Congleton St Peter, Cheshire Genealogy

England Cheshire  Cheshire Parishes  Congleton

Guide to Congleton St Peter, Cheshire family history and genealogy: parish registers (baptism, christening, marriage, and burial records), civil registration (birth, marriage, and death records), census records, history, wills, cemetery, online transcriptions and indexes, an interactive map and websites.



Parish History
CONGLETON, is an incorporated market-town, a chapelry, and the head of a union, in the parish of Astbury, having separate jurisdiction, it is locally in the hundred of Northwich, S. division of the county of Chester. The chapel is, dedicated to St. Peter. At Congleton Moss, a church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity it was erected in 1845. Two districts or ecclesiastical parishes have been formed under Sir Robert Peel's act: in the one, St. Stephen's district, a chapel has been purchased from the dissenters, in the other, St. James', a church. There are places of worship forIndependents, Primitive Methodists, Wesleyans, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. 

Congleton St Peter, Chapel Street, Congleton, Cheshire was formerly a chapelry in Astbury, Cheshire parish from 1720, becoming the parish church for part of Congleton in 1867. It has a burial ground for the town.

The original church on the site was timber framed but by 1740 its structure had become decayed. A new church was built in the Neoclassical style and completed by 1742. The lower part of the 14th century tower was retained, the restoration of this in the Gothic style being completed in 1786. The architect was William Baker of Audlem.

Further parishes (originally created as chapelries) in Congleton with their own page are:

Congleton St Stephen, Cheshire, Brook Street. A separate chapel from 1845 serving part of Congleton township. Congleton St James,Cheshire, West Street. A separate chapel from 1844 serving part of Congleton township (no burials here). Mossley, Holy Trinity, was founded 1846 as a district chapel for the Mossley district of Congleton township. Other closely associated chapelries to Congleton and Mossley which also stood within Astbury ancient parish included: Buglawton, Rode, Smallwood, and Somerford; together with several places of worship for dissenters, in the parish.

Census records
Index for the Census may be searched at FamilySearch Historical Records

Church records
Congleton St Peter parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials have been indexed by the following groups:

To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

Bishop's transcripts for St. Peter's Church, Congleton, 1745-1796 An index for Cheshire, Church of England, Bishop’s transcripts is available online at FamilySearch Historical Records (formerly Record Search). Here is a list of church records on microfilm at theFamily History Library in Salt Lake City.

Registers of Baptisms 1719–1975, Marriages 1719–1772 &amp; 1839–1931, and Burials 1719–1913 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office call number P 260 (see Astbury St Mary)

Non-Conformist Churches

 * Congleton, St. Mary (Roman Catholic), West Road. Founded 1821, the present church was opened in 1826. Registers of baptisms 1822–1965, marriages 1856–1962 and burials 1856–1947 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, Friends' Meeting House (Quakers). Closed in 1741. Some records are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, Methodist (Trinity) Chapel (Wesleyan), Wagg Street. Founded 1766, rebuilt in 1808 and 1967. Registers of baptisms 1838–98 and marriages 1845–56 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (Primitive). Built in 1821 on Lawton Street, rebuilt in 1890 in Kinsey Street.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (Lady Huntingdon's Connexion). Founded 1822. Registers 1822–1837 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton Edge, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1833, rebuilt in 1889.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan), Brook Street. Built in 1834, closed in 1966. Registers of baptisms 1929–1966 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (New Connexion), Queen Street. Built in 1836, closed in 1969. Registers of baptisms 1898–1968 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (Primitive), Biddulph Road. Built in 1840.
 * Congleton, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan), Rood Lane. Founded 1861, rebuilt in 1886.
 * Congleton, Unitarian Chapel, Cross Street. Founded 1687 by the Dane Bridge, moved to Cross Street in 1733. The present building was built in 1883 and closed in 1978. Records of baptisms 1936–74, marriages 1940–74 and burials 1934–77 are at the Cheshire Record Office.
 * Congleton, United Reformed Church (Independent/Congregational). Built in 1790 on Mill Street, rebuilt in 1876 on Antrobus Street. Registers 1785–1837 are at the Cheshire Record Office.

Non-Conformist records:

Cheshire Record Office Document Reference ERC 20 Title Congleton St Mary Catholic Church Date 1822-1965 Description registers of baptism 1822-1965, marriage 1831-1962, death 1856-1932, 1948 URL http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=017-erc20&amp;cid=0

Society of Friends. Cheshire Monthly Meeting (Mobberley, Cheshire) Burials, 1655-1831 Microfilm of original records at the London Public Record Office, London. Also includes records for Congleton. RG-6 nos. 1603, 1329, 97, 98, 214

Church records for the Queen Street New Connexion Methodist Chapel, Congleton, 1898-1944 Cheshire Record Office call number EMS 74/1/1.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from 1 July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. Here are two excellent Internet sites with birth, marriage a nd death indexes available:


 * FreeBMD
 * Cheshire BMD

Registration Districts

 * Congleton (1837–1937)
 * Macclesfield (1937–74)
 * Congleton and Crewe (1974–88)
 * South Cheshire (1988–98)
 * Cheshire East (post1998)

Poor Law Unions

 * Congleton Poor Law Union, Cheshire

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Cheshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

see also England Cheshire Probate Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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