Barthomley, Cheshire Genealogy

History
St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley is in the village of Barthomley, Cheshire and is an Ancient parish. The church stands in an elevated position on Barrow Hill, which was an ancient burial ground. It was the scene of a massacre in the Civil War. Richards considers it to be one of the most beautiful churches in the county and believes it is the only one in England to be dedicated to St Bertoline. The nave and tower date from the late 15th century and the Crewe chapel from about 1528. There was a restoration of the church between 1852 and 1854. The chancel, designed by Austin and Paley, was built in 1925–26 by the Marquess of Crewe as a memorial to family members. On Christmas Eve 1643, during the civil war, the church was the scene of a massacre. About 20 Parliamentary supporters had taken refuge in the church when Royalist forces under the command of Lord Byron started a fire. The Parliamentarians surrendered but 12 of them were then murdered.