Below is a list of the parishes covered by the volumes of complete parish registers we already have available, totally free. We also have another database containing complete Phillimore Marriages transcripts and a list of those included so far can be found on the Phillimore Parish Registers - Marriages page.
A project has been initiated to index all of these volumes in order that you may easily find the records you require. This is an arduous task and will take a while to complete, so please bear with us.
The vast majority of the parishes below have not been indexed yet, but those that show (I) after the parish name have been. A list of the volumes that have been indexed can be found on the main search page.
We suggest you bookmark this page as we will be adding many more parishes in due course.
We would be delighted to hear what you think of this new facility. Please let us know.
Parish registers originally commenced in 1538 when Thomas Cromwell first ordered that in every parish, in England and Wales, a list must be kept recording all baptisms, burials and marriages. Initially, these records were kept on loose leaves but the rules were later tightened by James I ordering the records to be kept in parchment books. His order stated that all previous entries, back to at least the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1558, must be transcribed into the new books. Unfortunately, many parish clerks only did as instructed and the 20 or so years previous to 1558 were lost when the originals were destroyed. Some do remain complete back to 1538 - this explaining the variations in the start of parish registers.
There has never been any regulation as to the amount of information which must be recorded, so the records vary greatly, although in 1754 "Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act" introduced a set of printed forms which has helped keep records fairly consistent since that time. The Act was introduced in an attempt to make illegal all clandestine marriages for which no publication of banns, or a licence had been granted, and after 25th March 1754 were to be classed as void unless they had been performed in a church or chapel.
| Berkshire | ||
| The Registers of Bisham | ||
| Cheshire | ||
| The Registers of Upton in Overchurch | ||
| Devon | ||
| The Registers of Exeter Cathedral The Registers of Hemyock 1635-1837 | The Registers of Parracombe 1597-1836(I) | The Registers of Plymtree |
| Dorset | ||
| The Registers of Lydlinch 1559-1812 | The Registers of Caundle Bishop 1570-1814 | The Registers of Holnest 1589-1812 |
| Herefordshire | ||
| The Registers of Sarnesfield 1660-1897 | ||
| Lancashire | ||
| Registers of Aldingham in Furness 1542-1695 Registers of Altham 1596-1695 New Registers of Blackburn 1600-1660 New Registers of Blackrod 1606-1701 New Registers of Bolton-le-Sands 1655-1736 New Registers of Brindle 1558-1714 Registers of Burnley, 1562-1653 Registers of Bury, 1590-1616 Registers of Bury, 1617-1646 Registers of Bury, 1647-1698 Registers of Cartmel 1559-1661 Registers of Chipping 1559-1694 Registers of Chorley 1548-1653 New Registers of Cockerham 1595-1657 Registers of Colne 1599-1653 New Registers of Coniston 1599-1700 New | Registers of Croston 1538-1727 pt1 New Registers of Croston 1538-1727 pt2 New Registers of Eccles 1564-1632 Registers of Eccleston 1603-1694 Registers of Halton 1592-1723 New Registers of Heysham 1658-1813 New Registers of Lancaster 1599-1690 New Registers of Melling 1625-1752 New Registers of Middleton 1541-1663 Registers of Middleton 1653-1729 New Registers of Middleton 1729-1752 New Registers of Newchurch (Culcheth) 1599-1812 Registers of Newchurch in Rossendale 1653-1723 New Registers of Ormskirk 1557-1626 Registers of Over Kellet 1648-1812 Registers of Padiham 1573-1653 | Registers of Prestwich 1603-1688 New Registers of Prestwich 1689-1711 New Registers of Ribchester 1598-1694 Registers of St James, Didsbury 1561-1757 pt1 Registers of St James, Didsbury 1561-1757 pt2 Registers of St Thomas the Martyr, Upholland 1600-1735 New Registers of St. Michael's on Wyre 1659-1707 Registers of St. Michael's, Pennington in Furness 1612-1702 Registers of Standish 1560-1653 New Registers of Tunstall 1625-1812 New Registers of Urswick in Furness 1608-1695 Registers of Walton-on-the-Hill 1586-1683 Registers of Whalley 1538-1601 Registers of Whittington 1538-1764 Registers of Woodplumpton 1604-1659 |
| Lincolnshire | ||
| The Registers of Doddington-Pigot | ||
| Middlesex | ||
| The Registers of Kensington 1539-1675 | ||
| Nottinghamshire | ||
| The Registers of Walesby 1580-1792 | ||
| Shropshire | ||
| The Registers of Eaton Constantine, 1684-1812 | The Registers of Melverley | The Registers of Smethcote 1609-1812 |
| Surrey | ||
| The Registers of Coulsdon 1653-1812 New | The Registers of Stoke D'Abernon | |
| Sussex | ||
| The Registers of Angmering, 1562-1687 | The Registers of Cowfold 1558-1812 | The Registers of Cuckfield 1598-1699 |
| Warwickshire | ||
| The Registers of Rowington, 1612-1812 | The Registers of Weddington, 1663-1812 | |
| Wiltshire | ||
| The Registers of Stourton 1570-1800 | ||
| Yorkshire | ||
| The Registers of Cherry Burton, 1561-1740 | The Registers of Kirk Ella 1558-1841 | The Registers of Monk Fryston 1538-1678 |