I thought I may as well clarify "Wear Valley" for the subscribers who do not live in that area. I read postings asking for a look up in Wear Valley and I get the impression that most think it is just the Stanhope parish. It is more than that.
It is from the Cumberland boarder eastwards to the Bishop Auckland area.
Another point of note that may be interesting for the people looking for Irish ancestors who at one time lived in the area was that very few lived or worked in the parish of Stanhope. Most of them worked in the coal mines and steel works
around Tow Law, and Crook. The first Catholic church was built around 1855 in Wolsingham but it was soon realised that it was a mistake because the Irish imigrants were working at Tow Law and Crook. The catholic church at crook was built a year later followed by another at Tow Law in the 1870's. The burials for Tow Law were in Tow Law but Wolsingham and Crook have their own church burial grounds . Crook, Tow Law and Wolsingham are still going although Wolsingham is still the poor one of the group. Hope it helps. Adamand
