Religious records
Parish registers and records from other faiths are the key source for records of “life events” such as baptisms, marriages and burials before the advent of civil registration in the 19th century.
The dates religious records began
The Anglican Church began keeping records of baptisms, marriages and burials in 1538 in England and Wales, and in 1634 in Ireland, and the earliest surviving registers begin then. However, the earliest surviving registers date from around 1611 for England, 1541 for Wales and from the late 18th century for Ireland. Unfortunately, very few survive for Ireland. In Scotland the pre-reformation Catholic Church began keeping baptism and marriage registers from 1553 (when the earliest surviving registers begin) and these became more widespread, with registers of burials, under the reformed Church of Scotland after 1560.
Returns of baptisms, marriages and burials, relating mainly to European and Eurasian Christians in India, Burma and other areas administrated by the East India Company and the Government of India are held by the British Library. The Religious records covered are: Bengal 1713-1948; Madras 1698-1948, and Bombay, 1709-1948. There are also returns for St Helena (1767-1835), Fort Marlborough (1759-1825), Penang (1799-1829), Macao and Whampoa (1820-1833), Burma (1937-1957), India and Pakistan (1949-1968), Kuwait (1937-1961), and Aden (1840-1969).
