The Lancashire Parish Register Society is a

text publication society A text publication society is a learned society which publishes (either as its sole function, or as a principal function) scholarly editions of old works of historical or literary interest, or archival documents. In addition to full texts, a text p ...

and

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

which was founded for the "purpose of printing the registers of the ancient parishes" in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

and has published more than 175 volumes, CDs and CD-Roms since 1898.

History

The society was formed at a meeting at

Chetham's Library Chetham's Library in Manchester, England, is the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world.Nicholls (2004), p. 20. Chetham's Hospital, which contains both the library and Chetham's School of Music, was established in ...

, convened by the historian

Henry Fishwick Lieutenant colonel, Lt-Col Henry Fishwick (9 March 1835 – 23 September 1914) was a British soldier, politician and antiquary.''Henry Fishwick'', ''Manchester City News'', 26 September 1914 After a military career, he became a Liberal Party Co ...

, on 26 November 1897, but the year 1898 was fixed as the first year of the society's existence. The society became a

(No. 511396) in 1981.

Publications

Since 1898, the society has published 175 printed volumes of Lancashire's

parish register A parish register in an ecclesiastical parish is a handwritten volume, normally kept in the parish church in which certain details of religious ceremonies marking major events such as baptisms (together with the dates and names of the parents), ma ...

s, as well as numerous CDs and CD-Roms. The society published its 175th volume in 2012.''The Registers of the Parish of Wigan, 1711-40'', ed. K. T. Taylor, Lancashire Parish Register Society, 175 (2012). .

Membership

Membership is open to all individuals and institutions interested in the parish registers of the county.

Officers

Presidents

General Editors

Secretaries

Treasurers

References

External links

Lancashire Parish Register Society
2017-01-26. Retrieved 2017-01-26. {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Historical Societies Historical societies of the United Kingdom Text publication societies