Wales, Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Wales

What Is in This Collection?
This collection consists of church records from Wales for the years 1678-2001. In its most basic sense, a parish register is a record of religious ordinances performed in the Church of England. Beginning in 1538, every parish priest was required to write down certain information about every baptism (officially termed “christening” in Anglican use), marriage, and burial that took place in his parish over the course of each year.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
The following lists indicate potential information given in each type of record. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all the listed information, as the procedures for keeping parish records evolved considerably over the centuries after 1538. It must also be noted that individual parishes often developed record-keeping traditions unique to themselves.

Baptismal Records Before 1812  Included after 1812
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Full name of child
 * Sex of child
 * Legitimacy of child
 * Full names of parents
 * Residence of parents *Marital status of parents
 * Occupations of parents
 * Names of godparents
 * Names, ages, occupations, and residences of witnesses
 * Name of minister

Marriage Records Before 1754  Included after 1754 Included after 1837
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Full names of bride and groom
 * Dates of the proclamation of banns
 * Residences of bride and groom
 * Full names of witnesses
 * Name of minister
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Previous marital statuses of bride and groom
 * Full names of parents

Burial Records Before 1812 Included after 1812
 * Date and place of burial
 * Name of deceased
 * Marital status of deceased
 * Name of spouse
 * Age at death
 * Residence of deceased
 * Name of father, esp. if infant
 * Sex of deceased, esp. if infant

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * The 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.

Some of the records in this collection may be written in an old script that can be challenging to read. Refer to BYU’s Script Tutorial for assistance with reading the records.

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

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined.
 * 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.
 * Check for variants of given names and surnames. For much of the period of this collection, spelling was not standardized; pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation. Simple clerical errors were also always possible. Furthermore, individuals were often listed under a middle name.For women, remember that it was not uncommon to revert to a maiden name after the death of a husband.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. While it was uncommon for an individual in this period to move more than about 20 miles from their place of birth, smaller relocations were not uncommon.

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.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Wales.
 * Record Finder
 * 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.