England, Durham Diocese Bishops' Transcripts - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search

Collection Time Period
In 1537 the Church of England mandated that parishes begin keeping church registers by the next year (1538). These church registers continue to the present. Bishops’ transcripts, or copies of parish registers, were required beginning in 1598 and continued to the mid-1800s.

Collection History
In 1530, King Henry VIII established the Church in England, also known as the Anglican Church, the State Church, or the Episcopal Church. A law passed in 1537 required ministers to record the baptisms, marriages, and burials that took place in their parishes. Priests recorded these events in registers and kept them at the parish level, which is the lowest level of authority in the Church of England. Within some parishes, chapelries were created to provide for the worship needs of the parishioner when the parish church was not easily accessible. Chapelries sometimes had the authority to perform baptisms, marriages, and burials, so they kept their own registers. Several parishes formed a deanery (presided over by a dean), several deaneries formed an archdeaconry (presided over by an archdeacon), and several archdeaconries formed a diocese (presided over by a bishop).

Beginning in 1598, ministers were required to send copies of their registers to an archdeacon or bishop annually. These copies are referred to as bishops’ transcripts, or sometimes archdeacon transcripts. As a result, two copies of many parish registers exist from 1598 to about the mid-1800s. After civil registration began in 1837, the value of keeping bishops’ transcripts diminished, so by 1870 most parishes had stopped making them.

Banns are proclamations of an intent to marry. After 1754 these banns were required to be read for three consecutive Sundays before a marriage so that anyone with reasons against the marriage could oppose it. Banns were read in both the bride’s parish and the groom’s parish. The vast majority of the English population belonged to the Church of England. Only since the mid-19th century have other religious groups made headway.

Why This Collection Was Created
Parish registers were created to record church events of baptism or christening, marriage, and burial. Baptismal entries usually list the person’s birth date, and burial entries list the death date. In the Church of England, baptism, which was also called christening, was performed soon after the birth of a child. Marriage in the church legally united a man and a woman for civil legal reasons and for the purpose of founding a religiously sanctified family. Burial is a function of the church to inter the deceased soon after death.

Collection Reliability
Church of England parish registers are the most reliable and accurate family history source until July 1837, when the government instituted the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. Information in parish registers and bishops’ transcripts can be verified against each other.

Collection Description
Baptisms (christenings), marriages, and burials were recorded on blank pages in a bound book called a register. The events of baptism, marriage, and burial were all recorded in one volume until 1754, when a law required that marriages be recorded in a separate book. Banns, or proclamations of “an intent” to marry, were recorded in yet another book. Starting in 1812, preprinted registers were introduced, and then separate registers were kept for baptisms, marriages, and burials. Before 1812, bishops’ transcripts were usually recorded on loose pieces of paper. Following that year, the transcripts were recorded on the same preprinted forms as parish registers.

Collection Content
Church of England parish registers and bishops' transcripts contain:


