New Booklet about the Coronation 1953
An exhibition commemorating Prestwich’s celebrations during Coronation Week in 1953 is currently being staged in the Heritage Museum in Prestwich Library. To accompany...
Local Resources for Family History
Genealogy
Both Prestwich and Whitefield had lowish populations up to the Industrial Revolution. After about 1750 the local population began to grow slowly. It was not until the coming of the Railway to both communities in 1879 that Prestwich and Whitefield became true suburbs of Manchester and the population took off.
Up to 1750 there was a comparatively stable population in both towns. In Prestwich a group of Yeomen Farmer families which first emerged in the 16th Century are apparent throughout the subsequent centuries. These families were … Hardman, Diggle, Guest, Hilton, Hulton, Tomlinson, Gartside, Edge, Glover, Eckersall, Scholes, Lancashire, Wilson. Anyone with historic links to Prestwich is going to find several of those family names on their Family Tree.
The same is true of Whitefield with names like Barlow, Berry, Dawson, Haddock, Sergeant, Siddal, Smethurst, Walker and Holt ( Unsworth) being consistently prominent.
We list below some of the Resources available for the Genealogy of our district.
Parish Registers.
Prestwich Parish Registers go back to 1603. Pilkington ( Whitefield, Outwood and Unsworth ) were in the Parish of Prestwich until 1826. In 1826 Whitefield became a separate Parish based on the new church of Stand All Saints.
Prestwich Parish Registers ( 1603 to 1712) were published by the Lancashire Parish Register Society in two volumes ; Vol 1 1603-1689 and Vol 2 1689-1712.
Prestwich Parish Registers right through from 1603 until the late 19th century are now online in the Lancashire Online Parish Clerk series ( transcribed by Lynne Ransom).
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Prestwich/index.html
The Marriage Registers of Stand All Saints ( Whitefield ) are online at ..
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Whitefield/allsaints/index.html
The Census
The British Census began in 1801 and has been carried on every ten years since then.
The Census records were only kept in any detail from 1841 onwards.
The transcripts of the 1841 and 1851 Censuses are available on microfilm in most local libraries e.g Bury and Manchester Central Library.
Bury Library also has written transcipts of the 1841 Census for the whole of the Bury area including Prestwich and Whitefield. There is one volume dedicated solely to Prestwich. The 1841 Census for Whitefield occurs in the three volumes in this series given over to Pilkington.
The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society has published the 1851 Census for Prestwich on CD and it can be purchased from them at …
Other Censuses between 1851 and 1911 are available online and searchable in many places. The 1881 Census for example is available FREE at …
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp
Wills and Inventories
Prestwich Parish, including Whitefield, was in the Diocese of Chester from 1545 until 1858. All Wills were proved there and recorded in the Chester Records. When a person died an Inventory of their goods and chattels was often made as well and many of these Inventories survive.
The Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire published lists of all the Chester Diocese Wills and Inventories, including those relevant to this neighbourhood for the period 1545 to 1858. But those indices are difficult to use – they are arranged alphabetically by surname with each volume covering a 30 year period or so.
Bury family History Society has compiled a list of Wills at Chester for the period 1845 to 1780. It includes Wills from Prestwich and Whitefield. A copy of this index is in the Local History Section at Bury Library.
Prestwich Wills and Inventories are also listed in the Genealogy section of this current website.
The Wills themselves are now at Lancashire Record Office in Preston. Copies of the actual Wills and Inventories can be obtained fairly cheaply by Post.
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=4528&pageid=30539&e=e
Local Resources.
There are several centres which have good resources for the Genealogy of this District…
– Prestwich Library
– Whitefield Library
- Bury Family History Society http://www.lfhhs.org.uk/bury/index.htm
– Bury Local and Family History Library holds extensive local history records and has Family History Surgeries every Thursday morning.
– Manchester Local History Library, Central Library.
– Salford Local History Library, the Crescent
– Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society ( website as above)
General Resources.
In addition to the sources specific to this neighbourhood, discussed above, there are more general sources …
– The IGI – the International Genealogical Index is maintained and published by the Mormon Church. It can be found on Microfiche in most good libraries. The IGI lists all events, births, deaths and marriages abstracted form Parish and other Records. A starting point for more detailed research.
http://www.ancestor-search.info/SRC-IGI.htm
– BMD – Births Deaths and Marriages.
The British Records for these three key life events go back to the 1830s. There are accessible online and at the Greater Manchester Record Office.
Searches of the Indexes are often free but copies of the actual Certificates cost ..
- Directories. Directories of local towns and vilklages began to be made in the late 18th Century. They list the upper and middle classes and tradesmen. A good starting point for our area is Baines’ 1825 Directory of Lancashire which includes Prestwich and Whitefield. The Baines Directory of 1825 is in most Local History/Studies Libraries. Some relevant Directories are listed here …
http://www.genhound.co.uk/lancs.php
– One Name Studies. Families where a lot of research has been done, frequently have One Name Societies and websites e.g the Diggle family have a Forum …
http://genforum.genealogy.com/diggle/
Prestwich Girl gets a Stamp
Celia Birtwell, the fashion designer, features on a first class stamp. Celia (71) was brought up in Prestwich ; her family lived in Holyrood Road. She went...
