Parish records provide the best source of Births, Marriages and Deaths information and are at the cornerstone of research going back in time.

In 1837 Civil Registration was started and all Births, Marriages and Deaths had to be recorded by law. Prior to then the only vital records that were universally kept were Parish Records. Since 1538 all events held in a church have had to be recorded by law. Although not all the earliest records have survived, Parish records of Births, Marriages and Deaths are very important in tracing family history.

Whilst the records don’t record births, in earlier centuries a very high proportion of children were baptised - normally within a few months of the birth. And as the name of the child is recorded along with the parents’ and place of residence these records are vital for people researching their family history.

It’s fascinating to follow the changes in your family over several lifetimes and even if you’ve searched before and drawn a blank – it’s always worth looking again as we are in the process of adding more records. For further Parish Record updates see our What’s New page or sign up for our newsletter.

The content within these records and the functional improvements have made this collection one of the most complete sources of Parish Records on the internet. Containing records that are fully indexed and with digital images that aren’t available anywhere else.