Dodleston, Cheshire Genealogy

England Cheshire  Dodleston

Parish History
Dodleston, St. Mary is an ancient parish, originally including Dodleston and Lower Kinnerton (Cheshire) and Higher Kinnerton (Flintshire).

A church has been on this site, adjacent to a former motte and bailey castle, since at least medieval times but only the base of its tower, which dates from the early 16th century, remains. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1870 in perpendicular style by John Douglas. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.

Dodleston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, situated on the border between England and Wales. Dodleston was a township in Broxton Hundred. It included the villages of Higher Kinnerton and Lower Kinnerton and the hamlets of Balderton and Gorstella.

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

 *  Great Boughton (1837–69)
 * Chester (1870–1937)
 * West Cheshire (1937–74)
 * Chester and Ellesmere Port (1974–98)
 * Cheshire West (post 1998)
 * Registration events may be searched online at Cheshire BMD

Church records
To find the names of the neighboring 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.

Parish registers for Doddleston, 1570-1983 The parish church is known as St. Mary's. Higher Kinnerton is a township in Doddleston parish. Cheshire Record Office call number: P 115/1/1-6, P 115/2/1-2, P 115/3/1-2, P 115/4, P 115/8, P 115/6491/1-2.

Bishop's transcripts for Dodleston, 1584-1872 Cheshire Record Office call number: EDB 78.

Non-Conformist Churches
Dodleston, Methodist Chapel (Primitive). Built in 1867.

Non-Conformist Records:

The registers of the Chapel have been indexed by the Dodleston Family History Group and are available on microfiche at the Cheshire Record Office.

Formed in 1985, this is a small research group of some 12 to 15 members who meet at roughly monthly intervals in each other's homes during the winter months and have visits to local places of interest during the summer. In 1994, the Group published Dodleston: the History of a Marcher Parish (now out of print). It has also transcribed and published in printed and microfiche formats the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church, Dodleston (1570-1970) and All Saints' Church, Higher Kinnerton (1868-1970), as well as a full record of the inscriptions on the gravestones in St. Mary's churchyard. The printed and microfiche copies of these can be referred to at Cheshire County Record Office, Chester. Considerable work has also been undertaken on the Parish Tithe Map of 1839-42, the Eaton Rentals, the Census returns, Churchwardens' Accounts, and Court Leet records for the parish.

The parish includes a part of Flintshire and is of ancient foundation. Within its boundaries lie a Norman motte and bailey castle, the remains of two 17th-century duck decoys, a large mediaeval moated site, and four ancient homesteads. For many years, much of the area was owned by the Grosvenors of Eaton Hall, whilst in the base of the church tower are the graves of Sir Thomas Egerton, who was Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I and James I, his first wife, and his son Thomas.

Further information from:

Bernard Dennis, M.B.E., 68 Penfold Way, Dodleston, Chester CH4 9NL Tel. 01244 660 102. Mob. 07966 436073

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Index for the Census may be searched at FamilySearch Historical Records

http://www.1881pubs.com/ for details of public houses in the 1881 census

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

 * Great Boughton (1837–53) Tarvin (previously Great Boughton) Poor Law Union, Cheshire
 * Hawarden (1853–71)
 * Chester (1871–1930)

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

Web sites
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.