But which Parish?
For much family history research in England, the Parish is the basic unit of local government organisation. Establishing the Parish within which your ancestors lived (and where their vital records are held) is an essential first step in locating the information that you need. Unfortunately, there are many parish names that are very similar, and more than a few that are exact duplicates, so you need to proceed cautiously. These tools may help.
PARLOC The Parish Locator
This simple but powerful piece of software is installed on each of the computers in the Family History area of the library. Start it from the icon showing the red map of Britain. If you want to be able to use PARLOC at home, it may be downloaded (Free) from the website, Our Bennett Family History and Parish Locator.The PARLOC database includes parishes that existed sometime between the mid 16th and mid 19th centuries.
It lists the type (established church, catholic, non-conformist) and county for each named parish and provides ordinance survey map references for its precise location. To resolve the ever-present question of whether a man baptised in Parish A might have married in Parish B, PARLOC will calculate the distance between the two. When your search in the church register of one parish fails, the software will suggest the names of all the others within a given radius (such as 5 miles) that might be your next target.
This simple but powerful piece of software is installed on each of the computers in the Family History area of the library. Start it from the icon showing the red map of Britain. If you want to be able to use PARLOC at home, it may be downloaded (Free) from the website, Our Bennett Family History and Parish Locator.The PARLOC database includes parishes that existed sometime between the mid 16th and mid 19th centuries.
It lists the type (established church, catholic, non-conformist) and county for each named parish and provides ordinance survey map references for its precise location. To resolve the ever-present question of whether a man baptised in Parish A might have married in Parish B, PARLOC will calculate the distance between the two. When your search in the church register of one parish fails, the software will suggest the names of all the others within a given radius (such as 5 miles) that might be your next target.
English Jurisdictions 1851
Over the years, the basic unit of the parish has been overlain with several other organisations. In England, these have included County, Civil Registration District, Diocese, Rural Deanery, Poor Law Union, Hundred, Province and Division. An interactive map on the Family Search site allows you to see how these layers are inter-related.
If family legend says that 2xgreat uncle Hubert died in a workhouse, how can you tell from the parish of his baptism (Gunthorpe) where to search for the records? This tool tells you that Walsingham was the relevant Poor Law Union in the County of Norfolk.
Over the years, the basic unit of the parish has been overlain with several other organisations. In England, these have included County, Civil Registration District, Diocese, Rural Deanery, Poor Law Union, Hundred, Province and Division. An interactive map on the Family Search site allows you to see how these layers are inter-related.
If family legend says that 2xgreat uncle Hubert died in a workhouse, how can you tell from the parish of his baptism (Gunthorpe) where to search for the records? This tool tells you that Walsingham was the relevant Poor Law Union in the County of Norfolk.
Great Britain, Atlas and Index of Parish Registers (Ancestry)
The Phillimore Atlas outlines old parishes prior to 1832 and provides the date of the earliest surviving registers for the parish. The atlas includes England, Wales, and Scotland.
The Phillimore Atlas outlines old parishes prior to 1832 and provides the date of the earliest surviving registers for the parish. The atlas includes England, Wales, and Scotland.