Hanley, Staffordshire Family History Guide
Hanley is an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Staffordshire, created in 1740 from Stoke upon Trent Ancient Parish.
Parish church:
Parish registers begin: 1789
Nonconformists include: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Countess of Huntingdon Methodist, Methodist New Connexion, Particular Baptist, Primitive Methodist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterians, Wesleyan Methodist, and Wesleyan Methodist Association.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales 1895
Hanley, a market-town, a township, and a municipal, parliamentary and county borough in Staffordshire.
The town stands near the Trent and Mersey Canal, 1½ mile NE of Stoke-on-Trent, and 2 miles E of Newcastle-under-Lyme, and has a station on the North Staffordshire railway, and a head post office.
It is one of the most prominent of the pottery towns, and includes all Hanley township and most of Shelton township. It was made a municipal borough in 1857, under a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 24 councillors, and acquired further rights of market trust in 1863, under lease from the lord of the manor.
The parliamentary borough was constituted in 1885, and includes the municipal borough of Burslem.
The town-hall contains the municipal offices and a large assembly-room. The market-house was erected in 1831. At the rear of the town-hall, at one time known as the Queen’s Hotel, is a large assembly room called the Victoria Hall, capable of seating 2700 persons, in which are held the musical festivals for which North Stafford has become famous.
All the public buildings, including the higher-grade schools opened in 1894, are lighted by electricity, as well as the principal streets of the town. The electric light works are in the hands of the corporation. Land has been purchased in three different parts of the town, that is, in each ward, east, north, and south, for parks, but one only at the present has been laid out, that being in the south ward, which comprises about 90 acres, a portion of which will shortly be thrown open to the public.
The Public Free Library in Pall Mall, opened in 1887, has reference and lending libraries, newsroom, museum and science class-rooms; the Potteries Mechanics’ Institution, founded in 1826, is now amalgamated with the Free Library. Hanley contains also a Government School of Art, established in 1837, public baths, a theatre, and three covered markets for meat, fish, and vegetables. In Pall Mall, opposite the theatre, there is a commodious building, erected in 1894, in which are what is known as the Central and Lyric Halls, which are let for public entertainments.
The town is a seat of county courts and petty sessions, and the borough has a commission of the peace and a court of quarter sessions. The town publishes three daily newspapers and a weekly. Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, cattle markets on Tuesdays, and a hiring fair on 11 Nov.
A great trade is carried on in the manufacture of china and earthenware, and there are extensive ironworks and collieries.
Under the Local Government Act of 1888, Hanley was constituted a county borough. The parliamentary borough contains 3629 acres; population, 86, 945. Area of the county and municipal borough, 1768 acres; population, 54, 946.
There are five ecclesiastical parishes, Hanley, Hope, Wellington, Shelton, and Northwood. The livings of Hanley and Shelton are rectories; of the other parishes, vicarages, all in the diocese of Lichfield; net value of Hanley, £550; of Hope, £310; of Wellington, £342; of Shelton, £237; of Northwood, £320. Patrons of Hanley, trustees; of Hope, Wellington, and Northwood, the Crown and the Bishop of Lichfield alternately.
The church of St John the Evangelist, Hanley, was founded about 1737, rebuilt in 1788, and restored in 1885; it is a plain, Gothic brick edifice (population, 4763).
Hope ecclesiastical parish was constituted in 1845 (population, 6723). Holy Trinity Church, a building in the Norman style, was erected in 1848.
Wellington ecclesiastical parish was constituted in 1845 (population, 12,275). The church of St Luke was built in 1854, and enlarged in 1878.
Shelton parish was constituted in 1843 (population, 12,767). St Mark’s Church is a fine Gothic edifice, erected in 1834.
Northwood was constituted an ecclesiastical parish in 1845 (population, 10,211). Holy Trinity Church was erected in 1849.
There is also a church At Etruria in the north ward of the borough. All Saints at Joiner’s Square, and St Judes in Berrisford Street, are both an the south ward, the latter of which is attached to the Stoke parish church.
There is also a very fine Roman Catholic church built in 1892.
There are Congregational, Wesleyan, New Connexion Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist chapels, and a synagogue for Jews.
Source: The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales 1895 by Brabner, John Henry Fryden
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
HANLEY, a town, a township, three chapelries, and a sub-district, in Stoke-upon-Trent district, Stafford. The town stands on the North Stafford railway, and on the Grand Trunk canal, 1½ mile NE of Stoke-upon-Trent.
It is a prominent one of the pottery towns; it includes all Hanley township and most of Shelton township; it was made a municipal borough in 1857, under a mayor, five aldermen, and twenty-four councillors; it acquired further rights of market trust, in 1863, under lease from the lord of the manor; and it forms part of the parliamentary borough of Stoke-upon-Trent. It has recently undergone very great increase.
It has wide streets, paved with brick; it contains shops almost equal to many in the best parts of London; it makes a good display of public buildings; it possesses everything requisite for the current wants of its own inhabitants and of a very populous neighbourhood; and yet it partakes fully in the smoke and general unpleasantness of the pottery region. The town hall was built at a cost of £4,500; and contains assembly and news rooms. The markets have covered areas. A cattle market was formed in 1869, at a cost of £3,000. The mechanics’ institute was built in 1861, at a cost of £3,000.
