· Newbiggin Directory

NEWBIGGIN is a small village, 7 miles NW. by N. of Appleby. Its parish, which has no dependant townships, lies between Milburn, Kirkby Thore, Temple Sowerby, and the Crowdundle beck, the latter of which separates it from Westmorland. In 1821, it contained 152 inhabitants including those in the hamlet of Hale. The Church, dedicated to St. Edmund, is an ancient edifice, which was re-pewed in 1804. The living is a rectory, in the patronage of William Crackenthorpe, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. John Robinson. It was valued in the king’s book at £4 14s. 2d. but in 1759 it was augmented with £200, given by Mrs. Deborah Crackenthorpe, and £200 obtained from Queen Anne’s bounty, with which sums the Potter Banks estate at Kirkoswold, now let for £40 a year, was purchased, besides which the rector has eleven acres of ancient glebe, and receives yearly £9 6s. 8d., and a "horse grass" from the lord of the manor and patron, who holds the corn tithe of the parish under this prescript rent. The present Rectory House was built about 45 years ago by the late Rev. George Dawson. THE MANOR OF NEWBIGGIN was granted by Gamel, son of Whelp, to Robert Dapifer de Appleby, whose posterity assumed the local name, and resided here till the fifth of Edward III., when their heiress, Emma de Newbiggin, was married to Robert de Crackenthorpe, who descendants have ever since been seated here, and several of them were members of Parliament for the county of Westmorland, which in the 16^th of Richard II. allowed one of them £18 for twenty eight days’ attendance, and another in the 1^st of Henry IV., £26 16s. for sixty-three days’ attendance at the House of Commons. Since those times much change has taken place between representatives and constituents; and now, instead of receiving wages for their services, the candidates for Parliamentary honours expend vast sums to obtain their seats, and undoubtedly expect to find other means for reimbursement. William Crackenthorpe, Esq., the present lord of this manor, resides at NEWBIGGIN HALL, a large edifice with towers and turrets, built in 1533, on the site of the ancient manor house, as appears by a poetical inscription over the Hall door. It stands in the deep sequestered and well wooded vale of Crowdundle, where, upon the rocks there, were formerly several inscriptions, now "mouldered away by length of time." Camden saw three of them in a mutilated state, and read them as follows: "Varronius, Commander of the Twentieth Legion." – "Aelius Lucanus, Commander of the Second Legion." – " and Cneius Octavius Cotta, Consul;" but it is doubted whether they were Roman, or cut by some more modern hand, for the purpose of amusing antiquaries. About twelve years ago most of the estates in the manor were enfranchised. Upon the large and unenclosed common are several cottages, built for the reception of paupers. The interest of £50, left by Mr. John Harrison, and other benefactors, is distributed yearly amongst the poor who do not receive parochial relief.

HALE, a small village, ¾ of a mile S. of Newbiggin, and partly in the parish of Kirkby-Thore. In 1534 this estate, called Hale Grange, was purchased by Christopher Crackenthorpe, Esq. from the Crown, for £255 3s., it having previously belonged to the Abbey of Holme Cultram.

Newbiggin Parish Directory - In the following Directory, those marked 1 live at Hale.