Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society

Transcription

1 Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society Chorley Branch Education Group Talk Handout Next Steps Next Steps in Family History Other Church Records The Parish Chest Each parish had to provide a chest with 2 or 3 locks This was to keep the registers and other important documents in The Vicar and the two Churchwardens held the keys, and the chest could only be opened if all three were present The Parish Chest contained a huge range of records some of which we give details of here. Some of these records still exist from the 16th century, but many do not begin until the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

2 Some Documents found in the Parish Chest Vestry Minutes Poor and Other Rates Bastardy Bonds Churchwardens Accounts Settlement and Removal Records Apprenticeship Records Ordination papers and parish bundles Faculties Glebe Terriers Tithe apportionment and map Vestry Minutes The Vestry was the ruling body of a Parish Church the forerunner of the PCC today Individuals are often mentioned in these minutes, such as those elected as Parish officers Minutes had lists of local child apprentices, wherever they may be in the country, agreements for the care of illegitimate children, newcomers to the Parish, etc President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

3 Poor and other Rates President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

4 Parishes made payments to the poor and needy, from money levied from the more wealthy members of the area Rates were raised to pay for highway repairs, lighting, pest control, victim s and soldier s relief, the night watch, sewers and the parish constable s expenses These activities produced paperwork, a lot of which can still be accessed today Some of these items will be discussed in a later talk on the Poor Law Bastardy Bonds These will be discussed in a later talk about the Poor Law Churchwardens sometimes made a gentleman s agreement with regard to illegitimate children in the Parish, which can be found amongst the Parish Chest documents President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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7 Churchwardens Accounts These show how money was spent in the parish re-roofing the church, payments for vermin, vestry meetings, special occasions such as celebrations for coronations Churchwarden records often list men qualified to serve as churchwardens. President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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9 Churchwardens Records Churchwardens were generally appointed at the Easter vestry meetings and were responsible to the bishop or magistrate to present any wrongdoings at the church court or quarter sessions These included failure to provide for the poor, failure to attend church, drunkenness, or other undesirable behavior They also had to report misbehavior of the vicar or other vestry members President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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11 Settlement and Removal Records This topic will be discussed in a later talk on the Poor Law President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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15 Apprenticeship Records These records often list the child, their father, their master, the length of the apprenticeship, and the occupation A child s father often arranged the apprenticeship, but the parish "put out" many pauper children, since it was cheaper to pay for an apprenticeship than to raise a child, as at the mill at Styal Vestry minutes often list the child s name when it was decided to put the child out as an apprentice. You may also find apprenticeships in other sources. President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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18 Ordination papers and Parish Bundles These include information about the benefice, the incumbent, the church fabric and ornaments, schools attached to the church and the masters appointed by the Vestry or the church s benefactor Faculties These are licences for alterations to church buildings and property granted by the diocese upon payment of a fee President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

19 Glebe Terriers This is a description of the parsonage and glebe lands President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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22 Burial in Wool President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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24 Tithe Apportionment and Map This is a detailed description of land and the tithe apportionment inhabitants paid to the Church President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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27 Where can I find them? Most church records can be found at the County Record Office, which is often the Diocesan Record Office President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

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30 Some Family History & Local History Societies have transcripts on-line but you will probably have to pay for them Local History and Family History Societies have done many transcripts of church records mainly registers and MI s Those for Chorley area and many others for Lancashire are at the Research Centre at Astley Hall Farmhouse Local libraries Churches and Libraries are often presented with transcripts from parishioners and family history societies Non-conformists Dr Williams Library in London you need to see their website at Also for Methodists John Ryland's University Library, Manchester, See their website They have a small online archive about the church President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

31 On-line Parish Clerk some of the entries have selections of church records Good luck. President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No

32 Get searching. Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society Chorley Research Centre at Astley Hall Farmhouse Opening times First & Third Saturdays Noon 4:00pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00am 4:00pm Last appointment 3:00pm Booking advisable Tel (When centre is open), Tel (When centre is closed) or Book on line at - Chorley Family History Research Centre Website Research Enquires - chorleyresearch@lffhs.org.uk Chorley Branch Website - LFHHS President Steve Williams Society Website Reg. Charity Number President Steve Williams Web-Site: Reg. Charity No