Friarmere, Yorkshire Genealogy

England Yorkshire  West Riding  Friarmere



Parish History
Friarmere St Thomas is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Yorkshire, created in 1795 from Rochdale St Chad, Lancashire Ancient Parish.It was in the Rochdale deanery of the Diocese of Manchester from 1847.

The church is also known as Heights Chapel. A simple mid 18th century church on a hillside overlooking Delph. The church was built beginning in 1765, probably using the labour of the parishioners, who dubbed it 'Heights Chapel'. It was intended as a chapel of ease for parishioners unable to travel to the parish church at Saddleworth, Yorkshire.

St Thomas' is a very plain brick building, two storeys high, with a small stone bellcote at the west end. It is very much in the style of a Georgian 'preaching church', with galleries on the west, north, and south, and a small east sanctuary lit by an Italianate window.

When a new church was built in Delph most of the interior furnishings were transferred there, leaving St Thomas' fairly bare. The modern Friarmere St Thomas parish is in the Saddleworth Team benefice, Oldham East Deanery, Rochdale Archdeaconry of the Diocese of Manchester

The church was deconsecrated and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust who undertook building work during 2010

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Online index of Lancashire Births, Marriages and Deaths Lancashire BMD

Church records
To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

This ancient parish (AP) was created before 1813. Church of England records began in 1769 but when the church was closed and later deconsecrated it is necessary to examine the records of St Hilda's Delph for Marriages.

Friarmere- St Thomas Banns-1868-1904- MFPR 2034 Banns-1904-1950- MFPR 2035 Baptisms-1769-1850- MFPR 187 Baptisms-1850-1916- MFPR 1361 Burials-1769-1909- MFPR 187 Burials-1909-1992- MFPR 2034 Marriages-1845-1892- MFPR 1361 Marriages-1892-1954- MFPR 2034 Marriages-1954-1990- Archives O14

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

The Manchester Room@City Library (Local Studies)

Parish registers for Friarmere, 1769-1992 Microfilm of original records in possession of the Manchester Public Libraries. Microfilm purchased from the Rochdale Central Library, Rochdale, Lancashire. (original filming 197?) Friarmere is a chapelry in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire. It later became a parish. The church is also known as St. Thomas'. The original church was de-consecrated and the parish moved into what was known as St. Hilda's in Delph. Delph is a village and a sub-district in Saddleworth-withQuick township, Rochdale parish.

Bishop's transcripts for Friarmere, 1784-1846 Microreproduction of original manuscripts housed at the Lancashire Record Office, Preston. Bishop's transcripts of the chapelry of Friarmere (St. Thomas) in the township of Saddleworth, Rochdale parish, Yorkshire. Rochdale parish is mainly in Lancashire. Lancashire Record Office: DRM/2/304a-304b

Poor Law Unions
Rochdale Poor Law Union

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Yorkshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/findachurch/st-thomas-friarmere/?region=Manchester for Churches Conservation Trust Web site for details of the church.

Oldham east Deaconry website http://www.manchester.anglican.org/churches/rochdale-archdeaconry/oldham-east.asp?Page=2

http://www.saddleworth-historical-society.org.uk/overview/overview.htm Saddleworth Historical Society website