Lancashire, England Parishes

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England

Lancashire

Parishes

Lancashire is by far one of England's most populated counties. Yet from early times Lancashire possessed only about 75 ancient parishes- far fewer than most other counties, making it exceptionally unique among all of England's counties. To handle the dramatic population explosion within its county boundaries, the Church of England created hundreds of chapels of ease (or chapelries) and district churches, each one attached to an ancient parish. There were about 400 chapelries in Lancashire.

 

After completing research in the ancient parish registers, be certain to ask yourself if you have also searched in the church registers of each chapelry attached to that parish . To not follow this strategy in your research will result in less-than thorough searching, and greater chance of failure to solve your research problem or objectives.

For more information about church records in Lancashire, see Lancashire Church Records

Ancient Parishes

There were just over 75 Ancient Parishes in Lancashire. This is equivalent to a parish in other counties. Most ancient parishes were divided into chapelries, though a few had no chapelries and Manchester had 150. The average number of chapelries per ancient parish was about eight.

This table lists all the ancient parishes of Lancashire. The page for each parish has a link to a "comprehensive list" of the chapelries.

Aldingham	Altcar	Ashton in Makerfield St Thomas (became a parish in 1845)
Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Aughton	Bispham
Blackburn St Mary	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Bolton le Sands
Brindle	Bury St Mary	Cartmel
Childwall	Chipping	Chorley St Laurence
Claughton St Chad	Cockerham	Colton
Croft with Southworth	Croston	Dalton in Furness
Deane	Eccles	Eccleston St Mary (near Croston)
Flixton	Garstang	Golborne
Halsall	Halton	Hawkshead
Hesketh with Becconsall	Heysham	Hoole
Huyton	Kirkby Ireleth	Kirkham
Lancaster St Mary	Leigh	Leyland
Liverpool St Peter and St Nicholas	Lytham	Manchester Our Lady, St George and St Denys
Melling	Middleton	Mitton St Michael
Newchurch	North Meols	Ormskirk
Pennington	Penwortham	Poulton le Fylde
Prescot	Preston St John	Prestwich St Mary
Radcliffe St Mary	Ribchester	Rochdale St Chad
Rufford	Sefton	St Michael on Wyre
Standish	Tarleton	Tatham
Thornton in Lonsdale	Tunstal	Ulverston St Mary
Urswick	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Warrington St Elphin
Warton (near Lancaster)	Whalley	Whittington
Wigan All Saints	Winwick

Chapelries

These tables list most of the chapelries in Lancashire and their ancient parish. Many post-1837 chapelries are not included.

Each chapelry (church) kept their own separate church registers of christenings, often burial and sometimes marriage registers as well. Most chapelries did not obtain "parish" status and were not granted 'licence' to marry couples until after 1836. The vast majority of Lancashire's chapels and district churches never received "parish" status until modern times, mostly by the twentieth century. 

Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish	Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish
Abram	Wigan All Saints	Accrington St James	Whalley
Adlington	Standish	Admarsh	Lancaster St Mary
Aigburth	Childwall	Ainsworth	Middleton
Altham	Whalley	Ancoats All Souls (1840)	Manchester
Ancoats St Andrew (1831)	Manchester	Ancoats Christ Church (1822)	Manchester
Ancoats St James the Less (1867)	Manchester	Ancoats St Jude (1837)	Manchester
Ancoats St Martin (1865)	Manchester	Angerton	extra-parochial
Ardwick St Benedict	Manchester	Ardwick St Silas (1842)	Manchester
Ardwick St Thomas (1740)	Manchester	Arkholme	Melling
Ashton in Makerfield	Winwick	Ashton under Lyne Christ Church (1846)	Ashton under Lyne St Michael
Ashton under Lyne St Peter	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Ashton upon Ribble St Andrew	Preston St John
Ashworth	Middleton	Astley	Leigh
Astley Bridge	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Atherton	Leigh
Audenshaw	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Bacup	Whalley
Balderstone	Blackburn St Mary	Bamber Bridge St Saviour	Walton le Dale
Bardsley	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Barrowford	Whalley
Barton	Preston St John	Barton upon Irwell	Eccles St Mary
Bedford Leigh	Leigh	Belmont St Peter	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Beswick Christ Church (1862)	extra-parochial	Beswick St Mary (1878)	extra-parochial
Bevington	Liverpool	Bickerstaffe	Ormskirk
Billinge	Wigan All Saints	Birch in Hopwood	Middleton
Birch in Rusholme St James	Manchester	Birch in Rusholme Holy Trinity (1849)	Manchester
Bircle	Middleton	Birtle cum Bamford (1846)	Middleton
Blackburn Holy Trinity (1848)	Blackburn St Mary	Blackburn St John (1825)	Blackburn St Mary
Blackburn St Michael and All Angels (1839)	Blackburn St Mary	Blackburn St Paul (1792)	Blackburn St Mary
Blackburn St Peter (1821)	Blackburn St Mary	Blackley St Andrew (1866)	Manchester
Blackley St Peter	Manchester	Blackpool St John (1821)	Bispham
Blackrod	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Blawith	Ulverston St Mary
Bolton le Moors All Saints (1796)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Bolton le Moors Christ Church (1841)	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Bolton le Moors Emmanuel (1838)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Bolton le Moors Holy Trinity (1826)	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Bolton le Moors St George (1796)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Little Bolton St John (1846)	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Bootle St Mary (1848)	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Bradford Christ Church (1862)	Manchester
Bradford St Philip (1850)	Manchester	Bradshaw (1781)	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Brathay (1837)	Hawkshead	Bretherton (1843)	Croston
Briercliffe (1843)	Whalley	Brindle Heath (1866)	Manchester
Broughton (near Preston)	Preston St John	Broughton Ascension (1876)	Manchester
Broughton cum Kersal St John (1837)	Manchester	Broughton St Thomas (1881)	Manchester
Broughton (Higher) St James	Manchester	Broughton in Furness	Kirkby Ireleth
Brownhill (1828)	Blackburn St Mary	Burnage St Margaret (1873)	Manchester
Burnley St James (1841)	Whalley	Burnley St Paul (1846)	Whalley
Burnley St Peter	Whalley	Burscough Bridge (1848)	Ormskirk
Burtonwood (1629)	Warrington St Elphin (1591)	Bury St John	Bury St Mary
Bury St Paul (1841)	Bury St Mary	Cartmel Fell	Cartmel
Caton with Littledale	Lancaster St Mary	Chadderton St John (1846)	Prestwich St Mary
Chadderton St Matthew (1837)	Prestwich St Mary	Chatburn (1838)	Whalley
Cheetham Hill St Mark (1794)	Manchester	Cheetham St Albans (1881)	Manchester
Cheetham Hill St Luke (1839)	Manchester	Cheetham St Luke (1844)	Manchester
Chorley St George (1836)	Chorley St Laurence	Chorley St Peter (1851)	Chorley St Laurence
Chorlton cum Hardy (1737)	Manchester	Chorlton upon Medlock All Saints (1808)	Manchester
Chorlton upon Medlock St Ambrose (1884)	Manchester	Chorlton upon Medlock St Clement (1793)	Manchester
Chorlton upon Medlock St Luke (1805)	Manchester	Chorlton upon Medlock St Matthias (1876)	Manchester
Chorlton upon Medlock St Paul (1862)	Manchester	Chorlton upon Medlock St Saviour (1836)	Manchester
Chorlton upon Medlock St Stephen (1854)	Manchester	Church Coniston	Ulverston St Mary
Church Kirk	Whalley	Clayton St Cross (1857)	Manchester
Clayton le Moors (1840)	Whalley	Clitheroe	Whalley
Clitheroe Castle	extra-parochial	Clitheroe St James (1838)	Whalley
Cockersand Abbey	extra-parochial	Coldhurst (1848)	Prestwich St Mary
Collyhurst Albert Memorial (1861)	Manchester	Collyhurst St Catherine (1859)	Manchester
Collyhurst St George in the fields (1877)	Manchester	Collyhurst St James (1873)	Manchester
Collyhurst St Oswald (1855)	Manchester	Colne	Whalley
Colne Christ Church (1836)	Whalley	Coniston	Hawkshead
Copp (Great Eccleston)	St Michael on Wyre	Coppull (1717)	Standish
Crossens (1837)	North Meols	Croxteth Park	extra-parochial
Crumpsall St Mary (1839)	Manchester	Crumpsall St Thomas (1863)	Manchester

