WARNING: The correct use of any parish data from this project requires initial reading of the GENERAL NOTES as well as of the specific PARISH NOTES.
The register begins in 1558 with what appears to be a copy of an older register from a paper book. The form changed in December 1579. The first Latin entries appear in January1584 and all are in Latin from July 1584 until 1765. Until 1585 entries were a mixture of events in date order, but thereafter the register consists of three sequences of entries. There are gaps in the register from July 1560 to August 1561, from June 1569 to January 1570, and from February to July 1647. From 1561 the year starts in March (varies before that), but “new stile” dating was used in 1752, though in the marriage register it looks like a subsequent insertion. Fore- and surnames are often abbreviated. There are no burial entries for 1561.
Baptisms for 1780-1782 occur in the baptismal register after 1744/09/21. “NB These Registers written in my hand were inserted by me October 1814 from memoranda of the then Clerk and extracts procured from the Register Office (Signed) R Jacson.” Burial entries for the same period are written in the same hand in the correct place in the register, with an identical note from Mr Jacson after the entry for 1781/12/13. There is no break in 1744 in the marriage register.
On the inside back cover of the second bound register is a typescript note, corrected in pencil, giving the contents of the volume, dated December 1958 and signed Roger Lancelyn Green. The registers contain baptisms, marriages and burials to 1765, after which year baptisms and burials continue together until 1813. After 1813 there are separate baptismal and burial registers. A separate marriage register was begun in July 1754 notwithstanding that marriages continue to be entered in the same book as the other two events.
In 1755 “We had not one Wedding this year”
In 1807 “Not any marriages in Bebbington Parish Church”.
Copy registers which have not been transcribed into this database nor compared with the parish register and BTs, exist for baptisms and burials from 1748 to 1799, and for marriages from 1748 to 1765.
BTs lacking: 1585-1596, parts of 1597-99, 1601-03, 1606-07, 1611-12, 1616, 1623-4 burials torn away, 1624-25, 1628-9, 1631 (no burials?),1633 (no baptisms?), 1635, 1639, 1640 ( no burials)1643-59, 1652-59 (no burials?) 1661-65,1667-8, 1671 (no marriages), 1672, 1674, (no marriages), 1683,1684-89, 1692 & l690 (no marriages), 1692-3,1824
1603 - Jan 1647 Hugo Poole, Rector
1647-1661 Radulpho Poole
1661-1688 Richard Stones, Rector
1688-1708 Hugo Poole, Rector
1708-1716 Johanne Hall, Rector
1716-1738 Hugo Poole, Rector
1738-1752 Jacob Adams, Rector
1752-1777 Simon Jacson, Rector
1777-1818 Roger Jacson, Rector
1827-1856 Robert Morley Fielden, Rector.
1830 Sep - Jan 1832 Wm Cleminson
1831 Aug - July 1833 R.V.Townshead
1834 July - Aug 1838 T.F.Redhead
1839 March H.O.Wrench.
1664-1680 Gulielmus Coulton.
As the three events reach the bottom of the page at different dates, the signatures of the Guardians vary both in names and in spelling of names. The list of Guardians appears to be complete from 1603 to 1779. The year of office runs from Easter to Easter.
1603 Rowlando Stanley, Willm Benet;
1605 Thomas Bostocke, Willm Macklen;
1607, 1608 Robto Pemberton, Jo Smith;
1609 Willms Holme, Johe Eccles;
1611 Gulielms Stanley, Lawrentio Scarsbrick 1612 -1613 Willmo Stanley Lawrentio Scarsbricke;
1614 Johe Gleave, Thoma Burscow (or Bruscowe);
1616 Christofero Smalshaw, Petro Inglefeilde;
1617 Willmo Meales, Johe Ireland;
1618, 1620 Thomas Bostocke, Johannes Howe;
1621 Johe Huntington, Thomas Inglefield;
1622, 1623 Willmus Wilson, Willmus Tyson;
1624, 1625 Richardus Hodgson, Richardus Bruscow;
1627 Gulielmus Bruscow, Gulielmus Lunt;
1628,1629 Johe Warmincham, Robertus Ball;
1630, 1632 Rodolphe Holland, Richo Richarsin (or Richardson);
