Parish Chest Records
For background information on the types of records that might be found in the parish chest, you could begin with the entry in the Family Search Wiki. More detail can be found in the paper English Ecclesiastical Records in the Parish Chest provided by the National Institute of Genealogical Studies.
Family Search also offers a (22 minute) video and slide course called The Parish Chest Part 1 that covers "History of the Parish Chest, and an introduction to the Vestry members, including Church Wardens" |
A significant collection of Parish Chest Records held on Ancestry can be accessed by searching the card catalogue and filtering the results as shown.
You will then be presented with a list of counties from which you select the one containing the parish in which you are interested.
For more details on how to link parish names to other administrative units, see the page But which parish?
What you find (and how easy it is to read) will vary enormously from parish to parish. There will be gaps in the records where documents have been destroyed or mislaid. But what you do locate will be fascinating.
You will then be presented with a list of counties from which you select the one containing the parish in which you are interested.
For more details on how to link parish names to other administrative units, see the page But which parish?
What you find (and how easy it is to read) will vary enormously from parish to parish. There will be gaps in the records where documents have been destroyed or mislaid. But what you do locate will be fascinating.
Family Search also provides access to many Parish Chests, but many of their holdings are on microfilm rather than on-line.
Begin by selecting Search | Catalog and then enter as much detail as you know in the form [Country], [County], [Parish] as show here. The search results will list all the groups of records that Family Search holds for that location.
If you do not know the parish, then enter just [Country], [County] and the site will offer you a list of all the possible entries to complete the search.
Begin by selecting Search | Catalog and then enter as much detail as you know in the form [Country], [County], [Parish] as show here. The search results will list all the groups of records that Family Search holds for that location.
If you do not know the parish, then enter just [Country], [County] and the site will offer you a list of all the possible entries to complete the search.