• MyHeritage Wiki
  • Genealogy research by location
  • United Kingdom
  • Cumbria
    • Main contributor: James L. Tanner
    Glenridding, Cumbria, England.

    Cumbria is the most north westerly ceremonial county in England and was created as an administrative county in 1974.[1] It comprises six districts: Allerdale, Eden, and South Lakeland, the boroughs of Barrow-in-Furness and Copeland, and the city of Carlisle. The administrative county comprises the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland and parts of the historic counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Carlisle, the county’s largest urban area, is the administrative centre.[2] Cumbria has an area of 6,768 km² which makes it England’s third largest county, but it only has seventy-three inhabitants per km2. It is the third least densely populated county in the country.[1]

    Research your ancestors on MyHeritage

    Cumbria: landscape, industry, agriculture, and attractionsCumbria: landscape, industry, agriculture, and attractions

    The Cumbria Lake District, a national park, is home to 16 major lakes, including Windermere, the largest and longest lake in England, and Wast Water, the deepest lake.[3] The Lake District also features lush forests and picturesque valleys, making it a popular destination for hiking and outdoor activities.[3] Cumbria also has England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike. Cumbria’s coastline stretches along the Irish Sea from Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth. The coastal areas include sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and scenic peninsulas like Cartmel and Furness.[4]

    Cumbria’s workforce of 235,000 is employed across a range of industries, with over 16% working in manufacturing and just over 14% in accommodation and food services. The county’s expertise in the nuclear sector also provides an important source of employment in Cumbria, alongside traditional industries such as agriculture, forestry & fishing. The county includes nearly 3,000 square kilometers of National Park land.[5]

    Farming is central to the rural economy of Cumbria. Directly, farming activities employ over 12,000 people on either a full-time (52%) or part-time basis. In addition they support a large downstream supply chain and a variety of upstream businesses.[6] In addition to the Lake District, Cumbria has many scenic and historic towns and villages. Keswick is the basecamp for the outdoors including Cat Bells. Ambleside is strategically situated on the shore of Windemere lake.

    Cumbria historyCumbria history

    The first evidence of human occupation in Cumbria is at Kirkhead Cave, near Grange-over-Sands, which dates back to around 11,000 BC.[7] Cumbria was inhabited by a succession of tribes including the Vikings. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD and reached Cumbria about 30 years later. The county borders on Hadrian's Wall, the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire for about 300 years.[8]

    The county was not part of Anglo-Saxon territory, instead belonging to a Celtic kingdom called Rheged, which existed after the Roman withdrawal; following this period, the region became part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, with Anglo-Saxons exerting little control until the late 9th century when the area was gradually incorporated into the English realm, primarily through the reign of King Edmund I who ceded parts of Cumbria to Scotland around 945 AD. In 1092 the Normans took over Cumbria. Land owned by the King was divided up and controlled by lords of the manor and later by monasteries.[9]

    In the 1600s, Cumbria, particularly the area known as Cumberland, was primarily defined by its borderland status with Scotland, leading to frequent conflict and raiding by "Border Reivers" or clans who would cross the border to steal livestock and cause disruption. The conflict continued despite the union of the English and Scottish crowns in 1603.[10] In the 1700s, Cumbria, which was then considered the separate counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, was primarily a sparsely populated borderland region between England and Scotland, marked by frequent Scottish raids and a rugged landscape, with the Lake District remaining largely isolated and considered wild and desolate, even described as "barren and frightful" by Daniel Defoe in 1724.[11]

    Cumbria experienced significant growth due to the development of its industrial sector, particularly in mining and manufacturing in the 1800s, largely facilitated by the arrival of railways which allowed for easier transportation of goods like slate and minerals; this period also saw a rise in tourism thanks to the region's picturesque Lake District.[12] Industrialization continued in the 1900s with growth of the railroads and in 1917 over 14% of all households were headed by a railway worker and in 1921 over 20% of male employment was in the transport and communications industries.[13]

    Cumbria parishes and unparished areasCumbria parishes and unparished areas

    The administrative area of Cumbria was created in 1974 by the combining of the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmorland together with part of North Lancashire (Furness, or Lancashire over the Sands) and, in the east, part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.[14]

    Civil parishes are the lowest tier of local government in England. There are 265 civil parishes in Cumbria, though some urban areas are unparished, or may come under a Town Council. Boundaries of civil parishes often change over time, however many of the parishes in Cumbria relate back to the 'ancient parishes' of (old) Cumberland, (old) Westmorland and parts of Lancashire, before Cumbria was created in 1974.[15]

    Unparished areas in England are urban areas that are too large to be a single parish. The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 allows local residents to request the creation of a new civil parish in unparished areas.[16] Carlisle is the only city in Cumbria, England, and is considered an unparished area.[17] Carlisle is the only city in the county and is home to the Tullie House Museum and is situated along Hadrian's Wall.

