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22 Sep 2011Findmypast.co.uk launches the Manchester Collection

For the first time ever, findmypast.co.uk has launched a collection of records that relate to an entire city. The Manchester Collection provides an insightful snapshot into what life was like in the city of Manchester.
The records in the collection provide information about apprentices, cemetery records, industrial school registers, parish register transcripts, prison, school and workhouse registers.
You could make vital discoveries about your family’s past – whether you are aware of a Manchester connection or not – and these records provide rich information about how your ancestors lived.
Further details about the records are as follows:
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Record type
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Years covered
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1700 – 1849
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| 1734 – 1920 | |
| 1750 – 1968 | |
| 1866 – 1912 | |
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1734 – 1808
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| 1847 – 1881 | |
| 1870 – 1916 | |
| 1859 – 1911 |
While searching the prison registers, we found a record for Cyrus Travis who was found guilty of attempting to murder his wife, Ellen, in 1864. Cyrus had tried to feed Ellen a cake containing bent pins and antimony, but was unsuccessful and was promptly arrested for his crime. Cyrus was sentenced to 20 years of penal servitude – view his record below:
Find out more about Cyrus and the Manchester Collection on Gerard Lodge’s Manchester Family History Research website
Findmypast.co.uk is proud to be working in association with Manchester City Council’s Library and Information Service to bring you the Manchester Collection.
Search the Manchester Collection now


Received your emailed newsletter this morning mentioning the Manchester records. A couple of clicks and I had my late grandad’s school record for Ducie Street School, and slightly more importantly the date of entry to the school telling me when the family left Liverpool for Manchester. Thank you! Now for his 7 missing siblings…..
Really impressed with the Manchester records. Found a relative in Ardwick Industrial School in 1881. The record confirms I had the correct info for my GG Grandfather in 1881. So an excellent find.
I have been trying for over 3 years (in vain) to find the birth record for my paternal Grandmother born about 1892 in Somerset/Wiltshire but living in Manchester by 1901. I checked the Manchester schools admission records and immediately found 3 schools that she had attended in Manchester (2 records but as each record gives the previous school attended, this gives 3 schools,) and, of course, her date of birth, all within 5 minutes of logging in. Excellent
Since the launch of the Manchester Collection I have completed the final part of my research about the Manchester Felony register which can be seen at
http://www.manchester-family-history-research.co.uk/new_page_37.htm
Over 25 cases are examined including possibly the first case of a hunger striker dying in a Manchester Prison; the case of David Ransford; George Ellis, who threw his wife out of a window and many more such tales.