Lancashire Family History Society

This section lists county associations of Lancashire from Furness Family History Society to Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society, providing details about each one and what resources and publications they offer.

• Furness Family History Society
• Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society
• Lancashire Parish Register Society
• Lancaster and District Family History Group
• Liverpool and Southwest Lancashire Family History Society
• Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society
• North Meols (Southport)
• Ormskirk and District
• St Helens Township
• Wigan

Furness Family History Society

Furness FHS was established in 1993 and covers the area which is bounded by the sea to the South, Windermere and Cartmel to the East, River Duddon and Dunnerdale to the West and Langdale valleys to the North.

Information

A list of churches in the area is available on their site.

Society Databases

Many databases are accessible, which include:

• List of Newspapers
• Migration and Movement: Abbey Activities, Coniston Copper, Iron Industry, Manufacturing Industries and South Africa
• Significant Surnames
• Timeline of History Highlights in relation to Britain and Furness

Website:
http://www.furnessfhs.co.uk

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Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society

The association was founded in 1973 and aims to advance the study of genealogy and heraldry whilst helping to find, publish and make available records and documents. 

They also hope to provide an information service and library.  In addition, they help to transcribe and preserve original documents and records.

Information

It now has thirteen centres across the county and one in London. The centres in the county are:

• Blackburn and Darwen
• Bury
• Chorley
• Fylde
• Heraldry Group
• Hyndburn
• Irish Ancestry
• Lancaster and Morecambe
• London and South
• Pendle and Burnley
• Preston
• Rochdale
• Rossendale

Blackburn and Darwen

Meeting Address:

Ewood Park Working Mens Club
318 Bolton Road
Blackburn
BB2 4HY

Email:

blackburn@lfhhs.org.uk

Many reference books and microfiche relating to the local area are held by the branch, which include monumental inscriptions.

Bury

Meeting Location:

The Kay Room
Church House
The Wylde
Bury
BL9 0LA

Email:

bury@lfhhs.org.uk

Many resources are held by the branch, which include:

• Bury Cemetery Burials 1890-1979
• Census Indexes
• Maps
• Monumental Inscriptions
• Parish Register Indexes
• Reference Books

Chorley

Meeting Location:

Cunliffe Hall (Chorley Masonic Hall)
Cunliffe Street
Chorley
PR7 2BE

Branch Contact:

Steve Williams
Branch Secretary
24 The Cedars
Eaves Green
Chorley
PR7 3RH

Telephone:

01257 262028

Email:

chorley@lfhhs.org.uk 

Fylde

Meeting Location:

St Martin’s and St Hilda’s Church
Fleetwood Road South
Carleton
Poulton le Fylde
FY6 7NL

Email:

chorley@lfhhs.org.uk

The Fylde branch of the LFHHS was established on 15th Feburary 1984.  Their aims are to promote and encourage the study of family history and heraldry, to make documents accessible to the public, to preserve these documents and to build up a library.

Fylde covers the area of Lancashire between the rivers Ribble and Wyre.

Some maps and photographs are available on their site.

Many resources are accessible through the Society, which include:

• Catalogue of Directories and Poll Books
• Census Indexes
• Hearth Tax and Association Oath Rolls
• Lancashire Strays
• Land Tax Assessments 1690-1950
• Local History Books
• Maps
• Marriage Licences – Abstracts and Indexes in the Library of the Society of Genealogists
• Monumental Inscriptions
• Nonconformist Parish Register Indexes
• Parish Register Indexes
• Poll Books 1696-1872
• Reference Books

Website:
https://fyldelfhhs.com

Heraldry Group

Meeting Location:

St Stephen’s Church Centre
Bird Street
Preston
PR1 8DY

Email:

heraldry@lfhhs.org.uk 

Hyndburn

Meeting Locations:

With a Speaker:

Accrington and District Blind Society
32 Bank Street
Accrington
BB5 1HP

Workshops:

Accrington Library
St James Street
Accrington
BB5 1NQ

The area covered by Hyndburn branch includes:

• Accrington Church
• Altham
• Clayton-le-Moors
• Great Harwood
• Huncoat
• Oswaldtwistle
• Rishton

Email:

hyndburn@lfhhs.org.uk 

Irish Ancestry Group

Meeting Location:

2 Straits
Oswaldtwistle
Lancashire
BB5 3LU

Email:

irish@lfhhs.org.uk 

Lancaster and Morecambe

Meeting Location:

Morecambe Heritage Centre
The Promenade (Next door to the Winter Gardens)
215 Marine Road
Morecambe
LA4 4BU

Email:

lancaster@lfhhs.org.uk 

London and South

Meeting Location:

Brompton Library
210 Old Brompton Road
London
SW5 0BS

The Society meets with members of the Cumbria FHS.

