Hayfield Baptisms 1635 - 1810

Notes

1. Note from Rowena Clarke:  Hayfield Bishop’s Transcripts

Hayfield register, being one of the worst I have encountered, has many pages missing or damaged and the Bishop’s transcripts also have large gaps - some where only rough dates are given for a set period of years with no individual dates.   Where possible I have added dates and other information from the register such as a location or father’s occupation.  I have also modernised the spellings for surnames such as Bowers which over the years can be Bow, Boare, Bore, Boar.    Joule can be Jow, Gow, Jewall, Goul etc.  

I have also modernised the spelling of locations for those not familiar with the area. Shydearde for instance is now Shedyard and Higg Hill is High Hill.  Ranglach is Ravensleach.  Plus many more.

First names also provided a problem for Ann can be Hannah and I therefore suggest that anyone finding their family in these transcripts go back to the original to decide for themselves which of those are Anne and those which are Hannah for I will have made mistakes!

With illegitimate baptisms I erred on the side of caution and entered only those noted by the cleric although there could well be some which were missed. The clergy mostly seem to have baptised these children in batches close together.

An example of the problems I encountered can be glimpsed below.

One cleric will enter thus: Cornelius fillius Johanis Hyde de Bowshawe sepulate fiut Tricesimo die Marti. 

Name of child, name of his father, the residence and the full date also if it is a burial or a baptism.

Another entry reads simply:  Joh. Thos. Barber

The area covered put simply is the village of Hayfield with it’s outlying farms and the hamlets of Beard, Ollersett, Thornsett and Whitle which make up the town of New Mills.   Rowena Clarke 2008

2. 1701 to 1705 no individual dates except from register

3. 1707 to 1710 no individual dates except from register

4. 1714 to 1719 no individual dates except from register

5. `Publickly baptised at Heafield Chapel neglected by Mr Thomas curate of Mellor till near a year old. Christened here by candlelight died the next day about 10 a clock before noon And buried at Heafield June the 30.`

5a. `& I was abused by T H Senior` 

6. Could be Silence as this a WILD name (R. C.)

7. `Mary a second daughter of that name to Robert & Elizabeth RAIN of Hayfield`

8. His GGrandfather buried same night

9. The following group of baptisms do not appear in the register.