Lancashire Parishes

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Originally, Lancashire was divided into a mere 69 ancient parishes. But by the 19th Century, the county had become one of England's most populated counties, due mostly to the Industrial Revolution. To handle the dramatic population explosion within its county boundaries, the Established Church, that is the Church of England, created hundreds of chapels and modern chapelries in order to handle the county's burdgeoning populations. Of Lancashire's 500-plus churches, only 69 of them were ancient parishes. Below is a list of most of Lancashire's churches. All 69 ancient parishes are indicated with a double asterisk (**).

Note to all Lancashire Researchers: Unlike just about all other England counties (excepting especially Greater London), identifying and listing all chapels which are attached to each ancient parish is critical to performing thorough research in Lancashire parishes. We have provided as thorough and complete a list of all chapels lying within each ancient parish as can accurately be determined through multiple reference sources, So be sure to click the "Comprehensive Lists of Parishes and Chapelries" link found at the top of each ancient Parish's main page. [Note: To help you distinguish between parishes and chapelries in the list below, we have placed a double asterisk--** next to each ancient parish.] These "Comprehensive Lists", are printable and provide a complete list of all chapels and chapelries attached to each parish with their beginning dates and links to their records availability, critical for conducting thorough research within each parish, and as you progress your research into surrounding parishes, nearby. Due to incomplete lists of churches and chapels lying within each parish, is probably the number one reason researchers have old--often decades-old unsolved ancestral lines in of Lancashire!