KATE HURST

The boundaries of Lancashire have moved over the centuries. Some parts of Yorkshire are now within the county of Lancashire. Other settlements - such as Manchester and Liverpool - have grown so significantly that each city has now established its own local records office. I can advise you on the most suitable place to begin research, and am happy to undertake research in Manchester, Liverpool or any libraries within Lancashire.


Family history research does not have to be restricted to census records and indexes of births, marriages and deaths. If you would like assistance with identifying suitable resources or materials to help with your query, I can provide assistance with that.
 
 
The following are just a few examples of record collections that I have searched, but if you have already found specific references for items that are held at specific record offices, I can begin my search using that information.


Census records for England and Wales (1841 to 1921)
The England and Wales census was taken every ten years and listed the inhabitants of each house or other place of residence (e.g. hospital, workhouse). They usually supply names, ages, marital status, occupation and place of birth (if known) of each individual.
 
Catholic baptism, marriage and confirmation registers
Frequently recorded in Latin, Catholic baptism records include the baptism date, the name of the child, its parents and godparents, and and sometimes the child's date of birth, the mother's maiden name and residence. Marriage records usually include witnesses' names and (after 1837) the names of the bride's father and groom's father. Confirmation records often include a year, the candidate's name and age at confirmation.
 
Anglican baptism, marriage and burial registers
Usually recorded in English, Anglican (Church of England) baptism registers include the date of baptism, name of the child and its parents, father's occupation (or mother's occupation, in cases of illegitimacy), and address.   Marriage records usually include witnesses' names and (after 1837) the names of the bride's father and groom's father. Burial records usually give a person's name, age, place of residence and - in the case of women or children - sometimes the name of a parent or spouse, but some clergymen only recorded the person's name without any extra details.. 
 
Some well-preserved registers date back to the Reformation (in 1538, laws were passed requiring clergymen to record baptisms, marriages and burials in their parish) whereas others were damaged, lost or sometimes even stolen. Many Lancashire parish registers have survived, but not all did, and many registers begin in different years, depending on when the church was built, or when a small part of a larger parish became independent. The important thing to remember about parish records (of whatever denomination) is that not all of them have survived, so the records simply aren't available.
 
 
Wills proved in the Diocese of Chester 
A large collection of wills and letters of administration (covering 1545 to 1858) are held at the Lancashire Archives. If your ancestor made a will, the Diocese of Chester indexes (including Lancashire and the Liverpool area) will include their name, occupation, place of residence and the year in which the will was proved. If individuals did not leave a will, relatives were sometimes permitted to become administrators of the property or personal effects. Where a will or letters of administration are available, I can supply a transcription and/or photographs of the document. 
A will frequently gives an idea of whether an ancestor owned property, and often names their spouse and/or relations (such as children, grandchildren, nephews/nieces, and/or siblings), which can be useful when trying to verify an ancestral line.


Marriage Licences granted in the Diocese of Chester 
These records are published in bound volumes and are known to cover the years 1616-1632, 1639-1644 and 1661-1680. They generally name the bride and groom, and give details of their places of residence. They occasionally supply details of the bridgegroom's rank or profession.
 
 
Trade Directories
Similar in style to modern phone directories, these were published in various years, and are often organised alphabetically by the name of each town. Major towns are included more frequently than minor towns and villages. Directories often include population figures, historical details and legends, the names of the local gentry and/or major landowners, lists of shopkeepers and their occupations (sometimes with addresses) and useful community information, e.g. schools and their teachers, churches and their ministers.
 
Calendar of Prisoners at Lancaster Castle
These concern prisoners who were held at Lancaster Castle before being tried there. They are organised by year (generally covering the late 1700s and early 1800s), and by court session (usually occurring three or four times a year). Typically, they include the names and ages of prisoners, their place of residence, details of the crime, the sentence and whether it was commuted (e.g. whether a person sentenced to death was reprieved or transported to Australia)

Historic Newspapers
​The records contained in newspapers can be very diverse, covering stories such as murders, local parades, local events (e.g. church bazaars, community parades), sales or auctions of property, and family notices (i.e. births, marriages and deaths). I have experience of searching the Northern Daily Telegraph (later the Lancashire Evening Telegraph), Darwen News, Darwen Advertiser, Warrington Guardian and the Ormskirk Advertiser.
 
Papist Returns for 1767
These lists were compiled during the period when Catholics were prohibited from holding many positions in society. The records held at Preston cover much of Lancashire (including areas that are now part of Merseyside e.g. Liverpool), are organised by town/village and generally give the names, ages, occupations and length of residence in the town/village of anyone who was identified as Roman Catholic.
 
Published information relating to the English College at Lisbon and Douai College
These documents are similar to school admission registers, but focus on male students who enrolled at Catholic seminaries in Europe to train as priests. The information available usually includes the subjects they studied, known family information such as parents' details and former place of residence, date of arrival, date of ordination (when they completed training and became priests) and their working lives.
 
Property leases relating to the Molyneux Earls of Sefton
These records, covering land in and around the West Lancashire/Merseyside area, indicate when a person leased land from the Earl of Sefton, the location and size of the property, details of its features (e.g. fields, cottages, outhouses), the amount of rent paid and the dates on which it was due and will often detail immediate family members of the person who leased it (e.g. a man might take out a three-life lease, naming himself, his wife and a child so that the property could be used by the family until that child died). 


I am also willing to search the following collections at Blackburn Library:
 
Register of Electors
These records give details of people who were eligible to vote in Blackburn from 1869 to the present day. Please note that the years 1875-1876, 1882-1883, 1900-1901, 1909-1910, 1916-1918, 1925, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1939-1945 and 1950 are missing from the collection.
 
School Medical Officer Reports
These records cover the period from 1906-1930.