England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These collections will include records from 1558-1887. They are indexes to selected baptisms, marriages and burials. Devon, also historically known as Devonshire, is a county of England reaching from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the south. It is located in south-west England.

Bishop’s transcripts are copies of parish registers that were sent to the bishops every month. They are extremely valuable when parish records have been damaged or destroyed. The copies were made and sent to the diocese office every year until the middle of the 1800’s. Because transcripts are copies, they may contain errors.

Record Content
Baptismal Records usually include:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name and sex of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Parents' names

Marriage Registers usually include:

Death / Burial Records usually include:
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Bride and groom’s names
 * Groom's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Names of groom's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Bride's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Names of bride's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Date of the marriage
 * Witnesses' names, age and occupation
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Father of deceased and his occupation
 * Date and birthplace of deceased
 * Marital status of deceased
 * If married, name of spouse

How to Use the Record
To begin searching these records it is helpful to know your ancestor's first and last name.

Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name and your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life. Further information such as birth date, parent's names, or possible residence may help differentiate between individuals with similar names.

Search the Collection
To search by index:

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the people in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the Information

 * Try searching for the parents' marriage record in the same locality as your ancestor's birth place.
 * Be sure to record the bride's maiden name found on the marriage record.
 * Use the ages of the bride and groom to estimate their birth years.
 * Use death dates to search for other records such as obituaries, grave markers, sexton's records, or civil death records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.


 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.


 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives.


 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur. Do not rule out individuals in the search with different spellings of the same name

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
Consider searching the records of nearby localities (Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the northeast, and Dorset to the east).

Also, as bishop’s transcripts are copies of parish records, try searching for your ancestor in [#Related FamilySearch Historical Records Articles|other collections] of Devon church records.

Related Websites

 * We Relate—About Devon
 * Devon England Church Records
 * Devon Phillimores Marriage Parish Registers *GenUKI—Devon
 * Devon County Council—Bishop’s Transcripts

Related Wiki Articles

 * Devon Church Records
 * Devon Parishes
 * Devon Genealogy
 * Devon Census
 * Devon Probate Records
 * England Church Records

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Articles

 * England, Devon, Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England, Cornwall and Devon Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citations (or citation for the index entry):