SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTERS.

HEREFORD DIOCESE.
VOL. XIII.

ISSUED BY
The Shropshire Parish Register Society.

SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTERS.

Diocese of Hereford.
VOL. XIII.

HONORARY SECRETARY:
W.G.D. FLETCHER, M.A., F.S.A.

PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR THE
SHROPSHIRE PARISH REGISTER SOCIETY.

Note for the Reader.

The present volume is the thirteenth volume of the Registers of the Diocese of Hereford, which has been printed by the Shropshire Parish Register Society. It contains the first three volumes of the important Registers of Ludlow, extending from the year 1558 to 1719. The remaining five volumes of the Ludlow Registers, from 1719 to 1812, now in course of transcription, together with an Index to the whole (which is in preparation), will be printed in due course, and will form Volume XIV. of the Hereford Registers.

For the transcript of the present volume, our thanks are due to Mr. Henry T. Weyman, F.S.A., and Mr. T. R. Horton. The proofs have been most carefully collated with the original Registers by the Rev. Prebendary J. R. Burton, Rector of Bitterley.

We are also indebted to Mr. Weyman for a most interesting and valuable Introduction. It is confined to an account of the Church of St. Lawrence and of its Rectors, and a detailed description of the first three volumes of the Registers of Ludlow. It is intended that the Introduction to Volume XIV. shall contain an account of the Town and Castle, as well as a description of the next five volumes of the Registers.

It has been only possible to print this volume through the generous aid of the late Mrs. Seymour, the sister of the late Mr. Stanley Leighton, M.P., founder of the Society.

In this volume, as has been the plan adopted by the Council throughout, the Registers are not printed verbatim et literatim, but in abstract form, all mere verbiage being omitted, though every fact is recorded, and all occurrences, remarkable events, terriers, &c., given in the Registers are printed in full. The following abbreviations have been adopted :-

B. — Banns. esq. — esquire.
bap. — baptized. gent. — gentleman.
bast. — bastard. L. — License.
bur. — buried. mar. — married
chr. — christened. p. — parish.
ch. w. — churchwardens. s. — son.
clk. — clerk. sp. — spinster.
co. — county. str. — ? stranger.
d. — daughter. w. — wife.
dioc. — diocese. wid. — widow (or widower).

It should be noted that pages 1-49 contain Weddings; pages 49-210 Christenings; and pages 210-373 Burials. Collections on Briefs come on pages 375-382, and abstracts of Wills and Deeds on pages 382-388. These are the contents of Volume I. of the Registers.

W.G.D.F.
November, 1912.