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.
Register mixed: all entries 1538-1753, marriages separate from 1754, baptisms separate 1813
Register gaps/misordered: A gap 1646-1655 (see note under Oddities below). Misordered regularly 1585-91; 1690s; irregularly at other times. Occasional notes inserted in the PR point out where misordered entries can be found (these notes not transcribed).
Dates: OS/NS: NS begins 1752, but NS also 1655
before 1599, 1604-5, 1611-12, 1615-16, 1620, 1626-8, 1631, 1633, 1635, 1637, 1639-41, 1643-57, 1661-5, 1677-8, 1686-94, 1696-1721, 1723, 1725-62, 1764-1778, 1799, 1831-54
Note that the year recorded in a BT is the twelve months preceding the date of the preparation of the BT, thus ‘1636’ covers parts of 1635 and 1636.
Beginning of register, long title, A.D. 1538, followed by another title, 1558
Bu 1560/02/26 (Mste) an abbreviation mark between M and ste
Bu 1563/05/20 (Mster) an abbreviation mark between M and ster
Bu 1564/10/18 (Mser) an abbreviation mark between M and ser)
Bu 1591 inserted before ‘Anno Domini 1591’ the following: ‘A true and pfecte register booke of all weddinges, christenings and burials since Peter Blinston cler entred on the curacie of Burton so to continue duringe his tyme’ signed Peter Blinston
Bu 1600/08/01 Jone ‘sepultus fuit’ - if Jone = Joan then error for ‘sepulta’; otherwise Jone = John
Ma from 1636 to 1670s entries appear in a variety of extended forms, most in English but some in Latin, of which the following, up to Ma 1644/01/15 below, are a sample.
Ma 1636/11/23 ‘Memorandum that Roger Wilson and Elizabeth Cowper were marryed the 23rd day of November Anno dni 1636 in presence of manie whom they may name as occasion shall require by me Tho Evans’
Ma 1636/06/24 ‘The like by John Burrowes and Anne Standley uppon midsomer day 1636’
Ma 1639/01/26 (Haworth/Gardner) ‘These are to certifie whom it may concern that ... and ... were joyned together in holie matrimonie the ... by ... ’
Ma 1640/11/25 (Goodicar/Meoles) ‘Md that ... and ... were lawfully marryed uppon the ... by ...’
Ma 1641/10/08 (Moore/Pyors) ‘This is to certifie you and let you understand that ... ’
Ma 1644/06/15 (Hitchcocke/Howard) ‘This is to certifie ... were lawfully marryed together according to the time and place provided by the lawes of England ...’
Ma 1640/11/22 ‘These are to certifie whom it may concern that William Cowley and Anne Griffin were married in the Cathedral church of the citie of Chester the 22nd day of November 1640 By me Henry Biddulph minister a Petticannon’
Ma 1643/01/16 (Smith/Woodes) ‘To the Parson Vicar or Curate of the pish of Burton or to whom this present writing shall concern greeting - know you that by vertue of a licence directed unto me there was a marriage solemnised between ... Witness my hand James Hayes Curate’
Ma 1672/01/09 (Hamond/Tealor) ‘This may certifie whom it may concern that ... in the holy estate of matrimony within the canonical hours in the parish church of Snt Oswalls in Chester by ... ’
Bu 11740s,1750s - some entries have F in right-hand margin, or FUN in 1742/08/24 = ? Funeral
Bu 1753/11/22 followed by possibly two illegible entries
Bu 1752/01/16 ‘Phoebe Relict of the late Mr Ashenhurst Rectr of Burton died abt 8 Clock in the morning at Chester and buried at Leigh Church in Staffordshire the 20th in the 57th Year of her Age’
Bu 1757/03/11 (Longworth) after this a partly illegible (or perhaps blank) entry of 1757/04/08, may be a Ba
Ba 1761/06/05 (Rathbone) may be a Bu
Bu 1761/08/16 (Jervis) may be a Ba
Bu 1764/07/22 James, son of Nicholas Walls, may be a Ba
Bu 1779/07/30 (Brookes) inserted after this ‘The names of the children of Roman Catholics that were baptized in this Parish’, followed by 13 entries from Bu 1769/09/15 (Chamberlain) to Bu 1785/10/24 (Ashurst), but in middle Bu 1783/04/27 (Waring)
Ba 1801/03/13 (Pickance) under a heading ‘Register of Baptisms and Burials that are omitted’, but Bu 1806/12/25 (Jones) and Bu 1806/12/29 (Sharp) are thus dated 1806 only in the BT, being 1801 in the PR
Bu 1830/06/23 in margin ‘Sent to the Court June 1830’
Bu 1830/12/22 in margin ‘This was sent to the court Jan 24 1831’
Bu 1835/02/18 ‘A false entry see Page 33 in the year 1835 Erased by me Ralph Baget 3rd January 1837 Incumbent of Burton’
Clergy:
1591-1634 Peter Blinston;
1634-1646 Henry Trafford;
1662-1665 John Litherland;
1727-? F Ashenhurst;
1754-1756 Rbt Washington;
1757-1794 Tho Watts;
1799-1801 Samuel Hassall;
1813-1832 John Price;
1832-1835, 1838 E H Johnson;
1835-1838 R Bagot;
1840-1857 Ralph Congreve;
1858-1866 C Stuart Upperton;
1866-1870 J R Laugharne;
1870- Joseph Lyon.
