PARISH NOTES


 
WARNING: The correct use of any parish data from this project requires initial readin g of the GENERAL NOTES as well as of the specific PARISH NOTES.
 

MACCLESFIELD Christ Church, 1775-1871

The Registers

This transcript of the registers of Christ Church has to be understood in the context of the registers created by an act of parliament in 1779, ’An act for making the church or chapel erected by Charles Roe Esquire, in the town of Macclesfield, in the County Palatine of Chester, a perpetual cure and benefice,’ 19 Geo III, cap 7. The act regularised the position of Christ Church (built in 1775-76) in the ecclesiastical hierarchy and specified that the new church was not to be a parish. The rights of the vicar of Prestbury were not be prejudiced and so, as with Macclesfield St Michael after 1754, marriages were not to be performed in the church, but at Prestbury church. The only exception to this was for marriages of Charles Roe and his family. After St Michael, refounded as an ecclesiastical parish, resumed celebrating marriages in November 1835, none are recorded as celebrated at Christ Church until 1889, so that there are no marriage registers for Christ Church within the time scale of the present transcript. In 1837, however, Christ Church had become an ecclesiastical parish but this does not seem to have removed its subservience to St Michael. The ecclesiastical parish of Christ Church was re-founded in 1888, which no doubt explains the commencement of marriage registrations the following year.

The 1779 act also stipulated that christenings and burials were to ’be registered as usual in the Register of the old chapel in the said town of Macclesfield’. As perhaps an echo of this provision, some Christ Church bishops’ transcripts are now filed with those of St Michael, but the clause on registration seems to have been ignored in Macclesfield until 1830. It maybe relevant to note that the Revd W. C. Cruttenden (presumably the perpetual curate of Christ Church from 1813) became minister of St Michael Macclesfield in 1829. For in 1830 the registers of events recorded at Christ Church from its beginning were taken to St Michael on 26 February and 13 April (see under Oddities below). At St Michael events continued to be recorded in the current Christ Church volume of baptisms, and a new volume for burials was begun. These registers kept at St Michael were copies of a separate set of registers kept at Christ Church. The CPRdb transcript is based on the registers deposited at St Michaels in 1830, and continued there for baptisms beyond 1871, and on the burial registers kept at St Michaels from 1830 until 1857. For burials from 1857 to 1871 the transcript is from the registers made at Christ Church.

In the 1960s, the Christ Church registers were transferred from St Michael to Christ Church, and deposited in the Cheshire Record Office as P. 84/ Accession number 1790 in 1972. The registers written at Christ Church from 1830 onwards were deposited at the CRO in 1983 as P. 84/ Accession 3349. CPRTS volunteers had begun working on the parish using the St Michael’s version, Accession 1790, before the Christ Church version, Accession 3349 had been deposited at the CRO.

Early registers (Record Office number P.84/ Acc 1790/ 1)

Baptisms (February 1775-December 1812) entered from one end, burials (June 1776- December 1812) from the other. The baptisms begin 'BAPTISMS at the New Church or Chapelry of Macclesfield for the Year 1775’. The burials begin 'Burials at the New Church or Chapel of Macclesfield in the year 1776’. Dates in 1777-79 burials much disordered in places.

A register of the ’Burial Grounds’, 1773-1828, included in this volume has not been transcribed.

Registers of baptisms, 1813-1875, 2 vols (P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 2/1, 2) to the end of 1871.

Registers of burials, 1813-1857, 7 vols (P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 3/1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Registers of burials, 1849 [1857]-1961, 3 vols (P. 84/ Acc 3349/ 3/4, 5, 6) to the end of 1871.

It is clear that in the process of copying from the Christ Church set to the St Michael set of registers errors of the sort which might be expected of copyists were made: a few entries have been omitted, for example four in 1852, and details of residence are less specific. Annotations vary between the two sets of registers, for example in attributing death to ’cholera’. Furthermore, when comparing the registers towards the 1871 end of the sequence the possibility became apparent that the two sets had been muddled and that it was unclear which was a copy of which!

Users of this database may wish to examine for themselves the registers which have not been transcribed into it. (No decision has been made as to when CPRTS volunteers will return to work on Macclesfield, although it is hoped that they will do so.) The following registers written at Christ Church between 1830 and 1871 have not been transcribed: a register of baptisms 1830-1881 (P. 84/ Acc 3349/ 1/1); four registers of burials 1830-1859 (P. 84/ Acc 3349/ 3/ 1, 2, 3, 4), though number 4 has been transcribed from 1857 onwards.

