TRANSCRIBED AND INDEXED BY E. W. CROSSLEY. (Editor of "Halifax Parish Church Inscriptions," and Joint Editor PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE YORKSHIRE PARISH REGISTER SOCIETY, ག་ 1395T CO4 2 57 QUALITY CONTROL MARK S 4133 PREFACE. This volume contains all the entries of Marriages and Burials in Book I of the Register. The former, beginning on Nov. 28, 1538, and coming down to Dec. 20, 1593, occupy leaves 221 to 301. Leaves 302 to 304 are blank. The burials, which begin on Nov. 22, 1538, and end on Dec. 31, 1593, cover leaves 305 to 441. A small piece is torn off leaf 300, but fortunately this part of it was blank. The bottom edges of a number of pages are somewhat frayed, and in two or three places the ink has faded. In past times some leaves, mostly blank, have been torn out, and, apart from this, there are a few gaps in the entries. With these exceptions this part of the Register is complete and in good condition. 1568, are A careful examination shows that two leaves have been torn out between pages 572 and 573, but the fragments which remain do not bear any writing, and although there are no marriages between Dec. 23 and Jan. 19, 1583, it is quite possible that these pages were blank. There is a gap in the burials between Feb. 17, 1545, and May 9, 1546. Page 651 seems to have been left blank for these entries, which have never been filled in. Between pages 670 and 671 a leaf has been torn out, but there can be little doubt but that this was blank, as the entries follow on. The burials from April 6, 1567, to July 3, wanting, though the Register appears to be intact at this date. pages 728 and 729, as the Register is now bound, are the remains of three leaves. On the first of them is a marginal note "October 15...," with some letters which seem to be the beginnings of entries. It is possible that they bore some of the missing entries for 1567 and 1568, that the leaves were already lost when the three parts of the Register were first bound, and that the fragments were misplaced in the binding. Between pages 818 and 819 there are remains of five leaves which have been torn out, but no traces of writing on what is left. The burials, however, from April 21 to August 3, 1585, are wanting. Between There is also a gap in the burials from March 15, 1592, to July 20, 1593. It is somewhat doubtful whether there is a leaf missing here or not. Owing probably to the illness and death of the custodian of the Register at that time, William Saltonstall, Curate, the burials between Feb. 13, 1561, and Apr. 27, 1562, are entered without date, but the regular system came into force again on May 2. The burials from Feb. 5 to 11, 1549, appear out of order on page 670 of the Register. Otherwise the entries are in regular order. Pages 508, 602 to 608, 651 and 882 are blank. Baptisms have been inadvertently entered amongst the marriages and burials on pages 12, 19, 26, 28, 42, 133–6, 143-4, 147–9, 156–7, 164, 167–8, 174, 177, 186–7, 191, 202, 204–5, 219 and 236, most of them crossed out, and in all cases entered again in their proper place. On pages 29, 132, 168 and 271 are entries purporting to be of baptisms, not entered in that part of the Register, whilst on pages 153, 156, 160, 184 and 194 are entries where there is strong evidence that the word "bapt." has been written by mistake for "sepult." Similarly amongst the burials, on pages 162, 188, 212 and 337 occur marriages which are all to be found in that section of the Register. Likewise amongst the marriages on pages 113, 117 and 124 are entries of burials, all again recorded in due course, but on page 19 is a burial which is entered there only. There are a number of interesting points in this part of the Register. As we should expect, it is unusual to find a marriage celebrated during Lent, but the large number of weddings which took place at Halifax in a single year brings their absence during this season very prominently into notice. The same remark applies in the Pre-Reformation period and down to the fourth year of Edward VI to the season of Advent. But after that, except for a few years in the reign of Queen Mary, weddings were regularly solemnised during this season. Dispensation for marriages within the prohibited degrees occur on pages 1, 2, 4 and perhaps on page 55. A few weddings are recorded at the district chapels of Illingworth (p. 84), Sowerby (pp. 74 and 96), and Sowerby Bridge (p. 92) at none of which were they celebrated, save in very exceptional cases, at this time. There is also an instance at Heptonstall, (p. 36) where, however, they were regularly solemnised. To a large number of entries of burials the letter "m", or the abbreviation "mort." is prefixed, signifying that a mortuary was paid, thus giving an important clue to the status of deceased persons, which is emphasized in the few instances (pp. 343-4) in which the amount of |