The chapelry of Escomb had been attached to the parish St Andrew’s Auckland since the time of Bishop Bek (1283-1310) and there were few resident vicars until the growth of the village in the 19th century.
The present vicarage was built at the top of the hill in 1848-9 and the Victorian church opposite in 1863. Until 1877, when Witton Park became a separate parish with its own church, the parish of Escomb included Escomb, Witton Park, Woodside and part of Etherley Lane. Written church records began in 1543. Vicars ministering in Escomb were often referred to as curates and are listed below, the dates being the beginning of each minister’s incumbency.
1575 John Robson
1578 Thomas Man
1586 William Damport
? Richard Adamson
1639 Robert Thompson
1662 Thomas Trotter
1663 Jacob Gregg
1666 Stephen Hegge
1671 Thomas Bell
1673 Thomas Slack
1678 Ralph Wren A.B
1687 Thomas Wright
1699 William Reed
1705 John Pickering
1718 Ezra Emmerson
1734 Abraham Smith
1783 Rev. Ashbridge
1786 Thomas Capstick
1804 John Bacon
1827 Robert Thompson
1847 The Hon. Lewis William Denman A.M.
1848 Henry Atkinson
1867 Thomas Ebenezer Lord
1897 James V. Kemp
1914 Robert Ragg
1919 William Hodgson
1934 Ralph Hitchcock
1944 Charles Pattinson (and Hon. Bishop’s Chaplain)
1948 Walter Greenwood
1956 vacant
1959 Henry W. Lee
1964 John Turnbull (rural dean) in charge; John (Jumbo) Wilson, curate 67-69
1969 Arthur Henry Bailey (Harry) McClatchey
1974 M. Alex Whitehead
1980 Nicholas Beddow
1999 Michael Dent
2005 Nicholas Denham
2010 Richard Deimel
From 1969 to 1984 vicars were also the Bishop’s domestic chaplain.
From 1969 to 1997 vicars of Escomb were also vicars of Witton Park.
From 1999 to 2005 the parish of Etherley came under the vicar of Escomb and from 2005 this group of parishes also included Witton-le-Wear and Hamsterley.
