Withnell, Lancashire Genealogy

England Lancashire  Lancashire Parishes

Chapelry History
Withnell St Paul is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Lancashire, created in 1842 from Leyland Ancient Parish. Other places in the parish include: Brinscall and Abbey Mill.

Withnell is a civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. Withnell is about five miles (8 km) north-east of Chorley itself and about 5 miles (8.0 km) away from Blackburn. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974. It was originally called 'Withinhull' around 1160, later appearing as 'Withinhulle' in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire, meaning 'a hill where willow trees grow'. It borders the villages of Brinscall and Abbey Village.

The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley.

WITHNELL, a township, in the parish and hundred of Leyland, union of Chorley, N. division of Lancashire, 5 miles (N. E. by N.) from Chorley, on the road to Blackburn; containing, in 1846, 2150 inhabitants. The township was a member of Hoghton manor, and part of the inheritance of a co-heiress of the Alansons, who married Roger de Withnil or Wythenall. By a charter of the 11th of Edward III., the king granted to Sir Richard de Hoghton and his heirs the privilege of free warren in their demesne lands here. The property was sold in the last century to Henry Sudell, Esq., and the trustees of that gentleman resold it to Mr. Talbot, of Preston. The township comprises 3555 acres, whereof 355 acres are arable, 2318 meadow and pasture, 103 woodland, and 779 moor, which is famous for grouse. The soil is various, and the ground being elevated, the views are very extensive, embracing the town of Preston, the river Ribble, and the district of the Fylde. Excellent stone is quarried, suitable for buildings and bridges; and there is also a flag-quarry. A fine trout-stream called the Roddlesworth flows in the township; and the Leeds and Liverpool canal skirts it on the west. Robert and John Parke, Esqrs., are now joint lords of the manor. There are two cotton-mills, one of them erected in 1838, employing 380 hands, with a power of 50 horses; the other in 1839, employing 400 hands, and having a power of 60 horses. A paper-mill, built on the canal in 1843, employs 60 persons. A church, dedicated to St. Paul, was erected in 1841, at a cost of £1400. It is in the Romanesque style, with a tower and spire, and has a very handsome coloured eastern window: the interior was repainted and ornamented in 1846. A district has been assigned to it, comprising the whole of Withnell, and a small part of Hoghton township: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar of Leyland; net income, £120, with a house. The hay and vicarial tithes have been commuted for £78. 13.; the corn tithes belong to the perpetual curacy of Lango, and have been commuted for £83. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. The children of the district may attend Hoghton old school; and the Wesleyans have two schools. In the township are excellent springs of water.

From: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis (1848), pp. 633-636. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51419 Date accessed: 03 August 2010.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Census records
Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Lancashire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.