Channel Islands Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in the Channel Islands, go to the Religious Records page.

Parish Registers
Research use: Prime source for information about vital events in an individual's life. But, in most cases, does not contain enough information to provide more than a one generation pedigree link. The marriage records for the Church of England parishes on Guernsey are not recorded in civil registration until 1920, therefore this is the only source for this information.

Record type: Christening, birth, marriage, death and burial.

Time period: 1560's to present.

Contents:
 * Christening/birth: date and place; name of child and parents;
 * Marriage: date and place; names of couple;
 * Death/burial: date and place; name of deceased.

Location: Church of England registers are in local custody and on Jersey a copy of the registers are on file with the Superintendent Registrar. Nonconformist: In local custody and on Guernsey a collection is held by the Royal Court. See A guide to Civil and Parish Registers and Census records

Duplication: With other records: 60% with civil registration.

Population coverage: 85%.

Reliability: Reasonably accurate. Usually recorded at the time the events took place.

Parish Chest
Research use: Used to supplement information found in the parish registers. Useful for population movement and to serve as a census substitute. Very useful in dealing with pedigrees of poor families.

Record type: The parishes in the Channel Islands served both a civil and ecclesiastical function. These particular records relate to their civil responsibilities. Poor records, bastardy, rate books, churchwardens accounts, vestry minutes and censuses will be found in these records.

Time period: 1660's to 1900's.

Contents: Names; parentage; relationships; birthplaces; population movement; census of locality; lists of residences; poor law documents; parentage of illegitimate children.

Location: Local parishes.

Population coverage: 75%.

Jersey Archive Holdings
Jersey Archive holds records from the Church of England, Catholic, Methodist, Independent Church and the Ecclesiastical Court.

Church of England Records from 1540 – 1915 for baptisms and 1540 – 1940 for marriages and burials have now been digitized and are available at www.ancestry.com.

Transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials from c.1540 – 1842 can be viewed online as part of the CIFHS Collection.

Church of England
St Helier, St Clement, St Martin, St Saviour, St Mary, St Ouen, St Matthew, St Simon, St Andrew, St Marks, Grouville, St Brelade, St Lawrence, St John, St Peter, Trinity, Gouray, All Saints, St Luke and St James.

Roman Catholic
The Archive holds the baptism, marriage and burial records of the following Roman Catholic Churches; St Thomas’, St Mary and St Peters, St Matthew’s, Sacred Heart, St John and St Anthony Chapel (baptisms only) and St Anne’s (baptisms only). There are also indexes for the St Thomas’ records available to order. These records have not been digitized.

Methodist
The Archive also holds baptism, marriage and burial registers for the majority of Methodist Chapels in the Island. The Methodist collection also contains lists of Sunday School attendees, membership lists and class books which can prove useful for the family historian. Early registers appear within the Circuit records and then later within individual chapels and span the years 1836 – 1989. These records have not been digitized.

Independent
Records are also held for the following Independent Churches; Halkett Place Evangelical Church – Registers from 1809 – 1947, New Church Society – Registers from 1844 – 1987, United Reformed Church – Registers from 1827 – 1965, Jersey Baptist Church and the Presbyterian Church. These records have not been digitized.