Society of Genealogists - England: Lancashire Resources

Lancashire

Shelf Mark: LA

For an explanation of this information, please consult the Introduction and the list of Abbreviations. Recent additions to the Society's Library are listed in the Genealogists' Magazine. The staff of the Society are able to make limited searches in these County Sources for a standard fee. Shelf marks used in the library are given in square brackets at the very end of each title.

County-wide sources:

General Registers
Marriage Licences
Monumental Inscriptions
Censuses
Directories & Poll Books
Periodicals
Wills
Parishes: A-B | C-F | G-K | L-O | P-S | T-Z

General Registers

County wide sources for Christenings, Marriages and Burials include:

County sources at the Society of Genealogists: Cheshire, Lancashire & the Isle of Man parish registers, nonconformist registers, marriage licences monumental inscriptions. London: SoG, 2001 [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

National index of parish registers, vol. 10, part 2: Lancashire. London: SoG, 1998. [TB/PR] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Bishops transcripts of parish registers DRB/2 [Diocese of Blackburn catalogue at the Lancashire Record Office] [Typescript.] [Box 37/folder 38]

Bolton Libraries Arts & Archives, Archive & Local Studies Service handlist of registers. 4th edn. [Typescript.] [LA/R 211]

Cumbria Archives Service: Church of England parish registers & BTs deposited at the Cumbria Record Offices (Carlisle, Kendal & Barrow) up to March 1986: Cumberland registers, vol. 2 [Typescript.] [CU/R 41]

The genealogists' atlas of Lancashire [Store A]

Lancashire Bishops' transcripts of parish registers [Typescript.] [LA/R 192]

Lancashire Parish Register Society handbook 1998 [Shelf 9]

Lancashire parish register society newsletter, Jan 1997 [LA/PER]

Leigh register guide: registers of churches, copies & their whereabouts in Leigh, Lancashire & the surrounding district [Lancashire tracts box]

Parish & nonconformist registers in Manchester Local History Library. Rev. edn. [Shelf 9]

The parish registers of Lancashire : reprinted from the Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, vol. 57, 1943-44: Lancashire tracts, vol. 2 [LA/G 2]

Registers in the Local Studies Unit of Manchester Central Library [LA/G 66]

Registers parochial, non-parochial, monumental inscriptions, names, wills: a contribution towards a Lancashire bibliography, 5 [LA/PER]

Boyd’s marriage index 1538-c.1837 [Typescript]. [UK/REG] Most of this marriage index is also available on The Origins Network.

International Genealogical Index & addendum [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff] & available on-line at FamilySearch.org

British Vital Records Index [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]

National Burial Index. 2nd edn. [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]

RG 7 Fleet marriage register indexes [parishes, brides & grooms] [SP/REG]

Cheshire & Lancashire parish register & monumental inscription transcripts from the Norman Collection [Microfilm.] [Mf 2844]

The J N Thompson late baptism index [Shelf 9]

Notes on Cumberland families containing extracts from parish registers, monumental inscriptions & will listings (indexes to wills & administrations, 1571-1856) [Manuscript.] [CU/G 33]

Out of area collection 1, 1975-76 [UK/REG]

Quaker digest registers of births, marriages & burials - Lancashire QM: Z 1644-1837 & 1635-1780, M 1652-1837 & 1652-1775, B 1654-1838 & 1654-1780 [Microfilm.] [Mf 3378]

Quaker digest registers of births, marriages & burials - Westmorland Quarterly Meeting: Z 1635-1837 & 1617-1823, M 1649-1836 & 1643-1817, B 1655-1837 & 1655-1827 (includes Swarthmoor Monthly Meeting, Lancs. 1805-37) [Microfilm.] [Mf 3379]

Marriage Licences

Marriage licences: abstracts & indexes in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1991. 4th edn. [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Faculty Office marriage licences index 1701-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/FO] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network

Vicar-General marriage licences surname index 1694-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/VG] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network

Marriage bonds for the Deaneries of Lonsdale, Kendal, Furness & Copeland, part of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, now preserved at Lancaster, 1648-1738: Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vols. 74, 75, 80, 81 & 83 [LA/PER]

