Halton, Lancashire Genealogy

Guide to Halton, Lancashire ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish register transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records. Also see the which lies within Halton Parish boundaries.

Parish History
Halton (St Wilfrid), is an ancient parish (operating by 1592) in the hundred of Lonsdale south of the Sands, N. division of Lancashire, 3 miles northeast by east from Lancaster containing, by 1856, the chapelry of Aughton as well. Halton had no fewer than twenty-two dependent townships.

The village consists primarily of modern housing, amongst which can be found a number of 17th and 18th century buildings. The 19th century Textile Mills once harnessed the power of the Lune. Earthworks on Castle Hill show evidence of an 11th century Norman motte &amp; bailey castle. In the churchyard of St Wilfrids stands the Halton Cross believed to have been carved by Norsemen over 1,000 years ago.

Halton Castle was situated in the village of Halton. Halton was an important Anglo-Saxon manor held by Earl Tostig, the brother of King Harold before the Norman Conquest. It is likely that a motte and bailey castle was constructed on the site in the late 11th century. However Halton’s prominence was lost in the 12th century when favour shifted to Lancaster, and Halton Castle was abandoned. Only earthworks now remain and it is privately owned with no public right of way.

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.

Online index of Lancashire Births, Marriages and Deaths Lancashire BMD

Church Records
Online Records
 * 1538 - 1910 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1603 - 1910 at FamilySearch — index and images

The parish registers for Halton Parish and its attached chapelry of Aughton and its respective chapel registers have partly been transcribed and are available online at the following web sites and the specified range of years:

Original Records Original parish registers are preserved at the Lancashire Record Offfice, Bow Lane, in Preston, PR1 2RE.

Microfilmed copies of the original parish and chapelry (Aughton St George) registers are available through the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, USA or through its 4,600 satellite FamilySearch Centers worldwide.

Here is what's available:

Halton (Lancaster)- St Wilfrid Baptisms Transcript-1592-1726- 929.3272 H6 Baptisms Transcript-1727-1837- 929.342769 Ha1 Burials Transcript-1592-1725- 929.3272 H6 Burials Transcript-1727-1837- 929.342769 Ha1 Marriage Index-1813-1837- Rossendale Fiche H10 Marriages Transcript-1593-1725- 929.3272 H6 Marriages Transcript-1727-1837- 929.342769 Ha1

For original registers of above please enquire at Lancashire Record Office.

The Manchester Room and Greater Manchester County Record Office Email: archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk

The Manchester Room@City Library (Local Studies)

Non Conformist Records

 * 1647-1996 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index (dates may vary by parish)

Genealogy
Garth and Hilliard of Halton, Lancaster and Liverpool. A Pedigree chart of Garth and Hilliard, dating from 1658-1983 in those places listed above, with surnames Taylor, Chambers, Simpson, Barker, Long, Grey, Borwick, Smith, Hilliard, Nixon, Blowe, Willan, Butterworth, May, Waller, Brodie, Hyde, Henderson, to be found in Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Soc. magazine vol. 11, no. 4 page 24-25, Family History Library Ref. 942.72 B2r

Poor Law Unions
Caton Gilbert Union,Lancashire

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.

Taxation

 * 1665-1667 - Lancashire Hearth Tax: Lonsdale Hundred, Halton. E 179/132/352, The National Archives. Microfilm:.

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