Alderley (Alderley Edge) Cheshire Family History Guide

Alderley, also known as Alderley Edge, is an ancient parish located in the county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on an affluent of the River Bollin and is approximately 7 miles south-southwest of Stockport. The parish includes the townships of Nether Alderley, Over Alderley, and Great Warford.

The area is known for its beautiful landscape, with Alderley Edge standing at a height of 360 feet and offering extensive views. The edge is notable for its excellent sandstone, which has been quarried in the area. Alderley Park, the seat of Lord Stanley of Alderley, is an impressive estate with fine grounds.

The parish has a rich history, with records dating back to as early as the 16th century. The parish church, St. Mary’s, has been a focal point of the community since its establishment. Nonconformist religious groups such as Baptists, Methodist New Connexion, Roman Catholics, and Wesleyan Methodists have also had a presence in Alderley.

Over the years, numerous neat residences have been built on Alderley Edge, attracting visitors and tourists. The area is well-connected through the Manchester and Birmingham railway, offering transportation links to nearby towns and cities.

Alderley is also known for its historical maps, with several ordnance survey maps from different time periods available to view online. These maps provide a glimpse into the changing landscape and development of the area over the years.

In terms of administrative divisions, Alderley falls within the Macclesfield district and is part of the civil registration district, probate court, and diocese of Chester. It is also part of the Macclesfield poor law union and is located in the Macclesfield hundred.

Overall, Alderley Cheshire has a fascinating history, characterized by its natural beauty, historical landmarks, and connection to the surrounding communities.

Alternative names: Alderley Edge

Other places in the parish include: Over Alderley, Nether Alderley, and Great Warford.

Parish church: St. Mary

Parish registers begin:

• Parish registers: 1629
• Bishop’s Transcripts: 1599

Nonconformists include: Baptist, Methodist New Connexion, Roman Catholic, and Wesleyan Methodist.

Adjacent Parishes

• Macclesfield Christ Church
• Capesthorne with Siddington
• Wilmslow
• Chelford
• Prestbury
• Marthall
• Mobberley
• Birtles

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ALDERLEY, a parish and a subdistrict in the district of Macclesfield, Cheshire. The parish lies on an affluent of the river Bollin, and on the Manchester and Birmingham railway, 7 miles SSW of Stockport. It has a station on the railway, and a post office under Congleton; and it includes the townships of Nether Alderley, Over Alderley, and Great Warford.

Acres in Nether Alderley, 2,755. Real property, £8,708. Pop., 617. Houses, 105. Acres in Over Alderley, 2,146. Real property, £3,388. Pop., 421. Houses, 77. Acres in the parish, 6,173. Real property, £14,931. Pop., 1,418. Houses, 257. The property is subdivided.

Alderley Edge has a height of 360 feet, commands an extensive view, and yields excellent sandstone. Alderley Park is the seat of Lord Stanley of Alderley, and has fine grounds. Numerous neat residences have recently been built on Alderley Edge; and excursion trains run to it in summer from Manchester. Copper ore is worked.

The living is a rectory in the diocese of Chester. Value, £750. Patron, Lord Stanley of Alderley. The church is good; and there are a Baptist chapel and a Wesleyan, the latter a Gothic edifice of 1863. Charities, £21. The subdistrict includes also parts of three other parishes. Acres, 13,559. Pop., 4,526. Houses, 798.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1851

Alderley, a parish in the hund. and union of Macclesfield, co.-palatine of Chester; 4 miles north west of Macclesfield. It comprises the townships of Superior and Inferior Alderley, and Great Warford. Living, a rectory in the archd. and dio. of Chester; rated at £14 18s. 4d.; gross income £635. Patron, in 1841, Lord Stanley. Charities to the poor amount to £11 12s. This parish was formerly included in that of Prestbury. Pop., in 1831, 1,338. Houses 243. Acres 6,240. A. P. £8,826.

Alderley-Edge, a hill in this parish, affords one of the most extensive and beautiful prospects in the county. A fine sandstone of a warm yellow colour is quarried here. The line of the Manchester, Cheshire, and Staffordshire railway, intersects this parish. The two townships of Alderley are 4¾ miles west-north-west from Macclesfield.

There are two free schools here now in connexion with the National Society, one of which was founded in 1628 by the Rev. Hugh Shaw, curate of the parish. This was lately rebuilt near the church in Upper Alderley. The other is in Lower Alderley. Pop. of Upper Alderley, in 1801, 408; of Lower Alderley, 483; in 1831, 402 and 587. Poor rates, in 1837, £150 and £236. 

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1851.

A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848

ALDERLEY (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and hundred of Macclesfield, N. division of the county of Chester, 6 miles (W. N. W.) from Macclesfield, containing 1538 inhabitants, of whom 455 are in the township of Upper Alderley, 679 in that of Lower Alderley, and 404 in that of Great Warford. This parish comprises by computation 6009 acres of fertile land, whereof 1971 are in Upper, and 2353 in Lower Alderley; the prevailing soils are clay and sand. The surface is greatly diversified, and towards the north-east rises gradually, forming an elevation called Alderley Edge, which terminates abruptly, and commands an extensive view.

Alderley Park, the seat of Lord Stanley, forms an interesting feature in the landscape; in the grounds is a sheet of water called Radnor Mere, a wood near which contains some of the finest beech-trees in England. A few of the inhabitants are engaged in weaving for the manufacturers of the neighbouring towns. The Manchester and Birmingham railway passes through the parish.

The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s books at £14. 10. 10.; net income, £514; patron, Lord Stanley. Besides the church, there is a chapel at Birtles, the incumbency of which is in the gift of T. Hibbert, Esq. The parish contains also places of worship for Wesleyans, and one for Baptists at Great Warford. An ancient school-house in the churchyard, some time after its erection, was endowed with the sum of £250, which has been placed at interest in the hands of Lord Stanley, who pays the master £10 per annum; another school is principally supported by his lordship. On Alderley Edge is a fine spring, called the Holy Well.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848

Parish Registers

Alderley Marriages 1629 to 1837

Parish Records

FamilySearch

Alderley

Use for:
England, Cheshire, Nether Alderley
England, Cheshire, Over Alderley

Alderley Edge

Cheshire Historical Directories

Administration

• County: Cheshire
• Civil Registration District: Macclesfield
• Probate Court: Pre-1541 – Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory), Post-1540 – Court of the Bishop of Chester (Episcopal Consistory)
• Diocese: Pre-1541 – Lichfield and Coventry, Post-1540 – Chester
• Rural Deanery: Macclesfield
• Poor Law Union: Macclesfield
• Hundred: Macclesfield
• Province: York