The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Ormskirk in the County of -- Lancashire --

Baptisms at St Peter and St Paul
in the Parish of Ormskirk
Baptisms recorded in the Register for 1696 - 1709

At the end of the Ormskirk register book for 1679 to 1699, there are three pages of entries covering a period from 1696 to 1709, containing baptisms and burials which do not overlap with those in the main part of the register and which do not appear in the corresponding Bishop's Transcripts. It is unclear from the register where the events took place, but the statement at the top of the register section reads:

"Perfect and True Register of all Births and Burials that are Registred Pursueant to a Late Act of Parlimt."

To the left of this have been inserted two or three abbreviated words which may indicate where the events took place, but these are hard to read and obscured by the margin, possibly '_n Comn. Land'.

The start date of this register corresponds with the founding of a non-conformist chapel, in Chapel Street, Ormskirk.

Supporting evidence for this being a non-conformist register is provided by the names contained in the register itself. At the foot of the first page (and out of date sequence) there is a record of birth on 17/4/1695 for Nathaniell son of Nathaniell Heywood, Ormskirk. This child's grandfather (Nathaniel Heywood Snr), was a prominent non-conformist who had been ejected in 1662 from his living at Ormskirk Church, under the Act of Uniformity. The birth is mentioned in the diaries of Oliver Heywood, brother of Nathaniel Snr, which quotes this sad story:

"Mr Nathl Heywoods wife of Ormskirk deliver'd of a son, baptizd that day fortnight, he greatly rejoyced in having a living wife and son Nathl. Lords day after left her well, preacht, in afternoon sent for out of Chapel after he had been half an hour, ran fast found her dead. Apr. 1695"