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An increasing number of families are taking an interest in tracing their ancestors, and we are frequently being asked to help in the search for information. These notes may help you to know what is (and what is not!) available at St. Mary’s, and may point you in the right direction for further research.
Please note that it is not possible for us to conduct general enquiries on behalf of families, although searches through and copies of material held locally can be provided, subject to an official scale of charges.
Contents:
By law, ancient registers, etc. are kept in an archive, not in the parish Church. This means that no historic (i.e. older than about 1980) registers are kept here. They are deposited with the Lincolnshire Archive, which is open to the general public for research as follows:
Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm.
Closed Mondays, Sundays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Good Friday.
Postal address:
St Rumbold Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN2 5AB UK.
Enquiries: lincolnshire_archive@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Documents for St. Peter’s and St. Chad’s Waterside, both of which closed for worship in the 1970’s, will also be found in the Lincolnshire Archive.
The Vestry Book, which records attendance at the annual Parish Vestry meeting, dates back to the nineteenth century and includes names of members of the Vestry whose duty it was to elect constables and the like. It is unlikely greatly to help in genealogical research, but it can be made available for study under supervision by prior arrangement. An hourly fee will be charged, and written application should be made to:
The Parish Secretary, The New Vicarage, Beck Hill, Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, DN18 5EY.
Please give at least a month’s notice. We will do our best to fit in with arranged travel plans, but cannot guarantee to be able to do so. We cannot make arrangements by telephone.
The churchyards at St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s (currently in the guardianship of English Heritage) were both closed to burials in the mid 1800’s. The St. Peter’s Churchyard Extension was open for about 20 years from the mid-1840’s to the mid-1860’s. After this time all burials took place at the new Barrow Road Cemetery, which is administered by the Local Authority.
A small number of monuments and grave markers are still present in the St. Mary’s burial ground, and some monuments, mainly to significant local families, are to be found in both churches. Monuments in the St. Peter’s burial ground were cleared in the late 1960’s and only a cursory record was made. The St. Peter’s extension has not been cleared, but is quite overgrown in its southern half.
There are no war memorials in St. Mary’s. (The general war memorial is to be found in Barrow Road Cemetery.) There is a list of those who served (including those who were killed) in the Great War on a pillar on the south side of the west face of the organ case.
In the nineteenth century there were flourishing chapels of a number of denominations in Barton, and a significant number of baptisms, weddings and funerals took place in them. All but a couple of these are now disused. We suggest that, if you have reason to believe there is a family connection with one of the old chapels, you contact the national bodies to find out what is done with records from chapels which have fallen into disuse.
A series of books on local history has been published which may give useful information in locating disappeared houses, farms and businesses. These are available from (among other places) Baysgarth House museum and from the Ropewalk Arts Centre. The is a permanent exhibition in Baysgarth House which may contain useful general information, and a local history section in the local library on Holydyke. Much local history material is held by Scunthorpe Museum and Library. The surrounding villages and hamlets, particularly South Ferriby and Barrow, may have information to offer as well, although the same policy will apply to records and registers there as in St. Mary’s Barton.
St. Mary’s is usually open during daylight hours until about 6.00 p.m. For the opening hours of St. Peter’s church, see here. There is an admission charge to St. Peter's (English Heritage members free).
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