England, Cheshire Non-Conformist Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to baptismal, marriage, and burial records from the county of Cheshire for the years 1671-1900. The original records are held at the Cheshire Archives.

Nonconformist church records may not have the most widespread coverage, but when they are available, they are the most informative and accurate source available for English family history until the start of civil registration in 1837. Nonconformist birth and baptismal registers are fairly common, and they generally contain more information than those of the Church of England.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Birth Registers Baptismal Records  Marriage Registers   Death and Burial Records
 * Name of declarant (usu. father)
 * Age, occupation and residence of declarant
 * Name of child
 * Sex of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Names of parents, including maiden name
 * Names, ages, and occupations of witnesses (usu. godparents)
 * Residence of parents
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Given name of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Names of parents
 * Occupation of father
 * Legitimacy of child *Marital status of parents
 * Names of godparents
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Previous marital statuses of bride and groom
 * Occupations of bride and groom
 * Residences of bride and groom
 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Names of parents, including maiden names
 * Date and place of burial
 * Date and place of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Cause of death
 * Marital status of deceased
 * Name of spouse
 * Birthdate and place of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Occupation of deceased
 * Surviving family members
 * Father of deceased, esp. if infant
 * Occupation of father, esp. if infant

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

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?

 * Copy down all the information from the index entry
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the estimated age given in a marriage or burial record to calculate an approximate year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil and census records
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note 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
 * 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 have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an 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, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible matches. Try expanding the date range as well; this is especially useful in searching baptismal records, as it was not unusual for a child to be baptized weeks or even months after birth
 * Search the records of nearby parishes
 * The individual in question may not have records in a nonconformist denomination. They might have either converted to the Church of England at some point or undertaken Anglican ordinances. See the Cheshire Parish Registers page for more information

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, Cheshire, Non-conformist Records, 1671-1900." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Record Office, Chester.
 * Collection Citation:

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