England, Leicestershire Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains parish registers from the county of Leicestershire, located in the English East Midlands. The records found in this collection span over 400 years and include: Banns, 1637-1931; Baptisms, 1533-1916; Burials, 1533-1991; and Marriages, 1533-1931. While the vast majority of the records include images of the original parish registers, there are transcripts that do not include images. The images were provided by the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland. The indexes were provided by findmypast.com.

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
 * Names of parents

Marriage
 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Genders
 * Ages
 * Marital status
 * Estimated year of birth
 * Names of fathers

Burial 
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and place of burial
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Estimated year of birth
 * Residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * 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?

 * Save or print a copy of the image if possible
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the estimated age given in a marriage or burial record to calculate an approximate year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil and census records
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

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

 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct
 * If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * Spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so names were often spelled as scribes heard them. Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of results
 * Search the records of nearby parishes

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Leicestershire.
 * Leicestershire 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.