D-I

Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish	Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish
Daisyfield St Michael Daisy Lane (1848)	Blackburn St Mary	Daisyfield St Michael and all Angels (1839)	Blackburn St Mary
Dendron (1773)	Aldingham	Denton St Lawrence	Manchester
Denton St George (1841)	Manchester	Denton Christ Church (1826)	Manchester
Didsbury St James	Manchester	Dolphinholme	Cockerham
Downall Green/Garswood End	Winwick	Downham	Whalley
Droylsden (1848)	Manchester	East Broughton (Field Broughton)	Cartmel
East Crompton	Prestwich St Mary	Eccleston Christ Church (1838)	Prescot
Eccleston St Thomas (1839)	Prescot	Edenfield	Bury St Mary
Edge Hill (1837)	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Egton cum Newland (1813)	Ulverston St Mary
Ellel (1726)	Cockerham	Ellenbrook (1768)	Eccles
Elton	Bury St Mary	Euxton	Leyland
Everton Christ Church (1845)	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Everton St Augustine (1830)	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Everton St George (1814)	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Everton St Peter (1849)	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Failsworth St John (1845)	Manchester	Farington St Paul (1840)	Penwortham St Mary
Farnworth	Prescot	Farnworth and Kearsley (1826)	Deane
Fence-in-Pendle	Whalley	Feniscowles (Pleasington)	Blackburn St Mary
Finsthwaite St Peter (1724)	Colton	Formby (1748)	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Garstang St Thomas (1786)	Garstang St Helen	Garston (1729)	Childwall
Glasson (1840)	Lancaster St Mary	Glodwick Christ Church (1844)	Prestwich St Mary
Golborne	Lowton St Luke	Goodshaw	Whalley
Goosnargh	Kirkham	Gorton St James	Manchester
Great Crosby (1749)	Sefton	Great Harwood	Blackburn St Mary
Great Lever	Middleton	Great Marsden (1845)	Whalley
Great Sankey	Prescot	Gressingham	Lancaster St Mary
Grimsargh	Preston St John	Habergham All Saints (1845)	Whalley
Habergham Eaves (1837)	Whalley	Haigh and Aspull (1833)	Wigan All Saints
Hale	Childwall	Halewood	Childwall
Halliwell St Peter (1840)	Deane	Harpurhey (1838)	Manchester
Harwood (1840)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Haslingden	Whalley
Haverthwaite (1826)	Colton	Healey (1847)	Rochdale St Chad
Heapey	Leyland	Heaton Mersey (1850)	Manchester
Heaton Norris (1885)	Manchester	Henheads	extra-parochial
Hey	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Heyhouses	Whalley
Heywood St Luke	Bury St Mary	Heywood St James (1838)	Bury St Mary
Hindley	Wigan All Saints	Hoghton	Leyland
Holcombe	Bury St Mary	Hollinfare	Warrington St Elphin
Hollinwood	Prestwich St Mary	Holme Island	extra-parochial
Holme St John	Whalley	Hornby	Melling
Horwich	Deane	Hulme Christ Church (1835)	Manchester
Hulme St George (1828)	Manchester	Hulme St Mark (1846)	Manchester
Hulme St Philip (1859)	Manchester	Hundersfield	Rochdale St Chad
Hurst (1849)	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Hurst Green (1839)	Mitton
Inskip (1848)	St Michael on Wyre

