Family History at Tameside Local Studies and Archives Unit

Tracing your family tree

Start at home: collect names and dates from older family members, certificates, papers, etc., and begin by checking this information.

If you need help starting your family history or have got stuck, come and get expert advice at our Family History Advice Sessions. They are run by volunteers from the Dukinfield Branch of the Cheshire Family History Society, 2 - 4 p.m. 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month

Births, marriages and deaths after 1st July 1837

Nationally:

Postal enquiries for all districts should be sent to: The General Register Office, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2JD, Tel: 0845 603 7788

Locally:

You need to search the General Register Office index (GRO index) to births, marriages and deaths first.

The Greater Manchester County Record Office (GMCRO) has a copy of the index for 1837-2006 (on microfiche only), along with provisional data for 2007 (births and deaths). The index is a list of all births, deaths and marriages in England and Wales, but it does not include all the details.

GMCRO also have indexes for overseas births, marriages and deaths, including World War 1 and 2 deaths, civil partnerships for 2005-7 and adopted children for 1927 - 2007. These can all be accessed online at www.gmcro.co.uk

The GRO index can also be consulted at the LDS Church in Ashton and here at the Local Studies & Archives Centre.

You need to apply to the local Registry Office for certificates which have additional information - copies are available from Dukinfield Town Hall for what is now the Tameside area.

Tameside District Register Office

The Register Office, Town Hall, King Street, Dukinfield, SK16 4LA
0161 342 5032 0161 342 5036 Send Tameside Registrars a Message

GMCRO

56 Marshall Street, New Cross, Manchester, M4 5FU
0161 832 5284 archives@gmcro.co.uk Website: www.gmcro.co.uk

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Patterdale Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside
0161 330 3453

Baptisms, marriages and burials

Please remember that until 1752, the new year started in March, so January 1721 would be after April 1721, for example. In 1751, it was decided that January 1st would start the new year thereafter.

Parish Registers held at Tameside Local Studies Library

Although officially kept from 1538, there are many gaps until 1813 when separate, printed volumes were introduced for baptisms, marriages and burials.

The following are held here: (N. B. bt's - bishop's transcripts)

Although some registers remain with the church, churches are encouraged to deposit their records at the Diocesan Record Offices - Cheshire parishes at Chester, Lancashire parishes at Manchester Archives & Local Studies, Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD, Tel: 0161-234-1979 (see section on Probate Records below for other addresses).

Nonconformist Records held at Tameside Local Studies Library

There were no marriages at nonconformist chapels between 1754 and 1837, as the Marriages Act forbade non-Anglican marriages (except for Quakers and Jews). Registers of nonconformist churches are mostly in the Public Record Office.

The following nonconformist registers (baptisms and burials) are held here on microfilm unless otherwise stated:

(N.B. Some entries are out of chronological sequence in the Methodist Registers.)

Catholic Records held at Tameside Local Studies Library

The following records are on microfilm. Please note they are quite difficult to read and the dates are not always in consecutive order.

International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.)

Compiled on microfilm by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), it includes baptisms and some marriages from church registers. The indexes are arranged by surname and those for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (plus Canada and the Pacific Islands) are available here on microfiche. Although extremely useful, the index is not comprehensive, only about a third of churches have been filmed. It is always worth comparing the entries with the originals. We also have a CD-ROM for the whole of the British Isles, 1538-1888.

Graveyards

Some were attached to churches, others to municipal burial grounds.

For information including contact details about all Tameside cemeteries and how to search the Burial Records, go to burial records online

Council cemeteries are situated at:

Ashton (Hurst)
Kings Road
Ashton-under-Lyne
opened 1891

Audenshaw
Cemetery Road
Audenshaw
opened 1905

Denton
Cemetery Road
Denton opened 1895

Droylsden
Manor Road
Droylsden
opened 1894

Dukinfield
Hall Green Road
Dukinfield
opened 1866

Hyde
Stockport Road
Hyde
opened 1894

Mossley
Cemetery Road
Mossley
opened 1877

Mottram
War Hill
Mottram
opened 1861

Grave Records

Many graveyards were cleared in the 1970s and 1980s. There are lists of monumental inscriptions here for:

• Ashton, Christ Church*
• Ashton, St. Michael*
• Ashton, St. Peter*
• Audenshaw, St. Stephen - qL923
• Denton, St. Lawrence
• Droylsden, St. Mary*
• Dukinfield, Crescent Road - qL923
• Dukinfield, Moravian*
• Dukinfield, Old Chapel - qL923 (See also CD-Rom)
• Hyde, Hyde Chapel - qL923
• Hyde, St. Thomas - qL923
• Mossley, Methodist - qL287MOS
• Mossley, St. George*
• Mottram, Register of Graves 1816-85*
• Mottram, Graves 1827-64*
• Mottram, St. Michael (fiche)
• Stalybridge, Canal Street Methodist Graveyard Clearance - the graves to be cleared were listed in the Stalybridge Reporter 27 August 1965 (p.2, col.2)
• Stalybridge, Congregational* and qL923
• Stalybridge,New St. George qL923 (transcript of burial register No 1)
• Stalybridge, Old St. George* and qL923
• Stalybridge, St. Paul - qL923 (monumental inscriptions, burials and range book details for old and new yards)

(*these are on microfilm)

CA/ASH/204 Register of interments at Ashton St. Michael

Coroners Records

For information regarding Coroners records for Tameside contact Greater Manchester County Record Office. Our local newspapers often contain reports of Coroners courts.

