England Nonconformists Baptist Records - International Institute
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The original content for this article was contributed by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course English: Non-Anglican Church Records by Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($). |
Baptist Records
National records are few since they did not have a hierarchical structure, and records generally are scattered with most at:
- Angus Library in Oxford which holds the National Baptist Collection of records, including minute books of individual congregations, committees and associations, and district associations and papers of Stepney College and so forth.
- Baptist Union in London has a range of books including the Baptist Year Books, dictionaries and memoirs of ministers from 1832 onwards.
- Bristol Baptist College holds the archives of the Western Baptist Association and manuscripts of John Rylands and William Prynne.
- The John Rylands Library in Manchester has most of the library of the Northern Baptist College.
Baptist Registers
Baptists are not renowned for their record keeping and very few early records survive, although many began to keep birth registers by the early 19th century. A complete list of those at the PRO in both the RG4 and RG8 classes is given by Breed (1995). He also gives details of those deposited at the Society of Genealogists, the Gospel Standard Baptist Library and the Strict Baptist Historical Society. Yet others are in county archives, or are still with individual chapels or ministers and their descendants. Any of these may have been microfilmed.
Baptist Births
They do not practise infant baptism so birth dates of newborns are recorded with parents’ names.
Chart: Examples from Baptist Birth Registers
| Baptist Chapel, Orpington, Kent FS Library film 0597065 In this handwritten register each family had a separate page, and the pre-1752 entries were double dated. Example: Thomas WICKENDEN was born September the 20th 1718 now October the 1st. |
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| Baptists Lower Meeting House, Ock Street, Abingdon, Berks
BIRTHS publicly announced to the congregation of PROTESTANT DISSENTERS of the Baptist Denomination in the County of Berks, and registered in the year 1829
Printed with columns for Child’s name, When born, Parent’s name, Abode, Quality, trade or profession, When and by whom registered, Witness of announcement and Registry. Examples:
Mary PAYNE born 21 Sep 1821, Thomas and Elizabeth PAYNE of Mill, parish of St. Helen, miller, registered 1 Feb 1829 by John Kershaw, witness Edward Risby.
Thomas PAYNE born 10 Feb 1823, Thomas and Elizabeth PAYNE of Mill, parish of St. Helen, miller, registered 1 Feb 1829 by John Kershaw, witness Edward Risby.
Maria BALLARD born 3 Dec 1824, William and Elizabeth BALLARD of Boar St., parish of St. Helen, veterinary surgeon, registered 8 Feb 1829 by John Kershaw, witness William Ballard.
Charles BALLARD born 8 Jan 1827, William and Elizabeth BALLARD of Boar St., parish of St. Helen, veterinary surgeon, registered 8 Feb 1829 by John Kershaw, witness William Ballard.
Mary BALLARD born 17 Dec 1828, William and Elizabeth BALLARD of Boar St., parish of St. Helen, veterinary surgeon, registered 8 Feb 1829 by John Kershaw, witness William Ballard.
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| Wootton, Bedfordshire Baptist Chapel
This register has column for Names (child and parents), When Dedicated, Parents’ Residence, When Born, Place of Birth, Legitimate or Not, Place of Dedication, and Minister or Party who Performed the Dedication. An example:
Ann WHITBREAD daughter of Richard and Mary WHITBREAD of Wootton, Beds, dedicated July 8th 1834 at Baptist Chapel, Wootton by Wm Early, born June 29th 1834 at Wootton, Beds in wedlock.
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| Westoning, Bedfordshire Baptist Chapel
Alfred Kingham son of Thomas Kingham and Lucy his wife who was daughter of Wm Cain, was born in the parish of Flitwick 5th day of March 1836 at whose birth we were present, Ann Gudgin and Sarah Cain.
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It is illuminating to read any ministerial notes in these registers. Thus, at the Old Meeting House in Bedford, built on the site on which John Bunyan had written Pilgrim’s Progress, the following memoranda are found in the section for registration of births:
Chart 46: Memoranda in Old Meeting, Bedford Baptist Birth Registers RG4/272
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| Note the Reason why several Children are registered some Years after they were born is because the Act of Parliament for registering the Children of Dissenters did not take place till the latter end of the Year 1785, but when this Act was known and understood, several desired to take the benefits of it for their Children born some time past, the Ages of such Children were therefore ascertained by their Parents in the most authentic manner, from the clearest Documents and indubitable records.
Note that after the tax on Registers was removed not finding the Registers in this Book so good legal evidence as was desired it was much neglected, but upon discovering that in many cases iscpescially (sic)of baptised Children the Trustees of the Harpurs Charity admitted the evidence at least in confirmation of family Documents and the Oaths of Parents many entries were made long after the Births at such time as they were presented.
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A considerable number of births registered with the Protestant Dissenters Registry were Baptists, and as most, if not all, of these have now been added to the British Isles Vital Records Index on CD it is easy to check.
- Baptist Adult Baptisms
Baptism of adults was by immersion and in the adult baptism registers no parents are given.
- Baptist Marriages
As with other dissenters, there are four periods in the history of Baptist marriages:
- 1688-1753 dissenting marriages did not confer legality but were tolerated; there were few Baptist marriages recorded.
- 1754-June 1837 they were neither legal nor tolerated; again, few Baptist ones are recorded.
- July 1837-1898 they were legal but had some stigma attached to them.
- From 1898 they have been legal and completely equal to Anglican or civil marriages.
Thus until 1898 the most likely place to find a Baptist marriage is in the parish church not their own, but there are a few Baptist marriage registers extant.