It was noted above that the copy burial registers written at St Michaels appear to have stopped in 1857. However, amongst the Accession 3349 registers are two volumes (numbered P. 84/ Acc 3349/ 4/1, 2) running from 1857 to 1863, and 1863 to 1893, respectively, described as ’Registers of Burials (duplicate series)’. Though it was suspected in 1983 that these volumes ran on from P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 3/7, no attempt has been made to check that, or to determine whether they represent yet a third version of the Christ Church registers, and they are not included in this database.

BTS

None for baptisms for 1775-76.

Baptism BTs for 1831-37 were found with those of Macclesfield St Michael.

No baptism Bts after 1845.

No burial BTs 1785-1799.

BTs for 1783/4 were found with those of Macclesfield St Michael.

No Bu BTs after 1829.

ANOMALOUS ENTRIES

Baptisms
Ba 1777/09/18 (Plant) is interlined and appears to be in a different hand
Ba 1780/08/04 (Legh) 3 family entries. BT only


Ba 1781/01/06 (Redfern) BT only


Ba 1781/07/31 (Warren) BT only


Ba 1783/01/01 (Tompson) BT only


Ba 1794/12/10 (Mayson) A multiple baptism added at the end of Dec 1794; bottom of the page, different hand. No register number.


Ba 1797/11/15 (Bradock) Entry of twins inserted in a different hand at a later date. No date of baptism given, so the birth date given has been used.


Ba 1820/02/113 (Moreton) Marginal note, ’We certify that this child was Baptized by the name of Jane, but that her Godfather, by mistake, wrote the name of Sarah on the note given to the Clerk for registration (her sister Sarah was then, and is now living)
< >Wm C Cruttenden
< >John Cooke’

Burials


Bu 1784/09/05 BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Peacock) BT only<


Bu 1784/09/05 (ZZZZZ) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Wheelton) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Johnson) BT only
Bu 1784/09/12 (Wright) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Burgess) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Kirk) BT only
Bu 1784/09/19 (Tidswell) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Pownall) BT only
Bu 1784/09/05 (Henshaw) BT only

Bu 1848/2/3 to 1848/2/13 Sixteen records have been entered out of order. The clerk at the time has noted this by referring the reader by footnotes ’Turn to p. 339’ and at p. 338 ’Turn to p. 324’. It appears that he was filling in a page previously left blank. The register numbers and page numbers follow chronologically notwithstanding the insertion of these entries. The clerk further directed the reader to miss this page by writing ’Turn to p. 326 at the foot of p. 323’. Transcription for the database follows the order in Register.
Bu 1862/11/23 (Macclesfield) Augusta Pomona Cooper. As Macclesfield is also given in ’abode’, Cooper may be the surname.

ODDITIES

On the front page of the early register:

’From Jany 2d 1775 to Decr 20th 1812 inclusive:
Transferred to the Parochial Chapel by desire of the Bishop agreeably to the Act of Parliament under which Christ Church was built.
26th Feby 1830 < >< >Wm Cruttenden
< >< >< >< >Vicar of Macclesfield”

Followed by:
“The children of William Whittaker of Macclesfield, Mercer, by Eliz, his wife, dautr of Richd Bruce of Tattenall, near Beeston Castle, Cheshire -
Martha, Born 18th Feby 1764 - Bap: by the Revd Jos Roe
Elizabeth, Born March 2nd 1766 - Bap: by the Revd John Palmer
Mary, Born April 12th 1768 - Bap: by the Revd J Gurnell
Rachel, Born Sept 13th 1770 - Bap: by Mr John Hampson Minister of the Gospel
John, Born Nov 24th 1772 - Bap: by John Hampson Minist of the Gospel
Sarah, Born Feby 13th 1784 - Bap: by the Revd D Simpson
Witness Wm Whittaker, the Father.”

After BA 1776/11/24 (Hendley)
’Children of John and Mary Ryle of Macclesfield, Alderman
Elizabeth Ryle born Dec 23rd 1773
Martha Ryle -do- June 28th 1775
Mary Ryle -do- April 1st 1777
Thomas Ryle born June 10th 1778
Catherine Ryle born June 8th 1779 died Jany 29th 1787? ZZ
Ann Ryle born June 16th 1781 died July 4th 1781 ZZ?
Sarah Ryle born Octr 20th 1782
John Ryle born Decr 9th 1783
Joshua Ryle born Sept 3rd 1785
A son still born Aug 24th 1789
Frances Ryle born Jany 22nd 1791
A daughter still born Septr 1793
Jane Harriet Ryle born Decr 11th 1794’

