Chester-le-Street Sts Mary & Cuthbert

Parish Notes Durham

Chester-le-Street Sts Mary & Cuthbert

[Population 1911: 13,699 incl. 247 persons enumerated in the Chester-le-Street Union Workhouse]

Church

The Parish Church, dedicated to St. Mary and St. Cuthbert, is a handsome stone structure, presenting many marks of antiquity. It comprises nave, aisle, chancel, and western tower: the latter is terminated by a light and elegant spire 156 feet high, which is said to be the handsomest of the kind in the north of England. The interior of the church is neat, and contains a singular array of monuments, with effigies of various members of the noble family of Lumley, beginning with Liulph, the minister of Bishop Walcher, and ending with Lord John Lumley, who died in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. There are also several mural monuments to the memory of different individuals. There were formerly two chantries in the church, but the names of their founders are not known; the one dedicated to St. Mary was of the yearly value of £5 8s. 10d.; and the other, called St. George's, was worth £5 3s. per annum. On the removal of the bishopric of Chester-le-Street to Durham, this church became a parochial rectory, until Bishop Beck, in 1286, made it collegiate, consisting of a dean, seven prebendaries, five chaplains, three deacons, and other ministers. Under this establishment the church of Chester continued til the dissolution of collegiate churches and chantries, in the first year of Edward VI,; when by virtue of the statute, the deanery, prebends, rectory, and several rights of the church became vested in the crown. The prebends of the seven portionists, with the vicarage or deanery of this church, were taxed in the Lincoln valuation, 20th Edward I., 1291, at £146 13s. 4d.; but in the 20th Henry VIII., 1534, the deanery and seven prebends were valued at no more than £77 12s 8d. in the whole, viz. the deanery, £41; prebend of Lamesley, £5 16s 8d.; Pelton, £5 16s. 8d.; Chester, £6; second prebend of Lamesley, £10; Tanfield, £3 6s. 8d.; Birtley, 3 6s. 8d.; and Urpeth, £2 6s. The living is now a perpetual curacy, not in charge; gross income, £480. [Whellan's History, Topography and Directory of Durham (and Newcastle) (1856), page 868.]

Townships

Topography

History

The Parish Chest

Non-Parochial Records

Gateshead Observer 27/7/1850 Chester-le-Street, on Tuesday, was a scene of festivity and excitement, owing to the marriage of Mr. Sowerby and Miss Murray. The quiet village broke into unwonted animation, and rural recreation was the order of the day.

Page	Name	Abode	Date	Age
/	Man unknown	Found dead in the river Wear	Oct^r 7^th	unknown