 * Dates for baptism, marriage, and burial events
 * Place of the event is the parish unless noted otherwise
 * Name of the person and sometimes the names of parents, spouses, and other relatives
 * Age of the person
 * Sex of the child being baptized and sometimes of the deceased
 * Residence of the family, of the marriage partners, or of the deceased
 * Legitimacy of the child (baptismal entries)
 * Social class of the parents (baptismal entries)
 * Marital status of individuals and couples
 * Church of England parish registers and bishops' transcripts contain:
 * Dates for the baptism, marriage, and burial events
 * A baptismal entry may list the person’s birth date.
 * A marriage entry may list the dates that the marriage was announced (also called “banns published”). This normally took place on three separate occasions prior to the marriage and gave anyone with a valid reason a chance to object to the marriage.
 * Place of the event is the parish unless otherwise noted in the entry.
 * Name of the person being baptized, married, or buried and sometimes of parents, spouses, and other relatives.
 * A baptismal entry lists the given name of the person and the given name and surname of the father. Many times the mother’s given name is also listed.
 * A marriage entry usually lists the full names of the bride and groom. After 1754 the full names of witnesses are also given. After 1837 the full names of the fathers are given.
 * A burial entry lists the full name of the deceased. If the deceased is a child, the father’s name might be given. If the deceased is a married woman, the husband’s name might be given.
 * Age of the person being baptized, married, or buried
 * A marriage entry after 1837 gives the age of the bride and groom. Before this time, there is only a slight chance that an age is listed in the marriage entry.
 * A burial entry recorded after the year 1812 will give the age of the deceased. Before this time, an age may or may not be given.
 * Sex of the child being baptized and sometimes of the deceased
 * A baptismal entry usually identifies the sex of the child being baptized.
 * A marriage record implies sex by listing the groom first and then the bride. Sex is also indicated by the words used to describe the marital status of the bride and groom, such as bachelor, spinster, widower, or widow.
 * A burial entry may identify the sex of the deceased.
 * Residence of the family, marriage partners, or the deceased
 * A baptismal entry may list the residence of the parents, especially after 1812 when it was asked for on the preprinted form.
 * A marriage entry often lists the residence of the marriage partners, especially after 1754.
 * A burial entry should list the residence of the deceased after 1812. Before this time, a residence might be given, but most of the time it is not.
 * Legitimacy of the child in baptismal entries
 * Social class of the parents in baptismal entries
 * Marital status of individuals and couples
 * A baptismal entry often indicates if the parents are married.
 * A marriage entry may note if a spouse is single or widowed at the time of the marriage.
 * A burial entry may list the marital status of the deceased. 

How To Use The Collection
Parish registers are one of the best sources for identifying individuals and connecting them to parents, spouses, and other generations. In July 1837 the government instituted the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. However, parish registers continue to play an important role because they are often more readily available than civil registers. Bishops’ transcripts are a backup source for parish registers that are missing or illegible. If possible, you may want to search both the parish registers and the bishops’ transcripts since one is a handwritten copy of the other and might contain differences. Baptism or christening records list the parents’ names, making it possible for you to connect your ancestor to an earlier generation. You may find a birth date listed or be able to approximate a birth date. After 1812 the baptismal records list a place of residence, making it easier to identify your family by where they lived. The records also list the father’s occupation, which makes it easier to identify your ancestor's family when more than one family with the same name lived in the parish.

Marriage records sometimes state the residence for the bride and groom. You can use this information to look for their baptisms and to identify the children of this couple. Sometimes the groom’s occupation is listed, which could help you find more records about the groom. Marriage records after 1754 list the names of witnesses, who were often family members. These can help you identify your ancestor’s family. Signatures in the records might be used to identify a particular individual by the handwriting style. After 1812 and sometimes before, burial records include the age of the deceased. Use this age to approximate the person’s birth year and to find the baptismal record. If the deceased is a child, the parents’ names might be given. This information helps to extend your family another generation. The occupation of a deceased male might be given (especially after 1812) and can help identify your ancestor when there is more than one person by that name in the area. Knowing the occupation might also provide you the opportunity to find other records about your ancestor.

Banns indicate the parish of residence of the bride and groom. This information often leads to the records of another parish. You can search for the baptisms of the bride and groom in the parishes of residence since these might also be the parishes where they were born.

Bibliographical Information
Church of England. [Name of parish (county)]. Parish registers, [date range]. From URL, date accessed or downloaded. Digital reference number if any, volume title (if any), volume number (if any), name of individual, event date. Example: Church of England. Parish Church of Cradley (Herefordshire). Parish registers, 1560–1988. From FamilySearch Internet, September 29, 2006. Baptisms 1813–1875, Alfred Levi, baptized 23 Oct 1859. Church of England. [Name of parish and county]. Parish registers, [date range]. Salt Lake City. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, [date]. Microfilm/item number, volume title (if any), volume number (if any), page number, name of individual, event date.

Related Article

 * Bishop's Transcripts