Ashton-in-Makerfield

Local Parish Records – Search Tool

11 March 202611 March 2026 Steven Dowd

Census, Baptism, Marriages and Burial records

Census, Baptisms, Marriages and Burial Records I’ve been working on a new search tool for the site which brings together the historical records I’ve been collecting and transcribing over the years. It covers census returns and parish church registers in a single searchable archive for Newton-le-Willows, Burtonwood and surrounding areas. Census records are available for most local parishes from 1841 through to 1921, with full household details including names, ages, occupations and birthplaces. Church records from St Peter’s Newton and St Michael’s Burtonwood include baptisms, marriages and burials, with some…

Friar. Edmund Arrowsmith, born Haydock 1585, died Lancaster 1628.

10 February 202611 February 2026 Steven Dowd

A True and Exact Relation of the Death of Friar. Edmund Arrowsmith, a Priest of the Society of Jesus. When God, who is wonderful in his Saints, manifests their Glory by wonderful Works of his almighty Hand, at the same time that he declares their Merit, he recommends their Virtues to our Imitation. To be silent, after God has spoke the Worth of his Saints by Miracles, appears ungrateful; not to join with the Voice of Heaven in publishing their Sanctity, betrays a Disregard to the extraordinary Effects of his…

St Oswald’s Ashton-in-Makerfield

8 February 20268 February 2026 Steven Dowd

THE CHURCH OF ‘THE HOLY HAND‘ “The church of the Holy Hand” – that is how the Catholics of south-west Lancashire refer to the Catholic Church at Ashton-in-Makerfield. The ‘Holy Hand’ belonged to Edmund Arrowsmith, one of the Forty Martyrs canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 25th, 1970. Childhood Studies and Ordination Jesuit Betrayal Trial Prison Last Words Aftermath Apparition The Hand…

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