Wales Church Records: Difference between revisions

Church records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and burial. Most people who lived in Wales before the mid-nineteenth century are in a church record. Since civil authorities did not begin registering vital records until July 1837, church records are the best source of family information before this date.  

The parish is the most basic unit of church administration, although the parish was often divided into townships or tithings. Large parishes had small chapels of ease, or chapelries, for those who lived too far away to attend the parish church. Gazetteers can help you locate parishes and townships. See [[Wales Gazetteers]] for more information.  

'''A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:'''  

=== Burials  ===

Many parish chest records are available at county record offices. These records include:  

;WALES, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CHURCH RECORDS

'''For more information on Parish Chest records see the following two articles:'''  

=== Churchwardens Accounts  ===

Churchwardens, generally appointed at the Easter vestry meetings, were responsible to the bishop or the magistrate to present any wrongdoings at quarter sessions, including failure to provide for the poor, failure to attend church, drunkenness, or other undesirable behavior. They were to report misbehavior of the vicar or other vestry members as well. Churchwarden’s records often list men qualified to serve as churchwardens.  

Before 1834 every individual had a place of legal settlement or residence. The parish of settlement was responsible for the welfare of family members, including elderly family members. A removal order was a document that directed a constable to transport the family back to their parish of settlement. Some settlement and removal records can be found among the quarter session records (see [[Wales Court Records]] for more information.)  

A child’s father often arranged his apprenticeship, but sometimes the parish arranged a child’s apprenticeship since it was cheaper for the parish to pay for an apprenticeship than to support a poor child. Apprenticeship records often list the apprentice’s father, his master, the length of apprenticeship, and the occupation. The child’s name may also be in vestry minutes where the vestry decided to put the child out as an apprentice. You may also find apprenticeship information in other sources; see [[Wales Occupations]].  

*Tate, W. E. ''The Parish Chest''. 3rd ed. Chichester, Sussex, England: Phillimore, 1969. (Family History Library {{FHL|942 K2t|disp=book 942 K2t.)}}

An act passed in 1662 required everyone to conform to the Church of England. Those who did not were called nonconformists. Quakers, Baptists, and Independents (Presbyterians) were the first Welsh nonconformist groups.  

From early times, denominational magazines were published. These contain invaluable references to members, including often lengthy notices of baptisms, marriages, and obituaries. See [[Wales Periodicals]] for more information on how to locate journals in the Family History Library Catalog.  

The Official Non-Parochial BMDs Service<br>For records of birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial taken from non parish sources [http://www.bmdregisters.co.uk/] Non-Conformist Records<br>Methodists, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, Protestant Dissenters, Congregationalist, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Quakers (Society of Friends), Dissenters and Russian Orthodox. Maternity Records plus various other BMD records.<br>  

Many nonconformist religions evolved from sixteenth-century Puritanism. The Independent Church is also known as the Congregational Church. The records of these religions are similar to those of the Church of England. Baptists did not christen children; they baptized people who had reached a mature decision to be members. The person could have been as young as 14. The records may only contain the members’ names and baptism dates. They do not usually give the parents’ names. Some congregations kept a register of the births of members’ children, but this was rare.  

''Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry at Paternoster Row Register of Births and Baptisms, 1818–1841.''  

=== Calvinistic Methodists  ===

The Calvinistic Methodists began in the late 1730s. Their leaders advocated reforming the Church of England but not separating from it. Societies were formed, and weekday meetings were held for preaching and singing. On Sunday, members attended their local parish church for communion. This changed in 1811 when the Calvinistic Methodists began ordaining their own ministers and keeping their own records. Today, this sect is known as the Presbyterian Church of Wales. The National Library of Wales is the official repository for this sect’s records, however; many before-1837 registers were turned into the Registrar General in 1837.  

Also known as Quakers, the Society of Friends did not have appointed clergy to perform baptisms. The Society recorded births instead. Burial registers usually include the date of death. Quakers also recorded marriages to ensure their validity.  

*Milligan, Edward H., and Malcolm J. Thomas. ''My Ancestors Were Quakers: How Can I Find Out More About Them?'' London, England: Society of Genealogists, 1983. (Family History Library {{FHL|942 D27m|disp=book 942 D27m}}.)

Some county record offices have indexes to church records. Many indexes have been compiled by local family history societies. To learn how to find county record offices or family history society addresses, see [[Wales Archives and Libraries]] and [[Wales Societies|Societies]].  

The Family History Library has some parish registers, parish register transcripts, bishop’s transcripts, and parish chest materials from the Church of Wales on film. The library also has microfilm copies of the nonconformist records deposited with the Public Record Office (see the "[[Wales Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]" section for the address). In addition, some of the nonconformist records at the National Library of Wales have been filmed.<ref>The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ''Research Outline: Wales'' (Salt Lake City: Corporation of the President, 2000), 18-25.</ref>  

*[http://www.llgc.org.uk/ National Library of Wales]  

*[http://www.freereg.org.uk FreeReg]

<references />  

:NOTE: All of the information from the original research outline has been imported into this Wiki site and is being updated as time permits.

'''Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:'''