Email:

elizabethprior@btinternet.com 

Pendle and Burnley

Meeting Location

Colne Library
Market Square
Colne
BB8 0AP

Email:

pendle@lfhhs.org.uk

A list of places covered by the Society is available on their site.

An Index of Memorial Cards, Silk Ribbons and Press Cuttings is available on their site.  A list of Family Pedigrees held at the Colne Library is also accessible.

Many databases are on their site, which include:

• Burnley Cemetery Burials 1856-2010
• Burnley St Peter Burials 1690-1982
• Burnley St Peter Memorial Inscriptions
• Earby (Wheatlands) Cemetery (formerly Yorkshire) Burials 1887-1960
• Earby (Wheatlands) Cemetery Memorial Inscriptions
• Great Marsden St John Memorial Inscriptions Receipt and Grave Books
• Habergham Eaves (Burnley) Holy Trinity Burials 1837-1960
• Habergham Eaves (Burnley) Holy Trinity Memorial Inscriptions
• Little Marsden St Paul Burials 1813-2010
• Little Marsden St Paul Memorial Inscriptions

Many resources are available for sale, which include:

• 1851 Map Of Lancashire
• Baptism Indexes
• British Vital Records
• Burial Indexes
• Census Indexes
• Diary of Rev. Peter Walkden 1725, 1729-30
• Family Histories
• Funeral Home Books
• Genealogical Memoirs of the Family of Marsden 1194-1901
• Lancashire Association Oath Rolls – 1696
• LFHHS Journals 1975-2004
• Local History Books
• Maps
• Marriage Indexes
• Memorial Inscriptions
• Newspaper Indexes
• The Pedigree Population Database
• Reference Books
• Wills Index

Some of these resources relate to other counties of the United Kingdom.

A list of surnames currently being researched by members is also available.

Website:
http://www.lfhhs-pendleandburnley.org.uk/

Preston

Meeting Location:

Kingsfold Methodist Church
Padway
Penwortham
Preston
PR1 9EJ

Contact:

Stewart McLoughlin
4 Dudley Close
Longton
Preston
Lancashire
PR4 5WH

Email:

preston@lfhhs.org.uk

The Society was established in February 1977.  Some resources are held by the branch, which include:

• 1881 Census of Lancashire
• CDs
• International Genealogical Index (IGI)

You are able to download copies of their newsletter from their section of the main site.

Rochdale

Meeting Location

St Andrew’s U.R. Church
Entwisle Road
Rochdale
OL16 2HZ

Contact:

Mrs Rosemary Fitton
13 Bowlers Walk
Rochdale
Lancashire
OL12 6EN

Rossendale

Meeting Location:

Longholme Methodist Church (Near Bus Station)
Bacup Road
Rawtenstall
BB4 7ND

Contact:

Mrs Rita Hirst
Tower House
17 Victoria Street
Haslingden
Rossendale
Lancashire
BB4 5DL

Email:

rossendale@lfhhs.org.uk

The Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society was originally established as Rossendale Society for Genealogy and Heraldry in 1973, holding meetings in Bury and Rawtenstall.  When the main Society changed its name on 1 January 1985, the Rawtenstall Group became the Rossendale branch. 

