Stanhope Parish
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"This was formerly a portion of the extensive and ancient parish of Stanhope, and was for many years a chapelry, but in 1866 it was constituted a separate parish. It boundaries are - Hunstanworth on the north, Eastgate on the south, Westgate on the west, Edmondbyers and Stanhope. The area of the parish is about 880 acres, and the population in 1891 was 560."[From History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894]
"The Church, which was erected, but not dedicated, in 1822, is a plain stone building, consisting of nave, chancel, and vestry. It was restored in 1884, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity in 1892. The church will seat 250. There is a marble mural tablet to the memory of the Featherstone family. The living is a vicarage in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, valued at about £400, and held by the Rev. William Robert Hartley, M.A."[From History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894]
There is a picture (13 kbytes) of the parish church of St. John the Evangelist, Rookhope; supplied by George Bell.
"The village of Rookhope is situated on the fell, and somewhat isolated, about five miles north-west from Stanhope, and about six miles from Allenheads. There are Wesleyan and Methodist chapels here."Boltsburn is another village, which derives its name from a burn or stream running at right angles to Rookhope burn. Rookhope Burn joins the Wear at Eastgate. The principal employment of the inhabitants of this parish is farming, lead-mining, quarrying, and the railway of the Weardale Coal and Iron Company. The leadmining is carried on by the Weardale lead Company, who have mines situated at Boltsburn and Groverake in this parish, and others in the parishes of Westgate and Heatherycleugh. The railway of the Weardale Coal and iron Company runs from Park Head, in the parish of Stanhope, where it joins the North-eastern line, through Rookhope, to Westgate, and is used for the conveyance of coal, limestone, lead, &c. Coal for the village, smelt-mill, and Westgate; limestone from the quarry of the Weardale Coal and Iron Company to their iron-works, and lead from the mines to the smelt-mill, and thence to the market."
[From History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894]
[Last updated: 14th November 2000 - Paul R. Joiner]