1633,1634 Guilielmus Curry, Richus Hodgson;
1635,1636, Thomas Bostocke, Johe Ireland;
1637 Thomas Bostocke, Johe Eccles, 1638-40 Johe Hough (or How), Johe Smith;
1640-41 Thomas Wilson, Richus Hodgson;
1641 - 1648 Henrico Meales (or Meols), Johe Faircloth;
1648-1652 Roberto Hoole, Gulielmo Davison;
1653-55;
Edward Heyes, Johes Robinson;
1665, Edwardo Heyes, Johe Wilson;
1656 Johe Wilson, Hugone Huntington;
1657 Hugone Huntington, Gulielmo Watmough;
1658 Gulielmo Watmough, Lawrentio Scarsbrick;
1659 Lawrentio Scarsbrick, Edwardo Stanley;
1660 Edwardo Stanley, Edwardo Bruscow;
1662 Thomas Correy, Johanes Yoxon;
1662 -63 Richardo Cowes (or Cowles), Roberto Pemberton;1663 Guilielmo Glover, Thomas Jackson;
1663-66Johannes Smith, Guilielmo Glover;
1667 Robertus Keele (de Tranmore), Robertus Sadler de Beb;
[Baps Roberto Keele Bellin;] 1667-69 Richardo Matthew, Roberto Hayes;
??Thomas Jackson, Simono Hodgson;
1670-72 Thomo Eccle (de Tranmore), Roberto Bennet (de Storton);
[Baps: ??Gulielmo Ireland, Laurentio Scasebrick;];
1673 Henricus Faircloth, Richardus Johnson;
1674 Henrico Meoles, Richardo Yockson (or Jackson);
1675 Johans Inglefield, Guilielmus Macklin;
1676 Josua Gill, Gulielmo Langford;
1677 Gulielmo Renshall, Samuel Huntington;
1678 Daniel Orred, Johann Robinson Junr;
1680 Guilielmus Savage, Guilielmus Bavand (or Beevand);
1682 Johannes Warmisham, Samuel Jackson;
1683 Peter Inglefield, Samuel Jackson;
1684 Johannes Yoxon, Gulielmus Currey;
1685 Petrus Tyson, Josephus Davis;
1686 Johannes Holland, Thomas Briscoe;
1687 Johannes Holland, Guilielmus Briscow 1688-9 Tho Allen, Jos Pemberton;
1690 Guilielmus Bennet, Thomas Duke;
1691 Johannes Bolland, Johannes Watmough;
1692 Samuel Wilcock, Johannes Mathews;
1694 Guilielmus Wirrall, Johannes Carter;
1694 Gerrard Macklyn, Peter Pickerton;
1695 Thoma Pendleton, Thoma Williams;
1696 Guli Tellet, Guliel Worrall;
1697 Henrico Meoles, Richardo Stanley;
1698 Thoma Stanley, Thoma Bancks;
1699 Thomas Corry;
1700 Johanne Robinson, Stanley Orred;
1702 Caroli Robinson, Johanne Longston (or Longdon);
1703 Johannes Green Arm., Johanne Glegg Gen;
1704-5 Petro Gleave, Henrico Meales;
1706-09 Johanne Yoxon (or Yockson), Henrico Ireland;
1710 Thoma Allen, Thoma Pendleton;
1710 Thomas Allen, Thomas Dellimaire;
1711 Stanley Orred, Edwardus Briscow 1712-13 Johanne Matthew, Richardo Browne;
1714-16 Petro Lunt, Josephus Watmough;
1716-17 Johanne Bolland, Samuel Jackson;
1717 Thoma Allen, Thoma Gill;
1718 Johannes Oxton, Josephus Ireland, 1720 Gulielmus Hodgson, Johannes Kay (or Ray?);
1722 Arthur Bennett, Thomas Jackson;
1723 Richardus Worrall, Robertus Scarsbrick;
1725 Henrico Meales, Henrico Batho;
1726, 1727 Thomas Macklin, Jacobus Heays;
1729, 1730 Samuele Bennet, Samuele Chatterton;
1731 George Orred, George Leach;
1732 George Orred, Henricus Booth;
1733 Radulpho Fisher, Jared Macklin;
1735 Danll Orred, Guilielm Goodacre;
1736-1739 Johannes Oxton, Guilielmus Stanley;
1741 Johanne Renshall, Thomas Burchwood 1742 Enoch Stanley, Geo Sutton;
1743 Thomas Bagerley, Carol Inglefield;
1745 Guilielmo Scarsbrick, Guilielmo Bankes;
1746, 1747 Enoch Stanley, Geo. Sutton;
1750 Johanne Lee, Joseph Jones;
1751 Johan Williams, Geo Colley;
1752 Guilielm Scarsbrick, Joseph Wright;
1753 Thomas Whittle, Gulielmo Banks;
1755 Daniel Orred, Johann Bagarly;
1756 Thom Lee, Samuele Jones;
1758 Thom Lee, Thom Buck;
1759 Thom Buck, Samuel Jones;
1760 Thom Stanley, Isaac Francis??;
1762, 1763 Johann Ellis, Jacob Heyes;
1764 Thomas Johnson, Gulielmus Greenwood;
1765-1767 Wm Scarsbrick, James Wade;
1768 Wm Scarsbrick, Thos Bagaley;
1769 Thomas Johnson, Guilielm Greenwood;
1770 William Maddock, Richd Lee;
1772 John Bennett, John Matthews;
1776 Samll Newbold (or Newbey), Samll Jones;
1778 Joseph Jackson, Wm Scarsbrick;
1779 Samll Lightbound, John Pinnington
Churchwardens’ accounts exist from 1774 onwards, but are not included in this database.
