Great Sankey, Lancashire Genealogy

England Lancashire  Lancashire Parishes

Chapelry History
SANKEY, GREAT, a chapelry, in the parish of Prescot, union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby, S. division of Lancashire, 2¾ miles (W.) from Warrington; containing 567 inhabitants. The manor, sometimes called Much Sankey, was vested in the lords of Warrington; it was afterwards held by Thomas Botiler, who inherited from his father, Sir Thomas, and who died in possession, 22nd Elizabeth. The property passed to the Bolds and the Irelands early in the 17th century, and from the last named family, about 1622, to the Athertons; and is now held by Lord Lilford. The township comprises 1909a. 25p., and is bounded by Sankey brook. The first canal navigation in modern times, originated here in 1755. From the time of the Romans, when they cut their fosse-dyke, or at least from the reign of Henry II., when that medium was re-opened, no water conveyance for the purpose of trade, cut out of the solid land, existed in England until the Sankey Brook navigation was commenced. The original intention of the undertakers was to deepen Sankey brook; but instead of this being the channel of communication, the navigation runs entirely separate from it, except that it crosses and mixes with that water in one place, about two miles from Sankey bridge. The canal, closely accompanying the course of the brook, descends from the collieries about St. Helen's to the Mersey. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £103; patron, Lord Lilford; impropriators, the Provost and Fellows of King's College, Cambridge: the tithes belonging to the college have been commuted for £130, those of the rector of Warrington for £65, and those of the vicar of the parish for £75, per annum. The chapel, dedicated to St. Mary, was rebuilt by subscription about a century since. There is a Sunday school in the chapelry.

From: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis (1848), pp. 15-20. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51255 Date accessed: 21 July 2010.

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

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