Chart: Examples from a Baptist Marriage Register
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| Baptist, Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire FS Library film 1818020
1720 Dec 25 John HUBBARD and Tomison WILSON
Entered into the State of marrige
1721 Jun 20 Joseph HILL and Sarah SMITH
Entered into the State of marrige
1721 Agust 31 Richard NORTH and Priscilla MUS
Entered into the State of marrige
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Baptist Burials
Burials of Baptists took place in the parish churchyard except where the Baptist meeting house was fortunate enough to have its own burial ground; examples are shown below. Some Baptist chapels gained an income by providing a burial place for non-members, who paid a higher fee, and this is alluded to below. The Enon Baptist Chapel in Clement’s Lane off the Strand in Westminster became notorious for burying over 1,200 below the floor of the chapel itself between 1823 and 1842 when it closed. The stench must have been too overpowering! An enterprising chap turned it into a dance hall advertising
Enon Chapel - Dancing on the Dead
Admission 3d.
No lady or gentleman admitted unless wearing shoes and stockings.
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However, the bodies were later removed to Norwood Cemetery. |
Chart: Examples from Baptist Burial Registers
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| Abingdon, Berkshire Register of Burials in the Baptist Burial Ground begun January 5, 1764
Handwritten columns are headed Time When (Date), Name of Deceased, Relationship, Names to Whom Related, From Whence, By Whom. Examples - All 1764 and by D. Turner.
Jan 5 Eliz: STEVENS dr of Susannah STEVENS of Stert, Abingdon
Feb 6
Mary TOMKINS w(ife) of Edmund TOMKINS of St. Helen’s Abingdon
Mar 31 Joseph DURBRIDGE of Alms House, Abingdon
Jul 24 Sarah DOE wd (widow) of Charles DOE of Ock St., Abingdon
Nov 11 --- TOMKINS wid Mother of Edmd TOMKINS of St. Helens
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| East St. Baptist Chapel, Walworth, Surrey
Interments in the Burial Ground in East Lane
Handwritten columns for Date, Name, Age, Residence, In Ground or Vault, and Charges. Examples:
1816 Jan 21 Joseph DASHWOOD, 70 years, of Little
Richmond Place, Walworth, Ground, £1.1.0
1816 Feb 9 Caroline WELTON, 1 year and 5 months, of
Appollo Buildings, Lambeth, Ground, 10/6d.
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| Burials at Little Weld St. Chapel (Particular Baptist), Lincoln’s Inn, Parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, Middlesex
RG4/4364
Printed register of the type typically used by the Anglican church but with much more information given. 1826 Examples:
Joseph HERRING second son of John and Mary Ann HERRING. Departed this Life Jan 11th 1826, of No 3 New Inn Passage, Houghton St., Clare market in the parish of St. Clement Danes. Buried 23 Jan 1826 Monday. Age 10 months by Rev’d James Hargreaves, Wm John Registrar.
Susanna JUDD of British Museum in the parish of St. George Bloomsbury, buried Friday Feb 3rd, age 8 months by Rev Joseph Ivimey, Wm John Registrar.
Sarah DYER third daughter of John and Agnes DYER of St. Mary Battersea, buried Monday Feb 6th age 10 years by Rev Joseph Ivimey and Rev Jos Hughes, Wm John Registrar.
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In the burial register for the Old Meeting House in Bedford the following memorandum is found:
Chart: Memorandum in Old Meeting, Bedford Burial Register RG4/272
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| This Register Book belongs to the Old Meeting at Bedford:
purchased December 1785 price one Guinea besides the Stamps.
Memorandum. In the last week of December, 1785 after previous consultation, the Trustees of the Old Meeting agreed to permit none to be buried in the Old Meeting Yard after 1 Jany 1786 that leave off attending at the Old Meeting for the space of one Year without being debarred therefrom by illness or distance - unless their surviving Relations, Friends or Executors pay for the Grave or Vault in which such are buried, as underneath.
For a poor Person’s Grave........................................................0.2.6
For a Person in tolerable circumstances or in Business .........0.7.6
For a Person of Property or rich whether in Business or not 0.15.0
The sums are to be appropriated to the Stock belonging to the Church assembling at the Old Meeting Bedford.
The above Rule was enacted with a view to prevent the Burying Ground being filled up too quick by Strangers.
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Baptist Monumental Inscriptions
What more could a family historian want than the inscription shown below? It includes copious genealogical details of himself, his wife and child as well as his career, and some information on a brother.
Chart: Monumental Inscription in Anabaptist, Later General Baptist Burial Ground, Tovil, Kent
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| In Memory of Chilley PINE 3rd son of the late John PINE of Lower Tovil, who died before Sebastopol March 6th 1855, and was buried in the Military Burial Ground at Balaklava. Born June 15th 1810, registered at Dr. Williams Library, having served in Bengal, China, New Zealand and New South Wales for many years. He landed with his regiment, the 4th Dragoon Guards, in the Crimea and was shortly after promoted to the Chief Sergeancy of the 4th, and subsequently of the 2nd Division of the Army, when he was present at the engagements of Balaklava and Inkerman. He married on 8th June 1853 at Handsworth in the county of Stafford Agnes Miller GIBSON, daughter of James GIBSON M.D. and great grand daughter of James WATT the engineer, and left issue an only child, Arthur Chilley born April 20th 1854, and who was baptised at the chapel of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham May 31st 1854. Having expressed a wish that his remains “might on the day rest in this place” amidst those of his ancestors.
This stone was erected to his memory by a sup----er and brother.
And in memory of ------ late of Otford, Kent, elder brother of the ------- ley PINE, died unmarried, born 12th ----------- 18--.
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