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>  

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.