Macclesfield Forest with Wildboarclough, Cheshire Genealogy

History
St Stephen's Macclesfield Forest is an ancient chapelry in the Ancient parish of Prestbury. It included Tytherington, Upton, Wildboarclough, Kettleshulme, and Lyme Handley.

St Stephen's Church is also known locally as Forest Chapel. In pink sandstone with a stone and slate roof, the church dates originally from 1673; the chancel and nave were rebuilt in 1831. It is listed at grade II. St Stephen's still holds a rush-bearing ceremony every August, in which rushes are cut from nearby fields and marshes and strewn on the church floor and plaited into decorations as a symbol of renewal. The tradition ceased in most other churches in the 17th century.

Wildboarclough (pronounced Will'berclough) was a township and chapelry in Prestbury Parish, Macclesfield Hundred and Wildboarclough St Saviour was founded as a parish in 1873 from within St Stephen's parish. Wildboarclough, St. Saviour. Founded 1873 as a chapel to Macclesfield Forest, becoming a parish church in 1906.

Macclesfield Forest now forms part of Rainow parish, but still proudly retains its own local chapel. Forest Chapel (Church of St Stephen) in Macclesfield Forest was built in 1673, although the current building dates from 1834. The chapel is one of the few which maintains the tradition of an annual Rushbearing Ceremony which is held on the first Sunday after 12th August.

In Wildboarclough, the church of St Saviours is at the centre of one of the parishes in a benefice which also includes Wincle, Bosley and North Rode. The church was built in 1901 by the Earls of Derby.

There is also a Methodist chapel on the boundary of the parish at Gradbach (built in 1849).

Church Records
Prestbury, St. Peter (C of E). The ancient parish church for Wildboarclough. Macclesfield Forest, St. Stephen (C of E). An ancient chapelry in Prestbury parish.

Wildboarclough, St. Saviour. Founded 1873 as a chapel to Macclesfield Forest, becoming a parish church in 1906. Registers of Baptisms from 1873, Marriages from 1912, and Burials from 1910 are held at the church. Parish registers date from 1737 earlier chapelry records for Macclesfield Forest with Wildboarclough are included:

Some entries read Macclesfield Forest with Wildboarclough. Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough are in the parish of Prestbury. Cheshire Record Office Call no.: P88/1-4, 2356/1.

Item 2 Baptisms and burials 1675, 1734-1746 1762-1812 Item 3 Baptisms and burials 1759-1812 Item 4 Baptisms and burials 1666-1675, 1731-1738, 1751 (severely damaged) Item 5 Baptisms 1813-1926 Item 6 Marriages 1891-1968 Item 7 Burials 1813-1971 FHL BRITISH Film 1656451 Items 2-7

Poor Law Unions

 * Macclesfield

Registration Districts

 *  Macclesfield (1837–98)
 * Cheshire East (1998+) Registration events can be searched online at Cheshire BMD