Croglin Parish

  Is bounded on the east by Northumberland, on the north by Eskdale Ward, on the west by the parish of Ainstable, and on the south by the river Croglin, which gives name to the parish, and which is said to be derived from two British1 words, Carey, a rock, and Lyn, water. It is about six miles in length from east to west, and two miles in breadth, containing 5534 acres of land, a great part of which is a mountainous region, including the lofty eminence called Croglin Fell, which contains 2287 acres. Coal is found in the parish, in considerable quantities, but it is rather of an inferior quality. Limestone, red freestone, and a bastard marble, or a species of porphyry, some of which is very black and some veined with white, are also found here; and grouse abounds on the fell. The arable land has a heavy cold red sandy soil, and the principal crops are barley, oats, and turnips. The parish consist of two manors or townships, viz., Croglin and Newbiggin, and in 1841 contained a population of 336 souls. The principal land owners are general Wyndham, Revd. John Jackson, and John Jameson, Esq. of Penrith.

Croglin village is situated in a deep vale on the N. side of the river, five miles N.N.E. of Kirkoswald, and twelve miles W. by N. of Alston. The manor anciently belonged to the family of Hastings, from whom it was passed to the Whartons, of Wharton Hall, Westmorland, and was sold by the trustees of the duke of Wharton to Charles, duke of Somerset, from whom it descended to general Wyndham, of Cockermouth Castle, son to the late earl of Egremont. The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, is rectorial, in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. John Jackson, who purchased the advowson of Wm. Clarke, Esq. The church is very small, and the living is valued in the king's books at £8, but it is now worth £200 per annum, arising from 600 acres of land, allotted in lieu of tithes, at the inclosure of the commons, in 1808. The school here was endowed with the interest of £50 given in 1723, by the Rev. Thos. Hunter, rector of the parish , and twenty acres of land allotted at the time of the enclosure of the commons. Although the estate at one time let as high as £24 a year, it now lets for only £11, for which all the children of the parishioners are entitled to instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic, on the payment of a small quarterage. Four bibles are distributed annually to the poor, from lord Wharton's charity; and the interest of £20, left in 1793 by Thomas Threlkeld, is paid to the poor of the parish. Near the village are the remains of an old border stronghold, called Scarromanwick2.

Newbiggin is a small village and township on the north side of the parish, containing 2028 acres, 1½ miles north by west of Croglin, and eight miles south by east of Brampton. It forms a small manor belonging to the earl of Carlisle.

 

Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847

 

 
 

Notes

1. By the "British language", the authors mean the language of the ancient Britons.
2. Scarromanwick is usually pronounced "Scarrermannick".


29 April 2008

© Steve Bulman