St. Helens Townships Family History Society

Founded 2007 | Life President: Richard Waring 1927-2015

We are an independent group of family history transcribers and researchers, based in St. Helens, Merseyside, UK, who have a wealth of knowledge on local and national resources available to help you further your research. The group’s aim is to research our family history whilst helping others. The group activity supports the Local History and Archive Library based in the Central Library depositing useful research books, films, fiches, transcripts and CD’s for use by anyone researching local family history.

St. Helens Townships

As far back as the 12th Century there are references to the four townships of Eccleston, Parr, Sutton and Windle, and the area of Hardshaw in between, all being situated in the ecclesiastical Parish of Prescot.

During the mid 19th century the Borough of St. Helens, its name deriving from the chapel of St. Elyn, grew out of these five areas culminating in it being granted a Municipal Charter in 1868.

The railway network brought in migrant workers from all over the world providing skilled and manual labour needed for the growth of the traditional coal industry and the new glass and chemical industries allowing the town to prosper during the industrial revolution.

News


The society has been awarded a £40,800 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the St. Helens Pals project.

Current Projects

We regularly undertake transcribing work and all projects are deposited at the Local History & Archives Library for all to use.

Lancashire BMD Project

We are working in conjunction with the St. Helens Registrar’s office and the Lancashire BMD project in transcribing the birth, marriage and death indexes. Since October 2006 over 360,000 St. Helens, Rainford, and Newton-Le-Willows birth registration indexes have been uploaded. Now researchers can identify St Helens births previously listed on the GRO index as Prescot.

St. Austin’s, Thatto Heath & St. Mary’s, Blackbrook

Baptism and Marriage records are currently being transcribed for publication on CD.

Windleshaw Chantry

Burial records are currently being transcribed for depositing in the Library only.

St. Nicholas, Sutton

Baptism, Marriage and Burial records are currently being transcribed for publication on CD.

All Saints, Sutton

Baptism records are currently being transcribed for publication on CD.

St. Helens Pals

The story of the 11th (Service) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment (St. Helens Pioneers) in the Great War.

St. Helens and Area Links

Publications

St. Mark’s, Windle, St. Helens


The CD contains the records of St Marks’s Baptisms and Marriages from 1886 to 1940. The Indexes are fully searchable using Excel programme or reader.

Price £10.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk

Peasley Cross Churches, St. Helens


The CD contains the records of St Joseph’s RC Church Baptisms,Marriages and Burials from 1875 to 1940; St Vincent’s RC Church Baptisms and Marriages from 1904 to 1940; Peasley Cross Congregational Church Baptisms, Marriages and Burials from 1901 to 1940. The Indexes are fully searchable.

Price £10.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk

St Anne’s RC Church, Sutton, St. Helens

The CD contains the records of Baptisms between 1851 and 1920; Marriages between 1851 and 1940; the Burial Service Register between 1851 and 2007; and Monumental Inscriptions between 1851 and 2007. Searchable alphabetically by surname.

Price £7.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk

St. Helens Area Marriage Index 1538-1940

The CD contains the records of 72,000 marriages which took place in 27 different Churches in the St. Helens area between 1538 and 1940. The information has been transcribed directly from Parish Records, Church Records and archive film. The transcriptions were carried out by many different people over the last ten years. Our thanks go out to them for their dedication to this mammoth task. The index is fully searchable.

Price £10.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk

St Austin’s RC Church, Thatto Heath, St. Helens

The CD contains an index to the records of St Austin’s baptisms and marriages from 1895 to 1940. The indexes are fully searcheable using the Excel programme or reader (included).

Price £7.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk

St Nicholas, Sutton, St. Helens

The CD contains an index to the records of St Nicholas baptisms and marriages from 1849 to 1940. The indexes are fully searcheable using the Excel programme or reader (included).

Price £10.00 plus £1.25 p+p (UK); available from publications@sthelenstownshipsfhs.org.uk