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, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | Birmingham, Aston and Coventry Baptisms and Marriages |
| Link: | http://www.ancestorsofbirmingham.com/ |
| Description: | Birmingham, Aston and Coventry Baptisms and Marriages |
| Extra Info: | Includes photographs of gravestones for Warstone Lane Cemetery. Includes some areas of south Staffordshire. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Births, Burials / Cremations, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records |
| Title: | East Midlands General Baptist History |
| Link: | http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~blanchec/genealogy/... |
| Description: | East Midlands General Baptist History |
| 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, Parish Records, War Memorials & Other Memorials, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Hints with Canwell Parish Website |
| Link: | http://www.hints-village.com |
| Description: | Hints with Canwell Parish Website |
| Extra Info: | May not work with all browsers. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Hollinsclough Village Website |
| Link: | https://web.archive.org/web/20180307060742/http://... |
| Description: | Hollinsclough Village Website |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a site that is no longer active, but most information still seems to be available. Click on Local History. |
| 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, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Alstonfield, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/alstonfieldparis03alst |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Alstonfield, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Part 3, registers appear to be burials 1659-1715, baptisms 1638-1715, marriages 1674-1715, after 1674 the events seems to be in one list. Published 1903. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Alstonfield, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/alstonfieldparis04alst |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Alstonfield, Staffordshire, Volume 1 part 4 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers appear to be baptisms, marriages and burials 1715 to 1750. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/bartonunderneed00pargoo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire, Volume 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms and burials 1571-1695, marriages 1571-1652. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/bartonunderneed01pargoo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire, Volume 2 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms and burials 1695-1812 , does not seem to contain any marriages. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/bartonunderneedw03bart |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire, Volume 3 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Parish register index only. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Betley, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/betleyparishregi00betl |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Betley, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms, burials and marriages 1538-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Betley, Staffordshire and More |
| Link: | http://www.betley.net/ |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Betley, Staffordshire and More |
| Extra Info: | Parish Registers from 1538-1812 and more. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Brewood, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/brewoodparishreg01brew |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Brewood, Staffordshire Volume 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1562 to 1649. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Bucknall-cum-Bagnall, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/bucknallcumbagna00buck |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Bucknall-cum-Bagnall, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms. marriages and burials 1762-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/burslemparishreg01burs |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire Volume 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms, marriages and burials from 1578 to 1753, then baptisms to 1761 and burials to 1760. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/burslemparishreg02burs |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire Volume 2 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms 1761 to 1767, marriages 1754 to 1812 then baptisms 1767 to 1809. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/burslemparishreg03burs |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Burslem, Staffordshire Volume 3 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms 1809 to 1812. Burials 1767 to 1812. Includes an index to all three volumes. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Ellastone, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/ellastoneparish00pargoo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Ellastone, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers 1538-1700. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Gnosall, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/gnosallparishreg00gnos |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Gnosall, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Baptisms and burials 1572-1699, marriages 1572-1785. Published 1922. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/hamstallridware00socigo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Parish register 1598-1812. Published 1904. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Haughton, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/haughtonparishre02haug |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Haughton, Staffordshire, Volume 2 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Parish register index only. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Milwich, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/milwich00landgoog |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Milwich, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms,marriages and burials 1573 to 1711. |
| Classification: | Banns, Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Over Areley, Worcestershire (formerly in Staffordshire) |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/registersofovera00over |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Over Areley, Worcestershire (formerly in Staffordshire) |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Parish Registers 1564-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Penn, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/pennparishregist00penn |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Penn (near Wolverhampton), Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers 1570-1754. Published 1921. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Rowley Regis, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/rowleyregisparis00rowl |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Rowley Regis, Staffordshire, Volume 3 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1772 to 1812. Includes an index to volumes 2 and 3. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Rowley Regis, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/rowleyregisparis02rowl |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Rowley Regis, Staffordshire, Volume 2 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms. marriages and burials 1685 to 1771-2. |
| Classification: | Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of St. Paul's Fazeley on the Fazeley Village Website |
| Link: | https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/en/archive/2... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of St. Paul's Fazeley on the Fazeley Village Website |
| Extra Info: | An archived copy of a site that is no longer active, but most information still seems to be available. Click on the Local History link. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Standon, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/historystandonp00saltgo... |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Standon, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. History of the parish and registers 1558-1812. Published 1888. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Standon, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/standonparishreg02stan |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Standon, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Parish registers index only. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/stokeupontrentpa01hutc |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Volume 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers appear to be baptisms, marriages and burials 1629-1688. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/stokeupontrentpa03hutc |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Volume 3 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers appear to be baptisms and burials 1734-1797, marriages 1734-1754. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/stokeupontrentpa04hutc |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Volume 4 |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Registers appear to be baptisms and burials 1798-1812. marriages 1754-1812. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of Trentham, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/trenthamparishre02tren |
| Description: | Parish Registers of Trentham, Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | Online book. Includes Bleurton Chapel. Burials 1744-1789 and 1790-1812 (in two separate sections), marriages 1706-1751 and 1754-1812 (again in two separate sections), baptisms 1784-1789 and 1790-1812 (again in two separate sections). |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Parish Registers of West Bromwich, Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://archive.org/details/westbromwichpari01west |
| Description: | Parish Registers of West Bromwich, Staffordshire, Volume 1 |
| Extra Info: | Online Book. Baptisms, marriages and burials 1608 to 1658. |
| 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, 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. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Parish Records |
| Title: | Staffordshire County Data from Ancestry |
| Link: | Staffordshire County Data from Ancestry |
| Description: | Staffordshire County Data Collection from Ancestry |
| Extra Info: | Includes parish register extracts; |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Bishops Transcripts, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records, War Memorials & Other Memorials |
| Title: | UK Transcriptions Website |
| Link: | http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~uktranscriptions/ge... |
| Description: | UK Transcriptions Website Various Counties |
| Extra Info: | Transcriptions for Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Click on Other Counties for Lancashire, Leicestershire, Norfolk and Shetland. |
| Classification: | Births, Burials / Cremations, Census, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records, War Memorials & Other Memorials, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Villages on the Borders of Shropshire & Staffordshire |
| Link: | http://web.archive.org/web/20091027014022/http://w... |
| Description: | Villages on the Borders of Shropshire & Staffordshire |
| Extra Info: | This is an archived copy of a site that is no longer active. Most information still seems to be available. |
| Classification: | Baptisms, Burials / Cremations, Marriages, Monumental Inscriptions, Parish Records, Wills / Probate |
| Title: | Wolverhampton & Area History |
| Link: | http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/ |
| Description: | Wolverhampton & Area History |
| Extra Info: | Click on Resources, then Indexes, the scroll down the page for Parish Register transcripts, wills index and memorial inscriptions.Includes transcripts for Bilston, Bushbury, Willenhall, Tettenhall and Essington. |
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