PARISH MAP 1750

Tameside Parishes and Churches 1750

Anglican churches

1) St Michael and All Angels, Ashton-under-Lyne - founded in 1291, the current building is in fine gothic style and boasts a set of rare mediaeval stained glass windows. Parish registers start from 1594 - early dates to 1720 printed, later dates until well into the 1900s on microfilm at Tameside Library.

2) Mottram St Michael - beautiful old church set high on a hill offering commanding views of the local countryside. Parish registers start from 1559 - large parts of these registers seem extraordinarily difficult to read.

3) Denton St Lawrence - originally a chapel at ease for Manchester Collegiate Church (Manchester Cathedral). Tudor black and white timber framed building. Parish registers from 1695. Early dates to approximately 1756 are printed. Later registers are available on microfilm.

Dissenting Chapels

4) Old Chapel, Dukinfield (Unitarian) - the original church was founded in 1707 and was known as the 'White Chapel'. It was later rebuilt in 1844. Prior to 1707 services were held in a barn near Yew Tree farm in Dukinfield. Parish registers start from 1677, but records are missing between 1713-1763.

5) Gee Cross Unitarian Chapel, Hyde - founded a few months later than Dukinfield Old Chapel in 1708. The current building dates from the mid 1840's. Parish registers on microfilm start from 1710 - 1838 for baptisms and 1785-1989 for burials. There aren't any for marriages.

Churches outside Tameside

6) Dob Lane Unitarian Chapel, Failsworth - Parish registers from 1701 available at Manchester Central Library and at Oldham Local Studies Library, 84 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1DN. Tel: 0161-911 4654.

7) Tintwistle Chapel - Baptism 1747-1837 and Burials 1798-1821 available on microfilm at Manchester Central Library.

8) Hatherlow Congregational Chapel, Bredbury - founded in 1645. Parish registers for baptisms start from 1732-1781(printed) and 1786 -1837 on microfilm. Burial registers don't start until 1793. These are available at Stockport Heritage Library, Wellington Road South, Stockport SK1 3RS Tel: 0161-474 4530 and at Manchester Central Library.

Brookfield Unitarian Chapel, Gorton - baptisms from 1732-1881, marriages from 1864-1881 burials from 1785-1881 available at Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 5PD. Tel: 0161-234 1979/1980.

Gorton St James - baptisms start as early as 1599, burials 1651 and marriages 1601, printed records available to 1741 and then available up to the 1970s on microfilm at Manchester Central Library.

Saddleworth St Chad's - Chapel at ease for Rochdale Parish. Printed parish registers exist between 1613-1800 with several years missing, available on microfilm after these dates at Manchester Central Library and Oldham Local Studies Library. All of Saddleworth and parts of Mossley came within the township of Quick in Rochdale Parish. Saddleworth is now part of Oldham and Mossley part of Tameside.

St John's Chapel Hey - another chapel at ease that used to belong to Rochdale Parish whose registers start from 1743 and are available on microfilm from Manchester Central Library and Oldham Local Studies Library.

Droyslden - before St Mary's Church was founded in 1848 came under Newton Heath All Saint's parish and records for this church are available from 1723 onwards at Manchester Central Library and Oldham Local Studies Library. Records have also been transcribed by the Lancashire Parish Register Society and are currently being indexed 1655-1837. On the I.G.I. between1654-1722 and 1756-1844.

For Stockport parish records - check the parish registers for Stockport St Mary's. Very early parish registers between 1584-1619 are printed. Marriages between 1799-1837 are on fiche at Tameside Local Studies. Other years at Stockport Heritage Library and Manchester Central Library.

For Manchester parish records - and any other marriages not found locally, check Manchester Cathedral registers. There were lots of reasons why people chose to marry at the cathedral rather than at their own parish church. Two of the main reasons being that it was cheaper since this was the mother church for Manchester Parish and people getting married there avoided paying two sets of fees. Secondly fewer awkward questions were likely to be asked regarding age and religious denomination etc. It was somewhat of a marriage mart, with people travelling to Manchester on Saturdays just to watch the weddings.

Oldham parish records - records for Oldham St Mary's begin as early as 1558 and are transcribed and printed by the Lancashire Parish Register Society upto about 1660 and are available on microfilm after this date. Indexes for some of the early periods are available at Oldham Local Studies Library. St Marys Prestwich was the mother church for Oldham and both for reasons of tradition and to avoid paying two lots of marriage fees lots of people in Oldham chose to marry at Prestwich. The Lancashire Parish Register Society has published the records for St Mary's Prestwich in two volumes covering the period 1603 - 1712, later records are on microfilm at Manchester Central Library and marriages from 1713-1837 are available at Oldham Local Studies Library.

Glossop - Glossop Parish Records were transcribed some time ago by Glossop and District Historical Society. There are many gaps from late 1600s to early 1700s and baptisms circa 1780. Check out the following website: Marjorie Ward's Glossop Pages where she kindly offers to do look-ups, as time allows. Records for High Peak are held at Derbyshire Record Office at Matlock.