England, Bristol, Non-Conformist Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Bristol

This collection consists of nonconformist records from the city of Bristol for the years 1777-1936.

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
Nonconformist church records may not have the most widespread coverage, but when they are available, they are the most informative and accurate source available for English family history until the start of civil registration in 1837. Nonconformist birth and baptismal registers are fairly common, and they generally contain more information than those of the Church of England.

For more information on the content, significance, and availability of Nonconformist Records, please see the England Nonconformist Church Records page.

What Is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to birth, baptismal, marriage, and burial records. The records come primarily from the following denominations: Methodist, Society of Friends (Quakers), Catholic, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Wesleyan, Swedenborgian, Congregational, and Baptist. The original records are held at the Bristol Records Office.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following lists indicate potential information given in each type of record. Every record may not provide all the listed information, as record-keeping practices varied by time, location, and denomination.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information: As you search, compare your results with this information to find a match.
 * Name of the person
 * Date range for the record

Search the Index

 * 1) Go to the 
 * 2) Enter the requested information into the search box
 * 3) Click Search to return a list of possible matches

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

 * Copy down all the information from the index entry.
 * Cite the record. See below for assistance in citing this collection.
 * Use the information what you have found to find more. For instance, use the estimated age given in a marriage or burial record to calculate an approximate year of birth, if it is not known.
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil records. Particularly useful for research in nineteenth-century England are the England Census and the England Civil Registration 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 an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision. 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 appear under a different name in a record for a variety of reasons:
 * - An individual might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name.
 * - Spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so names were often spelled as recorders heard them. Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation.
 * - Some women returned to their maiden names after the death of their husbands.


 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible matches. Try expanding the date range as well; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth.
 * Search the records of nearby locations. While most people in this period never lived more than 20 miles from their place of birth, moves within this distance were common. For this collection, nearby locations could include parishes in the bordering counties of Somerset to the south or Gloucestershire to the north. The Welsh county of Monmouth across the Bristol Channel is also a possibility, but is less likely. Remember that marriages usually took place in the bride's home parish.
 * The person may not have records in a nonconformist denomination. They might have either converted to the Church of England or undertaken Anglican ordinances. See the Bristol Parish Registers page for more information.

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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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