Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Isaac Burnhope

Male Abt 1715 - 1781  (~ 66 years)


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  • Name Isaac Burnhope 
    Born Abt 1715  of, Northumberland or Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 1 Oct 1781  Wood Hall Mill, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 4 Oct 1781  Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I1807  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Mr. Burnhope or Burnop or Burnip 
    Family ID F1124  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Jane,   b. Abt 1731, of Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. William Burnhope,   c. 21 Jul 1745, Shotley, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location
     2. Kathrine Burnhope,   c. 27 Jul 1747, Hunstantworth, Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. Isaac Burnhope,   c. 2/02 Mar 1748/9, Hunstanworth, Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 2 May 1762, Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 13 years)
     4. John Burnhope,   c. 10/10 Mar 1750/1, Hunstantworth, Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Mary Burnep or Burnup,   c. 14 Oct 1753, Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 4 Dec 1826, Ovingham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 73 years)
     6. Joseph Burnhope,   c. 7 Mar 1756, Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 27 Jun 1836, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 80 years)
     7. Ann Burnhope,   c. 9 Apr 1758, Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location
     8. Hannah Burnhope,   c. 23 May 1760, Hexham, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F46  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Reviewed Ancestry.com 23 Nov 2002.

      2. By following the various christening records of his children, we can ascertain Isaac's residence and and the name of his wife Jane. Isaac lived in the Newbiggin/Riddlehamhope area which was centered near Shotley, Hunstantworth, and Hexham parishes all of which he had children christened. Newbiggin/Riddlehamhope do not show on most maps since they are not villages as much as a just a location. Using older maps, I was able to locate them. On modern maps such as Google, locate Hunstanworth in County Durham. Just slightly above Hunstanworth across the field is the River Derwent going from west to east. Slightly to the west of Hunstanworth, the river turns upward northwesternly while a serpentine forested hill turns southwesterly. At this first bow on the north side is Newbiggin Fell. Continue to follow the river as it then immediately turns back west and then you are at Riddlehamhope on the north side of the river. Slightly to the west of that is Riddlehamhope Fell. Note that this river is the boundary between counties Durham on the south and Northumberland on the north thereby making the Burnhopes residents of Northumberland. The meaning of the old English word Fell is from the Old Norse meaning an upland stretch of open country; a moor; or a barren or stony hill. We know that Isaac was a miller because he eventually ends up at Woodhall Mill very near Haydon's Bridge where he dies in 1781. The location of Newbiggin/Riddlehamhope on a river may have been due to work as a miller even though his early profession is not given in the christening records.
      The record of his child William must appear in two separate registers (a local and bishop's trancript?) because my transcription shows the entry below whereas the LDS IGI shows the same entry without the father but with a mother Jane Burnhope listed. This establishes Jane as the wife of Isaac.
      Note that in a separate transcription book for Hexham baptisms (1752-1851) which I reviewed at the Northumberland Records Office at Woodhorn Jun 2009, there were some minor differences as noted above in [brackets].
      The various parish records showing the christening of Isaac's children in chronological order show:
      Shotley, Northumberland:
      William Burnhope, son of Isaac of Newggin(sic) hope chr. 21 Jul 1745.
      Hunstanworth, Durham [I also confirmed the records on FHL film 1068651):
      Kath. Burnhope, d. of Isaac, chr. 27 Jul 1747. [Note the entry immediately afterwards is the marriage of William Burnhope and Jane Short even though it is dated 3 May1747; the surname is spelled the same.]
      Isaac Burnhope, s. of Isaac of Ridlehope [sic], chr. 2 Mar 1748/1749 (bur in 1762 in Hexham).
      John Burnhope, s. of Isaac of Newbigginhope, chr. 10 Mar 1750/1751
      Hexham, Northumberland:
      Mary Burnep, dau. of Isaac Burnep chr. 14 Oct 1753. [Mary Burnip, d. of Isaac of Leafield House. I have tried to find a Leafield House using Google and what I can find thus far is in Birtley, a suburb in County Durham of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne just north of Chester-le-Street. This is off the path considering Newbiggin and Whitley Mill are in close proximity to each other south of Hexham and makes one wonder if there is a closer Leafield House.]
      Joseph Burnip, son of Isaac Burnip chr. 7 Mar 1756. [Isaac of Whitley Mill.]
      Ann Burnip, dau. of Isaac Burnip chr. 9 Apr 1758. [Isaac of Whitley Mill.]
      Hannah Burnip, dau. of Isaac Burnip chr. 23 Mar 1760. [Mary Burnip, d. of Isaac - not sure why one transcription would say Hannah and the other Mary.]

