Astbury, Cheshire Genealogy

England CheshireEngland  Cheshire Parishes

Parish History
ASTBURY (St. Mary), a parish, chiefly in the union of Congleton, consisting of the townships of Eaton and Somerford-Booths in the hundred of Macclesfield, and the market-town of Congleton, and the townships of Astbury-Newbold, Buglawton, Davenport, Hulme-Walfield, Moreton with Alcumlow, Odd Rode, Radnor, Smallwood, and Somerford, in the hundred of Northwich, county of Chester. There are also churches or chapels at Congleton, Buglawton, Mossley, Rode, Smallwood, and Somerford; together with several places of worship for dissenters, in the parish. Astbury St Mary is an Ancient parish in Cheshire and originally included Davenport, Eaton, Holy Trinity, Hulme Walfield, Hulmewalfield, Moreton cum Alcumlow, Somerford Radnor, Mossley, Newbold Astbury, Odd Rode, Radnor, Somerford, Somerford Booths, and Mosley. The first church on the site was in the Saxon era but the present church dates from the 15th century. It is unusual in that its spire is at a distance from the main body of the although although it is attached to it by a porch. Other features include a parvise over the west porch, the fine wooden roof over the nave and chancel, the large amount of medieval fittings and furniture and, in the churchyard, the large number of memorials, which include a canopied tomb. Richards considers this to be one of the most beautiful churches in the county. Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'outstanding' English parish churches. Pevsner calls it "one of the most exciting Cheshire churches".

A Saxon church was on the site at the time of the Domesday Book and it was replaced by a Norman church. It was originally the mother church of Congleton. The Norman church was almost entirely replaced by a building in the Early English style and this was in turn largely replaced in the 15th century. It was restored in 1862 by Sir George Gilbert Scott.

During the civil war while Biddulph Hall was under siege, Sir William Brereton's Roundheads stabled their horses in the church. They damaged the medieval glass windows and removed some of the church furniture, including the organ.

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.

Registration Districts

 * Congleton (1837–1937)
 * Macclesfield (1937–74)
 * Congleton &amp; Crewe (1974–88)
 * South Cheshire (1988–98)
 * Cheshire West (post1998)

Church Records
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 Astbury, 1593-1898 Includes the registers of the Chapelry of Congleton 1803?-1858; includes chapelries of Buglawton, Mossley, Smallwood 1851-1858; includes Odd Rode 1861-1863; includes Hulme Walfield 1859-1877. Cheshire Record Office: EDB 11 Includes records for Congleton, Buglawton, Mossley, Odd Rode, Smallwood and Hulme Walfield, townships and/or chapelries in Astbury parish.

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

Here is a list of church records on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Registers of Baptisms 1572–1953, Marriages 1572–1969 and Burials 1572–1970 Cheshire Record Office Document Reference Mf 183 Astbury Parish Date 1572-1982 Description Registers 1572-1982.

Non-Conformist Churches
Wornish Nook, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1852. Originally a Primitive Methodist Chapel later Wesleyan.

Non-Conformist Records:

Cheshire Record Office Document Reference EMS 94 Somerford Booths Wornish Nook Methodist Chapel Description Various records1882-91 URL http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=017-ems94&amp;cid=0

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.

Poor Law Unions

 * Congleton

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