Nantwich, Cheshire Genealogy

England Cheshire  Cheshire Parishes  Nantwich

Guide to Nantwich, Cheshire family history and genealogy: parish registers (baptism, christening, marriage, and burial records), civil registration (birth, marriage, and death records), census records, history, wills, cemetery, online transcriptions and indexes, an interactive map and websites.



Parish History
NANTWICH (St. Mary and St. Nicholas), is a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Nantwich, and the Southern division of the county of Chester; containing, with the townships of Alvaston, Leighton , Woolstanwood , and part of Willaston. The town is only a few miles distant from the great railway station at Crewe. There are places of worship in the parish for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Independents, Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and Unitarians.

Nantwich St Mary a former chapelry of Acton Ancient parish in Cheshire includes Alvaston, Woolstanwood, Wool Stanwood, and Willaston. The oldest building in the town is St Mary's Church, which dates from the 14th century.

Following the dissolution of the monasteries, six chantry chapels were removed in 1548. Between 1572 and 1577 the transept ceilings were renewed, and between 1615 and 1633.

Church records
Nantwich St Mary and St Nicholas parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials have been indexed by the following groups:

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.

Nantwich, St. Mary &amp; St. Nicholas (C of E). An ancient parish, originally serving the townships of Alvaston, Leighton (near Nantwich), Nantwich, Willaston (near Nantwich) (part) and Woolstanwood. Registers of Baptisms 1539–1944, Marriages 1876–1949 and Burials 1573–1943 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office. Microfilm copy of original record in the Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England. Cheshire Record Office call nos.: P120/4525/1-39.

Bishop's Transcripts Microfilm of manuscripts in the Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England. The church is known as St. Mary's. Cheshire Record Office no.: EDB/153

Barony, All Saints (C of E), The Barony. A chapel of ease to St. Mary &amp; St. Nicholas, closed in 1971. Registers of Baptisms 1930–1971 are held at St. Mary &amp; St. Nicholas. Burials 1930–1971 were recorded in the registers of St Mary &amp; St Nicholas (no marriages here).

Non Conformist Churches

 * Nantwich, St. Anne (Roman Catholic), Pillory Street. Founded 1832, the present church was Built in 1936. Registers of baptisms 1868–1963, marriages 1869–1939 and burials 1868–1966 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Friends' Meeting House, Pillory Street. Founded 17th century, closed in 1928. Registers 1776–1837 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Baptist Union Chapel, Market Street. Founded 1653, rebuilt in 1873.
 * Nantwich, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan), Hospital Street. Built in 1808. Registers 1819–1837 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Methodist Chapel (Primitive), Welsh Row. Built in 1840.
 * Nantwich, Ebenezer Methodist Chapel (Free), Castle Street. Built in 1857, closed in 1908.
 * Nantwich, Methodist Chapel (Primitive), Broad Lane. Built in 1864.
 * Nantwich, Wood Memorial Methodist Chapel (Primitive), The Barony. Built in 1881, closed in 1965. Registers 1920–1965 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Methodist Church, Pillary Street. Built in 1908, closed in 1966. Registers 1913–1965 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Unitarian Chapel, Hospital Street. Built in 1672, rebuilt in 1830. Records of baptisms 1894–1953, marriages 1896–1925 and deaths 1893–1925 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Nantwich, Unitarian Chapel (Baptist), Barker Street. Founded 1700.
 * Nantwich, United Reformed Church (Independent/Congregational), Church Lane/Monks Lane. Founded 1780, Built in 1842. Records of births/baptisms 1813–1955, marriages 1856–1934 and burials 1800–1905 are at the Cheshire Record Office.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from 1 July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. Here are two excellent Internet sites with birth, marriage a nd death indexes available:


 * FreeBMD
 * Cheshire BMD

Registration Districts

 * Nantwich (1837–1937)
 * Crewe (1937–74)
 * Congleton and Crewe (1974–88)
 * South Cheshire (1988–98)
 * Cheshire Central (post 1998) The post 2009 reorganisation of civil registration can be found online at Cheshire BMD

Poor Law Unions

 * Nantwich Poor Law Union

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Cheshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish. See also England Cheshire Probate Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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