To
assist you, the genealogist, trace your ancestor there are parish
records. Often there is difficulty though
in determining the religion in the first place. But never fear because
clues abound if you know where to look.
Religions And Their Records
Once you
determine your ancestors' religious affiliation you open the door to
trace your ancestor by discovering more genealogical and historical
data. It's in church records where you will find recorded the births,
baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials.
While knowing
the old country origins of your families can be a clue to their
religious preference, our ancestors frequently changed from one
denomination to another — sometimes several times. They often joined or
attended the church nearest to them.
Vital
Clues
A gravestone in a church
cemetery is a good indication of church membership and like manna from
heaven when it comes to trace your ancestor. Don't overlook diaries,
journals or letters which may contain references to the religious
affiliation of your family members.
Many
denominations kept extensive records; others did not. Some transferred
their records to a central denominational archive, while in other
instances the minister kept them. Many are in private hands and
unfortunately many were destroyed.
A number of
state and county historical societies as well as state archives have
obtained copies of church records.By reading the county histories of
those areas in which your families resided at different times you will
learn the names of the churches (at least the early ones) that were
established.
You can obtain
data from land and census records that will aid in locating your
ancestors'place of residence. Study old maps to learn what churches
were in that area. From the census you can usually find out the
religion of every person in the household.
Christenings
In general, births were not
recorded but children were usually baptised within 2-3 months of their
birth.In those denominations that practiced infant baptism
(christening) you will usually find the full name of the person
baptised, age or date of birth, the place of birth or christening,
names of parents, places of residence and names and relationships
(sometimes) of witnesses or sponsors.
Marriages
Except in the
case of the Puritans, who believed that marriage was strictly a civil
matter, it was usually the church that sanctioned marriage, conducted
the wedding ceremony and kept the official records. In most countries
vital records have only fairly recently become the responsibility of
county and state officials. Christenings, confirmations and baptisms
have always been conducted and recorded exclusively by the churches.
Special marriage
registers were kept by many churches, but others merely listed marriage
information among other entries in church books, and in other instances
marriage information will be found in the minister's diary or private
papers. Even if the church records do not include marriage information,
careful reading of church minutes may enable you to pinpoint an
approximate date if you note when Amanda Jones ceases to be mentioned
and John Henderson and his wife, Amanda, appear.
After 1837 in
England and Wales and after 1855 and 1864 in Scotland and Ireland, you
will find that marriage records in a parish are the same as the records
held by the Registrar and not nearly as expensive to access.
In 1763 the
minimum age of marriage was fixed at 16. Prior to this date, the church
accepted the marriage of girls aged 12 or more and boys aged 14 or
more. In addition, a dispensation on licence could be obtained from a
bishop which allowed marriage at a younger age. From 1763 a person
below the age of 21 required the consent of parents to be married in
England.
Major Religious Groups
Baptists — In 1611 the first meeting of the General
Baptists took place in London. Various associations of Baptists were
formed in the 17th century and during the 18th century some of these
groups subdivided.
Methodists — Methodism had its origin in an informal
group of members of the University of Oxford between 1729 and 1735
under the leadership of John and Charles Wesley.
Quakers (Society of Friends) — This group, also
known as The Seekers was founded by George Fox. They refused to pay
tithes or to take oaths, and suffered a great deal of abuse and
ridicule. Yet this movement grew rapidly, spreading from the east
midlands of England in the 1640s through the north and south in the
1650s.
Presbyterians — The original Presbyterians were a
group of Puritans who were opposed to the Elizabethan church
settlement. English Presbyterians had some influence in parliament for
a short period in the 1640s, and individual congregations (churches)
continued to grow. But it was not until 1836 that the English
Presbyterian Church was actually formed.
Roman Catholics — The majority of early Roman
Catholic registers commence only from the 18th century. However, it was
not uncommon for Catholics to go through a second form of marriage and
have their children baptized in the state church as an outward sign of
compliance with the law.
Nonconformists
Many of our
English ancestors left the country due to religious intolerance.
However, others stayed and became part of religious groups that are
known as nonconformists. If your ancestors do not appear in the Church
of England parish registers in the localities in which they are said to
have lived, explore the records of nonconformists.
Nonconformists
included Baptists, Society of Friends (Quakers), Methodists,
Presbyterians Congregationalists (Independents) and Unitarians. Also
Huguenots, Moravians, Roman Catholics, and Swedenborgians fall into
this broad category.
The earliest
nonconformists' dissenting books, as they are called, date from about
1642. No doubt some baptisms and marriages took place outside the
established Church of England before this time, but the risk of
discovery for those then-illegal practices made record-keeping risky.
Points To Ponder
Be extremely CAREFUL when recording in your family
records any events from parish registers before 1752. Until that year,
the New Year began not on January 1st but on Lady Day, March 25th.
Therefore, the entries continue beyond December 31 into the next year
(in modern terms) as being the same year. The best way to write any
date before 1752 between January 1 and March 25 is to follow this
example:- February 17th 1677/8. However, if you are working from a
printed register or transcription, do check that the date has not
already been modernised. It should say so clearly somewhere at the
front of the volume.
The very first place to look for transcripts of
parish records is at www.familysearch.org The International Genealogical
Index(IGI)comprises parish records from the UK and elsewhere and are
available to view online free.
Next,look for parish register transcripts or
microfilm copies in the local library. As a last resort, check with the
vicar of the parish concerned.
Early registers can be very hard to read. Usually the
pages were not ruled. The ink quality was poor and the paper may be
stained from mould. Often, separate sections of the register were
started for baptisms, marriages and burials and sooner or later, ran
into each other. You may find that baptism you're looking for mixed in
with the marriages or burials.
Before 1733, the register may be written in Latin.
The style of writing has changed over the years and
it takes practice to read early script.
As in all early records spelling varies greatly.
If you're unable to find a parish register,(some have
been lost), try looking for the bishop's transcripts.
Information On UK Parish Records
An excellent source of
information (printable) on parish records to help you trace your
ancestor in the UK can be found at www.familyrecords.gov.uk
To trace your ancestor
leave no stone, or gravestone, unturned.
Look in every nook and
cranny.
Follow every lead.
Don't be put off the
scent. These are YOUR ancestors!
