Difference between revisions of "Birth, marriage and death records"

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There are a number of sources for locating birth, marriage or death information.  This article provides an overview of these.  See the links to the main article for each source for more in depth information.
 
There are a number of sources for locating birth, marriage or death information.  This article provides an overview of these.  See the links to the main article for each source for more in depth information.
  
−
== Ecclesiastical records (‘N’ Series in the India Office Records) ==
+
Also consider the following:
 +
 
 +
* a person may have been baptised with a certain Christian name, but been known by a completely different name, either for their whole life, or for various periods.
 +
* a second marriage may be bigamous
 +
* the birth mother may not be correctly stated in a baptismal record.
 +
* a person who had been widowed may be described as a Bachelor/Spinster on a 2nd marriage record
 +
 
 +
==FIBIS resources==
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=277 Births Outside India]
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=241 Ministers and missionaries]
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=964&s_id=0 Mixed Original Records] provided by Malcolm Speirs
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=3 Deaths and burials]
 +
** Bengal burial records
 +
** Bombay burial records
 +
** Burials Outside India
 +
** Chandernagore Civil Death Registration Index
 +
** Madras burial records  
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=1 Marriages]
 +
** Bengal Marriages
 +
** Bombay Marriages
 +
** Chandernagore Civil Marriage Index
 +
** Madras Marriages
 +
** Marriages outside India  
 +
** Registry Office Marriage Indexes
 +
** St Helena Banns of Marriage
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=class_detail&source_class=2 Baptisms]
 +
** Baptisms Outside India
 +
** Bengal Baptisms
 +
** Bombay Baptisms
 +
** Chandernagore Civil Birth Registration Index
 +
** Madras Baptisms
 +
* [https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=list_sources&source_class=103 Births, Marriages and deaths announced in Newspapers and periodicals]
 +
 
 +
== Ecclesiastical records ==
 
'''Main article: [[Church records]]'''
 
'''Main article: [[Church records]]'''
 +
===(‘N’ Series in the India Office Records)===
  
−
The [[East India Company]] established and paid for Anglican dioceses and parishes in all areas as they came under its control. Each parish priest was required to establish registers in which to record BMDs. In addition, he had to send duplicates to the presidency ecclesiastical authorities. The latter have been collated and sent to London and are now in the care of the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]] in their Asia, Pacific & Africa Collections Reading Room ([[APAC]]).
+
The [[East India Company]] established and paid for Anglican dioceses and parishes in all areas as they came under its control. Each chaplain/parish minister was required to establish registers in which to record BMDs. In addition, he had to send duplicates to the presidency ecclesiastical authorities. The latter have been collated and sent to London and are now in the care of the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]] in their Asian & African Studies Reading Room. Ministers, priests and missionaries who were not employed by the East India Company were not obliged to send these returns, however some did so on a voluntary basis but these records are available to a lesser extent.
  
 
Microfilmed copies of all the records are available for public inspection and indexes are available on the open shelves of the APAC, broken down by Presidency, alphabetically and by year.
 
Microfilmed copies of all the records are available for public inspection and indexes are available on the open shelves of the APAC, broken down by Presidency, alphabetically and by year.
Line 12: Line 46:
 
The N series contains Anglican and some Catholic and Non-Conformist records.
 
The N series contains Anglican and some Catholic and Non-Conformist records.
  
 +
'''The majority of these records have been  digitised and are available online through the commercial site [http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]'''. If record is not found one should continue the search amongst the India Office records at the British Library.  Also, be aware that the digital images are restricted for privacy purposes and a limited transcription only is available, currently (January 2020) as follows: '''There are no digital images for baptisms after 1919, nor for marriages after 1934'''.
  
 
== Registrar Marriages ==
 
== Registrar Marriages ==
Line 18: Line 53:
 
Marriages conducted by the Registrar, which commenced in 1852, are included in the India Office ‘N’ series (N/11). A complete transcription of the indexes to these records is included in the [http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=list_sources&source_class=102 FIBIS Search] section of this website.
 
