Daresbury, Cheshire Genealogy

History
Daresbury All Saints, an ancient chapelry in Runcorn Ancient Parish, included Acton Grange, Daresbury, Hatton, Keckwick, Moore, Newton by Daresbury, Preston on the Hill, Walton Inferior and Walton Superior. It became a parish in 1880.

It is best known because of its association with Lewis Carroll who is commemorated in its stained glass windows depicting characters from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In the 12th century a chapelry was founded on the site of the present church as a daughter house of Norton Priory. It was a chapel of ease within the parish of Runcorn. After the Reformation the patronage of the Runcorn parish passed into the hands of Christ Church, Oxford. It is likely that the stone tower was built shortly after this time. Over the years there were frequent disputes between the worshippers at Daresbury and the mother church at Runcorn relating to financial matters.

The existing building other than the tower was erected between 1870 and 1872 by Paley and Austin in the Gothic revival style. During the restoration an old rood loft and screen were destroyed. Richards identified this as of "pure Welsh type" and its loss as "nothing short of a major calamity". Daresbury became a parish separate from Runcorn in February 1880. Families who have been associated with the church over the centuries are those of Greenall, Rylands, Chadwick, Heron, Milner, Houghton and Okell. The tower was restored in 1872 by Sir Gilbert Greenall.

Church Records
Parish registers for Daresbury, Cheshire, 1617-1951 Daresbury is a chapelry in Runcorn parish. Cheshire Record Office call number: P66/1/1-5, P66/2/1-3, P66/3/1-3, P66/4/1-2.

Cheshire parish registers are available online in Record Search

Bishop's transcripts for Daresbury, 1600-1855 Early entries in Latin.Daresbury was a chapelry in the parish of Runcorn. Cheshire Record Office number: EDB 74.

Cheshire, Church of England, Bishop’s transcripts are available online in Record Search

Non-Conformist Churches
None

Non-Conformist Records
None

Poor Law Unions

 * Runcorn

Registration Districts

 * Runcorn (1837–1974)
 * Halton (post1974)

Registration events may be searched online at Cheshire BMD

Charles Dodgson
From 1827 to 1843 the priest in charge of Daresbury church was Charles Dodgson. In 1832 his third child and first son was born, named Charles Lutwidge, and better known later in life as Lewis Carroll. The vicarage was not then, as it is now, opposite the church but was some distance away in Newton-by-Daresbury near the junction of Morphany Lane and Higher Lane. The churchyard contains a 16th century font in which, amongst many others, Lewis Carroll was baptised

Lewis Carroll Interpretation Project
This project is to build a centre to provide information about Lewis Carroll's early years in Daresbury, and his later achievements. In June 2008 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £370,000 towards the project.

"Lewis Carroll Interpretation Project", Inside Halton (Halton Borough Council): 13, December 2008