Record of the baptism of Izaak Walton, born in Stafford in 1593 and baptised at St Mary’s parish church in the town.

SRO D1399/1
©Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

Izaak Walton (1593-1683) was the author of “The Compleat Angler”. His childhood home was in Eastgate Street, Stafford, on the site of the present Stafford police station. He also owned a cottage at Shallowford which is now a museum to him and his sport of angling. As well as the Stafford associations, Walton is connected with Beresford Dale just north of Dovedale. There he spent time with Charles Cotton, another angler, who built a fishing house which carries Walton’s and Cotton’s initials. The initials in the margin of the entry have been added in the register subsequently following Walton’s rise to fame.

Transcript
SRO D1399/1

IW Baptizatus fuit Isacc filius Jervis Walton xxi die mensis et anno
predicti

[Baptised was Isacc son of Jervis Walton 21 day of the month and year aforesaid]