Church & Parish Records

This category contains the fundamental records of the local parish, which was the central unit of both religious worship and local administration in England and Wales from the Tudor period onwards. Following a mandate in 1538, parishes were required to keep records of key life events. These records are the bedrock of English and Welsh genealogical research Records in this category include: Parish Registers: The core books documenting the lives of ordinary people. Baptism Registers: Records of baptisms (often listing birth dates, parents' names, and abode). Marriage Registers: Records of marriages (listing the names of the couple, witnesses, and often their occupations and parishes of residence). Burial Registers: Records of burials (listing the name of the deceased and their age at death). Parish Chest Records: The administrative and social welfare documents of the parish, stored in the parish chest. Vestry Minutes: Records of the meetings of the parish vestry, the governing body of the parish, detailing decisions on rates, poor relief, and maintenance of the church. Poor Law Records: Documents relating to the care of the poor, including Settlement Certificates (proving a person's right to parish relief), Removal Orders (sending a person back to their parish of settlement), and Bastardy Bonds (ensuring the father of an illegitimate child provided for its upkeep). Churchwardens' Accounts: Financial accounts showing the income and expenditure of the churchwardens, for things like church repairs, payments to bell-ringers, and relief for the poor. Apprenticeship Indentures: Records of pauper children apprenticed out by the parish to learn a trade.