SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTERS.

Nonconformist and Roman Catholic Registers.

HON. EDITOR AND SECRETARY:
W.G.D. FLETCHER, M.A., F.S.A.

PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE
SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTER SOCIETY.
1922.

Contents.

NONCONFORMIST. Part I. Pages.
Shrewsbury, High Street, 1692-1812 1 - 35
Shrewsbury, Swan Hill, 1767-1812 37 - 58
Whitchurch, Dodington, 1708-1812 59 - 78
Wem, Presbyterian, 1755-1814 79 - 92
Bridgnorth, Stoneway, 1765-1812 93 - 102
Oswestry, Old Chapel, 1780-1812 103 - 121
Oldbury, Old Dissenting Chapel, 1715-1813 123 - 135
Ellesmere, Independent, 1787-1811 137 - 139
Shrewsbury, Claremont Baptist, 1766-1808 141 - 150
Shrewsbury, Society of Friends, 1657-1834 151 - 182
Indexes to the foregoing Registers i - xliv

Introductions are prefixed to each Register.

NONCONFORMIST. Part II.
Bridgnorth, Castle Street Baptist, 1779-1836 183 - 189
Broseley, Birch Meadow Chapel, 1794-1835 190 - 207
Clee Hill, Wesleyan, 1802-1829 208 - 240
Hadnall and Clive, Independent, 1798-1837 241 - 249
Llanyblodwel, Smyrna Independent, 1825-1836 250 - 255
Ludlow, Carve Street Independent, 1802-1836 256 - 266
Market Drayton, Independent, 1776-1836 267 - 284
Wem, Chapel Street Independent, 1785-1836 285 - 302
Lyth Hill and Dorrington, Independent, 1808-1837 303 - 313
Ditton Priors, Wesleyan, 1801-1834 314 - 316
Minsterley, Independent, 1806-1837 317 - 326
Whixall, Independent, 1805-1823 327 - 358
Index to the foregoing Registers xlv - lxv

ROMAN CATHOLIC.
General Introduction i - xvii
Shrewsbury, St. Mary, 1775-1837 1 - 38
Newport, St. Peter and St. Paul, 1785-1837 40 - 59
Acton Burnell, 1769-1838 61 - 80
Plowden, St. Francis, 1826-1837 81 - 85
Mawlcy Hall, St. Mary, 1763-1831 87 - 125
Index to the Roman Catholic Registers i - xxvi

SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTERS.
GENERAL EDITOR:
W. P. W. PHILLIMORE, M.A., B.C.L.

NONCONFORMIST REGISTERS.
ISSUED BY THE
Shropshire parish Register Society.

SHROPSHIRE
PARISH REGISTERS.
Nonconformist Registers

TRANSCRIBED AND EDITED BY
GEORGE EYRE EVANS,
SOME TIME MINISTER AT WHITCHURCH.
PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE
SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTER SOCIETY.
1903.

Note for the Reader.

THE genesis of this interesting volume begins with a letter from the late Mr. Stanley Leighton to the present writer, who, as Minister of tbe Church of the Saviour, Whitchurch, had for many years been a near Salopian neighbour. Mr. Leighton said:-

" We have passed a resolution that, if possible, we would print the Registers of the Chapels. Would you be willing to undertake the editorship and transcription, we doing the printing ?"

The writer, who has long had access, for historical purposes, to the Non-Parochial Registers in the custody of the Registrar- General, at once consented to carry out the work, and from his transcripts of the originals the following pages are printed down to 1812.

Ten of the oldest Registers in the county were selected for publication, viz.:-

Shrewsbury, Society Of Friends 1657.
Shrewsbury, High Street, Presbyterian (now Unitarian) 1692.
Whitchurch, Dodington, Presbyterian (extinct 1844) 1708.
*Oldbury, Old Dissenting Chapel (now Unitarian) 1715.
Wem, Presbyterian Chapel (extinct) 1755.
Bridgnorth, Stoneway Chapel 1765.
Shrewsbury, Claremont Baptist Meeting-house 1766.
Shrewsbury, Swan Hill Chapel 1767.
Oswestry, Old Chapel (now Christ Church) 1780.
Ellesmere, Independent Chapel 1787.

