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The Bishops Transcripts (BT's) are copies of the Parish
Registers (PR) deposited a the Diocese Cathedral Court. The Diocese (basically
the HQ for the administration of a parish) collected copies of all of its Parish
Church Registers at a specified date to its official who traveled the area,
normally Chapel en le Frith's registers would be taken to Bakewell to be
collected by the Diocese official the Diocese to which most of the High Peak
falls under is the Diocese of Litchfield. Which basically covered an area from
Preston in Lancashire down to Coventry. The opposing Diocese being York which
controlled the East side of England.
I've come to the conclusion that the BT's are
'double accounting book keeping' in the sense of what revenue the church was
generating by conducting marriages, burials and baptisms the Diocese could
in-effect calculate the wealth of a parish by the number of events taking place
and what money a Parish church generated by such events and the potential Tithe
award it should receive. It would be interesting to find out if the BT & the
PR were ever reconciled by any Diocese officials as I have come across a few
entries for events which do not show in the BT's? were some churches on the
fiddle??
But from a historical point of view the BT's are a good source
of confirming events, if the PR is illegible or missing for some years,
the then BT's can be checked they can give other bits of information which are
not featured in the PR but it also works the other way more often then not.
Chapel Parish BT's are held at Lichfield Records Office.
Address: Lichfield Library, The Friary. Lichfield. Staffs. WS13 6QG. Tel 01543
510720.
Document number DC/V/7/1
Years available according to
the Catalogue are as follows:
1659-1681. 1681-1721. 1721-1744. 1744-1759.
1759-1762. 1762-1774. 1774-1792. 1792-1812. 1813-1856.
Sections missing according to the Catalogue:
1667-1669. 1675-1678. 1688-1698. May 1756-1759. &
marriages of 1804-1807.
The following BT's I checked on the 2nd June 2003 taking some extracts of
Marchington entries of interest.
1659-1661.
Thomas Clayton. Minister, George Bagshaw & Thomas Taylor. Churchwardens.
May 1659. Ann MARCHINGTON Daughter of Philip & his wife of the Eaves
baptised.
Feb 1659. George MARCHINGTON of LOADS buried within Churchyard.
1660. James 'Huhrus' (unclear). Minister, Thomas Taylor churchwarden. (His
mark) Thomas couldn't read or write.
14 Jan 1660. Jane MARCHINGTON of ye Loads was buried in the
churchyard.
3 Feb 1660 Robert MARCHINGTON the sonne of John MARCHINGTON also his
wife of Goyts was baptised.
4 Jan 1661. Ann daughter of Ricard MARCHINGTON of Townend and his wife buried in
the churchyard.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible with the
spelling of Marchington with the ING spelt correctly in every instance.
Nov 1662 to 1666
Minister and churchwardens are not omitted.
June 1663. Richard Marchanton of Townend buried in church yard .
Aug 1663. Anne Marchinton of Townend buried in the church yard.
In this parchment there are 6- to 7 burials taking place per month.) The writing
is very clear but MARCHINGTON is spelt AN & IN.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1672-1675
Churchwardens: William Tinnfted(?) and Edward Dixon.
7 July 1674. Elizabeth MARCHANTON and Francis GEE married.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1670-1672
No given warden details.
1672. 18Aug. Adam MARCHANTON of Loads ovas buired this same day.
1672 A William Kyke of Loads was buried. (The Kykes were living at Eaves Hall
alongside the Marchington's thus confirming the place Loads as probably the top
of the area now know as Sittinglow.)
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1678-1681P
Thoams Bagshaw. Parish Clerk, Nith?? Lingard. Churchwarden.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1681-1683 & 1683-1686
Thomas Bagshaw. Clerk, Robert Moult Churchwarden.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1686-1689
Churchwardens: Philip 'P' Marchinton & Thomas Frith. Philip put his mark on
the register between his name being a large letter 'P' written very shakily,
could be due to Philips old age as he must have been around 68 years old at the
time. Also Thomas put his mark being alarge letter 'T' in a cross style.
1689. 7 Oct. Ann MARCHANTON buried of Loads yale.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1699-1702
Curate. Ca Cooke, Churchwardens: George Buxton & George Thornhill, James
Pickford. Clerk & Register.
1699. 14 Jan. Philip MARCHINTON son of Henry & his wife baptised.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1702-1703
Minister. Ca Cooke, Churcwardens: Robert Moult & ? Wood.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1703-1707
Curate. Ca Cooke, churchwardens: John Carrington& Edward Warrington, Clerke.
James Pickford.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1707-1710
Curate. Caldo Cooke, Churchwardens: John Lomas & Edward Poxnett, Clerk.
James Pickford.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1710-1714
Curate: C Cooke, Churchwardens: Robert Thornhill & James Carrington. Clerke.
James Pickford.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1714- 1717
Curte: Calob Cook, Churchwardens: Elias Hall & William Storer, Clerke James
Pickford.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1717-1721
Curate: J Byron, Churchwardens: James Lowe & Henry Lomas, Clerke.
James Pickford.
(Note: J Byron takes over the Ministers role, at what year it doesn't state.)
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1721-1724
Minister. J Byron, Churchwardens: John Hall & John Fletcher. ( Note: No
Clerk mentioned).
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1724-1727
Minister. J Byron, Churchwardens: John Fletcher & John Marchinton. ( Signed
all in own handwriting.)
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1725-1730
Minister B Bardlsy, Churchwardens: John Fletcher & John Lomas.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1730-1732
Ministr. Ben Bardsley, Churchwardens: John Shirt & John Wainwright.
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1732-1735
Minister. Ben Bardley, Churchwardens: John Lingard & Joseph 'F' Melnard ( F
style for his mark).
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1735-1738
Minister: Benjamine Bardsley, Churchwardens: Robert Ollrensha & ? Marh?
This parchment roll is very clear and legible.
1738-1741
Minister Ben Bradley, Churchwardens: George Bowden & Robert Creswell.
This role is now written on paper.
1741-1744
Minister. Ben Barsley, Churchwardens: John Walkinson (his mark) & Hugh
Cor??de.
In the Parish Register an entry as follows is recorded: 11th
June 1742. Mary daughter of Henry Marchinton for boxon the younger baptised at
Slack Hall in this parish. There is no recorded entry in the Bishops
Transcripts for this entry in the PR. This must have been to annoyance of the
then Minister Benjamine Barsley to the fact that a baptism was taking place
outside of his and the church's authority. He obviously making a statement
by including it in the PR but not in the BT, a classic class of comments found
in a PR but not the BT.
This role is now written on paper.
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