Re: RAY Family Tree Book

Hi Raymond, I did receive your e-mail And have been trying to work out how to explain it to you.

Barton St. Marys, Durham I have not heard of, sowill look into that. My mother has a book of all the Parish Churches in it , so I will have a look & get back to you about that one.

Harpley & Ferry are 2 villages near Bishope Auckland, Co. Durham, England. On a old map there was a Harpley House about 2 miles West of B. Auckland & Ferry is probably Ferryhill, which is about 4 miles East of B. Auckland. It sounds like someone has had property e.g. Hall or Manor house & land which would include a farm which would probably be named Hall Farm or Glebe Farm in both of these villages.

The name Ferryhill comes from 'fairy hill'. The hilltop may have had a Stone Age burial surrounded by a round ditch, & over the years the ditch may have been called a 'fairy ring' to try & explain why there was a round circle on top of a hill.

The term - Bishopic, means the area of land owned by the Bishope of Durham. So who ever had the manor house at Harply House paid rent to a landlord or to the Bishope.

The Bishope owned most, but not all the land in Co. Durham, he would let it out to Barons, Baronets, Knights & Monks, they in turn let it out to anyone with enough money to rent it. Then the Squires let it out to farmers & villagers. Get the picture.

I hope this has been some help to you.

Best regards,Kathy