WARNING: The correct use of any parish data from this project requires initial reading of the GENERAL NOTES as well as of the specific PARISH NOTES.
Registers missing/gaps: The PR up to 1786 is extraordinarily confused and chronologically disordered, and there are gaps of several full years and of a period of years, 1601-1682. That the church was operating during this long gap is shown by the existence of BT entries for the period. However, there are no PR (or BT) entries for 1641-1658, almost the whole Commonwealth period. During the eighteenth century the church building seems to have been in decay and latterly Bromborough was served for periods by clergy who also served a neighbouring parish (Bebington or Eastham), which no doubt helps to explain the state of the register. Apart from the major PR gap, the years 1727-1744 have individually few if any entries. In years for which there are PR entries there are often additional BT entries, spasmodically or in groups. A churchwarden started the extant register in 1678 and inserted notes on his ancestors from 1624, possibly based on a previous non-extant register. Two later churchwardens did the same. Thus occasional PR entries are provided for the gap period.
A few entries appear written upside-down on the page. Here and there odd signatures and meaningless doodles are inserted. The transcribers (Mr C. and Mrs M. Leeming) have noted in meticulous detail the misordering of entries and other irregularities but these are so complex that not all are recorded here or in the Notes below, and concerned researchers are directed to the actual record.
Register mixed: occasional items within another category, certainly or apparently
Register misordered: apparently whole pages misordered up to 1800, probably at binding, and also some misordering of individual entries
Printed register: marriage register begins 25.3.1754
before 1600, 1601-4, 1606, 1611, 1613-4, 1623-5, 1628-9, 1631-5, 1637, 1639-40, 1643-57, 1661-78, 1683, 1686, 1702, 1706, 1736-40, 1742-3, 1745, 1748, 1762-6, 1779, 1793, 1795, 1797, parts 1802-4, 1838-9, 1850-54. (The 1747 Bu sheet is badly torn and some entries may be either 1747 or 1748.) Because of the defective PR, for the period 1600-1780 most transcribed entries are from BTs, 623 entries being both PR and BT, 221 PR only, and 1126 BT only.
used in the Spanne genealogies up to 1686, whose earlier items were perhaps copied from an earlier non-extant register.
Bu 1609/04/12 (Radley) apparent duplication in BT
Bu 1609/04/21 (Bellen) apparent duplication in BT
Bu 1620/08/29 (Parker) record in BT torn off below this
Ba 1678/07/00 - 1686/10/25 (Potter) 4 entries by baptism date
Bu 1682 first four items in BT (Sibdale-Goodison) appear to copy, with errors, the last four of 1681
Ba 1684/09/24 (Turner) different handwriting, squeezed in
Ba 1686/01/31 (Turner) different handwriting, squeezed in
Ba 1686/09/28 (Spanne) followed by 8 undated entries of Spanne, in order of birth
Ba 1704/04/06 (Robinson)inserted ‘These nine above exd. Tho. Davies’
Ba 1706/03/19 (Ball) and 1706/05/13 inserted ‘Exd. T.H. Pockwood’
Bu 1719/08/04 and 1719/11.11 (Harvey) possible duplication
Ba 1723/01/05 (Briscoe) different handwriting
between Ba 1723/11/10 the name ‘Tho. Briscoe Parish Clerk’ inserted
between 1724/02/11 the name ‘Thomas son of Tho. Briscoe’ inserted, with a partly illegible date, perhaps 1723/04/00 Ba
1729/00/00 (Pemberton) between 1729/02/28 and 1729/03/26
Bu 1730/10/14 (Adams) BT only, may be a Ba; and possible confusion with succeeding entry, ‘1730/10/18 George [torn] of Brimstage labr and Mary ...
