Cheshire Non-Conformist & Roman Catholic Registers (Baptism) 17th Century-1910

The Cheshire Non-Conformist and Roman Catholic baptism records include those for Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Society of Friends (Quakers), Unitarians and Roman Catholics.

Each record contains an image and a transcript of the original document. The amount of information varies a great deal but they may contain some or all of the following information about your ancestor:

• Name

• Sex

• Father’s name

• Father’s occupation

• Mother’s name

• Mother’s maiden name

• Date of birth

• Hour of birth

• Place of birth

• Witness to birth

• Date of baptism

• Parish or denomination

• Parent’s connection to the church

• Officiating minister

Further information about the individual denominations including locations is available below

The Methodist movement grew in Cheshire from the 1740s. Breakaway groups included Primitive Methodists, New Connexion, Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. Records were created by districts, circuits and chapels. There are 36, 069 Methodist records in the collection covering 56 chapels, circuits and churches at the following locations:

Alderly Wesleyan Chapel

Bathomley, Sandbach and Alsager Wesleyan Circuit

Bebington, Bebington Road Wesleyan Chapel

Bebington, Freehold Wesleyan

Bebington, Old Chester Road Wesleyan Chapel

Bebington, Walker Street Wesleyan Chapel

Birkenhead, Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel

Birkenhead, Claughton Road United Methodist Chapel

Davenham, Bethesda Primitive Chapel

Davenham, Central Primitive Chapel

Davenham, New Connexion Church

Davenham, St Paul’s United Free Chapel

Eastham, Trinity Wesleyan Chapel

Ellesmere Port, Ellesmere Port Primitive Circuit

Frodsham United Free Circuit

Frodsham Wesleyan Circuit

Frodsham, Kingsley Primitive Circuit

Frodsham Wesleyan Church

Great Broughton New Connexion Church

Great Budworth, London Road Wesleyan Chapel

Great Budworth Wesleyan Church

Heswall Hill Wesleyan Chapel

Heswall Wesleyan Church

Knutsford Wesleyan Church

Macclesfield, Church Street West Wesleyan Chapel

Macclesfield, Mount Tabor New Connexion Chapel

Macclesfield Park Green United Free Chapel

Macclesfield Park Street New Connexion Chapel

Macclesfield Trinity Wesleyan Chapel

Middlewich Central Wesleyan Chapel

Middlewich, Chester Road United Free Chapel

Monks-Coppenhall, Mill Street Primitive Chapel

Monks-Coppenhall, Oxford Street Wesleyan Chapel

Monks-Coppenhall, Trinity Chapel, Mill Street Wesleyan Church

Monks-Coppenhall, Wedgewood Chapel, Primitive Circuit

Nantwich, Princess Street Wesleyan Chapel

Over, High Street Wesleyan Chapel

Prestbury, Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel

Prestbury, Grimshaw Lane New Connexion Chapel

Prestbury, Poynton United Free Church

Prestbury, Waterloo Street New Connexion Chapel

Prestbury, Wellington Road Wesleyan Chapel

Runcorn, Camden Wesleyan Chapel

Runcorn, Ellesmere United Free Chapel

Runcorn, Halton Road Wesleyan Chapel

Runcorn Primitave Circuit

Runcorn Wesleyan Church

Sandbach, Knutsford Road Wesleyan Chapel

Sandbach, Providence Wesleyan Chapel

Sandbach Primitive Chapel

Tarporley Wesleyan Circuit

Tarporley Wesleyan Church

Tarvin New Connexion Church

Tarvin Zion Primitive Chapel

West Kirby, St Luke’s Wesleyan Chapel

Woodchurch, Palm Grove Wesleyan Chapel

Wynbury Wesleyan Church

There are almost 13,000 Roman Catholic baptism records covering the following 11 Cheshire Churches.

Ashton Upon Mersey, St Joseph’s Church

Chester, St Francis of Assissi Church

Chester, St Werburgh’s Church

Eastham, Hooten Hall Chapel

Great Budworth, St Wilfred’s Church

Nantwich, St Anne’s Church

Neston, St Winifrede’s Church

Prestbury, St Alban’s Church

Staleybridge, St Peter’s Church

Stockport, St Paul’s Church

Wallasey, St Alban’s Church

Please note that the original Roman Catholic records are written in Latin

Great Budworth, Frandley Society of Friends

Sandbach United Reformed Church

Dean Row

St Oswald

Non-conformist is a very broad term covering churches of widely differing beliefs that did not follow the teachings of the Church of England. The term can be used to describe Roman Catholics, Jews, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, members of the Society of Friends etc.

Members of English Protestant denominations who did not follow the teachings of the Church of England were known as non-conformists. Before 1837, regardless of religious beliefs, most people were baptised, married and buried in the local Church of England Parish. Despite differences in belief and even after the Toleration Act of 1689 which granted freedom to worship, many non-conformists continued to use their local parish church for registration purposes.

However, some non-conformists did keep their own registers, particularly baptism and burial registers, in the period between 1689 and 1837. Between 1754 and 1837 is was illegal to marry anywhere except in a Church of England parish Church unless you were a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) or Jewish. In both cases members were exempt from the Act and allowed to keep their own records.

After 1837, while people were now allowed to marry in the church of their choice, some organisations still did not keep their own records.

Copyright images reproduced by courtesy of the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service, Chester, England.

The Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service gives no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for the purpose of the information provided.

Images may be used only for purposes of research, private study or education. Applications for any other use should be made to Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service, Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester CH1 1RL. Infringement of the above condition may result in legal action.