Audley - Stoke-on-Trent

From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851

"Audley, is an irregular built village, seated on a commanding eminence, in the Union and 5 miles NW of Newcastle-under-Lyme.  Its parish contains 4474 inhabitants, and about 8100 acres of land, divided into seven townships, Audley, Bignall-End, Eardley-End, Halmer-End, Knowl-End, Park-End & Talk-o'-th'-Hill. In the parish are several extensive coal mines, which give employment to a great number of the inhabitants. For the conveyance of the coal, Sir Nigel Gresley's canal was cut from the mines in Apedale to Newcastle and has since been extended to the Potteries. Sir Thomas FF Boughey of Aqualate Hall, is lord of the manor, and owner of a great part of the soil. Bignall-End township has a number of scattered houses and cottages, one mile E of Audley, and several collieries. Eardley-End township commences one mile N of Audley, and extends to the borders of Cheshire. Halmer-End township, or liberty, comprises a number of scattered houses, and the village of Alsager's Bank, two miles S by E of Audley. Knowl-End township, one mile SW of Audley, has a number of straggling houses, and the hamlet of Shaley-Brook. Park-End is a small township, half a mile W of Audley. Talk-on-the-Hill, or as it is vulgarly called, Talk-o'-th'-Hill, is a large village 5 miles N by W of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is the head of a township and chapelry."

The population of Audley parish in 1831 was 3617; in 1841 it was 4474 divided as follows: 
Audley, 934 
Bignall-End, 517
Eardley-End, 147
Halmer-End, 907 
Knowl-End, 270 
Park-End, 88 
Talk-on-the-Hill, 1611

A surname index of the 1851 census for Audley Parish is included in the Newcastle under Lyme surname index to the 1851 census published by the Birmingham and Midland SGH.

 

The parish became part of Newcastle-under-Lyme Union following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.

 

Church of England History

"The Parish Church, St James, is a fine Gothic Structure, which was restored and partly re-built in 1846. The Rev E Gilbert is patron of the vicarage and theRev CP Wilbraham, BA, is the vicar, and has a good vicarage house.
Talk-o'-th'-Hill Church (St Martin), is a neat brick edifice which was re-built in 1794, and enlarged in 1832, when the tower was again re-built. The vicar of Audley is the patron of the perpetual curacy, in the incumbency of the Rev GA Moore, BA."

[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851)

Cemeteries

Monumental Inscriptions for Alsager's Bank, St John's Cemetery and Bignall-End Methodist Cemetery have been transcribed and published by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.

Church of England Records

The parish register of the parish church of St James commences in 1538. The original registers for the period 1538-1868 (Bapts), 1538-1875 (Mar) & 1538-1867 (Bur) and Banns 1823-1857 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1674-1857 (with many gaps) are deposited at Lichfield Joint Record Office. (also includes Talke entries)
A transcript of the registers for the period 1538-1712 has been published by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.
The original registers of Talke-o'-th'-Hill, St Martin, which was formerly a chapelry to Audley, St James, for the period 1830-1969 (Bapts), 1859-1964 (Mar) & 1860-1963 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.

Nonconformist Church Records

The following original registers are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office:
Alsagers Bank, Epworth Methodist Church, Marriages 1919-1979
Audley, Red Street Methodist, Marriages 1957-1966
Halmer-End, Wesley Place Methodist, Marriages 1925-1974
Talke, Coal Pit Hill Primitive Methodist, Marriages 1922-1951
Talke, John Street (later Thomas Street) United Methodist, Baptisms 1897-1955
Talke, New Road Wesleyan Methodist, Baptisms 1846-1967, Marriages 1922-1960
Talke Pits, High Street Wesleyan Methodist, Marriages 1916-1963
Talke Pits, King Street Methodist, Baptisms 1869-1973, Marriages 1951-1974

[The history of the City of Stoke-on-Trent]