Ba 1563/01/10 (Haydon) Register does not state whether baptism or burial, so entered as both.
Bu 1563/01/10 (Haydon) Register does not state whether baptism or burial, so entered as both.
Ba 1703/12/23 (Earsworth) BT only
Ba 1706/09/22 (Worall) BT only
Ba 1745/02/13 (Beck) BT only
Ba 1746/11/12 (Platt) BT only
Ba 1749/12/17 (Betson) BT only
Ba 1761/04/25 (Davis) BT only
Ba 1765/09/06 (Minshall) BT only
Ba 1777/11/20 (Sherlock) BT only
Ba 1782/09/11 (Leather) BT only
Ba 1793/04/28 (Bennett) BT only
Ba 1796/08/14 (Evans) BT only
Bu 1759/05/01 (Roberts) BT only
Bu 1765/09/21 (Colley) BT only
Bu 1766/01/12 (Warden) BT only
Bu 1781/03/26 (Bryon) BT only
Bu 1793/04/28 (Williams) BT only
Ma 1828/09/15 “This marriage was celebrated here on account of the non-consecration of Brombro church”.
The ancient parish of Bebington lay along the coast of the Liverpool side of the Wirral. The contiguous ancient parishes were, clockwise from the east, Bromborough, Neston, Bromborough again, Woodchurch, and the extra parochial area of Birkenhead. Bebington ancient parish comprised the whole of the townships of Higher Bebington, Lower Bebington, Poulton cum Spital, Storeton, and Tranmere (a chapelry according to Youngs). In our period to 1871 a number of new ecclesiastical parishes were created out of the ancient parish. In Tranmere chapelry, St Catherine was created in 1831 (Williams, Pevsner and Hubbard; cf office list and Youngs which give 1842), followed by St Paul in 1854 (Pevsner and Hubbard; cf office list which gives 1857, and Williams and Youngs who both give 1858). Higher Bebington became in 1844 Rock Ferry or Higher Bebington St Peter. This was subdivided with the creation in 1859 (Williams, and Pevsner and Hubbard; cf 1877 in Youngs) of Higher Bebington Christ Church.
The population of Bebington ancient parish can be estimated by the number of households in ecclesiastical ‘censuses’ of 1563 (130 households or families), c.1720 (166), and in 1778 (250 houses), while the sum of the households in the townships of the parish in the hearth tax of 1664 was 166. The population of the ancient parish in 1801 was 1,026 people, and 23,725 in 1871, 16,143 of whom lived in Tranmere chapelry.
The parish registers of Bebington Co. Chester from AD 1558-1701, ed. Francis. Sanders and Wm Fergusson Irvine (Liverpool, privately printed, 1897). Copy in Cheshire Record Office.
Anon, typescript list of Monumental inscriptions in the churchyard of St Andrew, Bebington (1968). Copy in Cheshire Record Office.
Colin Phillips compiled these notes, using Susan George’s digest of the information collected by transcribers and recorded with each transcription pad. Further information about the make-up of the register volumes came from the list in the Cheshire Record Office, which also provided some details of the evolution of the ancient parish. The population estimates were gathered as follows 1563: British Library, Harleian MS 594, ff. 97-102, count of households; 1664: Public Record Office, Exchequer, E. 179/86/145 (on microfilm), hearth tax returns; c. 1720 F. Gastrell, Notitia Cestriensis, ed. F. R .Raines, vol. I (Chetham Society, old series, VIII, 1845); and 1778: Cheshire RO, Diocese of Chester, EDV/7/1 (on microfilm). For 1801 and 1871 see VCH Cheshire, vol. II, p. 205.) Further details on the evolution of the parish came from C. Williams, Guide to the Cheshire Record Office ([Chester], 1991), pp. 83, 85, 86; Guide to the local administrative units of England, Vol. II Northern England, ed. F.A. Youngs, Jr (1991), pp. 8, 32, 38; and N. Pevsner and E. Hubbard, The buildings of England: Cheshire (Harmondsworth, 1971), pp. 73, 102, 104. See the base map in A.D.M. Phillips and C. B. Phillips, A new historical atlas of Cheshire (Chester, 2001).