    Cumbria geographyCumbria geography

    Cumbria's geography has played a significant role in its history and culture, influencing its industries, such as agriculture and tourism. The Lake District is a national park and scenic region in Cumbria, England, known for its lakes, mountains, and literary associations.[18] The Cumbrian Mountains are in the west, the Pennines in the east, and other high moorlands in the south, all rising to elevations of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 metres) above sea level. Cumbria has a coastline along the Irish Sea, featuring sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and coastal towns.[19] Several rivers, including the Eden and the Kent, flow through the county, shaping its landscapes and providing opportunities for water sports.[20]

    Researching family history in CumbriaResearching family history in Cumbria

    The Cumbria Archives has four Archive Centres available for researching family history.[21] The Cumbria Archives also has additional resources for genealogists.[22] The Cumbria Family History Society was founded in October 1976 to help Cumbrians and people with Cumbrian ancestry to carry out their family history researches.[23] The Register Offices in the county of Cumbria, England, hold the original records of births, marriages and deaths back to the start of civil registration in 1837.[24] Free UKGenealogy houses our parish and nonconformist registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.

    Ethnicities in CumbriaEthnicities in Cumbria

    The demographic distribution of the Cumbria population is as follows:[25]

    In the 2021 England and Wales Census, of Cumbria’s 499,800 residents, 94.9% identified as White British compared the national average of 74.4%. 5.1% of Cumbrian residents identified as belonging to an ethnic minority group (including White minorities), this is an increase from 3.6% in 2011. Nationally, Allerdale and Copeland had the 1st and 2nd largest proportions of residents who identified their ethnic group as ‘White British’ and the 1st and 2nd smallest proportions of residents who identified their ethnic group as an ethnic minority group (including White minorities). Overall Cumbrian residents who identified as ‘White British’ decreased by -1.6% (compared to a national decrease of -1.7%), while residents who identified as belonging to the other ethnic group categories (including White minorities) increased proportionally (+44.8% compared to a national increase of +39.3%)

    There has been an increase in the number of people who do not speak English as their first language and some changes in the main types of language people speak since 2011. According to the Census, the top 10 languages (excluding Ukrainian – see note above) are:

    • Polish:  2927
    • Romanian:  1558
    • Hungarian:  484
    • Spanish:  409
    • Arabic: 363
    • Portuguese: 308
    • Chinese:  285
    • Turkish: 277
    • Filipino: 267
    • Bulgarian: 250

    Surnames in CumbriaSurnames in Cumbria

    The demographic distribution of Cumbria surnames is as follows:[26]

    Surname Incidence Frequency
    Wilson 5,083 1:97
    Smith 4,920 1:100
    Graham 3,739 1:132
    Bell 3,698 1:133
    Thompson 3,605 1:137
    Brown 3,315 1:149
    Robinson 3,270 1:151
    Jackson 3,006 1:164
    Taylor 3,001 1:164
    Hodgson 2,758 1:179

    Explore more about English CountiesExplore more about English Counties

    MyHeritage.com has 351 collections that contain millions of English records that cover a huge variety of genealogical historical events that can help you find your ancestors. The MyHeritage Knowledge Base contains helpful information about genealogical research. The Legacy Family Tree Webinars website contains more than 2000 valuable genealogical webinars including over 50 webinars about English research.

    See alsoSee also

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cumbria and its history | Cumbria Lord-Lieutenant
    2. ↑ Cumbria | Lake District, Mountains, Coastline | Britannica
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lake District | England, Map, & Facts | Britannica
    4. ↑ Top things to do: The Cumbria Coast, near the Lake District
    5. ↑ Facts & figures on Cumbria's economy, employment and business | Cumbria LEP (CLEP)
    6. ↑ Farming in Cumbria Today | Industrial History of Cumbria
    7. ↑ A guide to the history and heritage of Cumbria and the Lakes. Our history blog will guide you through the region's historical attractions.
    8. ↑ The Romans in Cambria
    9. ↑ Medieval
    10. ↑ Union of the Crowns
    11. ↑ Daniel Defoe
    12. ↑ Cumbria – An Industrial History | Industrial History of Cumbria
    13. ↑ Carlisle | Cumbria County History Trust
    14. ↑ Cumbria – An Industrial History | Industrial History of Cumbria
    15. ↑ Civil Parishes in Cumbria | Co-Curate
    16. ↑ Why do parish councils only exist in some parts of England?
    17. ↑ Carlisle, unparished area - MapIt
    18. ↑ Visit Lake District | The Official Guide to Cumbria
    19. ↑ Visit Lake District | The Official Guide to Cumbria
    20. ↑ Rivers in Cumbria | Co-Curate
    21. ↑ Cumbria Archives
    22. ↑ Family History
    23. ↑ Cumbria Family History Society | Family History Federation
    24. ↑ Cumbria Births Marriages & Deaths Indexes
    25. ↑ Results of 2021 Census Ethnic origin
    26. ↑ Most Common Last Names In Cumbria
    Authors template (click twice to edit)
    Retrieved from ""