Anyone researching their English ancestry knows how important parish records are. The British government began documenting births, marriages, and deaths in 1837, but before that, it was up to the Church of England to record the life events of its parishioners, typically in the form of baptisms, marriages, and burials. These records are essential for proving pre-1837 relationships and tracing your family back through time. But what if you simply can’t find your ancestor’s baptism, or they married outside the Church of England, or they lived long before their parish was established? This five-part blog series will explore the resources available beyond baptism, marriage, and burial records and help you think outside the box when looking for your ancestor in England.
Part 1. The Parish Chest
Parish chest records are an often-overlooked resource that can offer insight into your ancestor when typical parish records cannot. These records cover the day-to-day business of the parish, which includes overseeing the poor, assigning apprenticeships, and documenting church expenses. While a parish chest can have a vast array of documents, these ones are particularly useful for genealogy research:
Settlement Papers
If your ancestor moved into the parish from somewhere else, settlement papers can provide a wealth of information for them. Every parish was responsible for the care of their poor, so they often discouraged newcomers who could become a burden on the parish. Many who wanted to move parishes—and didn’t already have relatives or a spouse in that parish—had to provide a certificate indicating their home parish would take them back if they needed monetary relief. Anyone who didn’t have legal settlement in a parish could be examined by the churchwarden and potentially removed. Settlement certificates, examinations, and removal orders can provide your ancestor’s name, occupation, employment history, family members, and—perhaps most importantly—their parish of origin. The following example shows the settlement certificate for Elizabeth Hinmna in Ermington, Devon. 1
The settlement certificate for Elizabeth Hinman in Ermington, Devon
Bastardy Papers
If your ancestor was born illegitimate, you should turn to the parish’s “bastardy” papers. The parish was required to support children born out of wedlock, so there was a strong incentive to find the child’s father and pressure him to provide support. If the father was located but refused to marry the child’s mother (as the fathers were often pressured to do by the parish overseers), he could instead make payments to the parish for the child’s care. The bastardy papers provide insight about your ancestor, their mother, and the identity of their father. For example, see the bastardy bond of Sarah Rendle, in which she names Richard Swift as the father of her unborn child.2
The bastardy bond of Sarah Rendle, in which she names Richard Swift as the father of her unborn child
Apprenticeships
Parishes were responsible for arranging apprenticeships for poor or orphaned children. The child would be assigned to a master of a trade (such as farming, tanning, factory work, etc.) for a term of at least seven years, often without consent from the parents. Parish overseers often sent children away on apprenticeship to neighboring parishes so they would no longer be responsible for the child’s care. If your ancestor was employed in a trade, odds are they have apprenticeship papers. Apprenticeship papers may provide a child’s name, age, home parish, and sometimes even the names of their parents. For example, the below document shows the indenture for Elizabeth Bates, age 9, for an apprenticeship with Francis Powel in husbandry.3
Papers for Elizabeth Bates, age 9, for an apprenticeship with Francis Powel in husbandry
Overseer, Churchwarden, and Constable Accounts
In parish chests, you may find meeting minutes, lists of expenses, and crime reports from the parish overseers, churchwardens, and constables. While the information in these accounts isn’t always as consistent (or organized) as the topics above, they may still provide details about your ancestor’s day-to-day life. For example, if the parish paid your ancestor for a service, or leased out property to them, or charged your ancestor with a crime. These records can paint a picture of your ancestor’s trade, residence, associates, and criminal inclination. For example, see the churchwarden accounts for Ermington, Devon, which describes payments to Henry Witheridge and Henry Rabbish for renovations to the parish church. 4
The churchwarden accounts for Ermington, Devon, which describes payments to Henry Witheridge and Henry Rabbish for renovations to the parish church.
Where to find Parish Chest Records
We’ve discussed the importance of parish chests, but how do you go about finding them? The parish chest records for many parishes are held at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and have been digitized. Type the parish name (and county) in the “Place” field of the FamilySearch Catalog. When you see a list of results for your parish on the righthand side, select “Church Records.” Then, you’ll see a list of records relating to that parish. The parish chest records may be under the name “poor law records.”
Results on FamilySearch Catalog for Repton parish in Derbyshire.
You’ll then see a detailed list of parish chest records with a corresponding film number and a camera icon if the film is viewable online. Most parish chest records haven’t been indexed and will need to be searched by hand.
List of parish chest records available for Repton parish on FamilySearch.
If FamilySearch doesn’t have parish chest records available for your parish of interest, try the record office or archives of the county where the parish is located (e.g., Derbyshire Record Office, Hertfordshire Archives, etc.). Their website should have a records catalog or contact information for making inquiries.
The next part of this blog series will talk about tax records and how they can offer insight into your ancestors when parish records fall short.
Blog Posts in this series:
Sources
- Ermington (Devon) Church of England Parish Register, Settlement certificates, 909/7a-7b, 1820-1830, DGS # 4636169; digital image, “Catalog,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/: accessed May 2024).
- Ermington (Devon) Church of England Parish Register, Bastardy bonds, 909/237, 1811, DGS # 4636070; digital image, “Catalog,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/: accessed May 2024).
- Ermington (Devon) Church of England Parish Register, Indentures, 909/400-694, 1799-1830, DGS # 4636160; digital image, “Catalog,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/: accessed May 2024).
- Ermington (Devon) Church of England Parish Register, Churchwardens accounts, 904/19, 1829-1865, DGS # 4636059; digital image, “Catalog,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/: accessed May 2024).
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