Marriage bonds of the Deaneries of Lonsdale, Kendal, Furness, Copeland, & Amounderness, part of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, now preserved at Preston 1739-55: Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vols. 100 & 115 [LA/PER]

Marriage licences granted within the Archdeaconry of Chester in the Diocese of Chester 1606-1700: Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vols. 53, 56, 57, 61, 65, 69, 73 & 77 [LA/PER]

Marriage Bonds of the ancient Archdeaconry of Chester now preserved at Chester 1700-19: Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vols. 82, 85, 97 & 101 [LA/PER]

Testamenta Eboracensia: a selection of wills from the Registry at York, part 3 [abstracts 1395-1491, with a list of marriage licences & dispensations together with widows' vows of chastity 1374-1531] & part 4 [abstracts 1420-1509, with a list of marriage licences, dispensations, etc., 1308-1556]: Surtees Society publications, vols. 45 & 53 [DU/PER]

Monumental Inscriptions

County wide sources for tombstone inscriptions (MIs) include:

Cemeteries in Manchester: The Manchester genealogist, vol. 17 no. 4, October 1981, pp. 101 [LA/PER]

Lancashire graveyards & burial grounds: locations & whereabouts of transcribed monumental inscriptions. 4th rev. edn. [Shelf 9 (LA/MI)]

Notes on Cumberland families containing extracts from parish registers, monumental inscriptions & will listings (indexes to wills & administrations, 1571-1856) [Manuscript.] [CU/G 33]

Registers parochial, non-parochial, monumental inscriptions, names, wills: a contribution towards a Lancashire bibliography, 5 [LA/PER]

Calendar of persons commemorated in monumental inscriptions & of abstracts of wills, administrations etc., contained in books relating to Lancashire & Cheshire: Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vol. 76 [LA/PER]

Calendar of persons commemorated in monumental inscriptions & of abstracts of wills, administrations etc. [1322-1844], contained in books relating to Lancashire & Cheshire, with extensive MS additions in revision to the Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, vol. 76 [CH/M 1]

Cheshire & Lancashire parish register & monumental inscription transcripts from the Norman Collection (including index to Prestbury MIs A - Chetham, but otherwise of only tentative or uncertain locations) [Microfilm.] [Mf 2844]

The monumental brasses of Lancashire & Cheshire with some account of the persons represented [LA/M 14]

Censuses

In addition to free access from within the library to census returns and indexes on various subscription web sites, the Society holds many locally produced indexes. The latter are essential where an Internet index has mis-transcribed a name which you are looking for and for surviving pre-1841 censuses and census substitutes.

Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

LANCASHIRE - CENSUSES

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term for the required census.

Directories & Poll Books

The Society’s collection is of national importance and includes county and local directories of residents and businesses and poll books and other lists of voters in parliamentary and local elections. Details, correct as of 1995, are published in:

Directories & poll books, including almanacs & electoral rolls, in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. SoG, 1995. 6th edn. [ML enquiry counters] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Or search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

LANCASHIRE - DIRECTORIES

or LANCASHIRE - POLL BOOKS

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.

Periodicals

The Society holds the journals of most English-speaking family history societies world-wide, the publications of county record societies and many national and local history societies past and present.

Search the on-line catalogue for the Title required

Wills

The Library contains film copies of indexes to wills proved 1858-1930 and indexes, calendars and many abstracts of wills proved by individual church courts before 1858. Details, correct as of 1996, are published in:

Will indexes & other probate material in the library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1996 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.

Other major sources include:

An index to the wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1750-1800 [WILLS/PCC] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network. An index to all PCC wills 1384-1858 is available on-line at the National Archives.

Estate Duty will indexes 1796-1857 (IR 27/1-323) [Microfilm] [Wills film cabinets] The Death Duty registers 1796-1903 are also on-line at findmypast.com

An index to the Bank of England will extracts 1807-45 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at The Origins Network

For the most up-to-date list of will material in the library, do a Subject search on the on-line catalogue for the name of the church court e.g. Biggleswade Peculiar Court

Or if you do not know the name of the church court:

Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:

LANCASHIRE - GENERAL:WILLS

Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.

Parishes

A-B

SOGCAT On-line Catalogue