Marriages conducted by the Registrar, which commenced in 1852, are included in the India Office ‘N’ series (N/11). A complete transcription of the indexes to these records is included in the [http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=list_sources&source_class=102 FIBIS Search] section of this website.
  
−
Unfortunately, the LDS have not filmed these records so they may only be viewed at the [[British Library]].
+
The Registrar Marriages records are  included in the digitised records available on the commercial site findmypast
  
 +
The LDS have not filmed these records.
  
−
==Records on the LDS Family Seach website==
+
==Records on the LDS Family Search website==
 
'''Main article: [[IGI]]'''
 
'''Main article: [[IGI]]'''
  
Line 32: Line 68:
  
 
'Domestic Occurrences' was a section found in many periodical publications detailing birth, marriage and death announcements.  It is easy to search these records in the digitized versions of journals and directories that are available online.  FIBIS has a wealth of transcribed resources.
 
'Domestic Occurrences' was a section found in many periodical publications detailing birth, marriage and death announcements.  It is easy to search these records in the digitized versions of journals and directories that are available online.  FIBIS has a wealth of transcribed resources.
−
 
  
 
==Records at The National Archives==
 
==Records at The National Archives==
 
'''Main article: [[General Register Office]]'''
 
'''Main article: [[General Register Office]]'''
  
−
[[The National Archives]] hold some records that may be useful in tracing a BMD outside of the United Kingdom.  For more help see TNA’s brief guide [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/gettingstarted/looking-for-person/bmdatseaorabroad.htm "Looking for records of a birth, marriage or death of a British national at sea or abroad"] or the books ''Tracing Your Ancestors in The National Archives'' by Amanda Bevan (7th edn, National Archives Kew, 2006), including chapter 8, "Births, marriages and deaths of Britons overseas or in the armed services" and ''The British Overseas, A Guide to Records of Their Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Burials Available in the United Kingdom'' by Geoffrey Yeo (London, 3rd edition 1995). Both are available at the [[British Library]].
+
[[The National Archives]] hold some records that may be useful in tracing a BMD outside of the United Kingdom.  For more help see TNA’s brief guide [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/gettingstarted/looking-for-person/bmdatseaorabroad.htm "Looking for records of a birth, marriage or death of a British national at sea or abroad"] or the books ''Tracing Your Ancestors in The National Archives'' by Amanda Bevan (7th edn, National Archives Kew, 2006), including chapter 8, "Births, marriages and deaths of Britons overseas or in the armed services" and ''The British Overseas, A Guide to Records of Their Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Burials Available in the United Kingdom'' by Geoffrey Yeo (London, 3rd edition 1995).
−
 
+
 
 +
There is reference in the main article to some other sources of overseas records such as the London Metropolitan Archives.
  
 
==BMDs at sea==
 
==BMDs at sea==
 
'''Main article: [[Births, marriages and deaths at sea]]'''
 
'''Main article: [[Births, marriages and deaths at sea]]'''
−
 
  
 
==British Army==
 
==British Army==
 
[[British Army#Ecclesiastical returns|British Army Ecclesiastical returns]] and [[Chaplains Returns]] detail sources other than the N series for India BMDs pertaining to British Army soldiers and their families.
 
[[British Army#Ecclesiastical returns|British Army Ecclesiastical returns]] and [[Chaplains Returns]] detail sources other than the N series for India BMDs pertaining to British Army soldiers and their families.
−
 
  
 
==Birth and death registration==
 
==Birth and death registration==
 
'''Main article: [[Birth and death registration]]'''
 
'''Main article: [[Birth and death registration]]'''
  
−
Some birth and death registration did occur in British India.  It commenced in the 1860s but was only compulsory in some  areas, with other places adopting voluntary registration.  The records are obtained from  Local Municipalities, therefore researchers must know where a birth  occurred.  Some people born in India have  copies of their birth registration. Presumably these were obtained some time ago and it is not known whether these documents could be obtained currently, or how  far back existing records go.
+
Some birth and death registration did occur in British India.  It commenced in the 1860s but was only compulsory in some  areas, with other places adopting voluntary registration.  The records are obtained from  local Municipal Corporations, therefore researchers must know where a birth  occurred.  Some people born in India pre 1947 have  copies of their birth registration. Recent copies are known to have been obtained from the Shimla Municipal Corporation following a visit there, but it is not known whether these documents are generally available, or how  far back existing records go.
−
 
