We hold a number of documents relating to the Bolton area. These are only available to MLFHS members.

Birth and Marriage

• Bolton Workhouse Births (Included in miscellaneous database) Names, dates of birth, parentage and home addresses of children born in Bolton Workhouse 1839-1926 (2,680 records)
• Bolton, St. John, Latimer St. Baptisms 1849-1854 (Included in miscellaneous database) Baptisms at St. John, Latimer St., Little Bolton 1849-1854 (112 records)
• Bolton, St. Paul, Baptisms (1863-1920) (Included in miscellaneous database) Transcription of three volumes of baptismal register entries 1863-1920). Later entries generally include date of birth. (3,200 records)

Census

• Breightmet census 1801 (Included in miscellaneous database) Names from the census returns for Breightmet in 1801 with some biographical details (138 records)
• Edgworth Census 1801 (Included in miscellaneous database) Names from the Edgworth census of 1801 (157 records)
• Great Bolton 1831 Census (Included in miscellaneous database) Transcription of the names and addresses of householders named in the returns (4,859 records)
• Great Bolton Census 1811 (Included in miscellaneous database) Alphabetical list of those named in the 1811 census. No personal details recorded but may be useful in proving that named persons were present at this time (3,186 records)
• Great Bolton Census 1821 (Included in miscellaneous database) Alphabetical list of those named in the 1821 census. No personal details recorded but may be useful in proving that named persons were present at this time. (3,801 records)

Rate Books, Poll Books and Other Lists

• Protestation Returns: Bolton & Deane (Included in miscellaneous database) Transcribed returns of those signing the protestation of 1642 for Bolton and Deane parishes including surrounding great Lever (a detached part of Middleton parish) (2,699 records)Bolton Poor Rate Assessment Index 1811 (Not included in miscellaneous database) An index to the poor rate assessment by names and streets - includes Bolton map.
• Bolton-le-Moors Poor Rate Assessment Index 1686. (Not included in miscellaneous database)
  A name index to the poor rate assessment.
• Breightmet Window Tax 1784 (Not included in miscellaneous database) A list of householders subject to the tax with additional notes on some of the residents by J.D. Greenhalgh.
• Great Bolton Poor Rate Assessment Index 1805 (Not included in miscellaneous database) An index to the poor rate assessment by names and streets.
• Halliwell Poor Rate Assessment 1798-1812 (Not included in miscellaneous database) A transcript of the poor rate assessment with name index.
• Little Bolton Poor Rate Assessment Index 1831 (Not included in miscellaneous database) An index to the poor rate assessment by names and streets.

Workhouse and Poor Law Records

• Bolton Poor Rate Assessment Book for 1686 (Included in miscellaneous database) Names and some details of those assessed for poor rate. Transcribed by Kath Arkwright. (1,024 records)Bolton Workhouse Creed Books 1869-1918 (Included in miscellaneous database) Transcribed details from the Creed Registers of Bolton Workhouse for the years 1869, 1871, 1873-80, 1892-5 and 1902-1907 - Work in progress for other years. (30,619 records).
• Bolton Workhouse Servants Index (Included in miscellaneous database) Index to servants aged under 16 years of age placed with masters by Bolton Workhouse Guardians 1888-1916. Includes index of masters. Indexed by John Lippiatt.
• Little Bolton Outdoor Relief Pay Book (Included in miscellaneous database) Names and details of paupers requiring relief by Little Bolton Overseers for the quarters ending 24 June and 24 Sept 1839. (377 records)
• Paupers in Bolton Workhouse 1820-1832 (Not included in miscellaneous database) Index of names and details appearing in a book listing paupers in the Fletcher Street Workhouse, transcribed by John Lippiatt. (1,249 records)

Trades and Professions

• Bolton Cooperative Society 1859-1909 (Included in miscellaneous database) Index to names in History of the Great and Little Bolton Co-Operative Society Limited, Showing Fifty Years Progress 1859-1909: a Souvenir in Commemoration of the Society's Jubilee F. W. Peaples, 1909. (1,211 records)
• Bolton Cotton Workers 1802 (Included in miscellaneous database) The list was compiled by Jonathan Cooper, Constable of Little Bolton on 1st September 1802. This searchable version was created by John Lippiatt.
• Bolton Directory 1818 (Not included in miscellaneous database) This early directory contains the names of Bolton's principal residents and tradesmen. Includes street listing (Click Here for street index only). Includes listings for Chowbent and Leigh.
• Bolton Directory 1829 (Not included in miscellaneous database) This early directory contains the names of Bolton's principal residents and tradesmen. Includes street listing.
• Dobson & Barlow Strike 1831 (Not included in miscellaneous database) A round-robin letter demanding changes to working hours. Signed by 134 employees.
• History of Cooperation in Horwich 1862-1912 (Not included in miscellaneous database) Jubilee souvenir of Horwich Industrial Cooperative Society. History of the society with illustrations and photos of the principal officers (Large file 15Mb0
• Little Lever Cow Club 1805 (Not included in miscellaneous database) Rules and membership, with biographical notes, of this early mutual insurance club

