Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for ROTHBURY

ROTHBURY, a small town, a township, a parish, a sub-district, and a district, in Northumberland. The town stands on the river Coquet, and on the Northumberland Central railway, 11 miles S W of Alnwick; was anciently called Robire, Rathbury, and Routhbyrig; is supposed, by some writers, to occupy the site of a Romansettlement; was once surrounded by many miles offorest; is situated in a romantic hollow, almost entirelyengirt with rugged hills; consists chiefly of three streets, diverging from a market-place and irregularly built; presents indications of great antiquity, in many archedwindows and massive doorways; underwent much improvement, by introduction of water-supply, the reconstruction of buildings, and the erection of several fineedifices, in 1866-7; was formerly a place of much resortfor the drinking of goat's milk; is still frequented by many summer visitors, for sake of its fine climate, and for sport in the neighbouring waters; is a seat of petty-sessions and county courts; and has a post-office† under Morpeth, a banking office, two good inns, a quaint oldbridge, a market-cross, a church, an Independent chapel, a mechanics' institute, an endowed grammar-school with £85 a year, an endowed girls' school with £25, generalcharities £154, a workhouse, malting and brewery establishments, and fairs on Easter-Friday, Whit-Monday, 2 Oct., and 1 Nov. The church includes early Englishchancel and transept, nave and tower of 1850, and aruined chantry of the Cartingtons; contains a piscina, acredence-table, and a richly-sculptured font; and was the scene of Bernard Gilpin's assuaging a deadly fend between two clans. Whitton Tower, a fortified residence, built in the 15th century, by one of the Umfravilles, is now the parsonage. Rumney, author of " Ecky's Mare, " Dr. J. Brown, a theological writer who died in 1766, and Dr. Sharp, Dr. Drummond, and the Rev. G. V. Harcourt, all sons of the Archbishop of York, have held theliving.

The township comprises 4, 923 acres. Pop. in 1851, 895; in 1861, 798. Houses, 161. The parish containalso the townships of Whitton, Newtown, Great Tosson and Ryehill, Little Tosson, Bickerton, Caistron, Fallow-lees, Hollinghill, Hesley-Hurst, Raw, Paperhaugh, Mount-Healey, Lee-Ward, Debdon, Snitter, Thropton, Warton, Flotterton, Cartington, High and Low Trewhitt, Hepple, Hepple-Demesne, and Wreighill. Acres, 34, 798. Real property, £19, 309. Pop. in 1851, 2, 545; in 1861, 2, 387. Houses, 475. The property is divided among a few. The manor was given to the Percys in 1330, and belongs now to the Duke of Northumberland. Hepple is the seat of Sir W. Riddell, Bart. Cartington Cast e was the seat of the Cartington family. A Roman camp, withdouble vallum, is at Old Rothbury. Many of the farm-houses are old peels, with thick walls and low narrowdoors. The land, to the extent of 7 miles, was formerlyall forest, and is now, for the most part, wild uncultivated moor. The rocks include coal, limestone, ironore, and lead ore; and the surface, in many places, isstrewn with scoriæ, supposed to attest the workings of Roman miners. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Durham. Value, £1, 106.* Patron, the Bishop of Carlisle. An English Presbyterian church and a Roman Catholic chapel are at Thropton. The sub-district excludes 3townships of R. parish, but includes 4 of Alnham, 2 of Alwinton, 5 of Whittingham, 2 of Long Horsley, 6 of Nether-Witton, 6 of Hartburn, and all Long Framlington parish and Brinkburn parochial chapelry. Acres, 83, 187. Pop., 5, 310. Houses, 1,040. The districtcomprehends also the sub-district of Elsdon, containing3 townships of Rothbury parish, 3 of Elsdon, 9 of Alwinton, and all Kidland parish and Holystone parochialchapelry. Acres of the district, 159, 168. Poor-rates in 1863, £3, 648. Pop. in 1851, 7, 431; in 1861, 7, 147. Houses, 1, 384. Marriages in 1863, 24; births, 191, of which 27 were illegitimate; deaths, 135, of which 38were at ages under 5 years, and 4 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 257; births, 2,038; deaths, 1,075. The places of worship, in 1851, were 7 of the Church of England, with 2,030 sittings; 3 of English Presbyterians, with 1,037 s.; 1 of United Presbyterians, with 250 s.; and 3 of Roman Catholics, with 226s. The schools were 19 public day-schools, with 887scholars: 7 private day-schools, with 181 s.; 12 Sunday schools, with 416 s.; and 3 evening schools for adults, with 35 s.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town, a township, a parish, a sub-district, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Rothbury AP/CP       Rothbury SubD       Rothbury RegD/PLU       Northumberland AncC
Place names: RATHBURY     |     ROBIRE     |     ROTHBURY     |     ROUTHBYRIG
Place: Rothbury

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