Shaw Holy Trinity, Lancashire Genealogy

England Lancashire  Lancashire Parishes



Chapelry History
CROMPTON [or Shaw], a township, in the borough, parochial chapelry, and union of Oldham, parish of Prestwichcum-Oldham, hundred of Salford, S. division of the county of Lancaster, 3 miles (N. by E.) from Oldham; containing, with the villages of Shaw, High Compton, and Cowlishaw, 6729 inhabitants. This, the most northern part of the chapelry, has the largest population of any of the townships connected with Oldham, and its growth in trade has fully kept pace with the other parts of this flourishing district. A bleak situation, and somewhat sterile soil, have produced a race of hardy and laborious men, and the close connexion with Saddleworth has given to the people much of the manners and character which prevail in that hilly country. The population is employed in the spinning and manufacture of cotton, the making of hats, and in collieries and stone-quarries. The ancient mansion of Crompton Hall, having fallen into decay, has lately been rebuilt by the owner, Henry Travis Milne, Esq., a descendant of the feudal family of Crompton. Shaw, which lies on the east side of the village of Crompton, has a parochial chapel. The former edifice was of great antiquity, and was twice enlarged and re-edified during the last century; the present structure was built in the latter part of it, by subscription, aided by a grant. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the Rector of Prestwich; net income, £250. In 1845 a district or parish was formed under the 6th and 7th of Victoria, cap. 37, called East Crompton; and a church, dedicated to St. James, was built in 1847: the edifice is in the pointed style, with a tower, and contains 586 sittings. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £150; patrons, the Crown and the Bishop of Chester, alternately. The tithes of the township have been commuted for £93. There are various places of worship for dissenters; and several schools.

From: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis (1848), pp. 729-733. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50906 Date accessed: 21 July 2010.

The township of Crompton was originally within the parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham in the Diocese of Lichfield, until 1541, when, owing to the English Reformation, this diocese was divided and Crompton became part of the Diocese of Chester. This in turn was divided in 1847, when the present Diocese of Manchester was created.

The exact date of the establishment of a place of worship in Crompton is uncertain. Although Shaw Chapel is certain to have been in existence since the early 16th century, it has been put that "Shaw Chapel is even more ancient than Oldham Old Church", as evidenced by the ancient toponymy of the area. Shaw Chapel was anciently known as St Patrick's Chapel-on-the-Moor, and during the reign of James I of England, "it was situate in the midst of the common called Shaw Moor, not a single habitation being near it". It is thought to have been constructed following an increase in wealth produced by the localisation of the woollen trade during a very bleak period, although, in 1552 it was noted that it had no endowment, and its ornaments were in poor condition. It was rebuilt in 1739 and enlarged in 1798, and rebuilt again in 1870. It is now known as the Church of Holy Trinity.

Shaw and Crompton has three Church of England ecclesiastic parishes: Shaw, St Mary, High Crompton,Lancashire, and East Crompton, Lancashire.

Shaw Holy Trinity is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Lancashire, created in 1719 from Prestwich St Mary, Lancashire Ancient Parish; Exact boundary unknown. Other places in the parish include: High Crompton and Cowlishaw.

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.

Church records
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Parish registers for Shaw, 1704-1837 Shaw is a chapelry in the parish of Prestwich.

Bishop's transcripts for Shaw, 1752-1854 Microreproduction of original manuscripts housed at the Lancashire Record Office, Preston. Holy Trinity Church is in the Chapelry of Shaw, township of Crompton, and parish of Prestwich. It was originally in the parish of Oldham. Lancashire Record Office: DRM/2/250a-252

Census records
http://www.1881pubs.com/ for details of public houses in the 1881 census

Poor Law Unions
Oldham Poor Law Union

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.

Maps and Gazetteers
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 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
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http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53008 British History online Crompton