Lancashire Church Records

England &gt; Lancashire &gt;

Church of England
Lancashire was comprised of 71 ancient parishes, but well over 500 extant chapels (chapelries) and district churches prior to 1851. As all authoritative treatises on Lancashire civil parishes differ somewhat--some much more than others--in their facts which indicate the extant township chapelries, several key reference publications have been used here to compile as thorough and comprehensive a list of Lancashire parishes and all associated chapelries as may be possible.

Here is as standard a list as can be identified, of all Lancashire parishes and their chapels of ease, and the township chapelries within their boundaries. Also included next to each parish and chapelry are the ecclesiastical courts which held (pre-1858) jurisdiction over them. These jurisdictions held authoritative oversight and kept additional records for such events as issuing marriage licences, oversight in ecclesiastical (church) court proceedings, probate and in other important records.

To view all Lancashire parishes and chapelries, click on the alpha-link below for the desired parish or place:

Source Citations
1. Lewis, Samuel A. Topographical Dictionary of England and Wales. London 1848 (FHL book 942 E5Le)

2. Dublin Ireland : A. Fullarton, 1846 (FHL 942 E5ful 12 vols). This topographical dictionary provides one of the most accurate historic views of parishes and their chapelries in this most complex of all England counties.

3. Youngs, Frederic A., Jr.''Guide to the Local Administrative Units. ''London, England: Royal Historical Society, 1979, 1991. (FHL 942 C4rg no. 10, 17.) This guide identifies Church of England ecclesiastical jurisdictions and gives an outline history of changes and the creations of the parishes and their chapels--often called chapelries.

4. Imperial Gazetteer of England &amp; Wales. 1868-1870 FHL.

5. Family History Library Catalog. This catalog provides evidence of those parishes and their associated chapelry registers and years pertaining thereto.

Useful Resources
Raymond, Stuart A. Lancashire: a genealogical bibliography, vol. 2. Registers, inscriptions and wills. Birmingham [England]: Federation of Family History Societies, c 1996-1997.

Useful Links

 * Online Parish Clerks for the County of Lancashire. This site aims to extract and preserve the records from the various parishes and provide online access to that data free of charge.
 * Lancashire Parish Register Society transcribes and publishes parish registers for pre-1837 Lancashire.
 * Catholic History: England and Wales - 1550-1850
 * England, Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1603-1910: provided by FamilySearch Historical Record Collection. To learn more about this record set review the Wiki article.
 * England, Lancashire, Oldham Cemetery Registers, 1797-2004: provided by FamilySearch Historical Record Collection. To learn more about this record set review the Wiki article.