Lesbury Parish, by the late George Tate, F.G.S. 447 



Coming down to a more recent period, we find Thomas 

 Fenwick, of Lesbury, Gent., included in a list of freeholders 

 in 1628 ; and that the family of Coulter or Coulthard, held 

 land in Lesbury for near to two centuries. Michael Coulter 

 was one of the jury of the Court Baron, held at Alnwick, 

 May 7th, 1G90 ; he died at Lesbury on Feb. 23rd, 1722, aged 

 75 years. John Coulter, his son, in 1742, left to the poor of 

 the parish, £20, which in 1786, produced £2 9s. 6d. yearly, 

 the rent of a gallery in the church. Michael Coulthard of 

 London, voted on account of his property in Lesbury at the 

 election of members for the county, in 1826. After this the 

 property was sold to the Duke of Northumberland. 



Excepting 1| acres belonging to the Vicarage, 3 acres to 

 the owner of the rectorial tithes, 4 J acres to the school, and 

 land belonging to the North Eastern Railway Company, the 

 whole land of the township is in the possession of the Duke 

 of Northumberland. There are eight farm holdings, differing 

 in extent from 80 acres to 325 acres ; and let on an average 

 at 27s. per acre. 



Lesbury is now a mere country village —long and strag- 

 gling, chiefly composed of cottages. There are now in it, 

 the vicarage, two farm houses, one inn, a large mansion, 

 called Lesbury House, a blacksmith's shop, a school, and 46 

 cottages. Thirty one of these cotta.ges belong to the Duke 

 of Northumberland, and to all of them land is attached ; 

 the quantity in 14 of them exceeds three acres, and one has 

 as much as 6 \ acres ; 12 of them have from \ an acre to 

 1 acre, and 5 others have less than \ an acre. There are 

 15 cottages besides, which belong to other owners. 



Lesbury, Hawkhill, Bilton, and Wooden townships, are 

 united for the purposes of the Poor Law ; the whole in 

 1870 were assessed at a gross rental of £7846 Is. 7d., and at 

 a rateable value of £7331 8s. 9d. ; the rate in that year was 

 Is. 7d. in the pound, amounting to £581 9s. l|d.* The 

 population in 1801, amounted to 524, in 1811, to 505, in 

 1821, to 576, in 1831, to 561, in 1841, to 628, in 1851, to 

 750, in 1861, to 750, and in 1871, to 814. The increase 

 in 70 years has been 55 per cent., or an annual increase of 

 about 4 persons. 



The School is under the government of the vicar and the 

 four and twenty of the church ; it is supported partly by 

 the rent of four and a half acres of land at Pine Hill, left 



[* In 1874, Lesbury was assessed for County Eate, at £9003.] 



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