GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Isle of Man Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Isle of Man Guided Research page.

Mandatory birth registration started in 1878, although some registration occurred before that time. Before 1878, births and baptisms can be found in church records (mainly the Church of England). The oldest baptism records date to 1600.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1538-1975: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975  at FamilySearch
 * 1598-1936: Isle of Man, Select Parish Registers, 1598-1936  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1600-1981: Isle of Man, Baptism Index, 1600-1981  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1821-1911: Isle of Man, Select Births and Baptisms, 1821-1911  at Ancestry ($)

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding births
Success with finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points:
 * Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Try the following search tactics:
 * Try searching for the parents if known. Sometimes a child's first name is not on the birth record.
 * Try different spelling variations of the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Try a given name search (leave out last names).
 * Try broadening the name search, such as using wildcards or searching for similar sounding names (instead of exact matches only).
 * Example: check "Name Variants" on FindMyPast or "Sounds like" or "Similar" on Ancestry


 * Expand the date range of the search.
 * Try searching with the county name only instead of by parish.
 * If your ancestor's name is common, try adding more information to narrow the search.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start Mandatory birth registration started in 1878. Before 1878, births and baptisms can be found in church records (mainly the Church of England). The oldest baptism records date to 1600.

Records Published

Records Destroyed Some church records may have been lost, destroyed, or damaged (especially in the early 1600s). More specific information is not known. Civil registration records are generally complete.