St Mary’s Church has a long history and the records go back nearly as far as any in the country.

Most of the statutory records have been copied to computer and selections are often requested by people tracing their family trees.

The computer records include all the legible inscriptions in the graveyard and the Church.

We continue to get enquiries from people tracing their family trees at the rate of about one a week. These can come from anywhere in the world and the simple ones can be answered by an email reply. Others require more work like trimming and clearing a grave for photography so that distant relatives can see the resting place of their forefathers. The database and text records are continually updated and extended so that the information we have available is as complete as possible. An enjoyable part of the job is guiding enquirers to their relatives’ graveside and listening to the varied family stories.

Contact: Derrick Murdie via the Parish Office on 0161 929 1537.