Baptisms, Marriages & Burials
Baptisms
Although the church was not consecrated until 13th November 1861, baptisms were performed in the chapel of the Sir John Duck Hospital, at the west end of the village.
The earliest baptisms for the new parish, obtained from the registers at Durham Record Office are :-
No.1 September 2nd 1858, Ann, daughter of William and Jane CARR of Carrville, collier.
No.2 Sept.6th 1858, Andrew, son of George and Elizabeth SWAINSTON of Wapping, husbandman.
No.3 Sept.6th 1858, Richard, son of Elizabeth TATE of Lumley, spinster.
No.4 Sept.6th 1858, Isabel, daughter of William and Elizabeth MEEK of Lumley, blacksmith.
No.49 June 6th 1858, William son of John and Mary WALLS of Lumley, tailor.
All by John Dodds, curate of Lumley.
First baptisms in the newly consecrated church
No.268 Nov.17th.1861, Thomas son of Ralph and Ann WILSON of George Pit Engine, engine driver.
No.269 Dec.4th. 1861, Elizabeth daughter of Robert and Rebecca HALL of Floater's Mill Farm, hind. By John Dodd, curate.
By 1862 Rev. John Dodd was "Incumbent" :-
No.293 April 27th.1862, (born Feb.13th.1862), William son of William and Jane CLEMENT of Lumley, tailor. By John Dodd, Incumbent.
By 1868 Rev. John Dodd was signing the register as "Vicar".
Marriages
The first marriage in the new parish registers was :-
No.1 June 15th 1862:
John ARTHUR, age 26, of Brecon Hill, miller. father John Elder Arthur, potter.
Isabella DODDS, age 24, of Brecon Hill, spinster. father Benjamin DODDS, collier.
By John DODD, incumbent.
Burials
The first entries in the new burial book are:-
No.1 December 4th. 1861, George LOWERY, age 66, of Lumley.
No.2 December 10th. 1861, Mary WILLIAMSON, age 37, of Pea Flats Engine.
No.3 December 22nd.1861, Sarah Jane WALLACE, age 30mins, of Woodsend House.
No.4 December 24th.1861, Elizabeth ROBINSON, age 63, of Brecon Hill.
No.5 January 10th. 1862, William WILSON, age 7wks., of Lumley.
No.6 January 20th. 1862, Robert HOLMES, age 10mins., of Lumley.
No.7 January 23rd. 1862, Ann MORRALEE, age 57, of Lumley.
No.8 January 27th.1862, John GREEN, age 5 weeks, of Lumley.
Burial in Lumley Churchyard 1886
No.295 Isabella LAWSON, age 45, abode Lumley, buried July 4th 1886 by Rev. John Dodd.
Rev Dodd has added the following note:- "Smoking her pipe in the loft, she set fire to a keg of gunpowder"!
Her inquest, in the Durham Advertiser for Friday July 9th 1886 reads:-
"Fatal Powder Explosion at Lumley - On Saturday, an inquest was held at the Woodcutters Arms, Lumley before Mr Crofton Maynard, coroner - on the body of Isabella Lawson, married, who was killed the previous day by an explosion of blasting powder which occured in her own house. The deceased was the wife of Thomas Lawson, a miner, living in Potter Row, Lumley, and she left her husband and four persons sitting in the kitchen on Friday night and porceeded upstairs for the purpose of making the beds. Almost immediately afterwards a tremedous explosion occured, carring away the roof of the building and almost wrecking the house. It seemed that the deceased was in the habit of smoking, and that in the room there was a cask of blasting powder which her husband used for making cartridges. It is supposed that a spark had fallen into the cask of powder and thus caused the explosion. The deceased was almost buried in the debris and only survived a few minutes after being rescued. She was terribly injured. Lawson said there would have been six or seven pounds of powder.
The jury recorded a verdict of "accidental death" and recommended that greater care should be taken generally in the storage of powder."
The Rev. John DODD's burial in the churchyard :-
No.520 October 13th. 1890,
Reverend John DODD, M.A., age 61.First vicar of the parish, of Lumley Vicarage.
Service performed by Rev. W. GREENWELL, vicar of Harton; Rev. H.E. COOPER, and Rev. M.J. STREET of Minister.
Rev.John DODD is buried outside the east window of Christ Church Lumley.
Burial Fees
George Peart, retired choir member, has supplied a sheet showing burial fees for around 1940, the fees are in old money:-
Double grave with organ - £3-10s-0d
Single grave with organ - £3- 8s-0d
Vicar 15s, organ 21s (it appears the organist was more valuable than the vicar!)
without organ, less 21s:-
Double grave with service at chapel, £3-10s-0d
Single grave with service at chapel - £2-7s-0d
Vicar 15s.
Cremation at Church - Vicar 15s, sexton 10s, digging 10s extra.
Note
I have Lumley indexed records of Lumley baptisms, marriages and burials from 1858 to 1901. If you would like a look-up or to check an entry, please contact the webmaster via the e-mail address at the bottom of the Home page.