England Church Records: Difference between revisions

[[England|'''England''']]'''&nbsp;''' |&nbsp; [[England Civil Registration|'''Civil Registration''']]&nbsp; |&nbsp; [[England Census|'''Census''']]&nbsp; |&nbsp; [[England Probate Records|'''Probate''']]&nbsp; |[[England|England]]<br>

[[Image:Osmotherley3.jpg|thumb|right|275x186px]]Church records are the main source for identifying people prior to 1837 when civil registration began. It is also a main source after 1837 in conjunction with civil registration. The Church of England was created in 1536, after King Henry VIII severed all ties to the church in Rome, he directed that each local parish be responsible to register all marriages, baptisms and burials. The governing of each parish created a group of records known as [[Parish Chest Records|parish chest records]].&nbsp; The Church of England has dominated the religious scene in England; therefore it is likely that this is where you will find your ancestors. As time passes other religions began to organize and create records. Those that did not belong to the Church of England were referred to as [[England Church Records#Nonconformist_Church_Records|nonconformists or dissenters]]. The main influence of the nonconformist was in larger towns and cities.  

'''Diocese.''' Many parishes are grouped together under the jurisdiction of a bishop. A bishop heads a diocese. Some dioceses include one or more archdeaconries administered by an archdeacon. These may be divided into ''rural deaneries,'' headed by a rural dean. Each deanery consists of several parishes.  

== Parish Registers  ==

To learn more about marriage allegations, bonds, and licenses for England and Wales click '''[[Marriage Allegations, Bonds and Licences in England and Wales|here]]'''.&nbsp;&nbsp;  

A burial usually took place in the deceased’s parish a few days after the death. Pre-1813 burial records list the deceased’s name and burial date and sometimes mention the age, place of residence, cause of death, or occupation. The husband’s name is sometimes given on the wife’s burial entry. The father’s name may be on the record for a deceased child. After 1813 the forms called for the name, age, abode, burial date, and minister’s signature.  

England, [county name] - Church records  

Church records were kept in a chest (or strongbox) known as the [[Parish Chest Records|"parish chest." ]]Records other than the parish registers were called "parish chest records." Some of these records still exist from the 16th century, but many do not begin until the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. <br>

#[http://www.rootsuk.com RootsUK.com]

*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] (FHLC): <span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1276875455619_355" />

*Family History Library ''Patron Desktop ''(the Library's network) provides in-house patrons&nbsp;access to numerous indexes, databases and transcribed records from parish registers throughout England; click on the Library's Main Menu, "Databases on the Library's Network". When planning a visit to the Family History Library, you can pre-determine via the online Family History Library Catalog, what parish and/or county indexes are accessible via this network offerings. The database collection is continually added to.

==== General  ====

*Humphery-Smith, Cecil R., ''The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers''. Second Edition. Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore &amp;amp; Company, 1995. (FHL book {{FHL|752598|title-id|disp=942 E7pa 1995}}.)  

*Gibson, Jeremy, and Elizabeth Hampson, Editors. ''Marriage and Census Indexes for Family Historians''. Seventh Edition. Birmingham, England: Federation of Family History Societies Publications, Limited, 1998. (FHL book {{FHL|733642|title-id|disp=942 D27gjh}}.)  

== Nonconformist Church Records  ==