Coronation Day Exhibition 1953
Coronation 1953. Next year, 2013, brings the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It will be celebrated throughout the Nation and the Commonwealth. Prestwich...
18 Comments
Looking for any information on the Hilton/Kay families of Prestwich/Whitefield.
Arthur Hilton born abt 1852 Prestwich was a Messenger Carrier- any photographs with him on would be great.
His father was Thomas Hilton born 1829 Whitefield and he was married to Martha Kay of Prestwich daughter of Dennis and Mary Kay.
I have got back to Thomas Hilton 1734 and cannot get back any further.
Any information on the above families would be great.
I am a descendant of the Prestwich family and would love to find pictures or paintings of any of my ancestors. Can anyone provide pictures of graves of any Prestwich members?
I live in the United States of America and have never been to visit this area. I would surely love to see it!
I am researching the family of Greenbank Lowis.I have a copy of his marriage certificate dated 9 September 1887 but the name of the church is illegible. It appears to be Sellasjarets. Please any clues. He was a grocer and lived in Roods Lane.
Hi there,
looks like the church could be St.Margarets.
The area was Rooden Lane (bury Old Road / Whittaker Lane
district.)
Perhaps you should check the 1891 Census or St. margarets records.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Margaret's_Church,_Prestwich
Looking for information on Squire and Alice Mills who had a shop at 260 Bury New Road, Whitefield. In 1891 their children consisted of: Albert, Sarah, William, Edward & Mary B. Edward was born in 1888
Thank you
Have traced family history to this area to point where Thurston Smethurst married Anne Heape [1707], son also Thurston married Mary Jones circa 1739. Any Smethursts have a connection?
My 2xgrt.grandfather John Gray was buried in St.Mary the Virgin’s Churchyard, Prestwich, Lanc’s on the 14th.Oct. 1899. Does anyone know if records have been made of the MI’s in St.Mary’s Churchyard. He was living in 38 Fairfax Road, Prestwich with his Daughter and her husband John Kay and family at the time of his death. I would dearly like to find his grave.
Regards Marin Gray
Hello Martin,
Yes I think an MI register has been done by the Bury genealogists.
http://www.lfhhs.org.uk/bury/index.htm
Admin
Hi martin, i hope i’ve got the right person. You may haved lived on jubilee rd middleton. If so i’m your daughter tara, we met 12 or 13 yrs ago. I’ve been searching along time to make contact with you,if you would like to talk please email me and we can get in touch, thanks. Tara.x
I live in California and I am having difficulty tracking down information regarding my ancestors Ann Ogden and her husband John Clough. The good news is that I just verified that they married on 20 February 1787 at St. Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England. However, by the time Ann and John got married they already had 7 children, the first child was born in 1773. After marriage Ann and John had 6 more children including my direct ancestor a girl they named Mally Clough born 1793. All 13 children, the last child born 1798 were baptized at St. Mary the Virgin, Bury, Lancashire.
As all 13 children were baptized at a different church I imagine the only reason Ann Ogden and John Clough were married at St. Mary the Virgin in Prestwich is because Ann was originally from Prestwich and she had family members still living in the area at the time the marriage took place. BTW, according to Lancashire On-Line Parish Clerks Ann Ogden was of this parish i.e. Prestwich but John Clough was from the parish of Radcliffe, Lancashire, England.
Anyways, due to the differing locations I am having a hard time tracing their date of birth, confirming place of birth and death and also siblings if any as well as their respective parents. Perhaps Ann and John were born in the 1750′s? I would be glad to hear from anyone who can direct me to any specific genealogy resources that will help me obtain the information I seek. Thank you.
Hi there Susan,
Both Ogden and Clough were common surnames in South East Lancashire. They occur many times in the local registers.
Prestwich, Radcliffe and Bury are close neighbours, in fact Prestwich and Radcliffe are now part of Bury Metropolitan District.
There was an Ann Ogden baptised at St Mary’s Prestwich on 1st April 1746. She was the daughter of Amos Ogden a shoemaker from Whitefield ( a village in the Parish of Prestwich).The Parish of Prestwich was huge and included seven other Townships/villages apart from Prestwich itself.
If your Ann and John had a son called Amos, the 1746 girl might have been her.
As you say a John Clough of Radcliife and Ann Ogden of this Parish were married in 1787 at Prestwich but they went on to have a daughter called Mary baptised at Prestwich in 1789 when John and Ann were described as living in Whitefield. This might suggest that your John and Ann were NOT the couple married in 1787 in Prestwich.
I appreciate getting a response so quickly. Thank you. My ancestors surnames Ogden and Clough seem most popular in South East Lancashire. If these names occur many times in the local registers could you please tell me where the local register is kept and how I may get in touch to gather more information? Thank you.
