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: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Marriage Index for England (Pallot's) |
| Link: | Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780 - 1837 |
| Description: | Ancestry's Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780 - 1837 |
| Extra Info: | Pallot's Index to Marriages is essential for researchers with London ancestry, as it covers all but two of the 103 parishes in the old City of London. |
| 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: | Baptism Index for England (Pallot's) |
| Link: | Pallot's Baptism Index for England: 1780 - 1837 |
| Description: | Pallot's Baptism Index for England (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Covers 1780 - 1837. For the Greater London area. |
| 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: | Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Burials and Deaths Records for Some London Churches |
| Link: | Burials and Deaths Records for Some London Churches |
| Description: | Burials and Deaths Records for Some London Churches |
| Extra Info: | Includes Brentford, Uxbridge, Fetter Lane, Chiddingfold, Chipstead and Croydon. 1813-2003 |
| Classification: | Births, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Chris Newhall's Family History |
| Link: | http://www.wildot.co.uk/famhist.htm |
| Description: | Chris Newhall's Family History |
| Extra Info: | Includes NEWHALL, BAILEY, BEECH, CATLEY and many other surnames. |
| 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: | Banns, Baptisms, Births, Burials / Cremations, Deaths, Marriages, Parish Records, Pedigrees, Visitations, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | London Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | London Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | London Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes numerous baptism, banns, marriages, burials and deaths from parish registers; American Wills Proved in London, 1611-1775; Visitation of London, 1633-1635 |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | London Lives 1690 to 1800 - Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis |
| Link: | https://www.londonlives.org/ |
| Description: | A fully searchable edition of 240,000 manuscripts from eight archives and fifteen datasets, giving access to 3.35 million names. |
| Extra Info: | See the Additional Datasets for Wills and Parish registers. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Marriage Index for England (Pallot's) |
| Link: | Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780 - 1837 |
| Description: | Pallot's Marriage Index for England (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Covers 1780 - 1837, mainly the Greater London Area. |
| 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: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Middlesex County Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | Middlesex County Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | Middlesex County Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes parish register extracts and wills index. |
| 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: | Non-conformist Registers, London |
| Link: | Non-conformist Registers, London 1694-1931 |
| Description: | Non-conformist Registers, London 1694-1931 |
| 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: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish of Harefield, Middlesex - Notes from the Parish |
| Link: | https://archive.org/details/notesonparishha00verng... |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Includes a history of the area, information on the monuments of the church, and extracts form parish registers. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish of Stoke Newington, Middlesex - A History |
| Link: | https://archive.org/details/historyandantiq03robig... |
| Description: | Parish of Stoke Newington, Middlesex - A History |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Includes extracts from the Parish Registers, Monuments and prominent people of the parish. |
| 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: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers for Middlesex |
| Link: | https://www.angelfire.com/fl/Sumter/Middlesex.html |
| Description: | Parish Registers for Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Listed by Groom's name. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Collegiate Church or Abbey of St, Peter, Westminster, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/publicationshar18socigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Collegiate Church or Abbey of St, Peter, Westminster, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers 1655- 1875. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofstpau01lond |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms for 1653-1752. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofstpau35stpa |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages for 1653-1837. |
| Classification: | Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofstpau37stpa |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Burials for 1752-1853. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofstpau34stpa |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms for 1752-1837. |
| Classification: | Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofstpau36stpa |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Covent Garden - St Pauls Church, London |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Burials for 1653-1752. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Hackney, St. John |
| Link: | Parish Records of St. John, Hackney |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Hackney, St. John (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Baptisms 1555-1650, marriages and burials 1600-1650. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Kensington, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/parishregisterof16kens |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Kensington, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers 1539-1675. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Knightsbridge, Chapel of the Holy Trinity |
| Link: | Parish Registers of Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Knightsbridge |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Knightsbridge, Chapel of the Holy Trinity (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Marriages 1658-1681 |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Mayfair, St. George's Chapel |
| Link: | Parish Registers of St. George's Chapel, Mayfair |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Mayfair, St. George's Chapel (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Baptisms 1740-1753, marriages 1735-54. Also includes Marriages from Mayfair Chapel for 1728-1731. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Middlesex - Phillimore (4) |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/middlesexparrish04phil |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Middlesex - Phillimore - Marriages Vol 4 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages. New Brentford, Hounslow, Stanwell, Sunbury, Ashford, Feltham, Hanworth and Pinner. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registerbookofma01west |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriage registers 1727-1787. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/publicationshar05socigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriage registers 1788-1809. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/publicationshar13socigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriage registers 1824-1837. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/publicationshar14socigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. George's Parish, Hanover Square, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriage registers 1810-1823. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registerofbaptis00stma |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1550-1619, published 1898. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone and the Oxford Chapel, Vere Street, St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofmarri01bann |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone and the Oxford Chapel, Vere Street, St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages. Registers St. Mary Le Bone 1668-1754 and the Oxford Chapel 1736-1754. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofmarri02bann |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages. Registers St. Mary Le Bone 1754-1775. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofmarri51stma |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages. Registers St. Mary Le Bone 1775-1783. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofmarri52stma |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Mary Le Bone, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Marriages. Registers St. Mary Le Bone 1783-1792. |
| Classification: | Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Stepney - St. Dunstan, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/marriageregister02step |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Stepney - St. Dunstan, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Quite faint. Covers the period 1640-1696. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of The Private Chapel of Somerset House, Strand, Middlesex |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/cu31924102088774 |
| Description: | Parish Registers of The Private Chapel of Somerset House, Strand, Middlesex |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Covers the period 1714-1776 (First 40 or so pages) |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Westminster, Collegiate Church or Abbey of St. Peter |
| Link: | Parish Registers of Collegiate Church or Abbey of St. Peter, Westminster |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Westminster, Collegiate Church or Abbey of St. Peter (Ancestry) |
| Extra Info: | Baptisms and burials 1606-1875, marriages 1655-1875. |
| 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, Census, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Romany References and Records |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20091026134802/http://g... |
| Description: | Romany References and Records |
| Extra Info: | This is an archived copy of a site that is no longer active, although most information still seems to be available. |
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