Parish registers

Parish registers record baptisms, marriages, burials and banns in the Church of England.

The registers may begin in 1538, although some early registers have not survived.

Most Norfolk parishes have deposited their registers with us at the Norfolk Record Office (NRO).

We also hold registers of some 19 Suffolk parishes in the deanery of Lothingland, an area stretching from Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft.

Many of the registers have been microfilmed, to preserve them for the future.

You can see these microfilms and fiche at the NRO and most are also available at the Norfolk Heritage Centre (NHC).

Where registers have not been microfilmed, you can usually see the original volumes.

Some registers are still held by the churches themselves. For a list of parish registers held by us, organised by parish and indicating which registers have been filmed, see our Summary of Church of England Parish Registers and Transcripts (PDF) [3MB]. 

Baptism, marriage and burial entries were usually in a single volume from the 16th to the 18th century.
No rules were issued as to how entries were to be set out in the registers or the amount of detail to be included, so the information tends to be limited.
There may be gaps in the registers, particularly during the Civil War and Commonwealth period, 1645-60.

Baptism registers pre-1813

There is no standard format for the entries. The following information is usually recorded:

• Baptism date
• Child's name
• Parents' names (in early registers only the father's name may appear)

The mother's maiden name and child's date of birth is sometimes recorded and, very occasionally, the father's occupation.

Baptism registers post-181

Baptisms were entered into pre-printed standard registers. Columns were included for:

• Baptism date
• Child's name
• Parents' names
• Parish of residence
• Father's trade or occupation
• The name of the officiating minister
• Clergymen sometimes also added the date of birth and mother's maiden name

Marriage registers pre-1754

The early registers usually give:

• Marriage date
• Names of the bride and groom

Often the bride and groom's parishes of residence and marital status - bachelor, spinster, widower or widow - is also given

Marriage registers 1754-1837

Marriages were entered into pre-printed standard registers. All couples had to marry in an Anglican church for their marriage to be legally valid in this period.

The marriages of Nonconformists should therefore be recorded in parish registers during this period. Only Quakers and Jews were exempt from this rule.

In addition, all marriages had to be by either banns or by licence to prevent clandestine marriages. The information recorded includes:

• Marriage date
• Names of the bride and groom
• Parish of residence of both parties
• Whether the marriage was by banns or licence
• The parties' marital status
• Signatures of bride and groom, the officiating minister and two or more witnesses: those unable to write would make a mark

Banns registers 1754 onwards

These were also kept from this date; they are normally in the back of the marriage registers up to 1823 and then in separate registers. They give:

• Names of the bride and groom
• The three dates when the banns were read out in church

Often the bride and groom's parish of residence and marital status were recorded too.

Marriage registers post-1837

Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in England began on 1 July 1837.
Church marriage registers took on the same format as civil marriage certificates. These give:

• Marriage date
• Names of the bride and groom
• Parish of residence of both parties
• Occupations (however, the bride's occupation is not always given)
• Ages ('of full age' usually indicates 21 years or over)
• The parties' marital status
• Name and occupation of both fathers
• Whether the marriage took place by banns or licence
• Signatures of the bride and groom, two or more witnesses and the officiating minister: those unable to write would make a mark

Burial registers pre-1813

These were very brief, giving:

• Date of burial
• Name of person buried (family relationships may be given, such as wife of, widow of, son/daughter of, but rarely for the male head of the household)

Sometimes details such as age at death, occupation and whether a person was a pauper or from the workhouse is also given. Very occasionally a cause of death was noted.

Burial registers post-1812

Burials were entered into pre-printed standard registers. Columns were included for:

• Date of burial
• Deceased's name
• Parish of residence
• Age at death
• Officiating clergy

Sometimes a family relationship is given. Very occasionally, the cause of death may be included.

Layout of registers

Entries for baptisms, marriages and burials were entered chronologically. In many early registers, baptism, marriage and burial entries are jumbled together.

In others, the categories may be divided, with the baptisms at the front, burials at the back and marriages somewhere in the middle.

Parchment and paper were expensive, so clergy were careful to use all the available space in the registers. Later entries might be squeezed into any odd gaps found in the volume when the last page had been filled.

Be aware that some early registers may be copies of earlier registers which have not survived. These are known as fair copies.

Mistakes, omissions and transcription errors are occasionally found in both the original registers and fair copies.

Use of Latin

Most parish register entries are in English but a few members of the clergy wrote in Latin.

There are Latin dictionaries in our searchroom and staff will also help in translating individual entries. Here are a few common phrases used:

• baptisatus /baptisataest /erat /fuit - was baptised
• filia - daughter
• filius - son
• conjuncti fuerant - were joined in marriage
• copulati sunt/erant - were married·
• nupti erant - were married
• uxorem duxit - is commonly used for marriages (he took to wife)
• sepultus/sepulta - buried
• eodem die - on the same day (as the previous entry)
• ultimo die mensis - on the last day of the month of
• primo die mensis - on the first day of the month of

Names may also be given in their Latin forms. Here are a few examples:

• Alicia - Alice
• Carolus - Charles
• Gulielmus - William
• Jacobus - James
• Joanna/Johanna - Joan
• Johannes - John
• Maria - Mary
• Ricardus - Richard
• Xtopherus/Xpoferus - Christopher

Dating

Dates may be given in Roman numerals. See our separate guide to Latin terms for examples of this.

Before 1752, the year officially began on 25 March. Therefore January, February and most of March were the last months of the year.

To convert dates between 1 January and 24 March to modern dating, add one year onto the year given in the parish register.

For example, we would now interpret a baptism entry for 10 February 1713 as being in 1714. The accepted way to note this is '10 February 1713/14'.

Handwriting

The styles of handwriting used in the 16th and 17th centuries can sometimes be difficult to read.

There are several books on the searchroom shelves about reading old handwriting. Staff will also help with difficult entries.

Microfilm/fiche which is illegible

Check the lists to see whether there is an alternative copy of the register; this may be clearer.

In the case of illegible microfiche, ask a member of staff if you can use the master copy of the fiche.

You can also consult the archdeacons' and bishop's transcripts. These are contemporary copies of the original registers and may be helpful in clarifying an illegible entry.

If the above do not help, ask a member of staff if you may consult the original parish registers.

Some common terms used in parish registers

• Privately baptised/publicly baptised - Some babies were baptised at home soon after birth, especially if it was feared that they might not survive. Children of wealthier parents might also be christened at home.
• Received into the church - this is sometimes noted in the margin of a private baptism entry. It refers to the ceremony when the child was publicly welcomed into the congregation.
• Late [surname] spinster - Clergyman sometimes included the mother's maiden name in register entries, such as Jane Jones, late Smith, spinster.
• Base born, natural son/daughter - the child is illegitimate. If no father's name is given in a baptism entry, the child is probably illegitimate.