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, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | A Romany Gypsy & Traveller Heritage Project |
| Link: | https://www.romaheritage.co.uk/ |
| Description: | Romani Parish and Census records |
| 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: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records, War Memorials & Other Memorials, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Bere Regis Village Website |
| Link: | https://www.bereregis.org/ |
| Description: | Bere Regis Village Website |
| Extra Info: | Scroll down the page for baptisms, marriages, burials and wills. |
| Classification: | Banns, Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Pedigrees, Visitations |
| Title: | Dorset County Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | Dorset County Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | Dorset County Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes parish register extracts; Visitation, 1623; The registers of Almer, Co. Dorset : 1538-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, On-line Parish Clerks, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Dorset Online Parish Clerk (OPC) |
| Link: | http://www.opcdorset.org/ |
| Description: | Dorset Online Parish Clerk (OPC) - A Mixture of Records |
| 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: | 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, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Register and Census Transcripts - A Selection |
| Link: | http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~juliet22/genealogy/... |
| Description: | Parish Register and Census Transcripts - A Selection |
| Extra Info: | May not display correctly in all browsers. Transcripts from Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northumberland for a selction of names. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Register Marriage Search |
| Link: | https://ukga.org/browse.php |
| Description: | Marriage Search of Parish Registers for Various Counties |
| Extra Info: | Scroll down for a scan of some Phillimore marriage transcriptions, scroll further down for searchable parish registers. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Register Transcriptions |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20120302095016/http://w... |
| Description: | Transcription and Extracts Index for Berkshire, Kent, Somerset and Suffolk |
| 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, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers for Dorset and Suffolk |
| Link: | http://sites.rootsweb.com/~engdorse/Dorset.html |
| Description: | Parish Registers for Dorset and Suffolk |
| Extra Info: | Transcriptions of some parish registers. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Almer, Dorset |
| Link: | Parish Registers of Almer, Dorset |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Almer, Dorset (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Registers 1538-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Ashmore, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/ashmorecodorset00pargoo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Ashmore, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Parish Registers 1651-1820. Includes a names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Beer Hackett, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofbeerh03beer |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Beer Hackett, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1549-1812, with names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Caundle Bishop, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registerscaundl00mayogo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Caundle Bishop, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1570-1814, with names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Holnest, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersholnes00mayogo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Holnest, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1589-1812, with names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Long Burton, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registerslongbu00parigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Long Burton, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1580-1812, with names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Lydlinch, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersoflydli17lydl |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Lydlinch, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1539-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Sturminster Marshall, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registerssturmi00hobdgo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Sturminster Marshall, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1563-1812, with names index. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Swanage, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofswana69swan |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Swanage, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1563-1812, with names index. Also monumental inscriptions in the church and churchyard. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Tarrant Hinton, Dorset |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersoftarra44tarr |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Tarrant Hinton, Dorset |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1545-1812, with names index. |
| 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. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Romany Genes 2 Website |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20210423045021/http://... |
| Description: | Romany Genes 2 Website |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a site that is no longer active. Most information is still available to view. Maybe slow to load. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, One Place Study, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Tyneham and Worbarrow |
| Link: | https://tynehamopc.org.uk/ |
| Description: | Tyneham and Worbarrow - Where Time Stopped in 1943 |
| Extra Info: | Parish register, probate information, census and more. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Verwood Historical Society |
| Link: | http://www.verwoodhistorical.org/ |
| Description: | Verwood Historical Society, Online Parish Registers |
| Classification: | Banns, Baptisms, Bishops Transcripts, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | West Country Genealogy |
| Link: | http://www.westcountrygenealogy.com/ |
| Description: | West Country Genealogy - Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall |
| Extra Info: | Parish registers, census and more. |
If you know of any web sites for BMD data not listed here, please let us know via the Contact Us page.