Parish Registers were instigated by Thomas Cromwell from 1538 in the reign of Henry VIII, recording every wedding, baptism and burial. There are gaps in the records for a variety of reasons, such as the civil war, but these records are a prime source for building family trees. From 1597 a copy of the records had to be made and sent to the Bishop. Sometimes the Bishops' Transcript may contain more information than the original, so it can often be worthwhile tracking down both. For more information on Parish Registers there is a brief history on the Wikipedia Parish Register page.
After 1837 Civil Registration was introduced and the Local BMD and GRO BMD records become the primary source.
| Classification: | GRO BMD, Births, Deaths, Marriages, National, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates - BMD Index |
| Link: |  |
| Description: | Complete GRO indexes online & Non-Parochial BMDs service. Includes overseas BMD's for armed forces. |
| Extra Info: | Includes Pre-1837 Non-Conformist BMDs |
| Classification: | GRO BMD, Baptisms, Births, Burials / Cremations, Deaths, Marriages, National, Parish Records, War Memorials & Other Memorials |
| Title: | Find My Past - BMD's, Parish Records and More |
| Link: | |
| Description: | Find My Past - BMD's, Parish Records and More |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Parish Records |
| Title: | Baptisms - England and Wales Christening Records |
| Link: | England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1980 |
| Description: | England and Wales Christening Records, 1530-1980 |
| Extra Info: | Not complete. |
| Classification: | Parish Records |
| Title: | Cumberland County Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | Cumberland County Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | Cumberland County Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes Families from village Wetheral and the registers of the parish church of St. Giles, Great Orton. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Bishops Transcripts, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Cumberland Roots |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20130320174640/http://w... |
| Description: | Cumberland Roots |
| Extra Info: | This is a copy of an archived site. Most information seems to be available. May take a few moments to load. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Cumbria Genealogy Search |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20140216110425/http://... |
| Description: | Selected Transcriptions |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of site that is no longer active. Most information is available to view. Click at the dot at the start of each description for transcription. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Cumbrian Genealogy |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20121023203108/http://w... |
| Description: | Cumbrian Genealogy |
| Extra Info: | This is an archived copy of the site. May take a few moments to load. Most information appears to be available. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Eden Valley Genealogy |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20190828175450/http://... |
| Description: | Eden Valley Genealogy, including Constables Census of 1787 |
| Extra Info: | This is an archived copy of a site that is no longer being updated. Most information is still availbale, although it may be slow to load. |
| Classification: | GRO BMD, Census, Parish Records, Pedigrees, Visitations |
| Title: | England Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | England Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | England Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes 1861-1901 Censuses; 1837-2005 GRO BMD; visitations and other records. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | English Clandestine Marriages |
| Link: | https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/england-clandestine-marriages |
| Description: | English Clandestine Marriages from 1667 to 1775. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Family History Books via Family Search |
| Link: |  |
| Description: | Family History Books via Family Search |
| Extra Info: | More than 40,000 digitized genealogy and family history publications from the archives of some of the most important family history libraries in the world. Read online for free. Includes some parish register transcripts. |
| Classification: | Parish Records |
| Title: | Family Search - Maps |
| Link: | |
| Description: | Family Search - Maps |
| Extra Info: | Maps showing where parish boundaries are, when registers were first started. Not complete coverage. Click on map in the map screen to view road names. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Bishops Transcripts, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Family Search Records Collection - England |
| Link: | |
| Description: | Family Search Records Collection - England |
| Extra Info: | An increasing number of records, including census and parish records. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Family Search Records Collection - Worldwide |
| Link: | |
| Description: | Family Search Records Collection - Worldwide |
| Extra Info: | Includes the England and Wales 1841 & 1861 Census, and foreign records, such as the American census that contains Britons who were aboard. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, National, Parish Records |
| Title: | FreeReg Project |
| Link: |  |
| Description: | Transcriptions for Parish Registers |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Internet Archive |
| Link: | http://archive.org/ |
| Description: | Internet Archive |
| Extra Info: | Has many scanned books, including some parish registers. Click on texts and then search the archive. Note baptism and baptisms give different results. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Marriage Index - The Joiner Marriage Index |
| Link: | http://joinermarriageindex.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Marriage Database for Northern England |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Marriages - England and Wales |
| Link: | England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988 |
| Description: | England and Wales Marriages, 1538-1988 |
| Extra Info: | Not complete. |
| Classification: | Banns, Baptisms, Births, Burials / Cremations, Deaths, Marriages, National, Parish Records |
| Title: | Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial BMDs |
| Link: | https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/affiliate/?affid=... |
| Description: | Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial BMDs from the National Archive, hosted by The Genealogist |
| Extra Info: | They include the birth records at Dr Williams' Library in London, hospital records of maternity, overseas registrations for British citizens and those on board ships. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Nonconformist Register - Northowram of Coley Register |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/nonconformistreg00byuhe... |
| Description: | Nonconformist Register - Northowram or Coley Register 1644-1752 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Parish Registers 1584-1620. Index of surnames and place names at end of book. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Open Library |
| Link: | http://openlibrary.org/ |
| Description: | Open Library - Scanned Books Online |
| Extra Info: | Includes full images of many books of transcribed parish registers. Use the search facility and select e books only. Can also search within book text easily. |
| Classification: | Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Register - William Bradock's Guide 1910 |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/parishregister00braduof... |
| Description: | Parish Register - William Bradock's Guide 1910 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. It explains that start of parish registers and other associated items, such as Phillimore marriages, Hardwicke's marriage act, banns, explanation of register entries, foundlings, as well as some interesting register extracts. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Parish Register Scans |
| Link: | https://ukga.org/browse.php?action=loadDB&DB=1... |
| Description: | Parish Register Scans for Various Counties |
| Extra Info: | Scans of books with parish register transcriptions. Free to browse. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Cumberland - Phillimore (1) |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/cumberlandparish01phil |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Cumberland - Phillimore - Vol 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers for Workington 1670-1837 and Moresby 1676-1837. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Cumberland - Phillimore (2) |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/cu31924104091685 |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Cumberland - Phillimore - Vol 2 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers for Stanwix 1662-1837, Crosby-on-Eden 1665-1837, Harrington 1652-1837 and Gosforth 1571-1837. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Garrigill, Alston, Cumerland |
| Link: | https://archive.org/details/garrigillstjohns00garr |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Garrigill, Alston, Cumerland |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1699-1730. Also includes the 'distinct register for non-conformists in Garragill'. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Great Orton, St. Giles Church, Cumberland |
| Link: | Parish Registers of St. Giles, Great Orton, Cumberland |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Great Orton, St. Giles Church, Cumberland (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Registers 1568-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Skelton, Cumberland |
| Link: | https://archive.org/details/theregistersofpa00skel |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Skelton, Cumberland |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1580-1812. |
| Classification: | Parish Records |
| Title: | Parishmouse Family History Guides |
| Link: | https://www.parishmouse.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Parish Registers, Parish Records and Historical Directories. |
| Extra Info: | Each parish page provides a list of adjacent parishes, historical descriptions of the parish, links to free parish registers and records. |
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