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Microfilmed copies of all the records are available for public inspection and indexes are on the open shelves of the Asian & African Studies Reading Room, broken down by [[Presidency]], alphabetically and by year. Records are catalogued under the 'N' series (ie, the references for ecclesiastical records being with N), under the heading [http://hviewer.bl.uk/IamsHViewer/Default.aspx?mdark=ark:/81055/vdc_100000000035.0x00003a Ecclesiastical Returns] which fully sets out the applicable years for each Volume number, for the three Presidencies, and other data sets.
The [[British Library]] article page contains visiting tips and information.
===Online records and transcriptions===
*'''The commercial website [[findmypast]] digitised the India Office Church records and they were released online on 29 January 2014'''. Note that some India Office Records will not be found in the findmypast database, (for technical or other reasons). Due to the fact For privacy reasons be aware that more recent records may contain details for individuals who are still living, the website findmypast host currently (2019) a limited transcription only a basic index for birth/baptism records within 100 years and marriage records under 84 years. <ref> [http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/britishinindia/index.html The British In India Collection] bl.uk </ref> When introduced in 2014, there were is available with no digital images for births '''after 19141918''', or and for marriages '''after 19291933'''. The same date restrictions still applyCurrently there appear to be additional records added on an annual basis, probably indicating that records were although this has not filmed after these datesbeen consistent in past years.
*Many of the indexes have been previously transcribed by FIBIS Volunteers and are available in the [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/index.php FIBIS Search database] under the heading Ecclesiastical Records.
*Enhanced indexes from the church records at the British Library were added in April 2010 to the LDS [[IGI|FamilySearch website]]. These are free to search and view but examination of the full record will give further information. There are some records which are '''not available on findmypast'''.
**The FamilySearch website also contains some databases which are browsable collections of images, which have not been indexed, which are of church registers in India and Ceylon. Currently (2016/11) these are
***India, Madras Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1743-1990. Hints for browsing these records.<ref>Cheryl. [httphttps://archiverlists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/thhyperkitty/readlist/INDIAindia.rootsweb.com/2016-11thread/113724/1478862721 Baptism records - Madras Presidency] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 20169 February 2019.</ref>
***India, Gujarat Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1854-2012
***Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records 1677-1990
==Churches==
*[[Churches in South India]], a list of postal addresses and phone numbers of all bishops of CSI dioceses in India, correct in 1993 together with some current website details.
:'''Update December 2016''': BDM records for CSI are now kept at CSI Diocesan Office, 226 Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086.<ref>Brook, Michael. [httphttps://boardswww.rootswebancestry.com/boards/localities.asia.india.general/2973/mb.ashx BDM records for CSI] ''Rootsweb India Message Board'' 14 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016 9 February 2019.</ref>
*[[Churches in North India]], a list of the postal addresses and phone numbers of all bishops of CNI dioceses in India, correct in 1993, together with some current website details.
*[[Catholic Churches in Madras]], a list of Roman Catholic churches in Madras, with their date of building and approximate location. This list was kindly transcribed by Peter Bailey.
In India, as in England, parish churches, both Church of England and Roman Catholic, were obliged to send an annual copy of baptisms, marriages and burials to their Diocesan offices. These are known in the UK and elsewhere as "Bishop's Transcripts" ( BTs, also known as Parish Register Transcripts)
"As long as the Diocesan records have not been destroyed, you will always find a copy there from every single parish church within that diocese. If you don’t get a result from the parish (where for instance, as in Burma, many have been destroyed) then write to the Bishop's secretary".<ref> Steevens, Mark. [httphttps://archiverlists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/thhyperkitty/readlist/INDIAindia.rootsweb.com/2009-12thread/2240438/1262183536 Roman Catholic Registers in India (and elsewhere)] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 30 December 2009. Retrieved 7 June 20159 February 2019.</ref>
==External links==