K-M

Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish	Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish
Kersall Moor (1852)	Manchester	Kirkby	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Kirkdale St Mary (1835)	Walton on the Hill St Mary	Knotty Ash St John (1836)	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Knowsley (1843)	Huyton	Lancaster Castle	extra-parochial
Lancaster St Anne (1796)	Lancaster St Mary	Lancaster St John (1755)	Lancaster St Mary
Lancaster St Thomas (1844)	Lancaster St Mary	Lane Bridge (1849)	Whalley
Langho	Blackburn St Mary	Latchford St James (1796)	Grappenhall (Cheshire)
Lathom St James (1851)	Ormskirk	Leck (1800)	Tunstall
Leesfield (1846)	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Levenshulme (1854)	Manchester
Lever Bridge (1844)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Lindale	Cartmel
Litherland Christ Church (1842)	Sefton	Little Bolton All Saints (1796)	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Little Bolton St John (1846)	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Little Crosby	Sefton
Little Hulton	Deane	Little Lever	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Little Marsden	Whalley	Littleborough	Rochdale St Chad
Littledale (1873)	Lancaster St Mary	Liverpool All Saints (1815)	Liverpool
Liverpool All Souls (1847)	Liverpool	Liverpool Blessed Virgin Mary (1819)	Liverpool
Liverpool Christ Church (1797)	Liverpool	Liverpool Holy Innocents (1854)	Liverpool
Liverpool Holy Trinity (1792)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Andrew (1774)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Anne (1772)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Barnabas (1841)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Bartholomew (1841)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Bride (1831)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Catherine (1831)	Liverpool	Liverpool St David (1827)	Liverpool
Liverpool St George (1734)	Liverpool	Liverpool St John (1784)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Jude (1831)	Liverpool	Liverpool St John the Evangelist (1832)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Luke (1831)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Mark (1803)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Martin in the Fields (1828)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Matthew (1798)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Matthias (1834)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Michael (1826)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Paul (1769)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Philip (1816)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Saviour (1839)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Silas (1841)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Simon (1831)	Liverpool	Liverpool St Stephen (1792)	Liverpool
Liverpool St Thomas (1750)	Liverpool	Longridge	Ribchester
Longsight St John (1846)	Manchester	Longton (1719)	Penwortham St Mary
Lower Darwen St James (1829)	Blackburn St Mary	Lowick (1718)	Ulverston St Mary
Lumb (1846)	Whalley	Lund	Kirkham
Lydgate St Anne (1788)	Rochdale St Chad	Lydiate (1841)	Halsall
Lytham St John (1849)	Lytham St Cuthbert	Maghull	Lytham St Cuthbert
Manchester St Ann (1736)	Manchester	Manchester St Barnabas (1842)	Manchester
Manchester St George (1798)	Manchester	Manchester St James (1784)	Manchester
Manchester St John	Manchester	Manchester St Mary (1756)	Manchester
Manchester St Matthew Campfield (1826)	Manchester	Manchester St Michael (1789)	Manchester
Manchester St Paul (1765)	Manchester	Manchester St Peter (1794)	Manchester
Manchester St Peter, Oldham Rd (1860)	Manchester	Marton St Paul (1751)	Poulton le Fylde
Mawdesley with Bispham (1840)	Croston	Melling (near Liverpool)	Halsall
Mellor	Blackburn St Mary	Mellor Brook (1836)	Blackburn St Mary
Miles Platting St Barnabas (1844)	Manchester	Milnrow	Rochdale St Chad
Mossley (1755)	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Moss Side (1850)	Manchester
Much Woolton	Childwall	Musbury	Whalley

N-S

Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish	Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish
Newchurch in Pendle	Whalley	Newchurch in Rossendale	Whalley
Newton All Saints	Manchester	Newton in Makerfield Emmanuel	Newton in Makerfield St Peter
Oldham St James	Prestwich St Mary	Oldham St Mary	Prestwich St Mary
Oldham St Peter	Prestwich St Mary	Openshaw St Barnabas (1839)	Manchester
Ordsall St Clement (1877)	Manchester	Oswaldtwistle (1837)	Whalley
Out Rawcliffe (1838)	St Michael on Wyre	Over Darwen St James	Blackburn St Mary
Over Darwen St John (1864)	Blackburn St Mary	Over Darwen St Peter/Holy Trinity (1828)	Blackburn St Mary
Over Kellet	Bolton le Sands	Overton	Lancaster St Mary
Paddington St Paul (1846)	Eccles St Mary	Padgate (1839)	Warrington St Elphin
Padiham	Whalley	Parr	Prescot
Peel (1760)	Deane	Pemberton (1832)	Wigan All Saints
Pendlebury St John (1842)	Eccles St Mary	Pendleton All Saints	Whalley
Pendleton (near Salford) St Thomas	Eccles St Mary	Pendleton Hall	extra-parochial
Pilling	Garstang St Helen	Poulton le Sands	Lancaster St Mary
Preston All Saints	Preston St John	Preston Christ Church (1831)	Preston St John
Preston Holy Trinity (1815)	Preston St John	Preston St George	Preston St John
Preston St James	Preston St John	Preston St Mary	Preston St John
Preston St Paul	Preston St John	Preston St Peter	Preston St John
Preston St Wilfrid	Preston St John	Quernmore	Lancaster St Mary
Radcliffe St Thomas (1819)	Radcliffe St Mary	Rainford	Prescot
Rainhill	Prescot	Rampside	Dalton in Furness
Ramsbottom (1850)	Bury St Mary	Rawtenstall	Whalley
Reddish (1860)	Manchester	Reedley Hallows	Whalley, Lancashire, Genealogy
Ribby cum Wrea	Kirkham	Ringley	Prestwich St Mary
Rivington	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Royton	Prestwich St Mary
Rusholme	Manchester	Rusland	Colton
Salesbury	Blackburn St Mary	Salford Sacred Trinity	Manchester
Salford Christ Church (1830)	Manchester	Salford St Bartholomew	Manchester
Salford St Matthias (1842)	Manchester	Salford St Philip (1825)	Manchester
Salford St Simon (1825)	Manchester	Salford St Stephen (1794)	Manchester
Salford St George Charlestown (1825)	Manchester	Salford Stowell Memorial (1869)	Manchester
Salford St Luke (Weaste)	Manchester	Salford St Clement (1881)	Manchester
Salford St John the Evangelist (1837)	Manchester	Samlesbury	Blackburn St Mary
Sandowne-Park (1849)	Childwall	Satterthwaite	Hawkshead
Scarisbrick	Ormskirk	Seaforth	Sefton
Seathwaite	Kirkby Ireleth	Shaw	Prestwich St Mary
Shireshead	Cockerham	Shuttleworth	Bury St Mary
Silverdale	Warton	Singleton	Kirkham
Skelmersdale	Ormskirk	Skerton	Lancaster St Mary
Smallbridge	Rochdale St Chad	South Shore Holy Trinity (1836)	Bispham
Southport Christ Church (1824)	North Meols	Southport Holy Trinity (1837)	North Meols
Spotland	Rochdale St Chad	St Helens	Prescot
Stalmine St James	Lancaster St Mary	Stalybridge New St George (1841)	Ashton under Lyne St Michael
Stalybridge Old St George	Ashton under Lyne St Michael	Stand (Whitefield) All Saints (1827)	Prestwich St Mary
Staveley	Cartmel	Stidd	Ribchester
Stretford St Matthew	Manchester	Sutton (1849)	Prescot
Swinton	Eccles St Mary

