Birtley, Northumberland, and the Besfords
Birtley is a village located about ten miles north of Hexham and about five miles south-east of Bellingham. The parish of Birtley is just over 13 square miles in area and includes various small hamlets and settlements including Redesmouth, Buteland, Carrycoats and Countess Park.
Birtley is where the Besfords in Northumberland grew exponentially, beginning with the marriage of John Besford (1717–1788) and Mary Felton in 1740.
The parish church of St. Giles in Birtley has seen many Besford baptisms, marriages and burials. Between 1741 and 1841, 52 Besfords were baptised there. Between 1771 and 1865, 27 Besfords were buried there, and between 1740 and 1811, 6 marriages involving a Besford took place there.
The population of the parish today is less than half of what it was in earlier times. Census figures are as follows:
| Year | Pop |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 490 |
| 1811 | 505 |
| 1821 | 480 |
| 1831 | 447 |
| 1841 | 472 |
| 1851 | 428 |
This compares with:
| Year | Pop |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 167 |
| 2011 | 172 |
| 2021 | 174 |
The reduction is probably primarily due to mechanisation in farming reducing the need for agricultural labourers.
St Giles Church is a Grade-II listed 12th-century church (restored 1884). Historic features include a Norman chancel arch, and an 8th-century inscribed stone. It is believed that a wooden Saxon church dating from the 7th century stood on the same site as the present church.
