Kirkbride Parish
> | Is bounded on the east and north by the river Wampool,
and on the west and south by Oulton and East Waver townships, being about 1½ mile in
length and breadth. It has no dependant township, but contains the hamlets of Longland's-Head1 and Powhill, lying within one mile south of the village,
and 1606 acres of land, rated at £1609 belonging to J. Hodgson, Esq., the Clark,
Alderson, Minton, Donald, Wills, with some other families, and a few resident yeomen. The
soil is various, but in general consists either of a moss earth or clay, and is very
level. Its population, in 1841, amounted to 372 souls. The manor of Kirkbride is
parcel of the barony of Wigton, from which it was granted in the reign of King John, by
Adam, son of Odard, to Adam, his second son, whose posterity, as was usual in those days,
assumed the local name, and were styled de Kirkbride. It remained in this family till
George Kirkbride, the last of that house, transferred a moiety thereof to the Dalstons, of
Dalston Hall, the remainder was afterwards sold by another co-heir, to the lord paramount
of Wigton, where it continued till the 6th earl of Northumberland gave it to Henry VIII,
who granted the same to Thomas Dalston, Esq., whereby this family became entire lords of
the manor, and held it under the king in capite by knight's service, and paying
13s. 4d. for carnage2, 22d. for puture of the sergeants, and
16d. sea wake, &c. It continued in the Dalston family till 1764, when Sir George
Dalston sold it to Joseph Wilson, Esq., of Pontefract, who sold it to Wm. Matthews, Esq.,
of Dykesfield, from whom it passed, by purchase, to the earl of Lonsdale. Sir George
Dalston also sold the advowson to the Rev. Thos. Metcalfe, vicar of St. Margaret's, in
Leicester.
DEOBELATOCAIRO3 A large holy water trough has been also found in the garden, and is now placed in the church, where there is also a capacious and much admired font. Under the chancel window is a tomb recording the death, in 1746, of a son and five daughters of the Rev. Lancelot Thompson, curate of this parish, all of whom died of the small pox within the space of three weeks. Here is a small meeting house belonging to the Society of Friends, though there is only one member of that body in the parish. Longland's-Head and Powhill are two small hamlets within one mile S. of Kirkbride.
Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847
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Notes
1. Longland's-Head is now Longlands Head
2. "carnage" - probably a misprint for cornage, a rent payment
(or sometimes service) assessed on the number of cattle.
3. Although I have no other reference to the Roman inscription, the first
line should probably read "DEO BELATO(V)CADRO, Belatucadrus being a well-attested
local god.
Photo © Steve Bulman.
19 June 2015
© Steve Bulman