Areas covered by the branch include:

• Bacup
• Edenfield
• Haslingden
• Rawtenstall
• Whitworth

Society Publications

Many publications are available for sale through the main Society, which include:

• 1851 Map of Lancashire
• Brindle – St Joseph RC – School Registers  (1872-1980)
• Brindle – St Joseph RC – Baptisms 1816-1916, Marriages 1834-1934 and Burials and Memorial Inscriptions 1815-1999
• Census Indexes
• Census of the Catholic Congregation of Preston
• Genealogical Reference Books
• Heraldry in the Shire Hall, Lancaster Castle
• Lancashire Graveyards and Burial Grounds
• LFHH Society Journals 1975-2004
• Local History Books
• Memorial Inscriptions
• Osbaldeston, St Mary’s RC MI and Images
• Parish Register Transcriptions
• Preston Directories
• Prominent People of Blackburn and District
• Radcliffe Smyrna Street Methodist Church Bap Reg

Some items of clothing are also available for sale, which incorporate:

• Dark Green Sweat Shirt (different sizes)
• Light Blue Polo Shirt (different sizes)
• Red Polo Shirt (different sizes)
• Yellow Polo Shirt (different sizes)

Website: 
http://www.lfhhs.org.uk 

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Lancashire Parish Register Society

Founded in 1898, the association has published approximately 250 volumes on CD, in hardback or on microfiche.

Their aims are to transcribe Parish Registers, to edit and publish them and also to help preserve the original documents. 

All Parish Registers from the 16th Century have now been transcribed, but four dating from the seventeenth century are awaiting completion.  They aim to publish to publish 2 volumes per year.

Information

A list of websites you may find of use is accessible on their site.

Society Parish Register Transcripts

Some transcripts are available in Manchester Central Library’s Archive Department.

Society Publications

Some Parish Registers are available to purchase in printed volumes or on CDs.

Website:
http://www.lprs.org.uk

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Lancaster and District Family History Group

Founded in 1991 by people interested in family history, the group aims to promote genealogical research, compile indexes of local monumental inscriptions and also to increase the holdings of the association.

Information

Society Photographs

Many photographs are available on the site, which include photographs of:

• Armed Forces Day
• Bolton Le Sands
• Carnforth
• Caton and Brookhouse
• Galgate
• Garstang
• Glasson Dock and Cockerham
• Hornby
• Lancaster
• Morecambe
• Over Kellet

Society Publications

Some publications are available for sale,  which include:

• Family Record Book
• Lancaster  and District’s Great War Fallen – A Battlefield Chronology
• Memorial Inscriptions
• Old Nathan Sefton (1715-1790) from Bencock, and his descendants

Website:
http://www.lfhg.org

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Liverpool and South West Lancashire Family History Society

The association was founded in 1976 as the Liverpool Family History Society with a relatively small number of members but as more members joined, more branches were set up by people residing outside of Liverpool.  These were St Helens (disbanded), Southport, Skelmersdale, Leigh, Warrington and Widnes.

The association changed its name in order to accommodate the groups, firstly to Liverpool and District FHS and then to its present name of Liverpool and South West Lancashire Family History Society.

Information

Many groups form part of the Society, which include:

• Leigh
• Liverpool
• Skelmersdale and Upholland
• Southport
• Warrington
• Widnes

Leigh

Meeting Location:

Derby Room
Leigh Library

Some memorial inscriptions have been recorded by Society members, which include:

• Abram St John’s
• Ashton-in-Makerfield St Thomas’s, Warrington Road and Heath Road
• Golborne St Thomas’s
• Leigh Cemetery
• Lowton St Mary’s
• Westleigh St Paul’s

Some photographs of old Leigh have been placed in their section of the L&SWLFHS website.

Liverpool

Meeting Location

Top Floor Meeting Room
Liverpool Library
William Brown Street
Liverpool
L3 8EW

Photographs relating to old Liverpool are on their section of the main site.

Skelmersdale and Upholland

Meeting Location:

Upholland Library Community Room
Hall Green
Upholland
WN8 0PB

Photographs of Old Skelmersdale are available on the site.

Southport

Meeting Location:

Lord Street West United Church (small hall)
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 2BH

Help Desks:

Southport Library
Atkinson Centre
Lord Street
PR8 1DB

Formby Library
Duke Street
L37 4A

Crosby Library
Crosby Road North
L22 0LQ

Photographs of old Southport are accessible on their site.

Warrington

Meeting Location:

Halliwell Jones Rugby Stadium
opposite Tesco Supermarket
Winwick Road
Warrington

Photographs of Warrington are accessible on the site.

