Northumberland

Northumberland stretches from the Scottish border in the north to the River Tyne in the south, taking in coastal market towns, remote moorland parishes and the industrial communities around Newcastle. This page brings together free and subscription resources for tracing ancestors across the county, from parish registers dating back to the 1570s to twentieth century records.

Archives

• Northumberland Archives

  See what records they hold, where they're located and how to access their collections.

• Newcastle Register Office

  Search BMDs and other records relating to Newcastle only.

• Tyne & Wear Archives

  Based in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear Archives is home to thousands of documents relating to the five local districts of Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside.

Births, Marriages, Deaths & Parish Records

• FreeBMD

  Search the free national index of births, marriages and deaths from 1837. Northumberland is well covered, with districts ranging from Berwick and Belford in the north to Newcastle, Tynemouth and Morpeth in the south.

• FreeREG

  Free transcriptions of Northumberland parish registers, contributed by volunteers. Covers baptisms, marriages and burials, mostly before civil registration in 1837.

• Northumberland Baptisms

  Baptism records from Northumberland parishes, with coverage from 1571 to 1973. Includes major collections for Newcastle, Tynemouth, Berwick upon Tweed, Hexham and Earsdon.

• Northumberland Marriages

  Marriage records from Northumberland parishes, with coverage from 1540 to 1941. Includes major collections for Newcastle's city churches, plus Tynemouth, Hexham, Berwick upon Tweed and Ovingham.

• Northumberland Burials

  Burial records from Northumberland parishes and cemeteries, with coverage from 1574 to 1992. Includes large collections for Newcastle, Tynemouth, Hexham, Berwick upon Tweed and Tweedmouth.

• Alnham Baptisms 1688–1812
• Alnham Marriages 1705–1812
• Alnham Burials 1727–1812
• Beadnell Baptisms 1766–1812
• Beadnell Marriages 1767–1781
• Beadnell Burials 1766–1812
• Bedlington Marriages 1813–1837
• Belford Baptisms 1813–1837
• Berwick-upon-Tweed Baptisms 1574–1700
• Berwick-upon-Tweed Marriages 1572–1700
• Blanchland Marriages 1753–1837
• Bothal Baptisms 1680–1812
• Bothal Marriages 1678–1812
• Bothal Marriages 1813–1837
• Bothal Burials 1678–1812
• Bothal with Hebburn Baptisms 1680–1812
• Bothal with Hebburn Marriages 1680–1812
• Bothal with Hebburn Burials 1680–1812
• Bywell St. Andrew Marriages 1686–1837
• Bywell St. Peter Marriages 1663–1837
• Carrshield Baptisms 1823–1837
• Chatton Baptisms 1712–1812
• Chatton Marriages 1712–1812
• Chatton Burials 1712–1812
• Corbridge Baptisms 1654–1812
• Corbridge Marriages 1657–1812
• Corbridge Burials 1657–1812
• Cramlington Marriages 1814–1836
• Earsdon Marriages 1813–1837
• Edlingham Baptisms 1658–1812
• Edlingham Marriages 1658–1812
• Edlingham Burials 1658–1812
• Eglingham Baptisms 1662–1812
• Eglingham Marriages 1663–1812
• Eglingham Burials 1662–1812
• Elsdon Parish Registers 1672–1812
• Gosforth Marriages 1813–1837
• Halton Baptisms 1813–1837
• Halton Marriages 1654–1769
• Ingram Baptisms 1696–1812
• Ingram Marriages 1684–1812
• Ingram Burials 1682–1812
• Lesbury Baptisms 1690–1812
• Lesbury Marriages 1689–1812
• Lesbury Burials 1690–1812
• Matfen Marriages 1846–1901
• Newcastle St. Andrew Marriages 1589–1837
• Newcastle St. Ann Baptisms 1813–1835
• Newcastle St. Ann Burials 1828–1837
• Newcastle St. John Marriages 1813–1837
• Newcastle St. Nicholas Marriages 1813–1837
• Ovingham Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1679–1837
• Rennington, All Saints, Burials/Graves Archived

  A website where there's a link to download a text file of the burial records.

• Shotley Marriages 1670–1837
• Slaley Marriages 1725–1837
• Tynemouth Marriages 1607–1837
• Ulgham Marriages 1755–1834
• Wallsend Marriages 1813–1837
• Warden Marriages 1813–1837
• Warden Burials 1813–1901
• Whitfield Marriages 1606–1837
• Widdrington Marriages 1826–1837
• Woodhorn Marriages 1813–1839

Burials & Cemeteries

• Northumberland Memorial Inscriptions

  Search nearly 42,000 monumental inscriptions, which often show additional family names, and dates.

• Newcastle Find a Grave

  Records and sometimes images from 15 graveyards and cemeteries in and around the city.

• Northumberland Find a Grave

  Has 157 locations in the county where records have been added.

• Northumberland Gravestones

  Thousands of names and images from cemeteries around the county.

• Wallsend, Holy Cross Cemetery

  There are 1,567 free records in the index.

Census Records

• Census 1841–1921

  Search census records from 1841 to 1921, plus the 1939 Register.

