Didsbury St James, Lancashire Genealogy

History
Didsbury St James Didsbury is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Lancashire, created in 1727 from chapelry in Manchester Our Lady, St George and St Denys, Lancashire Ancient Parish.

It is not recorded whether there was a church here in Saxon times, although traces of Saxon workmanship are evident in the stones used in the present tower which was built in 1620, when the 'Wattle and Daub' church was rebuilt.

It is thought that in 1235 Nicholas de Longford, Lord of the Manor of Withington, founded his own chapel in Didsbury by taking over the Saxon chapel.

The oldest written record of the church is that of the Bishop of Lichfield in 1532 giving permission to consecrate the churchyard for the burial of 'such as died from the Pestilence [the Black Death]'.

The 1620 church was dismantled, and a new one was built by Sir Edward Moseley of Hough End House who had become the Lord of the Manor of Withington. This is commemorated by the stone over the North Door which gives the date and names Sir Edward as patron:

Sr.EMK: FOUN Sir Edward Moseley Knight: Founders AMWID: DERS Anne Moseley, Widow EMESQ: SrGBK Edward Moseley Esq. Patron PATRON: BARONET Sir George [Booth or Barlow] Knight, Baronet 16 Erected Anno Domini 1620 ANO DMN/20 -

In the eighteenth century, Lady Ann Bland, a daughter of Edward Moseley of Hulme, became Patron. Lady Ann was responsible for the building of St Ann's Church in Manchester. In 1770 she obtained permission to rebuild the nave and chancel of St James' Church, and today the church is substantially the same as it was in Lady Ann's time.

In 1871 a new chancel was built by Miss Barnes in memory of her father and mother.

In 1885 the church was thoroughly restored, and the old-fashioned, high-backed pews were removed. A large entrance was opened out through the tower to the West Door, and the walls were lined with brick. The Lych Gate dates from 1879; the organ, built by Messrs. Jardine &amp; Co. of Manchester, was installed in 1896.

The modern united parish of two churches, St James and Emmanuel, together offering a diverse spectrum of worshipping styles. St James and Emmanuel is home the BBC Radio 4 Daily Service.

DIDSBURY, a township-chapelry and a sub-district, in Chorlton district, Lancashire. The chapelry is in Manchester parish; was constituted in 1838; lies on the river Mersey, at the boundary with Cheshire, 3 miles W of Stockport; and has a post office under Manchester. Acres, 1,527. Real property, £13,116. Pop., 1,829. Houses, 364. The property is much subdivided. Didsbury House is a chief residence. There are large cotton factories. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Manchester. Value, £180.* Patrons, Trustees. The church is old but very good; and has a tower. There is a Wesleyan Methodist College. There are also schools with £51 from endowment; and other charities with £17. The sub-district contains also three other townships. Acres, 5,948. Pop., 5,904. Houses, 978. John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)



Civil registration
Free BMD for post 1837 events.

Online index of Lancashire Births, Marriages and Deaths Lancashire BMD

Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
An extremely useful resource for research in Lancashire Parishes http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/

Parish Records
Transcripts of marriages 1561-1751 available on-line at Lancashire Online Parish Clerks.

Baptisms-1561-1757- Archives M22 Baptisms-1757-1892- MFPR 12 Baptisms Transcript- 1561-1757- 929.3272 D1 Burials-1561-1757- Archives M22 Burials-1757-1911- MFPR 12 Burials Transcript-1562-1757- 929.3272 D1 Marriages-1561-1751- Archives M22 Marriages-1838-18- MFPR 12 Marriages Transcript-1561-1751- 929.3272 D1

The Manchester Room and Greater Manchester County Record Office Email: archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk

The Manchester Room@City Library (Local Studies)

The Registers date from 1561 and include the record of the baptism of Edward Barlow on 30 November 1585. He became a Benedictine priest and took the name Father Ambrose. He was arrested on Easter Sunday 1615 and was accused of being a papist. He was beheaded in Lancaster in September of the same year. In 1929 he was canonised and is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic church on Princess Road, West Didsbury.

Another entry in the Registers recalls the Civil War: '1642 - Mr Thomas Hebblethwaite was buried at Didsburie the xxiiith [23rd] of September. This gentleman came Anno Dni 1642 against Manchestr &amp; was slaine at the seige there &amp; was brought to Didsburie to bee buryed by Mr Turner Schoolmaster.' The Parish formerly extended over Moss Side, Burnage, Chorlton, Levenshulme, Rusholme, Withington, Birch, Reddish, Heaton Norris, Barlow Moor and Didsbury. During its existence the church has belonged to three dioceses: Lichfield, Chester and Manchester.

Parish registers for St. James' Church, Didsbury, 1757-1911 Microfilm of original records formerly held in the Manchester Public Library, Manchester. Didsbury is a chapelry in the parish of Manchester Our Lady, St George and St Denys, Lancashire.

Bishop's transcripts for St. James' Church, Didsbury, 1603-1864 Microreproduction of original manuscripts housed at the Lancashire Record Office, Preston. The chapelry of St. James in Didsbury is in the parish of Manchester. Lancashire Record Office: DRM/2/209-210

Census records
http://www.1881pubs.com/ for details of public houses in the 1881 census

Poor Law Unions
Chorlton Poor Law Union,Lancashire

Maps
England Jurisdictions 1851