Widnes

Meeting Location

John Dalton Community Centre
Our Lady of the Perpetual Succour
Mayfield Avenue
Off Royal Avenue
Ditton
Widnes
WA8 8PR

The group was established in 1994 with 13 members, them meeting in Widnes library.  20 people now come to the monthly meetings.  They welcome new members and look forward to meeting you.

Their aims are to promote and encourage interest in family history and to transcribe records, making them accessible to the public.

Photographs of Widnes are accessible on the site.

Society Forum

A forum is available on the main site.

Society Databases

Some databases are accessible, which include:

• Change of Street Names: Old street names and the names substituted for them (from 1865 Gore’s Directory)
• Liverpool Auxiliary Firemen: People in the Auxiliary Fire Service during World War II.
• Liverpool Firemen

Some of these databases are accessible to members only.

Society Publications

Many publications are available for sale, which include:

• Directories
• Great Hurricane 1839
• Local History Books
• Maps
• Memorial Inscriptions
• Nonconformist Registers
• Parish Register Transcripts
• Poll Books
• Reference Books
• Surname Atlas

Website:
http://www.lswlfhs.org.uk/

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Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society

Founded in 1964, the Society is one of the largest in the world. Members are interested in genealogy and other related fields.

Information

Society Databases

Various databases are accessible on their site, which include:

• Catholic Churches in Manchester and Salford
• Catholic Register Index
• Cross Lane: Index to Tony Flynn’s History
• Hankey Park: Index to Tony Flynn’s History
• Looking Back at Hulme: Index to Chris Makepeace’s publication about the area
• Luftwaffe over Manchester: Index of WW2 Casualties
• Manchester Crematorium Obituaries
• Manchester War Memorials 
• Members’ Interests Index
• Memorial Inscriptions
• Oldham Church International Genealogical Index (IGI) Batch Numbers
• Radical Salford: Index of E & R Frow’s book regarding episodes from Labour History
• Reedmaker Index
• Salford Boy: Index of W Bereton’s Book regarding his childhood in Broughton 1923-1933
• Strays Index: People who have moved from their birthplace, e.g. a man from Manchester moved to America and died there

Location

The Society is situated in Manchester Central Library on the ground floor. 

The Library is next to St Peter’s Square Metrolink Station, with trams serving Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles and Bury.  

Transport to the Library

If travelling by bus, most buses from South Manchester stop in Portland Street near to Oxford Street, which is approximately 5 minutes walk from the Library.  Other services could stop in Shudehill Interchange or Piccadilly Bus Station.  These stops are approximately 15 minutes and 10 minutes walk from the Office respectively.

Library Parking

No parking is available at Central Library, and parking is expensive in the surrounding car parks, so you are advised not to travel by car unless it is absolutely necessary, and to use the Metrolink.

Library Accessibility

The Library is fully accessible to wheelchair users.

Society Branches

The Society has many branches, which include:

• Anglo-Scottish Family History Society
• Bolton and District
• Oldham and District

Anglo-Scottish Branch

Meetings are held in Manchester Central Library.  All resources held by the main society in the Library can be utilised by this organisation.  Other resources held include:

• International Genealogical Index (IGI) (1981) by Country
• International Genealogical Index (IGI) (1992) for Scotland by County
• Old Parish Register Indexes by County (OPR)
• Typed Transcripts of Baptismal and Communion Rolls of early Scottish churches in Manchester

A Scottish Marriage Index is also accessible.

Bolton and District

Meeting Location:

Montserrat Room
1st Floor
Old Links Golf Club
Chorley Old Road
Bolton
BL1 5SU

Email:

bolton@mlfhs.org.uk

Many articles and other information are available on the site, which include:

• Births, Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, Deaths and Burial Records: information regarding where to find them
• Bolton-Le-Moors, Great Bolton, Little Bolton, Bolton Information
• Bolton Buildings of Interest
• Bolton Churches
• Bolton History
• Bolton People
• Bolton Poor Law Union
• Major Local Employers
• Maps
• Photographs

Old issues of the branch’s newsletter are also accessible.