* Formerly in Shropshire, now in Worcestershire.

vi NOTE FOR THE READER.

A list of all Non-parochial Registers in Shropshire, and now at Somerset House, will be found in the printed catalogue, which can be consulted in the hall of the General Register Office. By far the larger portion of them only begins in the early years of the nineteenth century.

By the Act of Parliament, on the 10th August, 1840 (3 and 4 Vict., cap. 92), and extended in 1858 (21 Vict., cap. 25), the Non- parochial Registers, collected and authenticated by the Royal Commissions appointed in 1837 and 1857, were made receivable in legal evidence, subject to certain conditions and restrictions.

The notes on tbe heraldry emblazoned on many of the fine twenty- four memorial brasses, formerly in Dodington Presbyterian Chapel, and in January 1896 transferred to the Church of the Saviour, which has a similar Open trust to the old Chapel, have been furnished by the Rev. W.G.D. Fletcher, F.S.A.; whilst that on the early Friends in Shrewsbury has been contributed by William Gregory Norris, J.P., of Coalbrookdale, who accompanied it with a donation of 5s. towards the cost of printing the volume.

It may he well to remind the reader of the "double date". Up to the time of the reform of the calendar in 1754, the civil year commenced on 25th March, while the historical year, as now, began on 1st January. Consequently the period from 1st January to 25th March was in two years. Thus, the 1st February 1732 according to the civil year, was the 1st February 1733 according to our (historical) reckoning, and it is often written 1st February 1732-3, or 1732/3, the last being thc historical one. In Parish Registers the civil reckoning was usually adopted, and this must be remembered when dealing with entries from 1st January to 25th March, before the year 1754.

The Council decided that no really useful purpose was served by printing the registers verbatim et literatim, but that valuable space would be filled and progress delayed. Accordingly, mere verbiage has been omitted, and the following abbreviations freely adopted, save when there seemed to be

NOTE FOR THE READER. vii

any special reason for giving the entries exactly as they stand:-

b. bachelor. sep. sepultus (buried).
sp. spinster. s. son.
wid. widow. d. daughter.
widr. widower. w. wife.
p. parish. lic. license.
wit. witnesses. gent. gentleman.
bap. baptized. esq. esquire.
chr. christened. clk. clerk.
mar. married. co. county.
bur. buried. dioc. diocese.
ch.w. churchwardens. f. filius or filia (son or daughter).
ux. uxor (wife).

The Editor's thanks are due, and are heartily given, to every one who has assisted in the work, especially to successive Registrars- General, Superintendents of Records, and the Chief Clerk, for that personal consideration and kindness invariably received by him at their hands in Somerset House. It has been a pleasure to him to carry out the wishes of his friend Mr. Leighton, and to do something towards preserving the history of that county, in which, next to that of his native Devon, and this of Cardigan, his greatest interests lie, and where more than a decade of happy years were lived.

GEO. EYRE EVANS. Aberystwyth, Michaelmas Day, 1903.

Contents. DATE. PAGES.
Shrewsbury, High Street 1692-1812 1
Shrewsbury, Swan Hill 1767-1812 37
Whitchurch, Dodington 1708-1812 59
Wem, Presbyterian 1755-1812 79
Bridgnorth, Stoneway 1765-1812 93
Oswestry, Old Chapel 1780-1812 103
Oldbury, Old DisSenting Chapel 1715-1812 123
Ellesmere, Independent 1787-1812 137
Shrewsbury, Claremont Baptist 1766-1812 141
Shrewsbury, Society Of Friends 1657-1812 151

NOTE.- Separately paged introductions are prefixed to each Register.

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