Widdrington is a village and (as Widdrington Village) a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the county of
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
, England. It borders
Tritlington and West Chevington and
East Chevington parishes to the north, the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
to the east,
Cresswell and
Ellington and Linton
Ellington may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Ellington, Cambridgeshire
*Ellington, Northumberland
* Ellington High and Low, a civil parish in North Yorkshire
**High Ellington
** Low Ellington
United States
*Ellington Airport (Texas), Hou ...
parishes to the south, and
Widdrington Station and Stobswood
Widdrington Station and Stobswood is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the county of Northumberland, England. It has 2,767 (as of 2011) and is north-northeast of Morpeth, Northumberland, Morpeth. It includes the settlements of ''Widd ...
parish to the west. In 2011 the parish has a population of 167.
History
The area was the seat of the
Widdrington family. In 1642,
William Widdrington raised forces in support of
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, who elevated him to the new title of Baron Widdrington. After the defeat of the Royalist forces in the North, he fled and his estates were confiscated by Parliament. He returned in support of Charles II, but was slain at the
Battle of Wigan Lane
The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on 25 August 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between a Royalist army led by the Earl of Derby and forces loyal to the Commonwealth of England under Colonel Robert Lilburne. The Royalists were defeat ...
.
William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington
William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington (167819 April 1743), was an English Roman Catholic peer and supporter of the Stuart claim to the Crown.
Background
Widdrington was the son of William Widdrington, 3rd Baron Widdrington, by the Honoura ...
, was convicted of high treason for his part in the
Jacobite rising of 1715
The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ;
or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts
The House of Stuart, ori ...
, his title forfeited, and his estates broken up and sold.
The medieval tower house, Widdrington Castle, fell into ruin after a fire 1777, finally being demolished in 1862.
James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
stayed at the castle on 8 April 1603 as a guest of
Sir Robert Carey and his wife Elizabeth Trevanion.
On 19 December 2003 the parish was renamed from "Widdrington" to "Widdrington Village".
Landmarks
The Grade I listed parish church dates to the 12th century. There are ruins of a medieval castle,
Widdrington Castle, a
Scheduled Ancient Monument.
In the grounds of the parish church sits the War Memorial Cross, on which is the inscription: "SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN FROM THIS DISTRICT WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919"
Notable people
*
Anne Hepple Dickinson (1877–1959), writer
*
James Bulmer Johnson (1889–1943), First World War British Army officer and recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
*
Bob Morton (1906–1990), English footballer
See also
*
Woodhorn
*
Druridge Bay
*
Ulgham
References
{{authority control
Villages in Northumberland
Civil parishes in Northumberland