大象传媒

Page 3 of 6

• 1. Official certificates
• 2. Searching for certificates
• 3. Parish registers
• 4. Wills and probate
• 5. Working with wills
• 6. The wider picture
• Print entire article

Parish registers

A slightly more complicated source of information can be found in many parishes, in their registers of baptisms, marriages and burials. From 1538 in England and Wales, and 1555 in Scotland, each parish in the kingdom was required to keep these, and they are very useful to genealogists. However, it is important to stress that most of the records prior to 1837 do not provide an actual date of death or birth, but only the date of the event that followed it (burial or baptism).

Parish registers are not a comprehensive record, as they were maintained at the discretion of the local vicar. Some are easy to read, others extremely difficult. Most are viewed on microfiche. Theoretically, you should be able to obtain the name of the individual you are interested in, the date of specific events, and, in the case of baptisms, the parents' identity.

'You will need to have an idea of the geographical location of your family's origins ...'

Try scanning several years to pick up all family members. You may also need to look through records of neighbouring parishes to pick up everyone of potential interest. In many areas, printed transcripts have been prepared that will save you squinting at the fiche.

It is important to note that, until 1752, the start of the year in England was 25 March, not 1 January - so you may come across entries such as '24 February 1678/9', indicating both possible dates.

A possible alternative to parish registers is the International Genealogical Index, prepared by the Church of the Latter Day Saints. This covers every part of the British Isles, usually subdivided into county or region, and is arranged alphabetically, by surname. However, it doesn't include most burials, and doesn't cover all parishes. You will need to have an idea of the geographical location of your family's origins, and you may need to travel to distant archives.

There are also some registers for foreign churches and non-Anglican religions, such as Quakers, Roman Catholics, Muslims and Jews. Many of these were deposited with the Registrar General when official registration was introduced in 1837, and will be with The National Archives. Modern records are likely to be with the relevant organisation or place of worship, for example a mosque or synagogue.

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Published: 2004-09-13