      3. The following two records for the same son help establish parentage of William as Isaac and Jane Burnhope:
      A. From the book of indexed baptisms (1675-1786) transcripts in the Shotley parish church from my 23 Jun 2009 visit to the Society of Genealogists in London, England. I also reviewed parish record transcripts in the Northumberland and Durham Record Offices. The baptismal entry transcript: "1745, Jul 21, William Burnhope, son of Isaac of Newggin(sic) hope."
      B. LDS IGI has an extracted record for William Burnhope, chr. 21 Jul 1745 at Shotley, Northumberland, England with a mother shown as Jane Burnhope. No father is shown in this extraction. No other Burnhopes (or other name variations) occur in the fully extracted christening record of 1675-1861.

      4. The following family appears in the Hunstanworth Parish (1659-1760) Register (birth, marr., and burials) and is most likely a brother to Isaac Burnhope even though no specific relationship is indicated except just being the same age in the same parish with exactly the same spelling of surname. It may also be significant that Ramshaw is at the end of Mill Road as described below since our Isaac also a miller later at Woodhall Mill near Haydon Bridge where he dies in 1789. Newbigginhope is less than a mile northwest of Hunstanworth. Except for the christenings of the three children of Isaac, the following are the only other Burnhopes in the Registers. I have also since confirmed the entries with the church records on FHL film 1068651. Ramshay/Ramsby is probably the small property called Ramshaw on older maps or very good modern maps; it can be located on by going straight south just a little over a mile from Hunstanworth through the farmstead Townfield. The main road ends at the tip of the V created where Mill Road intersects the road south. On Google maps, this appears to be nothing more than a farmstead. The notations in [brackets] are my estimation of family grouping and the way I have arranged them in New Family Search 3 Aug 2009:
      Marr. 3 May 1747, Wm. Burnhope and Jane Short. [Probable parents of the next four children.]
      Bapt. 14 Jan 1747/1748, John Burnhope, son of William of Ramshay.
      Bapt. 29 Jul 1750, William Burnhope, son of William of Ramshay.
      Bapt. 29 Oct 1752, George Burnhope, son of William.
      Bur. 8 Sep 1755, Jane Burnhope, wife of William of Ramshy. [Probably Jane Short since no more entries for children occur. Judging from year, she may have died in childbirth.]

      5. FHL film 2193232, Warden Parish Easter Rate books, has a subsection for Woodhall Mill for the years 1773-1778 with 4-6 families; however, there are no Burnhopes listed.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. Occupation: miller. Note that millers were generally contractual and would stay with a mill until the contract was not renewed. They would then take another contract with a mill owner wherever there was work; hence it was not unusual for them to move often and over great distances.

      BIRTH:
      1. See notes below for tombstone transcription indicating Isaac was 66 years old when he died in 1781. This equates to approximately 1715.

