Talk:Altham, Lancashire

Note: The Family History Library Catalog is based on "parish" and "chapelry" information, which, from a genealogical research and historical perspective, is important for Wiki users to learn when researching parishes (and chapels) in Lancashire.

Which of the following points, is the most key genealogical tidbit to know:


 * 1) Burnley was created a diocese in 1926
 * 2) Altham was an ecclesiastical parish in Whalley deanery
 * 3) Altham was a chapelry with its own registers, created from or residing in Whalley (ancient) Parish

From concensus here, no. 3 is directly applicable to patrons' research problems so that they may know to not only search Altham chapelry registers, but the mother or ancient parish (Whalley) as well as all'of its numerous attached chapelries''. This is an especially critical rule of thumb in Lancashire over just about all other counties (parts of Cheshire and Yorkshire excepted) in the realm. '''

While... "The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley" is nice to know in modern day--perhaps, but when the vast majority of patrons are searching the pre-1900 period, throwing all such info/data that does not directly relate to the research problem confuses and dilutes the critical and key information we want to provide them, i.e. key historical 19th century 'snapshots' from Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of England or from the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, or the 1851 Jurisdiction Maps, etc (which give mostly accurate information on a place's ecclesiastical jurisdiction).

Phillip Dunn, England AG® &amp; Sr. Consultant

British Res. Unit

The Family History Library

FamilySearch.org