England, Kent, Canterbury Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These parish registers include records from 1538-1900 containing baptisms, marriages, banns, and burials filmed at the Canterbury Cathedral Archives. The index was created by FindMyPast.com

Earlier registers contain lists of events in the parish. This means that christenings, marriages, and burials could be grouped together on one page. Later registers (especially after 1812) contained more information depending upon the minister keeping the records. Eventually, printed forms were used and filled out by hand.

Children were usually christened a few weeks after birth, but you may find adult christenings as well. Some families would use the same name for multiple children until one survived past childhood. Because of this you may find multiple children that seem to be the same person with different christening dates.

Marriage banns were required by law. This meant couples had to have the minister announce or post notice of their intent to marry for three Sundays unless they obtained a license. This gave others the opportunity to object to the marriage. Usually banns do not list the marriage date. Marriage banns meant that a couple was planning on getting married. Don’t assume that a couple actually followed through until you find further proof.

Burials usually took place in the deceased’s parish a few days after the death.

Record Content
Baptism records may include:
 * Infant’s name
 * Baptism date
 * Legitimacy
 * Family’s place of residence
 * Father’s name and occupation
 * Street address

Marriage and Bann records may include:
 * Names of Bride and Groom
 * Previous marital status
 * Place of residence
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Signatures of witnesses
 * Minister’s name

Burial records may include:
 * Deceased’s name
 * Burial date
 * Age
 * Place of residence
 * Cause of death
 * Minister’s signature
 * Occupation and spouse’s name

How to Use the Record
This section includes tips and information about how to search the collection.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name, surname, residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

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

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Burial registers may mention infant children, including stillbirths, who were not christened.
 * Use the name, birthplace, relatives listed, and county of residence to search census records.
 * Use the date of the marriage bann to estimate a marriage date and look for the marriage record. Remember that the existence of a marriage bann doesn’t mean a couple actually got married.

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.
 * It was common practice in families to give their child the Christian name of a deceased older sibling. Pay careful attention to multiple mentions of the same name and event dates associated with that name.
 * 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. If possible, always look at the image of the original record to verify information.
 * The posting of banns doesn’t mean that a marriage actually took place.
 * Stillbirths are never found on christening records.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Consider searching the records of nearby localities. Canterbury is located within Kent County, so you might try searching for records within that area.
 * Try searching bishop’s transcripts, which are copies of parish records and useful when it appears a parish record may be incomplete or damaged.
 * Your ancestor may have changed religions during his or her lifetime. Nonconformist church records may be another place to look.

Related Websites

 * Canterbury Wills Index from 1384-1858, The National Archives
 * Non-Conformist vital records index
 * Free Parish Registers Index
 * 1901 Census and vital records index

Related Wiki Articles

 * England Church Records
 * England Genealogy
 * Kent Genealogy
 * Kent Parishes

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Articles

 * England and Wales Nonconformist Record Indexes (RGA 4-8) 1588-1977 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales, Birth Registration Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales, Death Registration Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England, Kent, Parish Registers and Bishop's Transcripts (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):