BT/PR 1731-1733 dates often fail to match, and additional events in each
Ba 1749/01/16 - 1764/10/07 (Briscoe) 7 consecutive entries
Bu 1767/04/20 (Mainwaring) an entry inserted within 1686 Baptisms but probably not Ba
Bu 1767/06/17 (Markland) as previous
Bu 1770/11/27 (Briscoe) might be Ba
Bu 1775/12/29 (Farsh) BT only, might be 1774
Bu 1777/09/04 (Edwards) inserted into preamble to Baptisms at end of register volume
Bu 1822/11/20 (Hughes) ‘Buried after a coroner’s inquest, the verdict returned died by the immoderate and excessive use of spirituous liqors’
Bu 1840/01/18 (Hickson) ‘Being a Roman Catholic no ceremony at the Church performed. J. Mainwaring Curate’
Ba 1844/03/30 (Mort) inserted curate’s note that ‘Elizabeth’ correct
Ba 1843/09/26 hereafter ‘Pri.’ in margin is taken to mean a private baptism
1844/11/24 (Briscoe) ‘Baptized at Liverpool, registered by particular request
Clergy:
1600 John Corfe
1605-1622 John Goodacre
1626-1627 Peter Barker
1630 Jerome Orme
1636-1642 James Hayes
1680-1685 Richard Stones (as vicar of Bebington 1662-1687)
1703-1726 Robert Griffiths (also Eastham 1695-?)
1727 William Handley
1728-1761 Honor Lebeg (also Eastham 1728-?)
1767-1778 George Travis ( also Easthan 1776-?)
1781-1791 George Travis (also Eastham)
1792-1794 Jas. Greenwood [1792 ‘Minister’, 1794 ‘Cur.’]
1796-1806 Thomas Trevor
1798-1801 Ambrose Liverpool curate
1807-1808 Masye Domville Taylor
1810-1817 Robert Willan
1813-1815 Thos Goldsbro ?curate
1816-1817 W. Clarke ?curate
1818-1827 Wm. Hobson
1828-1850 James Mainwaring.
Churchwardens:
1600 John Caddnow, Gilbert Pillington;
1605 Thoman Hollis, Henry Richard Harrison;
1626 William Stonton, Robert Stockley;
1627 Robert Whittle, William Evans;
1630 Richard Glover, John Goodacre;
1636 Thomas Hayes, Daniel Tellett;
1638 Robert Gill, John Leene;
1614 William Davies, John Bennett;
1642 William Davies, John Hughson;
1660 Edward Wood;
l678 Richard Spanne (named in Preface to PR);
1679 Phillip Davies, William Carter;
1680 Francis Gill, John Ellabie;
1681 John Anglesark, John Jackson;
1682 Richard Shaw, John Gonson;
1684 John Anglizer, Richard Leay;
1685 John Anglizer, Thomas Hamstead;
1703 Randle Bagnall, William Pemberton;
1704 Rich. Eskett;
1708 Jeremy Coddington, Wm. Yells;
1710 Jn. Span, Wm. Yells;
1711 Wm. Tellett, John Pemberton;
1712 Wm. Hankinson, Wm. Gilbert;
1713 Charles Robinson, Tho. Jackson;
1714 Jer. Coddiligton, Ralph Hodgkinson;
1715 John Bidgood, Richard Leay;
1710 Jer. Coddington, Enoch Gackson;
1717 John Spanne, Rich Eskett;
1718 Saml. Currey, Tho. Jackson;
1719 Thomas Hold, Phillip Davies;
1720 Wm. Tellett, Tho. Potter;
1721 Wm. Tellett, Tho. Potter;
1722 Richard Carner, Wm. Yells;
1723 Wm. Whitfield;
1724 Willian Pemberton, Peter Tyson;
1725 William Whitfield, William Gilbert;
1726 John Bagnill, Robert Gilbert;
1727 John Leay, Robert Gilbert;
1728 John Lloyd, Robert Gilbert;
1729 Jeremy Coddington, Ralph Hodgson;
[27 July 1730, on sundial in old churchyard, Jonathan Spann, Thos. Watmough];
1730/1731 John Atkins, Tho. Watmough;
1732 John Rey, Robert Jones;
1733 Phillip Davies, Wm. Pemberton;
1734 John Tellett, Thos. Watmough;
1735 Edward Turner, Wm. Adames;
1741 Joshua Woods, Samuel Cross;
1744 John Ticer, John Duke;
1746 Henry Chatterton, Christopher Scarsbrick;
1749 Joshua Woods;
1750 Joshua Woods, William Pemberton;
1751/1752 Joseph Spann, John Meacock;
1753/1754 John Pemberton, Henry Chatterton;
1755/1756 Wm. Hankinson, Saml. Parry;
1757 Wm. Barnes, Wm. Goodacre;
1759 Thos (T) ‘Jons is mark’, Benj. Hancock;
1760 George Warburton, Benj. Hancock;
1761 George Warburton, William Ithil1;
1767/1769 Wm. Hankinson, Saml. Parry;
1770 John Cowap;
1771 John Cowap, Booth Price;
1772/1773 John Carter, Joseph Jones;
1774 Henry Chatterton, John Williams;
1775 Henry Chatterton, John Williams;