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
*[[Cemeteries]], including
 
*[[Cemeteries]], including
 
**[[British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia]]. The BACSA website now has a search facility for the indexes to its cemetery books (work in progress) These indexes are free to search and browse, a charge applies for the record.
 
**[[British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia]]. The BACSA website now has a search facility for the indexes to its cemetery books (work in progress) These indexes are free to search and browse, a charge applies for the record.
 +
*[[Adoption]]
 
*[[Divorce]]
 
*[[Divorce]]
 +
*[[Newspapers]]
 
*[[Society of Genealogists]]
 
*[[Society of Genealogists]]
 
*[[National Army Museum]]
 
*[[National Army Museum]]
 +
*[[Ahmadabad]] for a series of images from FamilySearch "India, Gujarat Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1854-2012"
 +
*[[Kirkee]], for digitised pages from the registers from All Saint's Church, Kirkee
 +
*[[St. Helena]], for digital images from  registers for Banns of Marriage [1849-1924].
 +
*[[Passport applications in India]].  A listing available from the Assam State Archives contains dates of birth (limited periods).
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]
 +
*[http://www.deedpoll.com/tracing-a-change-of-name.htm Tracing a Change of Name by Deed Poll in the UK] deedpoll.com . Some records are available at  [[The National Archives]].  It is often the case that a proof of name change either never existed or no longer does.
 +
*[https://www.gov.uk/search-local-archives Locate a local Archives] England and Wales only. gov.uk.  If a person has returned  or immigrated to the UK, a local Archive may be a source of local newspapers for funeral or other information, local electoral registers etc. (Some electoral registers are available online on Ancestry, [[findmypast]] etc).
 +
*[http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/marrlic.htm Marriage Licence Records (Allegations and Bonds) at Guildhall Library] This is a brief introduction to searching for records relating to the issue of marriage licences, with particular reference to those concerning the City of London and former county of Middlesex. Licences were issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Bishops, and the records are called Marriage Allegations or Bishops’ Marriage Allegations. These records have been transferred to the London Metropolitan Archives and are now available online on the pay website Ancestry.
 +
:'''Update''' July 2017.  findmypast has added a database of transcribed indexes  called "London Marriage Licences 1521-1869" which is taken from the book of the same name, published 1887  available on [https://archive.org/details/londonmarriageli00fost Archive.org]
 +
*[http://www.archives.com/blog/genealogy-help/second-cousins-and-removed-cousins-difference.html Second Cousins and Removed Cousins: What's the Difference] by Amy Johnson Crow October 16, 2013 www.archives.com
 +
*[http://www.dglenn.org/defs/daysymbols.html Symbols For Days Of The Week]. dglenn.org. These symbols are sometimes seen in baptismal, marriage and burial entries, generally in older church records  to c 1700.
 +
 +
{{#widget:Google PlusOne
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|size=small
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|count=true
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}}
  
  
 
[[Category: Records]]
 
[[Category: Records]]

Revision as of 23:05, 17 January 2020

These ‘Vital Records’ include not only Births, Marriages and Deaths but more particularly in India, Baptisms/Christenings, Marriages and Burials. There was some registration of Births and Deaths in British India commencing in 1864 in Calcutta but generally it was voluntary.

There are a number of sources for locating birth, marriage or death information. This article provides an overview of these. See the links to the main article for each source for more in depth information.

