Genealogy Chat

Hi, Can anyone tell me what information the Parish Registers include please? I have found a transcript of the Cornwall Marriage Registers and I think my gt gt etc grandad married a second time after his first wife died. The dates of his marriages and children from both seem to fit. However, the transcripts only give his name and his marriage partner's name. Would the original registers give his father's name? As it was in the 1700's I would only have the registers to go on, and would willingly make the trip if they had more info on them than the transcripts. Many thanks for any help Bex

They don't usually. Back then it tended to be marriage by banns/licence of John Bloggs yeoman of this parish and Jane Doe spinster of this parish, witnesses Tom, Dick and Harry

Hi, No, parish records pre-1837 for marriages usually only give bride and grooms names, whether of the parish or not and witnesses. You sometimes get occupation and marital status but not fathers details. Sam x

Most likely all you will get is his condition at the time of the marriage (bachelor/widower)......and possibly the names of the witnesses along with the signatures or X's for everyone. That's about it. Oh, and which parish the bride and groom were living in at the time of the marriage. Merry

Might be worth a visit then to see if he has the word Widower after his name on the registers, and also to see who the witnesses were as that may help too. Shame bout the father's name, just wanted to make sure it was the same Andrew Noall and not 2 different ones. Many many thanks for all your help :)

I hate to be the odd one out, here, but I have plenty of Parish Register marriages where the father's of the bride and groom are named. (OK, I also have plenty where they arent). And if you can get hold of the Banns book, you might be in for a lovely surprise - my lazy Vicar used the Banns book as a marriage register (saved him writing it up three times I suppose)and eleven people signed as witnesses, giving their relationshaip to the bride and groom! Short answer - you cannot know until you have looked! But why not email the Cornwall Family History Society (sorry, you'll have to google) - they are fantastic and should be able to do a lookup for you. Olde Crone

Lol, that vicar may have been trying to save time for himself, but boy he's probably saved a lot of other people a lot of time too bless him! I'll get in touch with the Cornwall FHS, fingers crossed everyone. Many many thanks to you all :)

Cornish Maid, Are you in Cornwall?? Which parish do you need? I am a member of Cfhs and can get access to the records on line. Regards Perranmaid.

If you can't get help from perranmaid, there's a vast army of Cornish online parish clerks - just google. nell

Crone! Where do your rellies come from?? (generally????) I have never (????well, I don't remember ever) seeing a father's name on any PR before 1837, except my Quaker lot who have mum's name as well! All my family are from the south of England (draw a line from Bristol to Clacton-on-Sea!). Do you think that makes a difference? Also never seen any sort of PR entry before about 1580, nor any PR that keeps going during the Civil War etc......so do not have any line on my tree back before 1680. Do my rellies come from the wrong places???????????????????? Merry

Helen Must be lucky here as some, not all by any means, have both parents mentioned. Particularly the smaller parishes.

Merry My rellies come, in the main, from Lancashire and Cheshire. Bishops Transcripts tend not to transcribe the mother's name for baptisms (I mean, when the original copy was made from the PR) but the original PR OFTEN has mother's name AND father's name against a birth. Marriages also, practically without exception, have at least the father's name. The earliest entry on the Leyland Parish Register, is, I think 1554, and the first name in the register is one Jacobus Holden, filius Johannes Holden de Holden! Cheshire PRs are virtually the same, and it was in Cheshire that I found the lazy Vicar using the Banns Book. Incidentally, this was an LDS film and in its title, it did not mention the Banns Book, so that was a wonderful surprise. The 'missing bit' of the Restoration period, has been written up, presumably AFTERwards, although many Vicars did keep secret Registers at that time. I bear in mind that the 30 years or so, if written up from memory, are probably not entirely accurate, but I have been able to bridge that gap by other means. And one wonderful fabulous Register I saw, was the Merovingian Church Register. The Preacher had written a complete biography for every event, giving the child a numbered place in the family, the names of all the other children in the family, the grandparents and even addresses! He then went back and wrote in marriage/death dates against baptisms. Sadly, only one of my rellies ever attended this Church! Olde Crone

Lol OC - am tearing up my birth cert as we speak!! I am going to have Lancashire relatives from now on......! My Quakers were quite good, though........Mum's and dad's name and occupations of dad's from about 1700 for marriages . Age at death from about 1720. None of that, ''burial of Widow Smith'' type of entry!! My Independent Chapel rellies all had cause of death in the burial registers. This sounds good, but they all seem to have the same cause.........consumption! Merry

Merry Cornish Registers also have the cause of death in them...remember the woman who died in a cart of feathers? She was Cornish. OC

LOL!!! I don't have any rellies that far south! Merry

Sorry, had a quick break to watch desparate housewives lol. My rellies come/came from St Ives in Cornwall. The 2 marriages I'm interested in are: 1 May 1785 - Andrew Noall (Mariner), and Margaret Richards; 28 June 1791 - Andrew Noall (Mariner), and Jane Jennings If u could do a lookup I'd be most grateful. I'm just trying to check whether this was the same Andrew Noall who got married twice. Looking at the dates of the births of the children from both marriages it would seem to fit, but as there were so many Noalls in St Ives I need to check its the same one if poss. Many thanks everyone for all your feedback. Bex

sorry I'm a bit late coming in on this one. I think as the 19th century progresses, there was a trend towards putting more details in the parish registers. I have seen several burial entries with a cause of death given, as well as age, occupation & address. Does seem to depend on the vicar though. I also noticed some of the PRs in my gt grandfather's home village in Kent, a marriage or burial is cross-referenced back to the baptism, if the person was from the same parish. Extremely useful to ensure you have the right family. You are unfortunate not to have rellies in the Durham diocese around the start of the 1800's (sorry forget the exact date) The bishop asked that all parish records should contain additional data, so you often find wonderful entries like ' ... baptism of Thomas Common, first son of John Common cattle dealer of Herdlaw and his wife Jane, the daughter of William Armorer...'' etc etc

Cornish Maid, Sorry I have taken so long to get back to you. Unfortunately my units have expired and I cannot use my card to reactivate them oops overspent on this hobby again!!!!. Sent for a batch of certs the other night!! I have checked out the free sites but unfortunately there are none actually transcribed for St Ives that I can find, but cornwall opc for St Ives would be able to look for you based on the info given on his web page. Once I can activate my account I will have a look and get in touch to see if you have found what you need. Best wishes Pmaid

Thank you Perranmaid for getting back to me, will try the OPC and see if he can help. Expensive hobby? Yes i know lol. My hubby asked me if I had a drug or gambling problem this month because we seem to be spending a lot more than usual. Poor chap was quite concerned. Don't think anyone would understand I have a FT habit :) Many thanks for the advice Bex xx

Your welcome. At least on the overspend I only have myself to tell off.