’Children of Mr Wm and Mary Johnson Wine merchant Macclesfield
John son of Wm & Mary Johnson born 28th Jany 1798
Ann dr of the above born 28th March 1799


Mary Ann dr of the above born 6 Octr 1800
Wm son of the above born 12 Aug 1802
Edwd Henry son of the above born 12 June 1804
Charlotte dr of the above born 17 Decr 1805
Sarah Harriot Eliza dr of the above born 4Oct 1807
Thos Hughes son of the above born 14 Jany1809
Helen dr of the above born 24 April 1811
Francis George son of the above born 26 Decr 1812 Baptised 9 April 1813
Margaret dr of -do- born 14 Octr 1814
Robert Swain son of -do- born 19 Sept 1816
Emma Rebecca dr of -do- born 5April 1818
Arthur Andrew -do- born 7 Decr 1821’

A hand written loose sheet at the end of the baptism section of the early register is worded the same as the note below from the beginning of the burial section.

The burial section of the early register is prefixed with extracts from the wills of Mathew Wainright of Prestbury, yeoman [1781] and Mary Roe of Macclesfield, spinster [1787] leaving money for charitable uses.

Then comes the following note:
’See the Act of Parliament under which Ch Church was founded.
This Book, kept, originally in the Chest of Christ Church is transferred [interlined - by the desire of the Bishop] at the request of the Minister of Macclesfield with the advice of the Bishop of the Diocese of the Parochial Chapel.


Witness our hands this 26th day of Feby 1830
John Steele Minister


Richard Wright)
W Johnson) Wardens of Christ Church’

Register of baptisms, 1813-1825 (P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 2/1), has a like note of transfer dated 26 February 1830

Register of baptisms, 1825-1875 (P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 2/2), has a like note of transfer dated 13 April 1830

Registers of burials 1813-1818, 1818-1823, and 1823-1829 (P. 84/ Acc 1790/ 3/1, 2, 3), have like notes of transfer dated 26 February 1830

CLERGY (TO 1830)

Perpetual Curates
1808 - 9 Melville Horne
1813 - 29 Wm Cruttenden (continuing to perform services in 1843)
1829 - 34 John Steele

Curates
1814 Chas J Lyon
1815 J.B. Monk
1816-17 John Jackson
1819-20 W J Hutching


1820-22 Thos Hope


1824-31 Wm Whitworth

Visiting clergy or assistant curates
1813-14 Cha J Lyon Asst curate
1813-25 L Heapy Off Min of the Old Church
1820 J Browne Vicar of Prestbury
1820 L Dixon Curate of Wilmslow
1821 G Pownall Minister of Bosley
1832 George Digby

CHURCHWARDENS (or Chapelwardens)
1808 Wm Edge, Danl Bunsley

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTION (not in PR)

Christ Church was founded within the town and parochial chapelry of Macclesfield. That lay in the north-east of Cheshire, a dependent chapelry of the ancient parish of Prestbury. The evolution of Christ Church has been outlined above in order to explain the nature of its registers. Two other new ecclesiastical parishes, St Paul (registers begin 1844), and St Peter (registers begin 1846), were founded before 1871 within the town and ancient chapelry of Macclesfield. The registers of the ancient chapelry of Macclesfield St Michael are available within this database.

In 1801 the population of the township of Macclesfield was 8,743; in 1871 it was 26,837.

Previous transcriptions and monumental inscriptions
None known

Sources
Colin Phillips compiled these notes, using a digest, made by Susan George, 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, and from an examination of some of the registers themselves, and here the help of Mr J.R.H. Pepler, the County and Diocesan Archivist, is acknowledged. Information on the evolution of Christ Church came from N. Pevsner and E. Hubbard, The buildings of England: Cheshire (Harmondsworth, 1971), p. 268; and from The statutes at large, from Magna Charta, to the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King George the Third, inclusive. With a copious index ... (14 vols; London, 1786), IX, p. 2, which gives only the title and first line of the act, but a full printed text of the act is in the CRO, reference Acts/ 3/ 5, dated 1779.
Additional material came from C. Williams, Guide to the Cheshire Record Office ([Chester], 1991), p. 84, and Guide to the local administrative units of England, Vol. II Northern England, ed. F.A. Youngs, Jr (1991), p. 25.
The population figures for 1801 and 1871 are from VCH Cheshire, vol. II, p. 227.

C. B. Phillips
31 December 2011.


CBP, Dec 2011
BMD, Jan 2012