Oldham and District

Meeting Location:

The Lees Suite
Civic Centre
Oldham

Email:

oldham@mlfhs.org.uk oldham_webmaster@mlfhs.org.uk

A list of prominent people who have a connection with Oldham is on the site.

Many articles and other items of interest are available, which include:

• Church Records for Oldham and District found on the IGI
• First Known Burials in Oldham Metropolitan Borough
• Mills of Oldham
• Oldham Men Lost in Gallipoli
• Paradise Mill, Oldham: Wage Records 1852-1858

Old editions of the Oldham branch’s newsletter are also accessible.

Publications

Many publications are available for sale, which include:

• Catholic Church Register Indexes
• Census Indexes
• Deserter Index CD-ROM
• Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants
• Directories
• Edinburgh Almanac 1817
• Local History Books
• Manchester City Battalions – Rolls of Honour
• Maps
• Oldham Absent Voters List 1918
• Oldham Chronicle WW1
• Oldham’s Battalions 1899-1938
• Parish Register Indexes
• Presbyterian Church of England Records of Manchester Presbytery
• Prestwich Asylum Index to Admissions 1851-1901
• Reference Books
• Scots Living in England and Wales

Website:
http://mlfhs.org.uk

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North Meols (Southport) Family History Society

The association was founded in 1990 and aims to provide encouragement and support for people interested in genealogy, specifically in North Meols.

An ancient parish, North Meols comprised the two townships of Birkdale and North Meols. This included Churchtown, Crossens, Marshside and Banks. Most of this parish is what we now call Southport.

Information

Photographs

Photographs are accessible on their site.

Publications

Many publications are available for sale, which include:

• Census Indexes
• Church Extracts
• Churchtown: Portrait of a Village
• Local History Books
• NMFHS Magazines (Back Issues)
• North Meols Tithe Maps Apportionment Book
• Old Ordnance Survey Maps
• One Name Extracts from Census Returns
• One Name Extracts from North Meols Parish Records

Website:
http://www.nmfhssouthport.co.uk

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Ormskirk and District Family History Society

The area covered by the Society includes:

• Aughton
• Bickerstaffe
• Burscough
• Downholland
• Halsall
• Hesketh with Becconsall
• Lathom
• Lydiate
• Maghull
• Melling
• Ormskirk
• Rufford
• Scarisbrick
• Simonswood
• Skelmersdale
• Tarleton

Most of the places were originally named by the Vikings.

Information

Resources

Many resources are accessible in their Research Library, situated in Scout Hall, Wigan Road, Ormskirk.

Research Library Location

The Library is a few minutes walk from the railway station, bus station and car parks.

Research Library Accessibility

You have to climb some steps to enter the building, and the Society is based upstairs, but items can be brought down to the lower level if required.

Members’ Interests

A list of surnames currently being researched by members is accessible on their site.

Website:
http://www.odfhs.website

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St Helens Townships Family History Society

The association is based in St Helens, Merseyside and is an independent group of researchers and transcribers.

Their aim is to research their genealogy and also to help others who want to research theirs. 

They have a great deal of knowledge about national and local resources which will help you in your research. They also deposit books, transcripts, CDs, microfilms and microfiches in the Local History and Archive Library based in the Central Library.

Information

Publications

Some publications are sold by the Society, which include Parish Register Transcriptions of St Mark’s, Windle, St Helens Baptisms and Marriages 1886-1940

Transcriptions of Peasley Cross Churches, St Helens are also sold by the Society, which include:

• St Joseph’s RC Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1875-1940
• St Vincent’s RC Church Baptisms and Marriages 1904-1940
• Peasley Cross Congregational Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1901-1940

Members’ Interests

A list of surnames currently being researched by members is also accessible.

Website:
http://www.sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk/

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Wigan Family and Local History Society

The main aim of the association is to encourage and promote genealogical research.

Information

Research Service

If you do not live locally, on payment of a fee, the Society can conduct limited research on your behalf. 

Members’ Interests

A list of surnames currently being researched by members is accessible.

Website:
http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/familyhistory/

Craig Thornber has developed a website relating to family and local history in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire.  This site includes some church and chapel register transcriptions along with information regarding the Thornber family.