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Murton, East

MURTON, EAST, a township, in the parish of Dalton-le-Dale, union of Easington, N. division of Easington ward and of the county of Durham, 8½ miles (E. N. E.) from Durham; containing 521 inhabitants. The manor and vill were the property of the family of Lumley from an early date to the reign of Elizabeth; the ancient tenure is uniformly described to be by homage and fealty, in free and common socage. The monks of Durham, also, at a remote period received a grant of a small portion of land here from Cendune, son of Walter de Morton. The South Hetton Company opened a valuable mine of coal in the township, in 1843, upon a scale unprecedented in the trade: during the progress of sinking through a quicksand, engine power to the extent of 1500 horses was in operation, and the principal seam of coal was found at a depth of 1476 feet from the surface. The Durham and Sunderland railway passes through the township.

Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.

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