N.B. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many other clergy signed as ‘Officiating Minister’, but these are presumed to be locums, not curates, and are not listed.
Churchwardens/‘Guardians’:
1597 Petrus Redgate, Robtus Smith;
1598 Henry Meare. Georg Onslowe;
1599 Robt Betson, Thomas Jannion;
1600 John Barrowe, Wllm Robin;
1601 Robtus Broughell, Willm Moores;
1602 John Robin Junior, Francis Fagas (?);
1603 Thomas Browne. John Smith de Pudd;
1604 Peter Hammond, Gilbert Leigh;
1605 Peter Ridgate, Robert Smith;
1606 Peter Ridgate, John Cowper;
1607 John Cowper, John Cullie;
1608 Robtyus Brughell (?), John Culley;
1609 Raphe Lightfoote, John Robynson;
1610 John Gardner, John Lightfoote;
1611 Thomas Jannion, Willm Robyn;
1612 Georg Griffawe, John Ball;
1613 Willm Moores, Thoms Smith;
1614 Thoms Browne, John Male;
1615 Gilbert Leighe, Thomas Sharpe;
1616 Thomas Moores, Francis Sugar;
1617 John Robyn, Willm Barrowe;
1618 John Griffith, Willm Ridgate;
1619 Willm Crosse, John Robynson;
1620 Willm Crosse, John Walley;
1621 Thomas Browne, George Onslowe;
1622 John Evanson, Willm Moores;
1623 John Ball, Willm Davie;
1624 Robt Sherlocke, Gilbert Leigh;
1625 Ralph Lightfoote, Francis Sugar, Ralph Smith [another church officer?];
1626 Robt Meoles, Willm Barrowe, [‘Jurat.’] Oliver Wilson;
1627 Thomas Sharp, John Naylor, [the following and the third name to 1642 ‘Jurat.’] Robert Jannion;
1628 John Morres, John Robinson, John Taylor;
1629 Willm Lightfoote, Thomas Hampton, Richard Fox;
1630 Willm Morres, John Taylor, John Heaward, Ry. Burrowes [also ‘Jurat.];
1631 Willm Cowper, John Collie, John Taylor;
1632 Ed. Readinger, Thomas Browne, John Heaward;
1633 Robt Fletcher, Gilbert Leigh, John Maddock;
1634 John Brookhill, Robertus Sugar, Radulphus Smith;
1635 Thomas Sharp, Robert Jannion, Thomas Ball;
1636 William Nevill, William Burrough, Thos Cartwright;
1637 Johes Robin, Georgius Eaton, Willmus Smith;
1638 Johes Robin, Willms Lightfoote, John Howard;
1639 John Taylor youngest, Willm Moores, John Meoles junior;
1640 Roger Wilson, Gilbert Leigh, Peter Hamond;
1641 Thomas Howard, Robert Sugar, Robert Woods;
1642 Henry Ball, Robert Sugar, John Goodikar [see Oddities below];
1643 Henry Ball, William Jannion, Johes Gardner;
1644 Thomas Sharpe Senr, Willmus Barrowe;
1656 William Moores, Robert Johnes;
1662-1664 Jo Meolse, Jo Mealor;
1664 Ralph Lightfoote, Willm Barrow;
1673-1675 John Leather, Robert Yonge;
1676 Richard Jacks, Thos Genion;
1677 Tho Sharp, Wm Moores;
1678 Jonathan Willson, Tho Smith;
1679 Robeart Ball, Sammell Pickare;
1680 John Smieth, Sammell Willson;
1681 Nathaniell Willson, Tho Genion;
1682 William Moores, John Smieth;
1683 William Robin, William Genion;
1684 Tho Genion, Tho Barrow;
1685 Edward Hamond, John Leigh;
1686 Peeter Hamond, Peeter Street;
1689 Tho Woodes, Tho Melor;
1688 Tho Melor, Thos Smieth;
1689 Robeart Fletcher, Robeart Shuger;
1690 Raffe Lightfoot, Sammell Willson;
1792 Richard Cowper, William Ladmur;
1692 John Meoles, John Yong;
1694 William Jenion, Robeart Grice;
1799 Edward Parry, John Gregory
1592-1603 the locality Potingale assumed to be a variant of Puddington
1603 inserted after April 1603 entries, despite the date of March 1602 ‘Serenissima Regina Elizabetha discessit (?) hanc vitam vicessimo tertio die Martij 1602.’
