Bollington, Cheshire Genealogy

History
Bollington owes both the churches of St John the Baptist (Church of England) and St Gregory (Roman Catholic) to the donation of land by the owner of the Shrigley Estates, Mr Turner.

St John The Baptist was created as a parish in 1842 from Prestbury Ancient Parish. Bollington is one of the 35 townships in pre-Norman Prestbury parish.

St Gregory's Roman Catholic Church was built after some years ministry of Father Hall using rented cottages form 1830.The chance to build a permanent church came in 1834: Mr Turner, a non-Catholic, who had acquired the Shrigley estates from the last of the Downes family and built a new Hall, gave land for Anglican and Catholic churches - St John's and St Gregory's. Finance came from the Cheshire Fund, helped by the generosity of John, Earl of Shrewsbury, whose donation of £100 was allocated to St Gregory's in 1835. Fr Hall ministered to the people of Bollington, travelling by horse from Macclesfield. On one occasion, to the consternation of all, the horse returned on its own - Fr Hall had been attacked and thrown into a pond. This intrepid priest, who was to remain in Macclesfield for 55 years, until his death, served the people of Bollington for about ten years, though other priests gradually came on the scene: Fr Roger Glassbrook, Fr Edward Kenrick and Fr John Reah , this last-mentioned being the first resident priest in 1845.

Church of England Records
Prestbury, St. Peter (C of E). The ancient parish church for Bollington. Bollington, St. John the Baptist (C of E). Built in 1834, becoming the parish church in 1842. Registers of Baptisms 1834–1975, Marriages 1838–2003 and Burials 1835–2004 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office. Bollington Cross, St. Oswald (C of E). Built in 1892 as a chapel of ease to St. John the Baptist. Registers of Baptisms 1908–2001 and Marriages 1937–1988 have been deposited at the Cheshire Record Office.

Bollington is a chapelry in Prestbury parish. Cheshire Record Office call no.: P184/1/1-4, P184/2/1-4, P184/3/1-5.

Baptisms, 1834-1958. Marriages, 1838-1898. FHL BRITISH Film 2107084 Items 7 - 11 Marriages, 1898-1959. Burials, 1835-1937. FHL BRITISH Film 2107085 Items 1 - 9

St. Oswald's Church, Bollington-Cross, was a chapelry in the parish of Bollington-St. John, near Macclesfield. Cheshire Record Office call no.: P184/14, P184/15/1-2. Baptisms, 1908-1964. Marriages, 1937-1954. FHL BRITISH Film 2262945 Items 1 - 3

Bishop's Transcripts
Bishop's transcripts for Bollington, 1841-1893 Formerly a chapelry in Prestbury parish. Called St. John's Church. Cheshire Record Office Call Number: EDB 30 Burials, 1841-1868, baptisms, 1841-1869, burials, 1869, baptisms, burials, 1870-1876, baptisms, 1877-1878, burials, 1877-1878, baptisms 1888-1889, burials, 1888-1889, baptisms, burials, 1890. FHL BRITISH Film 1647365 Item 4 Burials, 1890, baptisms, 1891-1892, burials, 1891-1892, baptisms, burials, 1893. FHL BRITISH Film 1647366 Item 1 Another filming, 1990. 1856-1893. FHL BRITISH Film 1656840 Item 1 Another filming, 1990. 1841-1855. FHL BRITISH Film 1656809 Item 5

Catholic Church Records
St Gregory's church served the parish until1952 saw the arrival in Bollington of Fr Thomas Osbyrne. He is described as 'perhaps the most dynamic of all Bollington's parish priests'. Notably, in 1957 he pulled down the old church and presbytery and built the present church. In 1962 he also replaced the old school, which reverted to cottages, with a new building in Albert Road. Finally he placed an old army hut behind the church to serve as a parish hall. When he finally left the parish in 1963 he told the people: 'I have always been hard on you. My last act will be a hard one, too: to attend Mass at 6.30 am the day I leave. Many did!

Church registers of St Gregory's Catholic Church (Bollington, Cheshire), 1834-1927 Text in Latin. Cheshire Record Office call no.: Ref. ERC/21/5242/1-3. Baptisms, burials, 1834-1856; marriages, Nov. 1835-Nov. 1836; baptisms, 1856-1867; marriages, 1856-1927; burials, 1856-1884; burials, 1884-1927. FHL BRITISH Film 2068140 Items 4 - 6 Baptisms, 1856-1867 (Dates on title board are incorrect.); marriages, 1856-1927; burials, 1856-1884 (another filming). FHL BRITISH Film 2068257 Item 3

Non-Conformist Churches
Bollington, Methodist Chapel (Primitive), High Street. Built in 1859, closed in 1956. Registers of baptisms 1941–54 amd marriages 1901–1952 are at the Cheshire Record Office. Bollington, Methodist Chapel (New Connexion), Grimshaw Lane. Built c1887, closed in 1956. Registers of baptisms 1889–1956 are at the Cheshire Record Office. Bollington, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan), Wellington Road. Founded 1808. ReBuilt in 1837 and 1885. Registers of baptisms 1841–1923 are at the Cheshire Record Office. Kerridge, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1895, closed in 1982. Bollington, United Reformed Church (Independent/Congregational), Palmerston Street. Built in 1867, closed early 1980s.

Non-Conformist Records
Church registers, Bollington Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (Cheshire), 1812-1837 Microfilm of original records at the Public Record Office, London. Bollington Chapel is in the parish of Prestbury. London P.R.O. nos.: RG-4 series nos. 711, 2148.

Births and baptisms, 1812-1836. FHL BRITISH Film 20046 Item 1 Burials, 1831-1837. FHL BRITISH Film 917110 Item 4 Another partial filming, 1992. Burials, 1831-1837. FHL BRITISH Film 1818023 Item 5

Church records for the Wellington Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Bollington (Cheshire), 1841-1923 Bollington is in the Prestbury parish. Cheshire Record Office call number: EMS 16/1-2.

Baptisms, 1841-1923. FHL BRITISH Film 2299418 Items 27 - 28

Church registers for Grimshaw Lane New Connexion Methodist Chapel, Bollington (Cheshire), 1889-1956 Bollington Chapel is in the parish of Prestbury. Cheshire Record Office call no.: EMS 193/1.

Baptisms, 1889-1956. FHL BRITISH Film 2299418 Item 23

Church records for the High Street Primitive Methodist Chapel, Bollington (Cheshire), 1901-1950 Bollington Chapel is in the parish of Prestbury. Cheshire Record Office call number: EMS 194/2/1-3. Marriages, 1901-1950. FHL BRITISH Film 2299418 Items 24 - 26 Church registers for Grimshaw Lane New Connexion Methodist Chapel, Bollington (Cheshire), 1889-1956 Bollington Chapel is in the parish of Prestbury. Cheshire Record Office call number: EMS 193/1. Baptisms, 1889-1956. FHL BRITISH Film 2299418 Item 23

Poor Law Union

 * Macclesfield

Registration Districts

 *  Macclesfield (1837–1998)
 * Cheshire East (1998+) Registration events may be searched online at Cheshire BMD