Unfortunately, my ancestors did not have a son named Amos or a daughter named Mary, but they did have the following children after marriage:
Luke and Mark Clough (Twins) born 10 October 1788
Henry Clough born 21 March 1791
Mally Clough born 6 July 1793 (My direct ancestor)
Nelly Clough born 21 June 1795
James Clough born 22 October 1798
All of the above children were baptized at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Bury, Lancashire which suggests Ann and John moved. I obtained the above information from FamilySearch.org
With respect to the date of John and Ann’s marriage which took place on 20 February 1787, I have confirmed the marriage via the following 3 sources: FamilySearch.org GenesReunited and Lancashire OPC.
I learned from 2 of the sources that Ann Ogden was born in the parish of Prestwich and that John Clough was born in the parish of Radcliffe. But as you suggest, “The parish of Prestwich was huge and included 7 other Townships/Villages apart from Prestwich itself.” Perhaps if you could kindly furnish me with the names of all the Townships and Villages that the Parish of Prestwich covered area wise circa. 1740 – 1800 period then just maybe I could try and find Ann by location.
I am wondering if the Parish of Radcliffe extends to multiple Townships and Villages as well?
I look forward to hearing from you again in the hopes you can provide answers to my questions. Thank you Admin so much for responding thus far.
Hello again,
Most of the Lancashire Parish Registers were published in book form a last century, and now available of CD. Local libraries and Societies stock them.
You might contact Lancashire Parish Register Society…
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/lprs/
and Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society ( who have a large Library of all local resources and might be able to furnish a local researcher for you…..
http://www.mlfhs.org.uk/
Bury also has a genealogical society..
http://www.lfhhs.org.uk/bury/index.htm
The townships in Prestwich Parish were Prestwich, Great Heaton, Little Heaton, Tonge, Alkrington, Chadderton and Pilkington ( Pilkington further divided up into sub-Townships – Whitefield, Outwood and Unsworth ). The Parish had originally been even bigger ( Prestwich-cum-Oldham) and also included Oldham, Royton, Crompton and Werneth.
Ogden was a name that had historically been strongly associated with Alkrington ( now in Middleton, part of Rochdale MBC ). In medieval records the name sometimes appears as “Okedene”.
A map of the historic Prestwich Parish is in the maps section of our website..
http://www.prestwichheritage.co.uk/maps/
I still don’t think the Mary and John that were married in Prestwich in 1787 are your ancestors because the children’s names are different. Although Whitefield di not have its own church until 1826 so if they lived in Whitefield they should have gone to Prestwich Church but Bury and Radcliffe were only a few miles away.
March 4, 2012
Dear Admin.,
I live in Georgia, U.S.A. My family research indicates that I am a descendant of Robert William Robinson (born in 1860). In 1881 England census, Robert William Robinson, his wife, Ellen Jackson, and Brother Joseph Robinson were living with their Aunt, Priscilla Jones ( born in 1834) and her three children. Aunt Priscilla’s children were, Joseph Jones, David Jones, and Sarah J. Jones. The family, except Robert William who was in the military 1900, lived in Prestwich from 1881 to 1911. Robert William Robinson reenlisted in the Great War. I was told he had military medals from 1900 and 1914-18 wars. In 1930s he was one of the British merchants in Ghana (Gold Coast), West Africa.
In 1936 one Robert Robinson, age 76, died at Lancaster (LAN/134/15), Preston. Could this Robert Robinson be Robert William Robinson and therefore hints he and his family were living in Lancaster in the 30s? Where can I go to get more information about the two related families, Priscilla Jones and Robert William Robinson? Does Prestwich have Newspaper Archives from the 30s?
I would be grateful for any help you can assist me with in my search.
Thank you.
Robert William Robinson
I am trying to locate the grave of my great grandfather JAMES JOHNSON 1846-1905. I know he is buried at St Mary’s in Prestwich and would love to visit his grave and maybe find his wife Jane as well.
Sorry, I forgot to add that according to lan-opc JAMES JOHNSON was buried on 4/7/1905, it is in the Register of Burials 1903-1921 Page 46 Entry 368 Parish Register but of course I need to know the plot number of his grave.
Hi, I am trying to find out the whereabouts of my Grandad’s grave. His name was William Williams.He lived at 62 Sandy Lane, Prestwich until he died there on 04/05/1956 He was born 1883/1884. The death certificate states he was 73yrs when he passed away. His wife’s name was Ada Williams nee Farrar. I can remember several of her family living next door and nearby. Ada died in 1950. I have no idea where she was buried just that she died in hospital. Can anyone help please? Regards Ann Marshall
Hi Ann,
why not try the Priest in Charge at St. Mary’s Parish Church,Prestwich as a starting point ( I believe they have a record of burials) and then check out Agecroft Cemetery, Salford ( which is quite close) .
If you are near Prestwich you should check the death notices in the Prestwich Guide for 1956 which is in Prestwich Library on Microfilm.
Admin