England, Cambridgeshire Bishop's Transcripts - FamilySearch Historical Records

This collection consists of bishop's transcripts from Cambridgeshire for the years 1599-1860.

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
Bishop’s transcripts contain more or less the same information as parish registers, so they can serve as a replacement when a parish register has been damaged, destroyed, or otherwise lost. Bishop's transcripts are often of value even when parish registers exist, as priests often recorded either additional or different information in their transcripts than they did in the original registers.

To learn more about the content and importance of bishop's transcripts, see the England Bishop's Transcripts page.

What Is in This Collection?
The collection contains and index to and images of baptismal, marriage, and burial records. The collection was originally filmed at the Cambridge University Library.

Coverage Table
There is a coverage table which lists the locations, dates, and types of available records within this collection. The table also lists film numbers for reference when looking for record images.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images of digitized records available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on this website are granted by the record custodians. Due to their restrictions, the images in this collection are not available for general viewing, but can be accessed by registered FamilySearch Patrons. Registration for a free FamilySearch account can be done here.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can find records either by searching the index or viewing the record images. Before using either search method, it is best to know the following information: As you search, compare your results with this information to find a match.
 * Name of the person
 * Date range for the record

Search the Index

 * 1) Go to the 
 * 2) Fill in the search boxes with the information you have
 * 3) Click Search to return a list of possible matches

View the Images

 * 1) Look at the Coverage Table to find the film number for the images you want to see
 * 2) Go to the Browse Page
 * 3) Select the Film Number to go to the image viewer
 * 4) Use the onscreen controls to move between images as you look for a match

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

 * Copy down all the information in the index entry.
 * Look at an image of the original record. The online index entry only lists the most basic information found in a record; the original may contain further information which was not included in the index. Save or print a copy of the image whenever possible.
 * Cite the index entry or record image. See below for help citing records in this collection.
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil records. Particularly useful for research in nineteenth-century England are the England Census and civil registration records.
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Remember that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage.

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

 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records.
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might appear under a different name in a record for a variety of reasons:
 * - An individual might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or 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.
 * - Some women returned to their maiden names after the death of their husbands.


 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible matches.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. While a person in this period rarely lived more than 20 miles from their place of birth, moves within this range were common. For this collection, nearby parishes could fall in the bordering counties of Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, or Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west.
 * The individual might not have records in the Church of England at all, but might have belonged to a nonconformist denomination instead. See the England Nonconformist Church Records page for more information.

Citing This Collection
Proper citations make it easier to get back to sources that you have found, so citing sources properly can help you keep track of research. Correct citations also allow others to check completed research by giving them a way to find and examine records for themselves.

Below are the proper citations to use for this collection as well as for individual records and images within the collection:

Collection Citation

Record (or Index) Citation

Image Citation