T-Z

Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish	Chapelry (year founded)	Ancient Parish
Tatham Fells (1737)	Tatham	Thornton (1836)	Poulton le Fylde
Tockholes (1725)	Blackburn St Mary	Todmorden St Mary	Rochdale St Chad
Tonge	Bolton le Moors St Peter	Tonge cum Alkrington (1842)	Prestwich St Mary
Torver (1747)	Ulverston St Mary	Tottington	Bury St Mary
Tottington Higher End (1802)	Bury St Mary	Toxteth Park St Bride (1831)	Liverpool
Toxteth Park St Clement (1841)	Liverpool	Toxteth Park St James (1775)	Liverpool
Toxteth Park St John (1832)	Liverpool	Toxteth Park St Michael (1815)	Liverpool
Toxteth Park St Paul (1849)	Liverpool	Toxteth Park St Saviour (1849)	Liverpool
Toxteth Park St Thomas (1817)	Liverpool	Trafford (Old)	Manchester
Trawden (1845)	Whalley	Turton	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Tydesley cum Shakerley (1827)	Leigh	Ulverston Holy Trinity (1832)	Ulverston St Mary
Unsworth (1730)	Prestwich St Mary	Upholland	Wigan All Saints
Urmston	Manchester	Victoria Park	Manchester
Walmersley	Bury St Mary	Walmsley	Bolton le Moors St Peter
Walney	Dalton in Furness	Walsden	Rochdale St Chad
Walton le Dale	Blackburn St Mary	Walton Breck	Walton on the Hill St Mary
Wardle St James (1859)	Rochdale St Chad	Wardleworth St James (1821)	Rochdale St Chad
Wardleworth St Mary	Rochdale St Chad	Warrington Christ Church (1839)	Warrington St Elphin
Warrington Holy Trinity	Warrington St Elphin	Warrington St Paul	Warrington St Elphin
Warton	Kirkham	Waterhead (1843)	Prestwich St Mary
Wavertree Holy Trinity	Childwall	Weeton	Kirkham
Werneth	Prestwich St Mary	West Derby St Mary	Walton on the Hill St Mary
West Houghton	Deane	Westleigh St Paul (1848)	Leigh
Whalley Range (1849)	Manchester	Whitechapel	Kirkham
Whitewell	Whalley	Whittle le Woods	Leyland
Whitworth	Rochdale St Chad	Wigan St Catherine (1841)	Wigan All Saints
Wigan St George	Wigan All Saints	Withington	Manchester
Withnell	Leyland	Woodland	Kirkby Ireleth
Witton	Blackburn St Mary	Woodplumpton	St Michael on Wyre
Worsley	Eccles St Mary	Worsthorne	Whalley
Wray	Melling	Wyresdale	Lancaster St Mary
Yate and Pickup Bank	extra-parochial	Yealand Conyers	Warton