Hello
I am looking for: 1. the baptism of Richard Swanwick who married Mary Minshall (bapt 1718 Prees, dtr of John of Wixhall) in Whitchurch in 1738. 2. Richard Swanwick who married Mary Bickerton (bapt. 1716 Whitchurch) in Whitchurch in 1742. They are separate individuals as far as I can tell.These couples raised families in Heath Lane and/or Alkington.
I am especially interested in any links with the Swanwicks of Ightfield or Spoonley and whether either of these Marys worked in service as a cook.
John,
Once again, many thanks for your help. It seems very likely that Richard's baptism was at Doddington Pesbyterian and the record is missing. I was hoping his parents might provide a link to the Ightfield Swanwicks somehow.
I also tend to agree with you about the Wem register, the subject of my previous request. I managed to decipher 'of this parish' about Mary which was not what I was hoping for but there are many reasons why she might have been living in Wem, I guess.
Best
Chris
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Chris,
A Richard Swanwick was a member of the Dodington Presbyterian Chapel whose Congregation dates from 1672. This chapel is different from the Dodington (Church of England) Chapel of Whitchurch Parish which was only built in 1836.
Ministers of the Presbyterian Chapel performed baptisms at the Chapel itself, at the minister’s house and also in private houses. The baptism records are fragmented depending on where the baptism was performed, and a significant portion are missing between 1711 and 1721. No marriages are recorded, and burials are only recorded from 1746. Chapel members likely held marriage and burial ceremonies elsewhere (for example, Richard Swanwick married Mary Minshall at Whitchurch Parish Church). The Presbyterian Chapel was demolished by a mob in 1715, but the Congregation continued and the chapel was rebuilt in 1717.
The Presbyterian Chapel records include the baptisms of children of Richard Swanwick from 1744. However, Richard’s own baptism (likely between 1712 and 1717) is not included, and may be part of the missing portion of baptism records.
A history of the Presbyterian Chapel and a complete transcription of all surviving records can be found at: https://www.melocki.org.uk/salop/WhitchurchDodingtonPresbyterian.html.
Other Swanwicks appear in these records, and they may be close relatives of Richard.
--John