Military

• Bolton Light Horse Muster Roll 1805 (Included in miscellaneous database) Full transcript of the roll with extensive notes on several of those named. (88 records)
• Bolton Soldiers Index 1806-1838 (Included in miscellaneous database) Soldiers in TNA WO97 Pension Records with birthplaces in or near Bolton. Extracted from the Jim Beckett Index. (394 records)
• Breightmet Volunteers 1803 (Not included in miscellaneous database) List of subscribers with additional notes on some of the subscribers by J.D. Greenhalgh.
• Various Muster Rolls (Not included in miscellaneous database)
  A variety of muster rolls dating between 1802 and 1886.

Institutions (Schools, Hospitals etc.)

• Bolton Grammar School Boys 1658-1882 (Included in miscellaneous database) Names of boys attending Bolton Grammar School. Includes addresses (for most) and year of admission to the school. (1,848 records)
• Bolton Grammar School History (Not included in miscellaneous database) Includes List of Trustees 1658-1879 & List of Headmasters & Ushers 1658-1882
• Bolton New Library 1824 (Not included in miscellaneous database)
  List of subscribers with additional notes on some of the subscribers by J.D. Greenhalgh.

Miscellaneous

• Blackrod Diary (Included in miscellaneous database) Extracts covering principally 1876-1907 though a few earlier and later entries. Mentions many local events and people. Includes images of the diary and an index to dates of entries. (470 records)
• Westhoughton Office Holders (Included in miscellaneous database) Lists of churchwardens, constables and overseers.
• Bolton Newspaper Extracts (Not included in miscellaneous database) The late Geoff Haslam transcribed items relating to Bolton and its people from early newspapers covering the period 1724 to 1790. A wide variety of topics is covered. The transcripts are presented a PDF document of nearly 200 pages. There is an index but you can also use the Acrobat "Find" facility to locate words which do not appear in the index. (Large file 5Mb)
• Bolton Street Renaming (Not included in miscellaneous database) Details of changes to Bolton street names
• Dukes Alley Chapel (Not included in miscellaneous database) Dukes Alley Chapel was established as an Independent chapel in 1754 and continued, with some changes of denomination, until it finally closed in 1960, to be demolished in 1968. This document includes a history of the chapel, a list of seat-holders and details of memorials both inside the chapel and in the graveyard.
• Extracts from the Diary of James Close (1900-1971) (Not included in miscellaneous database) Extracts covering 1928-1959. Mentions many Horwich events and people
• Horwich Independent Methodist Church and School 1862-1912 (Not included in miscellaneous database) History of the church and school with illustrations and photos of ministers etc.
• Records of Turton Manor Court 1737-1850 (Not included in miscellaneous database) Scanned copy of the records published as a book in 1909. Includes indexes of names and places. This is a large document split, for convenience, into several parts.
• Worsley and Hulton Court Rolls 1581-1888 (Not included in miscellaneous database) Abstracts from the court rolls of the manor Worsley and Hulton by C. E. Mollineux.
• A short history of St Peter's Church, Bolton
• Manchester Genealogist, Vol24, No 1, January 1988, pages 29-33
• Lion Clog Works Cataloque - Michael L Jackson

Meeting Notes Archive

• Have you ever found your 'real' family, and Adoption session notes - Dr Penny Walters - November 2020
• Non-Conformist Research Notes - Jackie Depelle - April 2019
• Pre-Registration Scottish Research - Mark Campbell - March 2019
• Scottish Heritage Day handout - Anglo Scottish FHS - May 2019
• List of Bolton names connected with the Peterloo Massacre
• Scottish Family History Research - Mark Campbell - February 2018
• "Buddles and Bear baiting" talk sources - Dr Alan Crosby - January 2018
• Prisoners of War, useful websites - Tony Foster - November 2017
• Bolton War Memorials (Lost and Found) - Julie Lamara - October 2017
• Wills and Probate revisited - David Lambert - September 2017
• Conscientious Objectors - Talk Notes - Slides, Barry Mills - August 2017
• The Bolton Massacre bibliography - David Casserley - June 2017
• Parish register on the Internet - Brenda Hustler - Sept 2016
• Newspaper websites - Richard Heaton - May 2016
• Bolton School 500/100 - Dr. Jenni Hyde - July 2015
• H. H. Munro, A Soldier's Biography - John Marsden - May 2015
• Catholic Records - Jim Lancaster - April 2015
• Irish Genealogy - Brenda Hustler - June 2014
• More Irish Research advice
• Xmas Quiz Answers 2015
• Xmas Quiz Answers 2017
• Xmas Quiz Answers 2018
• Xmas Quiz Answers 2019
• Xmas Quiz Answers 2021