In researching soldiers' histories for this web site we came across many records with addresses showing the wrong county. Specifically they showed places to be in Lancashire when they were actually in Cheshire.
We are curious about the source of the confusion, and suspect it results from the way in which Births, Marriages, and Deaths in this area were recorded between 1837 and 1923. During that period, part of north-east Cheshire was in the Ashton-under-Lyne Registration District, and Ashton-under-Lyne was in Lancashire.
For the record, the following places were in Cheshire. They were never in Lancashire despite being in the Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Registration District:
Broadbottom, Dukinfield, Flowery Field, Godley, Hattersley, Hollingworth, Matley, Millbrook,
Mottram(-in-Longdendale), Newton (near Hyde), Newton Moor, Stalybridge, Tintwistle, Woodhead.
On this web site we try to show the correct addresses.
When we believe that an official record such as a census entry, or a soldier's record shows incorrect information due to the above confusion, we have corrected that information for our web site, but included a "Backgound" note to show that information has been changed.
Usually it is easy to identify the incorrect information because, for example, there is no Dukinfield in Lancashire. Someone born in Dukinfield, must have been born in Dukinfield, Cheshire. The same applies to all the places listed above except for Newton. Newton is a popular place name. There are six Newton's in Cheshire and three in Lancashire which is why the name is usually qualified: Newton near Hyde; Newton le Willows, etc. As the address "Newton, Lancashire," does exist, we have looked for a firm connection with the Hyde area before correcting those addresses.