England, Bedfordshire Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to Church of England's baptismal, marriage, and burial records from the county of Bedford for the years 1538-1983. The original records are held at the Bedfordshire Record Office and Hertfordshire Record Office. Parish registers have been kept at the local level across England since the mid-1500s. Due to this long and relatively stable tradition, these records are central to English genealogical research as they are often one of the only sources for finding families and individuals in England before the start of civil registration in 1837.

To learn more about parish registers, please see the England Parish Registers page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Christening
 * Name of the child
 * Date and place of christening
 * Gender
 * Date of birth
 * Names of parents

Marriage
 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Ages
 * Marital status
 * Names of parents

Burial
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and place of burial
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse
 * Names of parents

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * If possible, look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index
 * If you find a christening record, look for a civil registration of the birth. Often christenings occurred days or years after birth
 * If you find a marriage record, search for the new family in future censuses
 * Keep in mind that relatives were often mentioned in marriage records as witnesses
 * If you find a burial record, look for a death record in the civil registration
 * Use all information gathered to search in census records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This can help you find possible relatives
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Check for other names. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Bedfordshire.
 * Bedfordshire Guided Research
 * England Record Finder
 * England Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

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