County Library and Information Service
Community History
Guide to the Local Collections - Skelmersdale Collection
West Lancs District.
Southway
Skelmersdale
Lancs
WN8 6NL
Tel: 01695 720312
Fax:01695 558627
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
9:30 - 19:00
9:30 - 17:00
9:30 - 13:00
9:30 - 19:00
9:30 - 17:00
9:30 - 16:00
4. Scope and arrangement of the collection
Skelmersdale library Community history section houses a small collection consisting mainly of book material covering both Lancashire in general and the West Lancashire area in particular. The development of the new town is covered with material from the Skelmersdale Development Corporation and planning proposals, maps, etc. It is arranged on the open shelves according to the Lancashire Library Local Studies Classification Scheme, and many of the books are available for loan.
5. Catalogues and bibliographies
The Local Studies catalogue is available as part of the Lancashire County Library and Information Service’s Talis online catalogue. It is possible to search by author, title, keyword, subject and class number.
All volumes of the Lancashire Bibliography published to date are held.
Skelmersdale bibliography compiled by staff at the library, giving information about the town contained within the book stock
Baines, E. Directory of Lancashire, 1824/25 . (David and Charles reprint)
General and commercial directory of Preston, Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lytham , etc. [Barrett’s] (Microfiche)
Slater’s Directory of Lancashire (South) 1858 (Microfiche)
Pigot and Co's National commercial directory for 1828-9 (facsimile reprint; covers Cumberland, Lancashire and Westmoreland)
Bolger, Paul Edwardian A-Z and directory of Liverpool and Bootle. (in 3 parts)
Kelly's (Gore's) Directory of Liverpool and suburbs 1966 and 1970
Liverpool directories 1766 – 1796 . (Microfilm)
The Liverpool directory for the year 1766 (facsimile reprint, together with a history of Liverpool directories 1766-1907)
West Lancashire Business Handbook 1996 –
Wigan directory 1869
Commercial directory [for Skelmersdale] 1971, 1973
Skelmersdale new town directory 1976, 1980-1982
Skelmersdale new town: register of industrial resources 1980
Directories can be found on the Library’s online catalogue.
West Lancashire 1979 -
None. The main collection of rate books for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office.
9. Census enumerators' returns
Area of West Lancashire District, 1841 - 1891.
On CD-ROM: 1881 British census; 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1891 – census for Lancashire.
See also section 19 – special indexes.
Lancashire Parish Register Society series, No. 1- , 1898 - . There are printed indexes to the volumes held in the library, in alphabetical and numerical order. The LPRS volumes do not yet cover Skelmersdale.
Local history societies transcribe registers for their area. The library holds indexes to registers for the following churches, for some baptisms, marriages and burials for various dates (CofE unless otherwise stated): Billinge St Aidan, Dalton St Michael, Birchley St Mary RC, Kirkby St Chad, Ormskirk Dissenting Meeting, Orrell St James RC (and Crossbrook & Serenus; and memorial inscriptions), Orrell St Luke, Pemberton St John, Rainford All Saints, St Helens Lowe House RC, St Helens Independent Chapel, St Helens Holy Cross RC, Skelmersdale St Paul, Skelmersdale St Richard RC, Upholland St Thomas, Upholland St Teresa, Wigan St John
The following are held on microfiche and/or microfilm:
Ainsdale St. John Baptisms 1882 - 1900 Ashton-in-Makerfield St.Thomas Baptisms 1689 - 1809 Marriages 1700 - 1753 Burials 1746 - 1805 Aughton (with gaps) Baptisms and Burials 1606 – 1882 Marriages 1791 – 1882 Bickerstaffe Holy Trinity Baptisms and Burials 1868 Billinge Birchley Baptisms 1792 - 1849 Birkdale St. James Baptisms 1857 - 1897 Marriages 1857 – 1900 Burials 1857 - 1900 Services 1882 -1900 Bolton-le-Moors Baptisms 1794 – 1809 Marriages 1813 -1837 Bretherton Registers 1841 - 1846 Burscough St John Baptisms 1793-1830 Confirmations 1821 - 1825 Bryn Baptisms 1776 – 1822 Burials 1789 – 1805 Confirmations 1821 Cartmel Priory Marriages 1724 -1771 Coppull St. John Baptisms 1757 - 1842 Croston