The Church of St Helen's, Churchtown
Until 1881, the parish church of Garstang's was the Church of St Helen's, located two miles away in Churchtown. The close proximity of both Myerscough Lodge and Stanzaker to Churchtown means that the registers of St Helen's are of particular interest. In 1932 the registers for the period 1660 to 1734 were published (FN1). They contain the following entries:
Christenings
Eliz: d. of Mr John Tilsley of Stanzaker—27 January 1692
Burials
Dorothy d. of Mr Cuthbert Tildesley of Stanzakre—12 January 1665
Mr Cuthbert Tyldsley de Sturzaker 13 August 1666
Uxor Mr Edward Tilsleye de Lodge—10 March 1667
A child of Mr Tilsley de Stansacar—15 May 1670
Cuthbert s. of Mr Tho: Tilsley of Stanszaker—14 September 1670
Mr Tho: Tilsley de Stanzaker—14 April 1673
Emm: d. of Mr Tilsley de Stansakar—17 October 1673
Mr Tho: Tilsley de Stanzaker—14 April 1674
Edward s. of Edward Tildesley of Lodge Esq—1 June 1679
Beamand: d. of Edward Tilsley Esq—20 April 1683
Edmand s. of Mr John Tilsley of Stanzaker—23 January 1684
Ann d. of Thomas Tilsley Esq—21 June 1686
Peter Tilsley of Sturzaker—17 June 1688
John s. of John Tilsley of Stanzaker—22 November 1690
Ann w. of Mr Jo Tilsley of Stanzaker —3 October 1691
Ann d. of Mr John Tilsley of Stuanzaker—6 October 1691
John s, of Mr John Tilsley of Stanzaker—1 November 1693
...wife of Tho: Tilsley Esqr from Lodg—7 November 1693
Catherine d. of Mr Tilsley of Stanzaker—2 July 1694
Henry s. of Mr Jno Tildsley of Stanzaker—6 September 1704
Dorothy d. of Mr Jno Tinlsey of Stanzaker—18 December 1704
Tho: Tynsley Esqr of Lodge—26 February 1714
The final entry above records the burial of Thomas Tyldesley 1657-1714, the Diarist, on 26 February 1715 (FN2). His first wife, Eleanor Tyldesley née Holcroft, had been buried on 7 November 1693. One of their daughters, Ann, who died in infancy was also buried at Garstang—on 21 June 1686.
Of the other nineteen burial entries, sixteen are specifically stated to relate to the Stansacre branch of the family, an offshoot of which was later to be found in Bury St Edmunds.
The three remaining entries concern Edward Tyldesley 1635-1685, father of the Diarist. Edward's first wife, Anne Fleetwood, is buried on 10 March 1667, his son Edward on 1 June 1679 and a daughter Beamand (FN3) on 20 April 1683.
1. Lancashire Parish Register Society, Vol 68, 1931.
2. Until 1751 in England and Wales the year started on 25 March – Lady Day. Hence what is referred to in the register as February 1714, is what we would understand to be February 1715.
3. This birth, ignored by both Gillow and Hewitson and Lunn is of some interest. Does it result from the surname of Edward's second wife, Elizabeth Beaumont? In any event, it means that Gillow and Hewitson and Lunn were clearly wrong in suggesting that there was a single child of this second marriage, namely Catherine Tyldesley.
