Click for Christenings

Eccles derives its name from the Celtic word for church, and certainly its parish church of St Mary (parts of which date back to Norman times) has had an important role to play in the history not only of Eccles itself but of the surrounding townships that formerly came within the parish.
The names of some of these places - such as Pendleton, Barton, Monton and Winton - are indicative of Saxon farmsteads or settlements.

Church Records
The registers of the parish church, St Mary, have been published by the Lancashire Parish Register Society as follows.
Volume 25 - Bap 1564-1632, Mar 1565-1632 Bur 1563-1632.
Volume 131 - Bap 1632/3-1665/6, Mar 1632/3-1664 Bur 1632-1663.
Probate Records
For probate purposes prior to 1858, Eccles was in the Archdeaconry of Chester, in the Diocese of Chester. The original Lancashire wills for the Archdeaconry of Chester are held at the Lancashire Record Office.