1776 William Mellor, Wm. Goodacre;
1777 James Manifold;
1778 Samuel Chatterton;
1780/1781 Thomas Barnes, Geo. Walker;
1782 Joseph Tyson;
1784 Thos. Harris;
1784/1785 John Pearson, William Langley;
1786 John Pearson, Robert Woodfine;
1788 Charles Davis (mark), Joseph Venables;
1791 John Warington, John Lester;
1794 W. Mellor, W. Lawton;
1796 Charles Ellis;
1798 Charles Ellis;
1800 Thomas Barnes, Robt. Kendrick;
1802 Jopn Tyson, Joseph Carter;
1805 William Langley;
1806 William Manifold, William Lamgley;
1807 William Langlery, Thomas - ;
1808 John Warrington, Thomas Kendarick;
1809 Joseph Warington, Joseph Venibles;
1810 John Venables, James Mainwaring;
1811 William Mellor, William Venables;
1812 William Mellor, William Venables.
After the 1658-1660 entries, a note reads ‘And theise are all wch. are registered withint his three yeares, the parish being small and very often without any minister at all’.
At end of the first register volume (parchment, 44 pages), notes by Richard Spanne (a) states he procured/presented ‘this booke’ 1678, (b) on opposite page ‘Whom hath occasions to [illegible] this book may looke for burialls at this end and births and baptizms at the other end of this booke’; (c) following (a) details of the marriages and children of four generations of Spannes 1580-1685, exact dates not given, and details of the baptisms and sometimes burials of R.S. himself, ten children. and two grandchildren 1624-1694; (d) 1682 statement re an annual donation to the church by R.S.; (e) note on burials of previous generations of Spanne ‘in the church’ and on the family pew rights.
From 1800 an annual note, normally in May, ‘Given into Court at the Visitation’, or a similar wording, or after 1820/12/31 ‘Sent in to His Grace the Bishop of Chester’.
Footnote to 1828/11/14 ‘Returned to my own Mansion after an absence of seven months whilst it was undergoing a thorough repair. D.O. Laws. J. Mainwaring’
Footnote to 1836/03/25, six yewtrees planted, J. Mainwaring, curate
After the baptismal and burial entries, memorandum and correspondence on the 1878-1879 legal closing of the churchyard right of way.
Until 1974 part of Cheshire, now Merseyside, a small parish in the Wirral bounded on the east by River Mersey. Church at OS349823. The parish comprised the townships of Bromborough and Brimstage, until the latter was removed in 1868 (to form part of the new parish of Thornton Hough). Original neighbours were the parishes of Eastham to the south, Neston to the west, and Bebington to the north (part of which interposed between the two townships).
Thinly populated until the rise of Liverpool across the river and nineteenth-century Birkenhead to the north, which eventually led to Bromborough forming part of a continuous conurbation along the south bank of the river. Population: households 63 in 1563, 54 in 1664, 68 in 1720, 80 in 1778; by census: 1801 404; 1851 538; 1901 2,070. Occupations seldom in earlier PRs, after 1720 rural and village occupations, with some riverain, but 1727 burial of ‘Merchant of Liverpool’ and increase in later nineteenth century of industrial occupations.
The benefice a vicarage in modern times. Perhaps because of the regular dilapidation of the church (St Barnabas, now of 1864), the parish was served at times in conjunction with neighbouring benefices: Bebington 1680-1685, Eastham 1703-1726, 1728-1761, 1767-1778, 1781-1782, and possibly at other times (since the list of clergy is incomplete). The Bebington and Eastham registers may contain Bromborough entries but the latter has a gap 1644-1654.
Anne Anderson, ed., The Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials in the Parish of Bromborough in the County of Chester, Bromborough, 1962 [only 1600-1726 - the project made an independent transcription of this period].