History of Parish Registers in England: Difference between revisions

'''1644''' - More parents names appear in baptism register. and each parish or chapelry in the country should provide a fair Register Book of Vellum wherein were to be recorded the dates of baptisms as before, plus the dates of births and parents names. The regulation as to marriage entries remained unchanged.  

'''1650'''  - In the restoration of Charles they went back to the church to keep christenings, marriages and burial. The civil records that were kept were filed in with the parish in their registers. it is quite usual to find entries explaining the situation during the Interregnum. One rector stated that on 23 April 1643 "''Our church was defaced our font thrown down and new forms of prayer appointed''". Another minister not quite so bold wrote "''When the war, more than a civil war was raging most grimly between royalists and parliamentarians throughout the greatest part of England, I lived well because I lay low''".  

'''1656''' - The year of the plague and many burial entries in the parishes. Also the fire of London destroyed London Bridge and many of the records of London destroyed at that time.  

'''1673''' - Affidavit from Magistrates required for burial in woolen shroud. If "Affidavit" appears on burial records it means that the person was buried in wool.  

'''1694 -'''  A duty of 2 shillings per birth, 2 shillings 6 denier per marriage and 4 shillings per burial of all non-paupers with a sliding scale rising to 30 pounds for the birth of the son of a Duke, 50 pounds for a dukes marriage and burial. All births were to be notified to the rector or vicar within five days, under a penalty of 40 shillings and he was to record them for a fee of 6 denier under a like penalty. The government thought it would be a good way to raise money for the crown to carry on the war against France,  It was specially provided that a birth should not be exempt from tax merely because the parents failed to have the child christened, but nevertheless it seems likely that in many parishes such births were not registered and presumably no tax was paid. In other parishes, however, there is clear evidence that the parson in his capacity of tax-collector looked up the neglectful parishioner and collected the tax, plus, his six pence. Many pleaded poverty at the time of burial.  

'''1705 -''' This act was not carried out very well and it was thought necessary to pass an act of indemnity on behalf of the clergy who had neglected to obey this mandate.  

'''1752''' - The Gregorian Calendar was adopted and the first day of the year was changed from March 25th (Ladyday) to January 1st. Up to 1752 use double dating between Jan.1st to Mar. 25th.