Mainsforth
| Mainsforth | |
|---|---|
 Mainsforth | |
  Mainsforth Location within County Durham | |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Mainsforth is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Bishop Middleham, in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England.[1] It is to the east of Ferryhill. The earliest settlement in Mainsforth may have been on Marble (Narble Hill). It has been suggested, without great historical foundation, that this was a Danish settlement. In 1961 the parish had a population of 229.[2] From medieval times through to the early twentieth century the village was in effect a small collection of farms and farm workers' cottages.
Mainsforth Hall was a significant building in the centre of this small village, until its demolition in the 1960s. The hall was for many years the dwelling of the Surtees family. A notable member of the family was Robert Surtees (1779–1834), a County Durham historian.[3]
Mainsforth Colliery, active from 1872-1968, lay between the village and Ferryhill Station.
Etymology
[edit]The name Mainsforth is of Old English origin. The second element is ford. The first is unknown, but may be one of the personal-names Maino or Maegen.[4]
Civil parish
[edit]Mainsforth was formerly a township in the parish of Bishop-Middleham,[5] from 1866 Mainsforth was a civil parish in its own right,[6] on 1 April 1983 the parish was abolished and merged with Bishop Middleham and Ferryhill.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 93 Middlesbrough (Darlington & Hartlepool) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2010. ISBN 9780319228777.
- ^ "Population statistics Mainsforth CP/Tn through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Robert Surtees (1779 - 1834)". co-curate.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ "Key to English Place-names - Mainsforth, Durham". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "History of Mainsforth, in Sedgefield and County Durham". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Relationships and changes Mainsforth CP/Tn through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Durham Western Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 7 August 2023.