Parish Records - What are they?
Parish records are registers of baptisms, marriages, and
burials made by the Church. These records can help you trace your family roots back through baptisms, marriages, and burials. Most parish registers go back to the 1600s, and some even go back to the 1500s.
In 1538 Thomas Cromwell the Vicar General to King Henry VIII declared that all marriages, christenings and burials should be recorded; normally these are kept at the Parish Church. In 1598 an Act was passed that meant these records should be copied and sent to the bishop. These copies are known as the Bishop's Transcripts.
 The Phillimore transcripts of parish records go back as far as 1538 for some. W.P. Phillimore was a genealogist who started the job of publishing transcripts of early parish records in the 1890's. These normally end in 1812 or 1837. For the range of years covered you will need to look at the details for the county you're researching. Most of the Phillimore transcripts are of marriages and the complete collection is available from S&N Genealogy.
Phillimore's Marriage Registers
This is a series of books published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and hold transcriptions of marriage registers. Learn more about W.P. Phillimore by clicking here or by following the link above.
Parish Records in your Research
Trace your family roots back through baptisms, marriages, and burials. Most parish records go back to the 1500s, so these are a valuable resource for your research.
Searching Parish Records
To search a record, you will need to know where your ancestor lived and the church they went to. Parishes correspond quite closely to villages of the same name. Whereas a rural parish may include a small village and two or three hamlets, there will be many parishes in the city, so you would need to determine in which part of the city your family lived so you can be sure to search the right Parish record.
Information Provided on Parish Records
Baptism Records:
The name, father's name, and mother's name. Unlikley to find the mother's maiden name - this is very rare.
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Marriage Records:
Name of bride and groom, Parish where they married, and sometimes the bride's Parish. |
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Burial Records:
The name and the father's name. The age may also be noted. |
 Viewing Parish Records
View a list of Parish Records avalable on CD on our website by clicking here.
You can also view the Parish Records online at TheGenealogist.
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