Wrenbury, Cheshire Genealogy

History
Wrenbury, St. Margaret is an Ancient Parish, originally comprising the townships of Broomhall, Chorley (near Nantwich), Dodcott cum Wilkesley (part), Newhall (near Audlem) (part), Sound (part), Woodcott and Wrenbury cum Frith.

This was originally a chapel of ease to St Mary's Church, Acton. The present church dates from the early 16th century with alterations and additions in the 18th and 19th centuries; the nave and porch were restored in 1794, the chancel was rebuilt in 1806 and restored in 1865.

The nave contains box pews, many of them having the arms of local families on their doors. The pew nearest the door was for the dog whipper who, in addition to controlling dogs in the church, had the duty of waking those who fell asleep during the sermon. The pulpit is early Georgian and the west gallery dates from the late 18th century. The parish chest is in the tower, is over 6 feet long and is secured by 14 iron straps. The elaborate brass chandelier was presented to the church in 1839. The font is made from sandstone. In the church are monuments to the Cotton family of Combermere Abbey and the Starkey family of Wrenbury Hall, the most important being the monument to Sir Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere. There are also wooden memorial tablets to Lawrence Starkey dated 1611 and George Cotton dated 1702.The organ was built by Charles Whiteley of Chester in 1884 and renovated by the same firm in 1984

Church Records
Wrenbury, St. Margaret (C of E) Registers of Baptisms 1593–1882, Marriages 1593–1965 and Burials 1593–1918 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office Parish registers for Wrenbury, Cheshire, 1593-1954 Cheshire Record Office call numbers: P172/1/1-4, P172/2/1-2, P172/P/WREN C, P172/3/1-3, P172/4592/7-9, 11-13, 15, P172/4, P172/5.

Bishop's transcripts for Wrenbury, 1593-1881 Records are not arranged in strict chronological order. Some intermittent years are missing. Cheshire Record Office no.: EDB/231

Non-Conformist Churches
Wrenbury Heath, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1848, closed in 1918.

Non-Conformist Records
Deposited at the Cheshire Record Office call number EMS 36 Wrenbury cum Frith, Wrenbury Heath Chapel 1848-1922  The chapel was built by the Primitive Methodists in 1848, closed in 1918, and subsequently sold.

Poor Law Unions

 * Nantwich

Registration Districts

 * Nantwich (1837–1937)
 * Crewe (1937–74)
 * Congleton and Crewe (1974–88)
 * South Cheshire (1988–98)
 * Cheshire Central (1998+)

Bibliography
Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: B. T Batsford, pp. 369–372 Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire, Malvern: Folly Publications, p. 82, ISBN 1871731232