Mottram in Longdendale, Cheshire Genealogy

England Cheshire  Mottram in Longdendale

History
Mottram in Longdendale St Michael and All Angels is an Ancient parish in Cheshire and includes Godley, Hattersley, Stayley, Matley, Micklehurst, and Hollingworth.

The tower dates from the end of the 15th century and was built with the money bequeathed by Sir Edmond Shaa, who died about 1488. He was a local man, who became Lord Mayor of London in the reign of Henry VII and was Court Jeweller. His will also provided for the foundation of Stockport Grammar School. The tower has eight bells. The gallery now used to ring the bells was formerly a minstrels' gallery.

In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Mottram in Longdendale like this:

MOTTRAM, a sub-district in the district of Ashton-under-Lyne, and county of Chester; containing the townships of Mottram, Hattersley, Hollingworth, and Tintwistle, in Mottram-in-Longdendale parish. Pop. in 1851,9,070; in 1861,7,652. Houses, 1,538. Longdendale is from the Old English meaning "dale of the long valley", and Mottram from Old English meaning "place of the speakers" or "place where meetings are held", and known as "Mottrum"by c1220. The full name of Mottram in Longdendale was established by 1308 - literally meaning "place where meetings are held in the dale of the long valley".

Evidence of a church at Mottram comes in 1225, when clergy attached to Mottram church were witnesses to local documents. There is some evidence of this earlier building: a Norman barrel font, the initials of a Hollingworth over the north door, a Decorated capital in the Staveley Chapel, an effigy of a knight and his lady also in the Staveley chapel, a ‘scare-devil’ corbel at the base of the west arch, and possibly the chancel arch.

The present church dates from the end of 15th century. The building of the tower was supported by a bequest from Sir Edmund Shaa, a native of the area who rose to fame and fortune in London and died in 1488. It is possible that the whole of the outside walls were rebuilt at the same time, perhaps as an enlargement of the existing building. In 1855 the church underwent a major restoration under the direction of local architect E.H. Shellard, during which the height of the nave roof was raised, allowing for much more imposing clerestory windows.

The church features a fine alabaster pulpit, and several stained glass windows, including a Kempe window dated 1917.

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.

Registration Districts

 * Ashton under Lyne

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.


 * Mottram-in-Longdendale, St. Michael (C of E). An ancient parish, originally serving the townships of Godley, Hattersley, Hollingworth, Matley, Mottram, Newton (near Hyde), Stayley and Tintwistle. Registers of Baptisms 1562–1991, Marriages 1558–1993 and Burials 1559–1988 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office

Parish registers for Mottram-in-Longdendale, 1559-1988  Church of England. Parish Church of Mottram-in-Longdendale

Notes Cheshire, Church of England records are available online in Record Search, Microfilm of original records in possession of Manchester Public Library. Microfilm copy of original records (1990, 1998 filmings) in the Cheshire Record Office, Chester. Cheshire Record Office no.: P25/1/1-6, P25/2/1-9, P25/3/1-6, 8-19; P25/4/1-2; P25/4108/1,8; P25/5/1-6; P25/6/1, P25/2664/1/1-2; P25/10/1-3.

Parish chest and poor law records for Mottram-in-Longdendale, Cheshire, 1667-1861 Parish Church of Mottram-in-Longdendale (Cheshire) Microfilm copy of original records in the Cheshire Record Office, Chester. Cheshire Record Office no.: P25/9/1, P25/2664/8, P25/5070/15.

Bishop's transcripts for Mottram-in-Longdendale, 1599-1892 Notes Cheshire, Church of England marriage records are available online in Record Search Cheshire, Church of England christening records are available online in Record Search Microfilm of original records in the Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England.Includes records for the chapelry of Woodhead. Cheshire Record Office no.: EDB/151

Broadbottom, St. Mary Magdalene. Built in 1889 as a chapel to Mottram-in-Longdendale. Registers of Baptisms 1889–1995 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office (no marriages or burials here).

Non-Conformist Churches

 * Broadbottom, Church of the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic). Founded 1896.
 * Mottram, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan).
 * Mottram, Unitarian Chapel. Built in 1846.
 * Mottram, United Reformed Church (Independent/Congregational). Built in 1846.

Non-Conformist Records:

Church records, 1798-1834 Mottram Chapel (Mottram-in-Longdendale, Cheshire : New Conexion Methodist)

Notes Microfilm of original records at the Public Record Office, London. Births and baptisms, 1798-1834. RG-4 series no. 187.

Baptisms from the Methodist Chapel, Mottram in Longdendale, Cheshire Stmnt.Resp. transcribed by Aril Hulme ; index by Sally Allett Microreproduction of manuscript housed at the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society Library, Manchester Includes index. Manchester and Lancashire FHS Library no.: RC 650

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.

Poor Law Unions

 * Ashton under Lyne

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
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.