• FreeCen

  Free census transcriptions for Northumberland covering 1841, 1851 and 1861. Not complete, but covers a good range of parishes across the county.

  Places covered

  • Alnham (1841)
  • Allendale (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Alnwick (1841, 1861)
  • Alwinton (1841)
  • Ancroft (1841)
  • Bamburgh (1841)
  • Bedlington (1841, 1861)
  • Belford (1861)
  • Bellingham (1841, 1861)
  • Berwick Upon Tweed (1841, 1861)
  • Birtley (1841)
  • Blyth (1851, 1861)
  • Bolam (1841, 1851)
  • Bothal (1841)
  • Branxton (1841)
  • Brinkburn (1841)
  • Byker (1851, 1861)
  • Bywell (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Carham (1841)
  • Castle Ward (1841)
  • Chatton (1841)
  • Chillingham (1841)
  • Chollerton (1841, 1861)
  • Corbridge (1841, 1851)
  • Corsenside (1841)
  • Dinnington (1841, 1851)
  • Doddington (1841)
  • Earsdon (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Edlingham (1841)
  • Eglingham (1841)
  • Elsdon (1841, 1861)
  • Embleton (1861)
  • Falstone (1841)
  • Farne Islands (1841)
  • Felton (1841)
  • Ford (1841, 1861)
  • Gosforth (1841, 1851)
  • Greystead (1841)
  • Haltwhistle (1841, 1861)
  • Hartburn (1841, 1851)
  • Haydon (1841, 1851)
  • Hebburn (1841)
  • Heddon On The Wall (1841, 1851)
  • Hexham (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Holy Island (1841)
  • Holystone (1841)
  • Horton (1841, 1851)
  • Ilderton (1841)
  • Ingram (1841)
  • Islandshire (1861)
  • Kidland (1841)
  • Kirkharle (1841)
  • Kirkhaugh (1841)
  • Kirkheaton (1851)
  • Kirknewton (1841)
  • Kirkwhelpington (1841, 1861)
  • Knaresdale (1841)
  • Kyloe (1841)
  • Lambley (1841)
  • Long Houghton (1841)
  • Longbenton (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Longframlington (1841)
  • Longhorsley (1841)
  • Lowick (1841)
  • Meldon (1841)
  • Mitford (1841)
  • Morpeth (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Newbrough (1841)
  • Newburn (1841, 1851)
  • Newcastle All Saints (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Norham (1841, 1861)
  • North Shields (1861)
  • Ovingham (1841, 1851)
  • Ponteland (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Ramshope (1841)
  • Rothbury (1841, 1861)
  • Shilbottle (1841)
  • Shotley (1841, 1851)
  • Simonburn (1841)
  • Slaley (1841, 1851)
  • St John Lee (1841, 1851)
  • Stamfordham (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Stannington (1841, 1851)
  • Thockrington (1841)
  • Thorneyburn (1841)
  • Tweedmouth (1841)
  • Tynemouth (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Ulgham (1841)
  • Wallsend (1841, 1851, 1861)
  • Warden (1841)
  • Wark (1841)
  • Warkworth (1841, 1861)
  • Westgate (1851, 1861)
  • Whalton (1841, 1851)
  • Whitfield (1841)
  • Whittingham (1841)
  • Widdrington (1841)
  • Woodhorn (1841)
  • Wooler (1841, 1861)

Electoral Registers

• Electoral Rolls 1832–1932

  Search over 3 million records for the county of Northumberland.

• Newcastle Poll Book 1780

  The names, occupations and place of abode of the eligible to vote.

• Poll Book of Northumberland 1832

  A book printed in 1833 which has the names of those registered to vote in the Southern Division of Northumberland.

Historical Directories

• Alnwick Directory 1827
• Newcastle Directory 1827
• Directory of Northumberland 1828
• Directory 1847

  General directory of the town and county of Newcastle upon Tyne and surrounding cities, towns and villages.

• Directory 1855

  History, topography, and directory of Northumberland, comprising a general survey of the county, a history of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with separate historical and descriptive sketches of the boroughs of Gateshead and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all the towns, wards, and manors.

Local History

• Northumberland Communities

  A range of learning resource material reflecting the county's heritage and history, providing a starting point for understanding the development of communities in Northumberland and the range of sources available for family and local history research.

• The Place-Names of Northumberland

  Find some history in an online book about the towns and villages of Northumberland.

• Highways and Byways in Northumbria

  A fascinating look into the past with descriptions and illustrations of routes to and from places in Northumberland.

• Old Northumberland Maps

  Many old maps and plans from the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s, including Newcastle.

Military Records

• Northumberland Fusiliers 1881–1920

  Records of the "Fighting Fifth" during the Boer and First World Wars.

• North Northumberland WWI

  Records of those killed, wounded or taken prisoner, with many soldier photos.

Societies & Forums

• Northumberland & Durham Family History Society

  Has a research centre in Newcastle where you can search for your family history. There are different branches throughout the region where monthly meetings are held. Anyone can join the society and get help and advice.

• RootsChat Northumberland

  Ask a question about your Northumberland family history or find others who are researching the same families.

Additional Records

• North East Inheritance Database

  An online database of pre-1858 probate records — wills and related documents — from Northumberland.