Parish Registers
Before 1837, there was no nationwide scheme of registration. You
will need to use registers of baptism, marriage and burial kept by
local parish churches, so it is important to have an idea of where
a person lived.
The systematic keeping of parish registers began between 1538
and 1598 and should continue to the present, except for the period
1640-1660. You will need to bear in mind that not all parishes will
have registers dating back this far.
The amount of information varies. The early registers (sometimes
written in simple Latin) include baptisms, marriages and burials
all in the same volume.
Separate registers were introduced for marriage in 1754 and for
baptism and burial in 1813.
Abbreviated copies of all entries were sent to the bishop and
are known as Bishop’s transcripts. They can be useful where the
original register is lost or difficult to read.
Registers and Bishop’s transcripts are generally held by county
Record Offices, Details can be found in Phillimore Atlas and Index
of Parish Registers, Cecil R Humphery-Smith, (3rd edition 2003).
Libraries may also hold some local
Parish Registers.
Marriage licence bonds and allegations
Some marriages were by licence rather than by banns. The bonds
and allegations (which are part of the licence process) can provide
extra information on the parties to a marriage. Those for the
Archdeaconry of Chester (Cheshire and South Lancashire) survive
from 1661 and are held in the Cheshire Record Office, available on
microfilm.
Monumental Inscriptions
Gravestones are also useful in giving some detail on a person's
family relationships. Many churchyards have been surveyed and
recorded.
Cheshire Link
- GEN UKI
The Cheshire Record Office holds monumental inscriptions for many
Cheshire churches. Check the online catalogue for details