The North Staffordshire museum, in Frederick street, has a good library and reading room. The North Staffordshire infirmary, in Shelton, is a large edifice, maintained by subscription, for the use of all the pottery region. The government school of design, in Pall Mall, was instituted in 1847. There are five national schools; and that for Wellington is a Gothic building of 1862. There are also a theatre, an inland revenue office, and other public buildings.
One of the churches is a brick structure of 1788, with a tower; and another is a handsome edifice of 1834, at a cost of £11,000, with a tower 120 feet high. There are chapels for Independents, Baptists, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, U. Free Methodists, and New Connexion Methodists; and several of these are spacious edifices; while one of them, called Bethesda chapel, in Albion street, is so large as to accommodate 3,000 persons, and was repaired and decorated in 1862. A new cemetery was opened in 1860.
The town has a post office under Stoke upon Trent, two railway stations, two banking offices, and several good inns; is a seat of county courts and petty sessions, and a polling place; publishes a weekly newspaper; and is well supplied with water. Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays; cattle markets on the second Tuesday of every month; and a hiring fair on 11 Nov.
A great trade is carried on in the manufacture of china and earthenware; a very great trade also, and an increasing one, in iron smelting; and the general industry is both employed and stimulated by great abundance, all around, of coal and ironstone. Pop., of the town, in 1861, 31,953. Houses, 6,322.
The township, though all included in the town, is partly rural. Real property, £43,222; of which £2,000 are in mines. Pop., in 1851, 10,573; in 1861, 14,678. Houses, 2,900. The three chapelries are Hanley-proper, Northwood, and Wellington, or Hanley-St. Luke. The first is of old date; and the other two were constituted in 1845. The livings of all are p. curacies in the diocese of Lichfield. Value of Hanley, £289; of Northwood, £150; of Wellington, £180. Patrons of the first, Trustees; of the other two, alternately the Crown and the Bishop. There are also three benefices in Shelton, Shelton-proper, Etruria, and Hope.
The sub-district excludes Shelton, and consists of Hanley township and Bucknall-cum-Bagnall chapelry. Pop., 16,848. Houses, 3,308.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Online School Records
School records are a primary source for genealogists. The two types of records that are commonly available are admission registers and log books.
The admission registers of schools may be available from the 1870s, but more frequently from 1902. Usually shown under the date of entry, is the child’s name and address and his or her date of birth. Some registers, but not all, may also show the name and occupation of the parent or guardian, the name of the previous school attended and the reason for leaving.
For immigrant children the name of the previous school may uniquely provide the pupil’s exact place of origin.
These admission registers may enable the brothers and sisters of a pupil to be identified in a way that, with frequent names, would be difficult if not impossible from the civil registration records.
The log book may contain comments on the attendance of pupils, behaviour, discipline, the curriculum, attendance of teachers and absence for sickness etc., and the effect of epidemics and seasonal work on attendance. The names of individual pupils only occasionally appear in log books. The names and status of the teachers were recorded at the annual inspection, with a summary of the inspector’s report.
The following school records are available from Findmypast
Hanley Higher Grade Board School (Boys & Girls)) School 1894 to 1907 Admissions
Hanley Higher Grade Board School (Boys) School 1894 to 1905 Admissions
Hanley Higher Grade Board School (Girls) School 1894 to 1905 Admissions
Hanley Municipal Secondary School (Boys) 1902 to 1914 Admissions
Hanley Municipal Secondary School (Girls) 1905 to 1914 Admissions
Hanley Secondary School (Girls) 1901 to 1914 Admissions
Directories
Hanley Staffordshire Commercial Directory of the Jews of Gt Britain 1894
HANLEY, STAFF.
GLADSTONE STREET. Cohen, Saml., 15 ; Tailor and draper. Finn, I, 14 ; Draper.
HAVELOCK PLACE, SHELTON. Price, Maurice, 2a ; Merchant tailor and draper.
HIGH STREET. Lewis, L., 25 ; Butcher. Myers, Julian, 59, 76, 80; Boot and shoe dealer.
HOWARD PLACE. Epstein, Morris, 5 ; Financial agent.
HOPE STREET. Alexander, Jos., 89 ; Painter and glass dealer. Jacobs, Kewell, 114; Paper and glass dealer.
MARKET STREET. Goldberg, L., 45 ; Financier.
PARLIAMENT ROW. Greenberg, Saml., 47 ; Merchant tailor. Levin, J. ; Sponge merchant. Rotenberg, Myer, 4 ; Waterproof garment manfr.
PICCADILLY. Alexander, Adolph, Piccadilly Buildings ; Merchant tailor. Est. 1872. Bandell, J., 76 ; Wall paper merchant. Gershon, Saml. ; Warwickshire Furnishing Company.
YORK STREET. Leventhal, M., 4; Restaurant. Sumberg, S. (Rev.) ; Synagogue house.
Source: Commercial Directory of the Jews of the United Kingdom 1894 by Harfield, Eugene G.
Parish Records
FamilySearch Historical Records
Administration
- County: Staffordshire
- Civil Registration District: Stoke upon Trent
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Lichfield
- Rural Deanery: Stoke upon Trent
- Poor Law Union: Stoke on Trent
- Hundred: North Pirehill
- Province: Canterbury