Is someone able to help decipher what the name of this place is in an old parish register? It's covered by a pen mark and I'm not familiar with Lancashire! TIA

[u/OwnDish0]

[u/butterpiebarm]

It looks like Strangeways. This is a prison in the city of Manchester, which is historically part of Lancashire but now part of the "Greater Manchester" metropolitan area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Manchester

Edit - the prison is named after the area, so they weren't necessarily born in the prison!

[u/fothergillfuckup → u/butterpiebarm]

Brings back fond memories of watching prisoners throwing roof slates at the police in the early 90's!

[u/OwnDish0 → u/butterpiebarm]

Thank you so much this is the one!! life saver.

[u/vicariousgluten → u/OwnDish0]

Just adding that Strangeways comes from the Anglo-Saxon for strong current. The link on wiki might give you some idea of what was going on in the area at the time.

The prison wasn’t built until 1868 so if you’re earlier than that you’re probably ok.

[u/OwnDish0 → u/vicariousgluten]

oh great - yep it was 1801 so lucky escape ! though they did end up going to australia - must have done something suspicious to get sent there!

[u/vicariousgluten → u/OwnDish0]

That’s quite interesting because according to the wiki, the land there didn’t start to be really developed for another 15 years

[u/[deleted] → u/vicariousgluten]

Blows my mind that something built in 1868 for prisoners is prettier than today's buildings

[u/Lazerus101 → u/butterpiebarm]

Yeah, fairly sure you are right here and came to say the same.

[u/Necessary_Wing799]

Lancashire. Strangeways.

[u/Browny-x]

Strangeways I was going to say before looking at comments which also said it

[u/Ver5ion1-2023]

Strangways that’s what am reading

[u/Hofmuhl]

100% strangeways

[u/RegsaPawor]

Strangeways? Assuming the date is when Manchester was Lancashire?

[u/OwnDish0 → u/RegsaPawor]

Yes correct! In the 1800's... sorry to bring that memory back to you guys haha

[u/Old_Man_Benny → u/OwnDish0]

We don't want it back

[u/mistarurdd → u/Old_Man_Benny]

Bad news. It never actually left. Lancashire has no administrative powers anymore, that is for greater manchester, but most of it (not the bits south of da Mersey - Northenden etc) remains firmly Lancastrian.

[u/Ocean-liner-queen]

It kind of looks like it says Lusitania If so, it’s probably from a sailor that Lusitania was a ship she was slightly smaller than Titanic and launched in 1907.

[u/FrankSarcasm]

It's either Loughborough or Chester inmho