Alnwick. They provide "a range of learning resource material that reflects Northumberland's heritage, providing a base for studying the County's history. The website provides a starting point for understanding the development of communities in Northumberland. It also seeks to illustrate the range of sources for family and local history research that are available via Northumberland Archives Service."
You can see pictures of Alnwick which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Genealogy

Northumberland and Durham Family History Society have a branch at Alnwick, meetings are held on the First Tuesday of the month at the Bailiffegate Museum in Alnwick http://www.ndfhs.org.uk/branches/alnwick/ There are no meetings in January February August and December

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Heraldry

The Coat of arms for Alnwick were granted on 2 February 1976 and can be viewed here http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/northumberland_74to09.html

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Historical Geography

Northumberland Archives have produced a leaflet on Enclose Awards

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History

  • LNER Wartime Evacuation Documents N.EVAC 2 and N.EVAC 3 describing the arrangements for evacuating children from Newcastle and Gateshead to rural parts of Northumberland (including Alnwick), Co Durham, Yorkshire, Cumberland and Westmorland. The second document includes lists of schools with details of their places and times of departure and their destinations.
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Manors

Manorial records are kept at Alnwick Castle.

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Maps

  • Alnwick - Maps - links and information.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NU174123 (Lat/Lon: 55.404166, -1.726827), Alnwick which are provided by:

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Military History

There were two battles fought in the vicinity of Alnwick between the Scots and the English in 1093 and 1174, both were English victories, The first battle on 13 November 1093 resulted in the death of the Scottish King Malcolm III (Malcolm Canmore) and his son Edward, The English troops were led by Robert de Mowbray Earl of Northumbria. King Malcolm and his son were buried at Tynemouth Priory.

The second battle on 13 July 1174 involved the Scottish King William I, and the English force led by Ranulph de Glanvill, King William was captured and the battle resulted in the Treaty of Falaise in December 1174

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Military Records

LEST WE FORGETAlnwick CemeteryWW121 August 1916  William Paton age 42 Private 319308 Northumberland Fusiliers son of Mrs A Paton of Glasgow and husband of Catherine Cookson (formerly Paton) of  Alnwick [grave C.C. 1149]24 September 1916   Jack Adams Liddell, Private 23827 Royal Army medical Corps, age 35 son of James and Martha Liddell of Alnwick [grave B.U. 444]10 Oct 1918   Joseph Lee, Gunner 80502 2/3rd Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery, [grave A.U. 454]5 Nov 1918   Herbert Davies, Private 108661 Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) [grave A.C 429]29 Nov 1918   J. H. Hynes, Private 32983 8th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, age 22 son of William Hynes of Alnwick [grave C.U 452]29 Nov 1918   T. Robson, Private 30148 Northumberland Fusiliers, Transfered to (166127) Labour Corps, age 37 son of the late George Robson of Netherwhitton, husband of M. J Hindmarsh (formerly Robson) of Morpeth, [grave C. U 392]WW229 August 1941  Zozislaw Wierzbowski 2nd Luitenant 3 Dyon Poc Panc Polish Army [grave 33A R/C 595]12 September 1946   John Robert Dunn, Gunner 1148412 41 A.A.Brigade Royal Artillery, age 45 son of John William and Cecilia Dunn, husband of Catherine Dunn of Alnwick [grave 33A Uncon. 642]26 Oct 1944   Charles Hannah, Rifleman 3254740 9th Bn Cameronians {Scottish Rifles), age 21 son of Charles and Margaret Hannah, husband of Margaret Skelly Hannah of Alnwick [grave 31B Cons 1]1 Dec 1943   William Eric Wood,  Flight sergeant 1083974 RAF Volunteer Reserve 131 Squadron, age 24 son of James and Jane Wood of Alnwick [grave 35A uncons 691]
 
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Monumental Inscriptions

A list of publications including Monumental Inscriptions can be accessed here https://www.ndfhs.org.uk/

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Newspapers

Local Newspapers, a list of Local Newspapers and date coverage has been produced by Northumberland archives

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Nobility

Dukes of Northumberland Have their ancestral home at Alnwick Castle, a history of the Percy family can be accessed here https://www.alnwickcastle.com/explore/the-history/the-percy-family

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Alnwick Parish was part of Alnwick Poor Law Union. The Union Workhouse was located at Bondgate Without, Alnwick. Some records are held at Northumberland Record Office but these are of limited genealogical value.
  • Pauper Lunatic Assylum Co. Northumberland Reports and Accounts 1869, Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle Central Library [shelf ref; L352 N878J]
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Probate Records

Northumberland Archives have produced a leaflet relating to Probate Records

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Religion & Religious Life

  • Alnwick Abbey founded in 1147 by Eustace Fitzjohn
  • Dissolved 1536-1539
  • Granted to Ralph Saddler and Laurence Winnington 1550/1
  • The abbey was the daughterhouse of Newsham Abbey Lincolnshire and housed the Premonstratensian or White Canons
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Schools

  • Register of Admissions to the Duke of Northumberlands Alnwick School 1811-1911 ed. W R Finch and W R Fairclough  Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle City Library [shelf ref; L373 A4530]
  • The Duchess' School 1808-1958. A Littlejohn  Newcastle Local Studies Centre, Newcastle City Library [shelf ref; L373 A4530]
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Societies

http://www.alnwicklhs.org.uk     Alnwick and District Local History Society

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Voting Registers

Voting and Electoral registers are available at Northumberland Record Office