England, Essex, Bishop's Transcripts - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Essex

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes an index and images of Bishop’s transcripts from 1779-1892. The records are of selected baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Bishop’s transcripts are copies of parish registers that were sent to the bishops every month. They are extremely valuable when parish records have been damaged or destroyed. The copies were made and sent to the diocese office every year until the middle of the 1800’s. Because transcripts are copies, they may contain errors.

Collection Contents
Baptismal Records may include:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Given name of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Parents' names and occupation
 * Legitimacy of child and parents
 * Names of godparents

Marriage Registers may include:
 * Name of bride
 * Name of groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Names of groom's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Bride's age, marital status, occupation and residence
 * Names of bride's parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Witnesses' names, age and occupation

Death and Burial Records may include:
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Father of deceased and his occupation
 * Date and Birthplace of deceased
 * Marital status of deceased
 * If married, the name of the spouse

How Do I Search the Collection?
This section provides tips and information on how to search the collection. As you begin your search, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name, surname, place of residence, age, estimated baptism, marriage, or death year, and family relationships.

To search this collection by name:' Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors 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.

To search by image:

To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Name of County" category ⇒Select the "Name of Town, Parish/Church" category ⇒Select the “Event Type and Year Range (with Volume)" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information you find with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

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.
 * 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 variant names at different times
 * 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. When images are available, personally check the record to verify information.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, Now What?
Consider the records of nearby localities (Suffolk on the North, London on the South West, Cambridgeshire on the North West, Hertfordshire on the West, and Kent on the South).

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: