Place:Chester Ward, Durham, England

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Name	Chester Ward
Type	Hundred
Located in	Durham, England

The 1832 map illustrating the wards of County Durham (listed below) divides the county into only four wards: the Northern Division made up of Chester Ward to the northwest of the smaller Easington Ward on the North Sea coast, and the Southern Division made up of Stockton Ward on the west and Darlington Ward on the east. Durham Ward, which was only established in 1829, does not appear on the map.

Norhamshire and Islandshire located to the north of Northumberland at the time of the map were transferred to Northumberland in 1844.

A Vision of Britain through Time) quotes from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"CHESTER, a ward of the county of Durham. It forms the northern part of the county; is separated from Easington ward by the river Wear, from a point 2¾ miles south of Durham to the sea; extends west by southward, from the Wear's mouth to Shorngate-Cross, 33 miles; varies in breadth, northward, from 3 miles to 17; and contains thirteen parishes, parts of two others, and an extra-parochial tract. Acres: 138,711. Population in 1851: 74,706; in 1861: 99,872. Houses: 17,776."

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Parishes and Townships

Ancient parishes are listed in bold type.

Parish and Townships	Description	Ancient Parish	Notes
Barmston	township, civil parish	Washington	absorbed into Washington in 1937
Bedlington	parish (ancient), civil parish	Bedlington, Northumberland	transferred to Northumberland in 1844
Benfieldside	township, civil parish, urban district	Lanchester	absorbed into Consett in 1937
Birtley	chapelry, civil parish	Chester le Street	part of Gateshead Borough in Tyne and Wear since 1974
Boldon	parish (ancient), civil parish, urban district	Boldon	part of South Tyneside in Tyne and Wear since 1974
Broom	township, civil parish	Durham St. Oswald	absorbed into Brandon and Byshottles and Bearpark in 1937
Chester le Street	chapelry, parish (ancient), civil parish, urban district	Chester le Street	became part of the Chester le Street non-metropolitan district in 1974
Chopwell	township, civil parish	Winlaton	part of Blaydon since 1937
Collierley	township, chapelry, civil parish	Lanchester	absorbed into Stanley in 1937
Conside and Knitsley	township, civil parish	Medomsley	split between Consett and Knitsley
Crawbrook	township, civil parish	Ryton	absorbed into Ryton in 1914
Crossgate	township, civil parish	Durham St. Margaret	redirected to Durham St. Margaret
Durham St. Margaret	chapelry	Durham St. Oswald	now considered part of the city of Durham
Durham St. Oswald	chapelry, parish (ancient), civil parish	Durham St. Oswald	an ecclesiastical parish of the city of Durham
Ebchester	chapelry, civil parish	Lanchester	absorbed into Consett in 1937
Edmundbyers	parish (ancient), civil parish	Edmundbyers	became part of the Wear Valley non-metropolitan district in 1974
Edmondsley	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Chester le Street non-metropolitan district in 1974
Elvet	township, civil parish	Durham St. Oswald	absorbed into the city of Durham in 1916
Esh	chapelry, civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the City of Durham non-metropolitan district in 1974
Framwellgate	township, civil parish	Durham	area within city of Durham
Fulwell	township, civil parish	Monkwearmouth	absorbed into the county borough of Sunderland in 1928 (now in Tyne and Wear)
Gateshead	parish (ancient), civil parish, county borough	Gateshead	now the principal settlement in the Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear
Greencroft	township, civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Harraton	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Harton	township, civil parish	Jarrow	absorbed into South Shields in 1921. Now part of South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear
Healeyfield	township, civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Hedworth Monkton and Jarrow	township, civil parish	Jarrow	split between Hebburn, Jarrow and Monkton in 1894
Heworth	chapelry, civil parish	Jarrow	Gateshead (1835-1894), Felling (1894-1974)
Hunstanworth	chapelry, civil parish	Edmundbyers	became part of the Wear Valley non-metropolitan district in 1974
Hylton	township, civil parish	Monkwearmouth	became part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Iveston	township, civil parish	Lanchester	Leadgate urban district until 1937, then Consett
Jarrow	parish (ancient), civil parish, municipal borough	Jarrow	became part of South Tyneside in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Kimblesworth	parish (ancient), civil parish	Kimblesworth	City of Durham District in 1974
Kyo	township, civil parish	Lanchester	Stanley in 1937
Lamesley	chapelry, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Borough of Gateshead metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Lanchester	parish (ancient), civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Langley	township, civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Medomsley	chapelry, civil parish	Lanchester	absorbed into Consett in 1937
Monkwearmouth	parish (ancient), civil parish	Monkwearmouth	became part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Monkwearmouth Shore	township, civil parish	Monkwearmouth	absorbed into the county borough of Sunderland in 1897 (now in Tyne and Wear)
Muggleswick	parish (ancient), civil parish	Muggleswick	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Ouston	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Chester le Street non-metropolitan district in 1974
Pelton	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Chester le Street non-metropolitan district in 1974
Plawsworth	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Chester le Street non-metropolitan district in 1974
Ryton	parish (ancient), civil parish, urban district	Ryton	became part of the Borough of Gateshead metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Ryton Woodside	township, civil parish	Ryton	became part of Ryton in 1912
Satley	chapelry, civil parish	Lanchester	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
South Shields	township, civil parish, county borough	Jarrow	became part of South Tyneside metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Southwick	township, civil parish, urban district	Monkwearmouth	became part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Stella	township, civil parish	Ryton	became part of Ryton in 1912
Tanfield	chapelry, civil parish, urban district	Chester le Street	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Urpeth	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of the Derwentside non-metropolitan district in 1974
Usworth	chapelry, civil parish	Washington	absorbed into Washington in 1937
Waldridge	township, civil parish	Chester le Street	became part of Chester le Street District in 1974
Washington	parish (ancient), civil parish, urban district	Washington	became part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Westoe	township, civil parish	Jarrow	became part of South Shields County Borough in 1866
Whickham	parish (ancient), civil parish, urban district	Whickham	became part of the Borough of Gateshead metropolitan district in Tyne and Wear in 1974
Whitburn	parish (ancient), civil parish	Whitburn	split between Boldon and South Shields in 1936
Winlaton	township, civil parish	Ryton	absorted into Blaydon urban district in 1937
Witton Gilbert	parish (ancient), civil parish	Witton Gilbert	became part of the City of Durham non-metropolitan district in 1974

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Research Tips

County Durham Archives. Durham County Record Office is located on the Lower Ground Floor of County Hall, the administrative headquarters of Durham County Council, in Durham City.
Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and the northern part of County Durham. The Family History Society have a research centre in Percy House in central Newcastle upon Tyne (full address on website), open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Browse the website to see what else the society can provide.
The Cleveland, North Yorkshire & South Durham Family History Society covers the southern part of County Durham as well as the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire on the south side of the River Tees. Their homepage includes a map to show the society's coverage. (Once again, full address and other details on the website)
Further information from GENUKI
Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1832 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time. This map includes the boundaries of the various Wards (or "hundreds") in existence at that time.
Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1944 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
English Jurisdictions 1851, a parish finding aid provided by FamilySearch, particularly helpful in large towns and cities.
Unfortunately, the Victoria County History for Durham is limited in its coverage. It only includes the cathedral city of Durham, including an account of the cathedral itself. Also covers Stockton Ward in the south-east of the county (bordering North Yorkshire) including Hartlepool and Stockton on Tees.