1603, inset in middle of 1603 entries ‘The High and Mightie prince James by the grace of god of England ffrance and Irland kinge and of Scotland The xxxvj [sic] was proclaymed king of theis his maties kingdomes the xxiiij of March 1602. And was crowned uppon the feast daie of St James the appostle next after [blank] in Ao 1603 whom god evermore [illegible] and defende from all trayterous conspiracies.’
1604/09/16, inserted next ‘The Sickness was this year in Neston Magna.’
1608/01/13, inserted next ‘The Snowe and frost ten week together.’
1612/10/10, inserted next ‘Princeps Henricus obiit [illegible] in Mensis Novembris.’
1614/01/31, inserted next ‘The fframes of the Bell weare made this year by Arnold Walle of Chester and Olivr Wilson of Burton and were finished the xxiiijth daie of December 1613, Thomas Smith and Willm Moores being the churchwardens the same year.’
1617/06/29, inserted next ‘The High and mighty king James king of gretat Brittaine came to Chester the xxiij of August 1617.’
1617/08/31, inserted next ‘The Steeple was pointed this year att Bartholomew tyde by men of Liverpool 1617.’
1621/02/22, inserted next ‘ This year the Midle Bell was borred through and mended uppon the pper coste and Charge of the inhabitants of Puddington. And the inhabitants of Burton refussed to fee (?) or psay any charge or money towards the mending of the midle bell. But only yt was payd uppon the charge of Puddington.’
1625/03/27 ‘The High and mightie Kinge Charles king of great Britanne ffraunce and Ireland began his raigne the xxviith daie of Mch 1625 whom god longe serve.’
1629, bottom of page, ‘Burton Milne was built new by Sr Willm Massie Knight about the ffest of all Saints in Anno 1629.’
1635/12/31 inserted long passage in Latin, some illegible, referring to He. Trafford clericus, signed by Thomas Sharpe junior, Robertus Jannion
1639-43 overseers of the poor named, 1639 Thomas Ball, Robert Sugar; 1640 Johes Howard, Willm Jannion; 1641 Robt Jannion, John Milner; 1642 Thomas Hampton Senior, John White; 1643 Lewes ap Evan, Willmus Moores.
1641 inserted under year heading ‘This yeare from Midsomer till Michmas the Plague was in Shotwicke’
1642 inserted after the year heading and alongside the wardens’ signatures ‘agreed betweene Robert Sugar and Willm Jannion that Robert shall be Warden this yeare on condition that Willm will be Warden when it comes to Roberts turn the next tyme’
1645/09/04 ‘September the 20th the Parliament forces entred the suburbes of Chester the forgate streete fierd (?) on Wednesday the 24th of september on Routon Moore & Lode heath were most terrible battyles fought betweene the King and Parlment wherein the Parliamt Partie prevayled. The Parliamt Armie entred into Wales the second time on Sunday September 28th. H.T. Clarke’
??? inserted ‘Memorandum that there had not been anything written in the Register from the yeare of 1646 untill the yeare of 1655 except these five [baptism entries] that was registered before by reason this Register was out of way (?) and could not be had [illegible]’
1657/06/20 inserted after, ‘The middle bell and great bell wheles were made this yeare by John Harper of Thornton Hough and were finnished the 10th of July’
Ma 1794-1798 witness John Cooper regularly signs as ‘cleark’
Bu 1837/09/17 in margin ‘1837 Sep 17 To be entered in the New Register when they come’
Burton, a parish on Deeside, had, until the later nineteenth century, the following contiguous parishes: to the NW Neston, to the East Eastham, to the SE Shotwick. Parish church of St Nicholas. The benefice had for long the form of a perpetual curacy, hence the incumbent’s description of himself as ‘Curate’ (alternating with ‘Rector’). Two townships, Burton and Puddington (the latter containing a Roman Catholic estate).
Population: 1663 c.200 (deduced from hearth tax return), census 1801 427, probably a slow increase between; 1851 Burton township 291 - see P.H.W. Booth, ed., Burton in Wirral. A History, Burton and South Wirral History Society, 1984.