Paternal   Surnames   Church           Cowley           Ebrey            Ferrington       Griffiths          Grindley         Poole              Ridgeway       Smith              Tudor            Williams                 Maternal Surnames Davies       Ellis                                        Jones        Hughes             Norris               Paternal Parishes         High Ercall    (Ercall Magna) Stanton on Hine Heath     Shawbury       Rowton   Ellerdine    Muckleton Great Bolas                  Astley                 Upton Magna WatersUpton    Hodnet Grinshill Weston       Lee Brockhurst MoretonCorb.t Wem Maternal Parishes       Berriew,Montg Guilsfield,Mont Llanfair,Montg   Oswestry      St Martins      Stapleton        Trefonen           Westbury

 CHURCH RECORDS.

Church/Parish Records provide some of the most useful information regarding family histories.      In 1538 Thomas Cromwell ordered that Records be kept by Parish Churches of all Baptisms,         Marriages and Deaths.                                                                                                                            In 1597 it was further ordered that these Records were to be kept on parchment and not paper     and that Bishop Transcripts should also be made and sent to the Diocesan Authority.(So I had the opportunity of looking at these Records in local Churches,also in the County Record Office in      Shrewsbury were many Church Records had been deposited for safety and finally in the Lichfield Cathedral Diocesan   Archives).                                                                                                              In 1754 Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act decreed that details of the Marriage Banns should also be recorded and that the Register should be signed by both parties.(This provides us with very       useful information about witnesses names and also whether the parties could write).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

HERE ARE A FEW INTERESTING EXTRACTS FROM LOCAL PARISH RECORDS.             HIGH ERCALL.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                     1614 John son of Thomas Griffiths of Sleape and Margaret baptised at Waters Upton.                               1636 Lewis ap Griffiths of Shrahill House Cruginton buried 100 years old.                                                 1642-48 Civil War High Ercall garrisoned - gap in the Church Records.                                                     1677 Samuel son of Humphrey Griffiths of Cold Hatton and Anne baptised                                                1742 Richard Griffiths and Mary Church both of this parish wed.                                                               1773 Richard Griffiths(signs R)and Mary Smith wed .Witness: Thomas Ward of Poynton Green.                STANTON ON HINE HEATH.---------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                           1668Richard Griffie and  ?   married                                                                                                         1703Edward filius Edward Griffiths and Mary uxor ejus bapt.                                                                    WATERS UPTON-----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                               1607Thomas son of John Gryffies of Sleap husbandman and Margaret baptised.                                       1707William Griffiths stranger and slain by misfortune buried.                                                                  MORETON CORBET.------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                           1640Thomas Morris alias Griffiths and Elizabeth Bostocke married.                                                          HODNET.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                               1775 William Griffiths basketmaker buried .                                                                                           LEE BROCKHURST---------------------------------------------------------------------------.                                                                                                                           1658 Ellenor  Griffies mater imo regina mendicorum (queen of the Gypsies)died suddenly at John Weavers GREAT BOLAS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                     1745 The Rev.Mr Thomas Griffith Rector of this parish buried..                                                                 SHAWBURY.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                       1650 Griffe of Edgboulton buried.                                                                                                            1672Richard Griffeyes son of Richard Grifies and Elizabeth of Besford Wood was baptised.                     UPTON MAGNA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                 1732 Mary daughter of Jane Phillips begotten in fornication by Richard Griffiths baptised.                         Many references to the Wood and to travelling women found dead and buried here.

Church Wardens Accounts later The Parish Overseers Accounts are occasionally found in some Parishes.Those for High Ercall run from 1685-1791 and give a fascinating insight into village life. The True and Just Accounts of Thomas Spendlove of Walton ye Club and John Haywood of Tern. Church Wardens for the parish of Ercall Magna for the year of our Lord God 1685.                       Include Receipts from 16 donors including    Lord Newport  111s  0d;  Richard Rodenhurst 2s   0d  Humphrey Griffiths of Cold Hatton 6d and Mr Griffies of Sleape 3s  9d.                      Disbursements include Mary Smith for ale 1s  0d.    and various allowances for the poor.                The Accounts are checked and signed by Richard Blakeway-Minister,and the various Church Wardens over the next 5 years including John Smith of Ellerdine, John Griffiths, Maurice Parker, Thomas Shaw, Godfrey Coop, William Rodenhurst and John Shaw.                                                 The Overseer Accounts for 1754 were overseen by Henry Wood-Curate,George Minors & Thos Light of Lordship,William Ash & William Hayward of Rowton, James Dixon & Thomas Turner of Roden, and Andrew Palin,Thomas Mills, Thos Vickars,Thos Smith, Robert Clarke,Sam Allan, Thomas Thomas, Richard Wood, Thomas Ward, John Dicken and Ivan Smith.                                               Disbursements include from 1775-1785 Widow(Mary) Griffiths 8s each year for coles.                    1761 We the undersigned agree to sing Psalms in Church every Sunday morning and evening if required upon consideration of the Parish allowing a treat once or twice a year.The whole not to exceed £1  17s  6d. Signed by 23 males 2 females including Richard Griffiths&Thomas Griffiths. 1768 Allow Will Woods son John as apprentice if sent to John Griffiths shoemaker and properly bound £1 10s.                                                                                                                                       1775 Toward curing Key child of a scald head and Samuel Griffiths child  8s. John Griffiths in illness 5s. John Griffiths should have for the boy he keeps 1s 6d per week.                       etc etc.