Historical context
Which record, and why it exists
Every record was made for a reason, and the reason shapes what it says. Knowing who kept it tells you what to expect on the page.
Parish registers
- 1538
- Thomas Cromwell's injunction of September 1538 ordered every parish to record its baptisms, marriages and burialsTNA; Cheney
- 1597–8
- A new order said registers must be kept in parchment books, and older entries copied into them. Many early registers are these copies.TNA
- Bishop's transcripts
- From 1598 a copy of each year's entries was also sent to the bishop. Where a register is lost, the copy may survive.TNA
Wills and inventories
- Wills
- Before 1858 wills were proved in the church courtsTNA
- Inventories
- From about 1530 local men listed and valued the dead person's goods, room by roomTNA
Courts
- Manor courts
- The lord's court dealt with tenants' land, rents and local order. Its records are court rolls.TNA
- Quarter sessions
- Justices of the peace met four times a year for lesser crimes and county businessTNA
- Church courts
- Dealt with wills, marriage, slander and morals, and tithesTNA
Sources
- Cheney: C. R. Cheney, ed., rev. M. Jones, A Handbook of Dates for Students of British History (2000)
- TNA: The National Archives, research guides (online)
Facts from these sources, in our own words. Page numbers are the printed pages.