Chapelry of Becconsall Marriages 1813 - 1846 Chapelry of Bretherton Marriages 1843 - 1846 Chapelry of Mawdesley Marriages 1843 - 1846 Culcheth Newchurch in Culcheth Baptisms and Marriages 1813-1841 Dalton St. Michael Confirmations 1880 - 1900 Marriages 1872 - 1900 Services 1879 Farnworth St. Luke Baptisms and Burials 1698 - 1743 Formby Burials 1781 - 1837 Minister and Warden's Index of Names, Places and Professions Formby Chapel in the parish of Walton-on the-Hill Baptisms and Marriages 1781 - 1837 Garswood Baptisms 1798 - 1822 Great Sankey Chapel of St. Mary Baptisms 1728 - 1837 Marriages 1730 - 1752 Burials 1735 – 1839 (not 1837) Hale Registers 1741 - 1842 Halsall St. Cuthbert Marriages 1813 - 1837 Hesketh with Becconsall Registers 1803 - 1846 Lathom St James Baptisms and Burials 1892 - 1893 Lathom Bedford Chapel Baptisms 1798 – 1807 Marriages 1808 - 1828 Leigh St. Mary Baptisms 1559 - 1624 Marriages 1560 – 1625 Burials 1558 - 1625 Index of Names Leyland, Moss Side St. James Churchyard Survey Maghull Chapel Baptisms 1663 - 1812 Marriages 1660 - 1754 Burials 1663 - 1844 Manchester Rook Street Chapel Baptisms 1792 – 1820 Marriages 1828 - 1840 Mawdesley (with gaps) Baptisms 1820 – 1883 Marriages and Burials 1871 – 1883 Newburgh Baptisms and Burials 1880 Ormskirk SS Peter & Paul (& includes Lathom St John and Skelmersdale Chapel) Registers 1604 – 1842 (with gaps) Ormskirk St Anne Baptisms 1736 – 1836 Marriages 1764 – 1845 Burials 1750 - 1791 Orrell Crossbrook & Orrell Mission Baptisms 1790, 1813 – 1816, 1829 – 1848 Marriages 1798 – 1803, 1847 – 1848 Burials 1790 - 1802 Orrell St James Baptisms 1774 – 1777, 1791 – 1848 Marriages 1847 - 1848 Prescot Baptisms 1848 – 1851 Marriages and Burials 1848 - 1849 Ribchester St. Wilfred Baptisms Marriages and Burials 1695 - 1735 Registers 1736 - 1779 Rochdale St. Chad Registers 1582 - 1616 Index of Names Sankey Chapel Births and Burials 1769 – 1845 Marriages 1769 - 1812 Scarisbrick Baptisms 1773 – 1799, 1814 – 1824, 1853 – 1886 Marriages 1773 – 1798, 1800 - 1813 Sefton Sefton Hall Chapel Baptisms 1742 - 1784 Confirmations 1742 - 1793 Rosary catalogue 1745 - 1759 Marriages 1752 - 1799 Burials 1756 - 1798 Skelmersdale St. Paul Index of baptisms 1817 – 1920 Baptisms 1817 – 1903 Banns 1884 – 1900 Index of marriages 1859 - 1980 Marriages 1858 -1900 Index of burials 1822 - 1975 Burials 1822 - 1900 Southport Christ Church Baptisms 1824 – 1835, 1837, 1839 Marriages 1824 – 1825, 1837 Burials 1822, 1824 – 1825, 1837, 1839 Southport Holy Trinity Registers 1839 – 1879 Southport St Paul Baptisms 1881 Southport St Stephen Baptisms and Burials 1878 - 1880 Stonyhurst Baptisms 1784 – 1837 Marriages 1803 – 1855 Burials 1795 - 1810 Ulverston St. Mary the Virgin Registers 1545 - 1812 Index of Names Upholland Chapel Baptisms 1816 – 1854, 1862 – 1901 Marriages 1754 – 1882 Burials 1816 – 1854, 1876 - 1879 Upholland St. Thomas Bishops’ Transcripts Registers 1619 – 1815 Baptisms 1789 - 1900 Marriages 1735 - 1900 Bishops' transcripts marriage index 1813 - 1837 Burials 1813 - 1882 Preachers 1888 - 1900 Winwick St. Oswald Registers 1661 – 1837 Memorial inscriptions are held on microfiche for the following churches: Aughton Christ Church, Aughton St Michael, Bickerstaffe Holy Trinity, Burscough St John RC, Lydiate St Thomas, Rufford St Mary, Skelmersdale St Paul
The main collection of parish records for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office.
Ormskirk Advertiser 1857 – 1988. Microfilm.
Skelmersdale Advertiser November 1968 -. Microfilm.; current year also in original format.
Skelmersdale Champion 1997-. Microfilm; current year also in original format.
Skelmersdale Reporter 1963 - 11 July 1979. Microfilm.
Lancashire Lantern includes an index to items from local newspapers covering several areas of the county. Current items from Skelmersdale papers are indexed, and some retrospective indexing will be carried out.
An index to holdings of North West newspapers is available on the Museums, Libraries and Archives website
Historic Society of Lancashire and CheshireTransactions New series, Vols. 45, 98, 107, 111, 116, 119, 124-
Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. Transactions, Vol. 1, 1883 – Vol. 75/76, 1965-1966. Partial card index.
