Parish Registers: A Treasure Trove for Family Historians

Parish registers record baptisms, marriages and burials, and many survive from the 1500s. They are often the only source for the years before civil registration began in 1837.

Early entries can be brief, giving little more than a name and date. Later registers, especially after 1813 and 1837, often add parents' names, occupations and addresses.

Many registers are now transcribed or digitised online, but the originals held in county record offices can include notes and marginal comments that never made it into the index.

Look out for abbreviations and Latin, and read the handwriting slowly. A single entry can open up an entire new branch of your tree.