Other sources

Census returns

We have microfilmed copies of returns for the Tameside Metropolitan Borough area for:

• 1841, Street index -  We also have Stockport parish – Stockport, Torkington, Bramhall, Bredbury, Brinnington, and Disley Stanley but they are not indexed. Limited information; no place of birth or family relationships
• 1851, Street and surname index. Also surname indexes for parts of Manchester and Stockport
• 1861, Street and Surname index - transcript for Denton and Haughton only. Surname index for part of Ashton only
• 1871, Street and Surname index for Ashton (not Hurst area), Audenshaw, Droylsden/Clayton, Broadbottom, Dukinfield, Godley, Hattersley, Hollingworth, Matley, Newton, Stalybridge, Staley and Tintwistle.
• 1881, Street and Surname index for the whole of England (compiled by the Latter Day Saints)
• 1891, Street and Surname indexes for Denton & Haughton; parts of Ashton, Dukinfield, Longdendale, Mossley and Stalybridge; most of Hyde, Newton (Flowery Field).
• 1901, Street index.

Apart from 1881, all the surname indexes were compiled by volunteers

Trade directories

For ancestors who were in business - the collection here dates from 1772, though the geographical coverage and content vary and gaps exist. Used in conjunction with census returns, they may be particularly helpful.

Probate records

(Wills, inventories, letters of administration)

We do not hold any actual wills, but we have the printed indexes to wills held at the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Offices. Both Lancashire and Cheshire wills were proved at Chester, although they have now been separated. We have indexes (published by the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society) of all wills proved at Chester up to 1837. Both Record Offices have their own indexes for the period 1837-1858. We also have indexes (again published by the Record Society) of additional Lancashire wills proved at Richmond which cover the period up to 1858.

Cheshire Record Office, Duke Street, Chester, CH1 1RL
01244 972574 recordoffice@cheshire.gov.uk
Website: www.cheshire.gov.uk/recoff/home.htm

The Cheshire Record Office now has an online database of Cheshire testators covering 1492-1940.

Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, PR1 2RE
01772 533039 www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/record_office/contact/form.asp
Website: www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/record_office/

After 1858

Wills were proved at district civil courts and a national yearly index compiled and printed. The Manchester set of indexes is transferred to the G.M.C.R.O. after fifty years.

Copies of the wills themselves are available from: Manchester District Probate Registry, Manchester Civil Justice Centre, 1 Bridge Street West, PO Box 4240, Manchester. M60 1WJ. Tel 0161 240 5700

Internet & CD-ROMS

We have public access to the internet for family and local history research, and a collection of local and family History CD-Roms .

Newspapers

Microfilmed copies of some local newspapers from the mid-nineteenth century to date are available here. Please book a reader in advance.

Electoral Registers

Before 1918, the right to vote was not universal, but based on property-owning qualifications. However, voters lists may prove useful for more recent searches, and our collection for Tameside extends from 1841 to the present day but is incomplete. Rate books are also available.

Education Records

We have some school records for this area, but records are generally not deposited until a school closes. School records are subject to a thirty-year closure period.

Manchester Regiment

Those with ancestors in the Manchester Regiment may find this collection disappointing, as few records mention individual soldiers. Generally, the most information is on the 1st and 2nd Battalions and covers the period of the two World Wars in most depth. Reference is more likely to be made to casualties than survivors. See our pages Family history using military sources and Archives for family history for more information.

Family history societies

For further advice, you may find it useful to contact either:

The Dukinfield Group of the Family History Society of Cheshire (actually covers the whole of Tameside).
Contact: Gay Oliver (Group Leader)
0161 338 5241 dukinfield@fhsc.org.uk  Website: www.fhsc.org.uk 

The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society, Clayton House, 59 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2AQ
0161 236-9750 | Website: www.mlfhs.org.uk

The North Cheshire Family History Society  Website: www.ncfhs.org.uk

 Tameside Local and Family History Website: www.tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk

Family History Centre, Setantii, Ashton Town Hall, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside
0161 342 2813  www.tameside.gov.uk/setantii
Open: Tuesday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm, Saturday 10.00am - 1.00pm

We have newsletters for Family History Societies which cover Tameside.

Guides and publications available in the library

Various publications can be found on the shelves at L921, which may give you more ideas and help. Most of these are for reference only. The lending library has helpful publications at 929.1

Staff at the library are on hand for enquiries and we will try to help with any problem. For those unable to do their own research, we hold a list of names and addresses of researchers who offer a chargeable service.

 Advance booking is necessary for microfilm-readers. Please note that archives will not be produced within thirty minutes of closing time and that all archives must be returned fifteen minutes before closing time.

Important: Please include your name and postal address when you send us a message as this will help us provide a full response to your enquiry.

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre Central Library Old Street Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SG View local map
0161 342 4242
0161 342 4245