England, Sussex, Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to baptismal, marriage, and burial records from the county of Sussex for the years 1538-1910. The original records are held at the West Sussex Records 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?
Baptism records include:
 * Name of the child
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Gender
 * Names of parents

Marriage records include:
 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Genders
 * Marital status
 * Fathers' names
 * May include age and estimated birth year

Burial records include:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and place of burial
 * Age
 * Estimated birth year

Coverage Tables
The coverage tables for this collection indicate the locations, types, and years of available records in this collection. Due to number of parishes included, the coverage information is presented according to the first letter of the name of the parish:


 * Sussex parishes beginning with A


 * Sussex parishes beginning with B


 * Sussex parishes beginning with C


 * Sussex parishes beginning with D-E


 * Sussex parishes beginning with F


 * Sussex parishes beginning with G-H


 * Sussex parishes beginning with I-L


 * Sussex parishes beginning with M-O


 * Sussex parishes beginning with P


 * Sussex parishes beginning with R


 * Sussex parishes beginning with S


 * Sussex parishes beginning with T-U


 * Sussex parishes beginning with W-Y

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Date range for the record

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 you find a baptism record, search for a birth record
 * If the parents are listed, look for the family in census records
 * If a marriage date is found, look for the new family in census records
 * If a burial record is found, search for a death record
 * If the age is listed on the burial record, estimate a birth year
 * Continue to search the index for people with the same surname to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives
 * Family members often appear on an individual's records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

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

 * 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 recorders 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 a broader list of search results
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. For this collection, nearby locations include the bordering counties of Hampshire, Surrey, and Kent
 * The individual in question may not have records in the Church of England at all, but rather might have belonged to a nonconformist denomination. See England Nonconformist Church Records for more information

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.

"England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910.” Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. West Sussex County Record Office, Chichester.
 * Collection Citation:

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