England, Bristol Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to baptism, marriage, and burial records from the city of Bristol for the years 1538-1900. The original records are held at the Bristol 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?
Christening records include:
 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Date and place of christening
 * Names of the parents

Marriage records include:
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Marital status
 * Fathers' names
 * Residence

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

Coverage Table
A detailed summary of the types and locations of records is found in the England, Bristol Parish Registers Coverage Table.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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 possible, look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index
 * Use the information you have found to find the person in census records
 * Use dates listed for the christening, marriage or burial to look for civil registration records

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
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Check for other names. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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, Bristol Parish Registers, 1538-1900." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Church of England. Record Office, Bristol.
 * Collection Citation:

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