PRESCOT PARISH CHURCH. Originally the church was dedicated to All Saints, but was later re-dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, probably when the present church was built in 1610. It is believed that the site was a religious sanctuary even in pre-Christian times and that a Christian church of timber and clay was built there by Celtic monks. However, there is very little evidence remaining of the previous buildings. The base of the south wall may be ancient, and the clergy vestry is probably of the fifteenth century. The floor of this vestry is actually two feet below the level of the chancel, but a wooden floor has been constructed four feet above this. The tower and spire, 150 ft. high, were added in 1729, and there is a peal of eight bells, cast by Mears of London in 1845, and quarter-turned in 1934.
I was directed to a website which is the OPC (Online Parish Clerks) for Lancashire and it is an amazing resource for anyone interested in their family tree in the Lancashire region. There is a searchable database for baptism, burials and weddings prior to the "official" records. I found a lot of data for the Weldon/Welding family for the 1800-1900 period, plus, in the future, if I can verify information, I will use it for information prior to the year 1800.
This is the link:
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/
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