Parish Records Online
About parish records
Civil registration only began in 1837, so if you're looking for births, deaths and marriages for your family from before then, search our Parish records. Parish records go back as far as 1538, when the Vicar General, Thomas Cromwell, ordered that all Parish baptisms, marriages and burials be kept in registers.
Transcripts and original images
Our Parish records are mainly transcriptions. However, a few copies of the original image are available.
How to use baptism and marriage records
A baptism record will give you the name of the child and often the name of both parents too. Use this information to look for the parents' marriage record. It's likely that the marriage took place in the same parish as the baptism.
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Tips for searching Parish Records
A surname and a place is all you need to get started. An estimated year of birth helps if you're searching for a common surname. You can always add more details later to get more accurate search results.
This probably means that we don't have those Parish records on our site right now.. We update our Parish records regularly though so keep checking to see if the records you need have been added.
If you've found your ancestors in the census, try to find nearby parishes. This is a good place to start searching for other relatives.
Before 1763, the minimum age for marriage was 12 for girls and 14 for boys. After 1763, the minimum age became 16 (with parental consent).
Make sure you add all the information you discover to your tree There's also a handy 'Notes' box where you can add anything else you've discovered.
