Churchwardens Accounts Of Pittington Durham 1580-1700

Beyond the Parish Register: Discover the Lives of Your Pittington Ancestors (1580-1700)

Have you hit a brick wall with your Pittington family tree? Have you found the names in the baptism, marriage, and burial registers but wish you knew more about the lives they led?

Step beyond the dates and delve into the rich, daily reality of 17th-century Pittington with this definitive transcription of the Churchwardens' Accounts of Pittington, Durham (1580-1700). This is not just a list of names; it is a vibrant, year-by-year record of the community's heart, its struggles, and its triumphs.

For over 120 years, the churchwardens meticulously documented the parish's income and expenditure. In doing so, they created an invaluable snapshot of life that places your ancestors directly into the story of the village.

What Will You Discover Inside?

These accounts are a treasure trove for the genealogist, providing details you simply won't find elsewhere. You will uncover:

Names of the Poor and Needy: Discover which of your ancestors received parish relief, alms, or aid during times of hardship, famine, or sickness. This can provide powerful clues to family relationships and economic status.
Wages and Trades: See your ancestors named for the work they did. Find payments to masons, carpenters, glaziers, thatchers, and bell-ringers, building a picture of their skills and place in the local economy.
Moral and Social Oversight: Read about the fines levied for "non-attendance" at church, for having an illegitimate child, or for other moral transgressions. These entries, while stark, offer a fascinating glimpse into the social pressures of the time.
Community Events: Witness the village come together for celebrations for a monarch's coronation or for parish feasts. These entries list the participants and the costs, revealing the community's social fabric.
The Fabric of the Church & Village: Follow the constant repairs to the church—its roof, its bells, its windows, its pews. These entries name the people involved and show the central role the church played in daily life.
Unexpected Details: Find unique entries like payments for catching vermin, the cost of a funeral bell for a specific parishioner, or the purchase of a new christening gown. These are the small details that breathe life into your family history.
Why These Accounts Are Invaluable for Your Research:

Fills the Gaps: Perfect for periods when parish registers are missing, sparse, or illegible.
Provides Context: Moves your ancestors from being simple names on a chart to real people living in a tangible community.

Confirms Residence: Proves your family was in Pittington at a specific point in time, even if they don't appear in other records.

Spans a Crucial Era: Covers the late Elizabethan period, the English Civil War, and the Restoration, allowing you to see how national events impacted this single Durham village.

Who Is This For?

Genealogists with family from Pittington or the surrounding Durham area.
Local and social historians researching life in the North of England.
Anyone with a passion for uncovering the real stories of their ancestors.
Students and academics studying 17th-century English parish life.
Product Details:

Don't let your Pittington ancestors remain just names on a page. Add this essential primary source to your library and walk the streets of 17th-century Pittington alongside your forebears.

Order your copy today and unlock the secrets of your family's past!