Lancashire Authors’ Association The Record No. 255, Jan. 1978 –
Lancashire life. Bound volumes for the years 1963, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1983. Each contains an article about Skelmersdale.
Northern History. Vols. XlV, 1978 – XXX, 1994
Ordnance Survey
Selection of maps covering West Lancashire 1909 onwards but coverage incomplete for early years.
1:2500 Current series: parishes of Lathom, Bickerstaffe, Skelmersdale, Dalton, Up Holland, Appley Bridge, Parbold, Wrightington.
Goad town centre plans for Skelmersdale.
Maps on CD-ROM
Ordnance Survey 25in maps of Lancashire 1888-1893;
Ordnance Survey 6 inch first edition maps of Lancashire 1841 – 1853;
Yates map of Lancashire 1786 (includes maps by Saxton 1540, Mercator 1595, Ogleby 1675, Bowen 1752).
Plans of the New Town development (1960s) and of the Library building (1978).
14. Council minutes and minutes of official bodies
Commission for the New Towns. Annual report and accounts, 1986/7 -.
Reports of the Development Corporations. HMSO, 1973 -.
Skelmersdale and Holland Urban District Council. Dec. 1969 - Feb. 1974. (Agenda and minutes of meetings).
West Lancashire Community Health Council. 1976 – 2000 (with gaps; Annual reports and minutes of meetings).
West Lancashire Rural District Council, Medical Officer of Health. Annual , 1900 - 1915.
Aerial survey of Lancashire 1963 (black and white, north-west areas of West Lancashire only).
Aerial survey of Lancashire 1988 (colour, West Lancashire).
Aerial photographs of Skelmersdale New Town under construction.
Collection of photographs of Skelmersdale, Upholland, Lathom.
The Library has an online database of photographs from the county’s various library collections; this is available as part of Lancashire Lantern. Copies of the photographs may be seen in the library.
16. Sound and video recordings
None.
None. The main repository of archives for the county is held at the Lancashire Record Office.
None.
Censuses
Billinge 1901; Dalton 1901; Lathom 1871; Liverpool 1851; Orrell 1901; Pemberton 1901; Rainford 1871 and 1891; Upholland 1901; Winstanley 1901.
The 1841 Census entries for Skelmersdale have been transcribed.
There is a printed list of Census records held in the library for local areas.
Maps There is a printed index to the 1200 paper maps kept in the library.
Tithe map The 1839 Skelmersdale Tithe Map schedule has been transcribed and indexed for use in the library, showing who held which plots of land, and indicating where those plots appear on the accompanying map.
Additional material There is a printed list of additional material kept in the local studies offprints cabinet; most of this material is not catalogued.
1 microfilm reader, 1 microfilm/microfiche reader/printer, a photocopier and a scanner.
21. Books useful as introductory reading
Lewis, Lesley. Travel in Skelmersdale: a report on the 1978 travel survey. Liverpool Polytechnic, Department of Town and Country Planning, 1982.
Miller, A. Upholland : Domesday Book 1086-1986. The Author, 1986.
Molyneux, J. Population movements in 19th century Lancashire: impact and reality - the case of Skelmersdale. B.A. thesis. 1981.
Sands, N. Skelmersdale story . Ormskirk Advertiser Group, 1970.
Sharratt, J. Up Holland fragments. Up Holland W.E.A. Local History Group, 1982.
Skelmersdale bibliography. Lancashire County Library and Information Service, 2009
Skelmersdale Development Corporation. Population and social survey, 1970 - 1984. (Annual; last edition published by SDC, 1984)
Skelmersdale Development Corporation. Report on town programme SDC , 1966
Skelmersdale Development Corporation Skelmersdale New Town planning proposals : report on a basic plan, prepared for the SDC by L. Hugh Wilson. Liverpool : Tinlings (Printer), 1964.
Skelmersdale Development Corporation. Skelmersdale new town planning proposals, vols. 1 & 2. SDC, 1964.
Tait, D.B. Skelmersdale: class formation in a new town. Photocopied thesis, 1979.
Wills, G.F. Three touches of a Lancashire Parish. Liverpool : Brackell ( Printer) 1908.
Wilson , L..H. Skelmersdale New Town interim report on planning proposals . Glasgow: The Author, 1963.
22. Other Family History Sources
Army Roll of Honour – World War ll : Soldiers died in the Second World War , 1939-45. CD-ROM
British Isles Vital Records Index . CD-ROM
National Burial Index for England and Wales (2nd. ed.). CD-ROM
Soldiers died in the Great War, 1914-19 . CD-ROM
All our libraries provide free access to the Ancestry website which gives access to Census Records for England, Wales and Scotland from 1841 and indexes to Births, Deaths and Marriages for England and Wales from 1837.