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Norton-in-the-Moors

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"Norton-in-the-Moors is a well built village, seated on a lofty eminence near the Cauldon Canal, between two branches of the River Trent, two miles ENE of Burslem, and seven miles SW of Leek. Its parish, until the year 1807, was included in that of Stoke-upon-Trent. It contains the two townships of Norton and Bemersley, which comprise together 3794 acres of enclosed land, 250 acres of open common, and 2891 inhabitants, of whom 2680 are in Norton, and 211 in Bemersley. The whole parish is a cold and hilly country, abounding in coal, which is got at various depths, in beds from four to seven feet thick.
Norton township includes the hamlets of Ford Green, one mile W; Norton Green, one mile NE; Smallthorn, one and a quarter mile SW; and Milton, one mile S of Norton. The manor of Norton is partly copyhold, and belongs chiefly to CB Adderley, Esq, Sir George Chetwynd, HH Williamson, Esq, and Miss Sparrow.
Milton is a large village with an iron foundry and steam-engine manufactory, near the canal, and a small part of it is in Hulton Abbey township, in Burslem parish. There is also a foundry at Norton Green.
Bemersley is a small village, four miles N of Burslem. Its township is in the manor of Tunstall, and includes part of the hamlet of Whitfield, one mile N of Norton, and partly in that division of the parish. The principal landowner is Hugh Henshall Williamson, Esq, (High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1834), who resides here at the pleasant seat called Greenway Bank."
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]

 

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Census

The population of Norton-in-the-Moors parish was as follows:
1801 -- 1480
1831 -- 2407
1841 -- 3794

 

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Church History

"The parish church, St Bartholomew, was rebuilt in 1738. It is a plain brick edifice, with a square tower at the west end. The rectory is in the patronage of CB Adderley, Esq, and the Rev GB Wildig, MA, is the incumbent.
A small neat chapel (St Philip) was built at Milton in 1848.
St Anne's Church, at Brown Edge, was built a few years ago for a district comprising the northern part of the parish. The perpetual curacy is in the patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield, and incumbency of the Rev St John Mitchell, BA."

[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851)

 

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Church Records

Church of England Registers
The register of the parish church of St Bartholomew commences in 1574. The original registers for the period 1574-1964 (Bapts), 1574-1970 (Mar) & 1574-1905 (Bur) and Banns for the period 1823-1851 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1660-1852 (with gaps 1667, 1669-77, 1747-51 & 1767-70) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.
A transcript of the registers for the period 1574-1751 & 1754-1837 was published in two parts by Staffordshire Parish Register Society in 1924 & 1943 and has been reprinted by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.

The register of St Anne, Brown Edge commences in 1845. The original registers for the period 1845-1943 (Bapts), 1845-1933 (Mar) & 1845-1919 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1851-1852 (Bur only) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.

Nonconformist Registers
The registers for the Bradeley (near Smallthorne), Unwin Street, Primitive Methodist Chapel covering Baptisms 1874-1961 and Marriages 1922-1961 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.

 

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Description & Travel

A transcription of the section on Norton-in-the-Moors from A Topographical History of Staffordshire by William Pitt (1817)

You can see pictures of Norton-in-the-Moors which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for Norton-in-the-Moors from the Topographical Dictionary of England (1859)

The transcription of the section for Norton-in-the-Moors from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson

The transcription of the section for Norton-in-the-Moors from the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ897525 (Lat/Lon: 53.070017, -2.154779), Norton-in-the-Moors which are provided by:

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Military Records

A transcription of the Muster Roll of 1539 for Norton-in-the-Moors

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

The parish became part of Leek Union following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.

 

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Societies

The Old Nortonian Society website has a large photo gallery of historical images of the parish

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Taxation

A transcription of the Hearth Tax Returns 1666 for Norton-in-the-Moors Constablewick