Ancient parishes of Cheshire


The ancient parishes of Cheshire refers to the group of parishes that existed in the English county of Cheshire, roughly within the period of 1200–1800. Initially, the ancient parishes had only an ecclesiastical function, but reforms initiated by King Henry VIII, developed by Queen Elizabeth I and expanded by later legislation led them to acquire various secular functions that eventually led to a split between the ecclesiastical parishes and the purely civil parishes that exist today.

Ancient parish overall details

The data are in the form of two tables: the first one gives information about each ancient parish whilst the second one gives information about each chapelry that may exist within each ancient parish. This complexity is brought about by having ancient parishes which, after the dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century, possessed in some form or another both an ecclesiastical role and a civil role. This dual role existed until the nineteenth century.

Ancient parishes

Chapelry details

ChapelryEarliest Reference / Creation DateParent Ancient ParishConstituent TownshipsAdditional CommentsReferences
AlsagerBarthomleyAlsager The chapel was built in 1789-1790 with money given by Mary, Margaret, and Judith Alsager
Altrincham1799BowdonAltrinchamMay be known as "Booth's chapel", which was given as a parochial chapel on a 1740 map, apparently bullt during the reign of Edward IV.
AlvanleyFrodshamAlvanley
Aston1635RuncornAston by Sutton, Aston Grange, Sutton iuxta Frodsham.In 1843, the extra-parochial area of Middleton Grange was transferred to Aston by Sutton township.
Bosley1402PrestburyThe rights of a chapelry seem to have been conferred by a Papal Bull.
BrueraChester Saint OswaldChurton Heath, Huntington, Lea Newbold, Saighton.
Burwaldsley1735Bunbury
Capesthorne1722Prestbury
Carrington1759BowdonCarrington, Partington.
ChadkirkStockportRomiley
Chelford1674PrestburyChelford, Old WithingtonThe chapel existed from at least 1265/1266, but it is not clear that it was made a chapelry at this time.
Church HulmeSandbachChurch Hulme, Cotton, Cranage.
Congleton1687AstburyBurial rights were awarded to this chapelry in 1687, though it had no wardens or any parochial duties.
DaresburyRuncornActon Grange, Daresbury, Hatton, Keckwick, Moore, Newton by Daresbury, Preston on the hill, Thelwall, Walton Inferior, Walton Superior.Thelwall was a detached part of this chapelry.
Disley1558StockportThe chapel was built in 1512 and consecrated in 1558.
Goostreysometime before 1350SandbachBlackden, Goostrey cum Barnshaw, Leese, Twemlow.Leese was a detached township. Twemlow township contained "No Town" as a detached part of the Rudheath Lordship.
Halton1398RuncornHaltonThere is some suggestion that the townships of Norton and Stockham had a connection with this chapelry.
Haslington1302.BarthomleyHaslington
Latchford1777GrappenhallLatchford
Little BudworthOverLittle BudworthThis was first of all a "free" chapelry.
Little LeighGreat BudworthLittle Leigh
Lower PeoverGreat BudworthAllostock, Nether Peover, Peover Inferior, Plumley.The chapel was built around 1269.
Lower WhitleyGreat BudworthLower Whitley
Macclesfield1278PrestburyHurdsfield, Kettleshulme, Macclesfield, Macclesfield Forest, Pott Shrigley, Rainow, Sutton Downes, Wildboarclough, Wincle.Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough were made a separate chapelry known as Macclesfield Forest chapelry sometime before 1789. Pott Shrigley, Rainow, and Wincle were also later made separate chapelries.
Macclesfield ForestBefore 1789Prestbury Macclesfield Forest, WildboarcloughMacclesfield Forest was originally part of Macclesfield chapelry in Prestbury parish, but was later made a separate chapelry in its own right.
MarburyWhitchurch Marbury with Quoisley, Norbury.The two townships became civil parishes entirely within Cheshire in 1866. Marbury with Quoisley later changed its name to Marbury cum Quoisley.
MarpleStockportMarple
MartonBefore 1549PrestburyAlmost all of Marton township.Mutlow was a place in this township but in the parish of Gawsworth. It was the possible meeting place of the Domesday hundred of Hamestan.
Over PeoverRostherneMarthall cum Warford, Peover Superior, Snelson
Pott Shrigley1472Prestbury Pott ShrigleyDownes Chapel was said to be here in 1472. Pott Shrigley was originally part of Macclesfield chapelry in Prestbury parish, but was later made a separate chapelry in its own right.
Poynton1312PrestburyPoynton, WorthOrmerod states that Woodford was in this chapelry, but another source denies this.
RainowPrestbury RainowRainow was originally part of Macclesfield chapelry in Prestbury parish, but was later made a separate chapelry in its own right.
SiddingtonPrestburySiddington
ThelwallDaresburyThelwall
WettenhallOverWettenhall
WinclePrestbury WincleWincle was originally part of Macclesfield chapelry in Prestbury parish, but was later made a separate chapelry in its own right.
WittonGreat BudworthBirches, Castle Northwich, Hartford, Hulse, Lach Dennis, Lostock Gralam, Northwich, Winnington, Witton cum Twambrook.Also contained a small part of the Rudheath Lordship.
WrenburyActonBroomhall, Chorley, Woodcott, and Wrenbury cum Frith. Parts of Dodcott cum Wilkesley, Newhall, and Sound.Burleydam chapel was partly in Dodcott cum Wilkesley and partly in Newhall parish.

Extra-parochial areas

Various areas of Cheshire were not included in any ancient parish. As Dunn states: The reasons are various and occasionally obscure. Dunn later goes on to state that associations with religious houses or with the Crown seem to explain most of them, but this area of research is still ongoing. The following table contains the extra-parochial places or areas of Cheshire with some details about each of them:
Extra-Parochial AreaGrid Ref.Earliest ReferenceFateAdditional CommentsReferences
BirkenheadA liberty which formed the desmesne of Birkenhead Priory.
Chester CastleBecame a civil parish in 1858.
Chester Cathedral PrecinctsBecame a civil parish in 1858.
GraftonBecame officially part of Tilston township in the parish of the same name in 1841.An extra-parochial liberty that was informally taken to be part of Tilston township, which it officially became part of in 1841.
Great Stanney1178Became a civil parish in 1858.Was a possession of Stanlow Abbey.
King's Marsh Became a civil parish in 1858.Has a detached portion to the south-east of the main body, bordered by Shocklach and Tilston ancient parishes.
Little Saint John, Chester In 1778, this area was stated to contain Bluecoat Hospital, Northgate Gaol, and six almshouses.
Middleton GrangeBecame part of the township of Acton Grange in Runcorn Ancient Parish in 1858.This was an extra-parochial township which was linked with Aston by Sutton in 1843.
Prior's HeysBecame a civil parish in 1858.
Rudheath1365The separate portions of this Lordship were absorbed into the newly created parishes that contained them in the period from 1858 to 1866.Formed the Rudheath Lordship, which was made up of a number of detached parts in Sandbach parish, Twemlow township, and elsewhere.
Shotwick ParkBecame a civil parish in 1858.
Spital Boughton, ChesterBecame a civil parish in 1858.
StanlowBecame a civil parish in 1858.
ThreapwoodThe area was split between Cheshire and Flintshire, in Wales.
WillingtonBecame a civil parish in 1858.