The Parish Registers Of Wigton Cumberland 1604-1797

Unlock the Secrets of Your Cumberland Roots: The Parish Registers of Wigton (1604-1797)

Are you searching for your ancestors in the historic county of Cumberland? Have you hit a "brick wall" in your family tree? Step back in time and walk in the footsteps of your forebears with this essential genealogical resource: The Parish Registers of Wigton, Cumberland (1604-1797).

Spanning nearly two centuries of momentous history—from the reign of James I through the English Civil War, the Commonwealth, and into the Georgian era—this meticulously transcribed volume is the key that unlocks the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people in this ancient market town and its surrounding parishes.

What You'll Discover Inside
These are not just names in a book; they are the vital records of a community, captured in the faded ink of the original parish clerks. Within these pages, you will find:

Baptisms (1604-1797): Discover the names of newborns, their parents, and often their dates of birth. Trace your family line from one generation to the next.
Marriages (1604-1797): Unite long-lost couples and find the names of brides, grooms, and witnesses, providing crucial links between different family lines.
Burials (1604-1797): Find the final resting place of your ancestors, with dates of interment that help complete their life stories.

For any researcher with roots in Wigton or the wider Cumberland area, these registers are an indispensable primary source, pre-dating the first national census by over 150 years.

Walk in the Footsteps of History: Notable People of Wigton and Cumberland
The world your ancestors inhabited was vibrant and often turbulent. While researching your family, you will be uncovering the very same landscape known to influential historical figures. The period covered by these registers places your ancestors at the heart of events that shaped a nation.

George Fox (1624-1691): The founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was a powerful and frequent presence in Cumberland. He preached extensively in the region, faced imprisonment in Carlisle for his beliefs, and found many converts in the very communities recorded in these registers. Your Quaker ancestors may have heard him speak, and the rise of Nonconformy is a direct part of the social fabric of this time.

The Musgrave Family of Edenhall: While centred near Penrith, the powerful Musgrave family were major landowners and influential figures throughout Cumberland. Sir Philip Musgrave (1607-1670) was a staunch Royalist commander for King Charles II during the Civil War. The lives of tenant farmers, merchants, and craftsmen in Wigton would have been directly impacted by the politics and conflicts led by such local magnates.

Bishop Thomas Smith (1615-1702): Born in the parish of Thursby, which borders Wigton, Smith became a prominent academic and theologian, serving as the Principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. His story represents the potential for a local Cumbrian boy to rise to national prominence in the 17th century.
Owning this book allows you to place your own family's story—its baptisms, marriages, and losses—against the backdrop of these famous lives and the epic historical events of the age.

Who is this book for?

Family Historians with ancestry in Wigton or Cumberland.
Genealogists seeking reliable, primary source data to break down research barriers.
Local Historians researching the social fabric, population trends, and prominent families of 17th and 18th century Cumberland.
Anyone with a love for Cumbrian history and a desire to connect with the past on a personal level.