      PHOTO:
      1. Woodhall Mill is the residence of Isaac and his family when he died. In June 2009, I was able to visit and photograph this building, which still exists today with the same name. It is just east of Haydon Bridge on the south side of the river where a road goes off to the south towards Elrington. As one turns off this main river road, there is almost immediately a fork in the road with the right side going to Elrington. Woodhall mill is immediately on the left right just as the fork begins. It is still named with a visible plaque. (Do not confuse with "Woodhall" which is up the left road a short distance. The buildings were recently remodeled and turned into four or five residences. The old millpond is in the "fork" and mainly overgrown. I visited with one of the families and they provided me a copy of a colored painting of the mill as it existed in the very early 1900s. I have this image as well as the photos on file.
      One of the residents that I visited also shared with me copies of some old historical records that they have found on this property. There is nothing genealogical for us with these documents, but there is some interesting history. I do not believe the lead smelting mill in question is the actual modern Woodhall Mill since it appears to have been more agriculturally based - but I am not entirely sure of this.
      A. One letter was written in 1720 from Thomas Errington, who appears to have been one of Lady Derwentwater's agent. She was the large landholder in the area and apparently owned the mill as well. Many of the topologogical features of the regional extended area have the name Derwent and apparently the family was connected. Her husband was executed in 1716 at Tower Hill in London as part of the Stuart Jacobite Rebellion. The letter in question refers to some repair money needed for the tinant at the "Lead mill att woodhall."
      B. Another letter to the same Lady from Charles Busby, another of her agents. He talks about the complaints of the local farmers that when the smelting mill was operational, it resulted in the death of much local cattle from infected grass due to the sulpherous smoke of the mill. Also it is alleged that the smelting mill will take so much water from Wood spring that none will be left for the corn mill.
      C. Another letter to the same Lady from the agent Thomas Errington dated 14 Jun 1722. It talks about "a great many Slaggs and old waist heaps at wood hall Lead mine." They talk of the value of these waste piles and other routine and obscure business affairs.
      D. The following document is dated from just after the Burnhopes would have resided there:
      "Report of the Visitation of Greenwich Hospital Estates 1815 (Northumberland Record Office. Ref: NRO 47/42/3 pg. 24.
      'On Monday the 24th we proceeded to view the Buildings on the following Farms and Mill, in Langley Barony.
      'Woodhall Mill. - The Dwelling-House, which formerly consisted only of a Kitchen and Dairy with two Lodging-Rooms above, was evidently too small for this establishment, it has therefore been lately enlarged, by two additionaly Rooms below and two above at an Expense of ₤166.
      'The Mill House being too small for the necessary machinery, and the Drying Kiln improperly placed within it, by which the whole establishment was continually exposed to accident from Fire, the latter has been remvoed to the back of the premises, from which it is separated by a strong party Wall: a Barley Mill and Flour Cylinder, with other improvements in the Machinery, have been completed at an Expense of ₤309; the whole now forming a convenient and very compact Mil extablishment, highly useful to the Hospital's numerous Tenantry on his fine Estate."

      BURIAL:
      1. From the book of indexed burial (1654-1812) transcripts in the Haydon Bridge parish church from my 23 Jun 2009 visit to the Society of Genealogists in London, England. Note that the place Woodhall is actually Woodhall Mill which still exists and which I visited. It sits by itself less than a mile east of Haydon Bridge on a small creek and has been recently divided and renovated into a small freehold of four homes while retaining the old name. It was an actual mill once owned by Lady Dentwent of the gentry. The Burnhopes were contract millers moving from one mill to the next depending on their contracts. Contemporary records of that time indicate that the Burnhopes were millers. There is nothing else in the near vicinity making it its own farm/mill in the countryside. Haydon Bridge would be the nearest parish church. The following are all of the individuals surnamed Burnhope or variation thereof for the period of time from 1654-1812. We can surmise that the Burnhopes first moved to the area by no later than 1785 when Joseph had a child christened there and that Isaac's son Joseph continued there until at least 1809 when his daughter Elizabeth is buried there. We can also link Joseph with Isaac since both are of the Woodhall Mill, a single farmstead. Being that Isaac died without a notation that he was the "son of," we can safely assume he was an adult and even though there is the possibility he could be a brother of Joseph, it is more likely in my opinion that he was the father:
      1781, Oct 4: Isaac Burnhope of Woodhall.
      1809, Oct 1: Elizabeth Burnhope, dau. of Joseph of Haydon Bridge.
      1790, Oct 25: Thomas Burnhope, son of Joseph of Woodhall.

      2. FHL film 991796, Haydon Bridge church burial records: "4 Oct 1781, Isaac Burnhope of Woodhall Mill."

      3. Tombstone sketched and described in FHL film 94994 at Haydon Bridge Church: "Here Lieth the Body of Isaac Burnip of the Wood Hall Mill Who died Oct'r 1 1781 At 66 years. In memmory of Elisabeth Daughter of Jo. Burnhope ob. Oct'r 1 1809 at 17. Also Ann ob. 18th 1810 at 16. Also Jo His son ob Feb 10th 1813 Aged 27 years."
      Headstone 24-1/2 x 2-3/8 x 32.