Northenden, Cheshire Genealogy

History
Northenden St Wilfrid is an ancient parish in Cheshire including Etchells and Northen Etchells. Norwordine ( North clearing) may have been a Saxon settlement and the deidcation to Saint Wilfrid the 8th century Bishop Of York may suggest that he visitied the place.

Northenden is now a suburb in South Manchester, and is administratively within Wythenshawe. It was formerly a Cheshire village, which was taken into Manchester in the 1930s.

The first record of the village is in the Domesday Book (1086), in which the church is mentioned, though the manor is described as vasta ~ devastated. In the 17th century the village was the scene of a Civil War incident: the Rector of the time, Thomas Mallory, kept a diary, and records being woken to the sound of smashing glass as a detachment of Parliamentary troops occupied the village prior to besieging Robert Tatton, the Royalist squire, in his Hall of Withinshaw. Mallory was displaced by the Parliamentarians in favour of Henry Dunster, who is described on his gravestone (now in the churchyard) as a “most diligent pastor”. When Dunster died in 1662 Mallory was reinstated.

Church Records
Parish registers for Northen, 1561-1914 Northenden is most often called Northen. Manchester Archives Central Library call numbers: M 340/1/1/1-3, 5; M 340/1/2/2-3; M 340/1/4/1-4; M 340/1/5.

Bishop's transcripts of Northenden, 1608-1877

An index for Cheshire, Church of England, Bishop’s transcripts is available online in Record Search

Northenden is referred to as Northen. Cheshire Record Office no.: EDB/158 Records are not arranged in strict chronological order. Some intermittent years are missing.

Non-Conformist Churches

 * Northenden, St. Hilda (Roman Catholic). Built in 1901.
 * Northenden, Gospel Mission Hall. Built in 1886.
 * Northenden, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1828, rebuilt in 1886.

Poor Law Unions

 * Altrincham (1836–95)
 * Bucklow (1895–1930)

Registration Districts

 * Altrincham (1837–98)
 * Bucklow (1898–1936) Succeeded by Trafford,Macclesfield, Warrington and Manchester districts on abolition. Registration events may be searched online at Cheshire BMD