Also consider the following:

  • a person may have been baptised with a certain Christian name, but been known by a completely different name, either for their whole life, or for various periods.
  • a second marriage may be bigamous
  • the birth mother may not be correctly stated in a baptismal record.
  • a person who had been widowed may be described as a Bachelor/Spinster on a 2nd marriage record

FIBIS resources

Ecclesiastical records

Main article: Church records

(‘N’ Series in the India Office Records)

The East India Company established and paid for Anglican dioceses and parishes in all areas as they came under its control. Each chaplain/parish minister was required to establish registers in which to record BMDs. In addition, he had to send duplicates to the presidency ecclesiastical authorities. The latter have been collated and sent to London and are now in the care of the India Office Records at the British Library in their Asian & African Studies Reading Room. Ministers, priests and missionaries who were not employed by the East India Company were not obliged to send these returns, however some did so on a voluntary basis but these records are available to a lesser extent.

Microfilmed copies of all the records are available for public inspection and indexes are available on the open shelves of the APAC, broken down by Presidency, alphabetically and by year.

The N series contains Anglican and some Catholic and Non-Conformist records.

The majority of these records have been digitised and are available online through the commercial site findmypast. If record is not found one should continue the search amongst the India Office records at the British Library. Also, be aware that the digital images are restricted for privacy purposes and a limited transcription only is available, currently (January 2020) as follows: There are no digital images for baptisms after 1919, nor for marriages after 1934.

Registrar Marriages

Main article: Registrar marriages

Marriages conducted by the Registrar, which commenced in 1852, are included in the India Office ‘N’ series (N/11). A complete transcription of the indexes to these records is included in the FIBIS Search section of this website.

The Registrar Marriages records are included in the digitised records available on the commercial site findmypast

The LDS have not filmed these records.

Records on the LDS Family Search website

Main article: IGI

The LDS maintained International Genealogical Index is a huge database of genealogical information. The IGI contains several hundred thousand birth and marriage entries for the British India period, data input from the ecclesiastical record microfilms. Those from the ecclesiastical records provide reference numbers so that the microfilms may be viewed at LDS Family History Centres.

Details of other microfilms from the LDS Library Catalogue in respect of Church registers in India are also included.

‘Domestic Occurrences’ in registers, almanacs and newspapers

Main article: Domestic Occurrences

'Domestic Occurrences' was a section found in many periodical publications detailing birth, marriage and death announcements. It is easy to search these records in the digitized versions of journals and directories that are available online. FIBIS has a wealth of transcribed resources.

Records at The National Archives

Main article: General Register Office

The National Archives hold some records that may be useful in tracing a BMD outside of the United Kingdom. For more help see TNA’s brief guide "Looking for records of a birth, marriage or death of a British national at sea or abroad" or the books Tracing Your Ancestors in The National Archives by Amanda Bevan (7th edn, National Archives Kew, 2006), including chapter 8, "Births, marriages and deaths of Britons overseas or in the armed services" and The British Overseas, A Guide to Records of Their Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Burials Available in the United Kingdom by Geoffrey Yeo (London, 3rd edition 1995).

There is reference in the main article to some other sources of overseas records such as the London Metropolitan Archives.

BMDs at sea

Main article: Births, marriages and deaths at sea

British Army

British Army Ecclesiastical returns and Chaplains Returns detail sources other than the N series for India BMDs pertaining to British Army soldiers and their families.

Birth and death registration

Main article: Birth and death registration

Some birth and death registration did occur in British India. It commenced in the 1860s but was only compulsory in some areas, with other places adopting voluntary registration. The records are obtained from local Municipal Corporations, therefore researchers must know where a birth occurred. Some people born in India pre 1947 have copies of their birth registration. Recent copies are known to have been obtained from the Shimla Municipal Corporation following a visit there, but it is not known whether these documents are generally available, or how far back existing records go.

See also

External links

  • findmypast
  • Tracing a Change of Name by Deed Poll in the UK deedpoll.com . Some records are available at The National Archives. It is often the case that a proof of name change either never existed or no longer does.
  • Locate a local Archives England and Wales only. gov.uk. If a person has returned or immigrated to the UK, a local Archive may be a source of local newspapers for funeral or other information, local electoral registers etc. (Some electoral registers are available online on Ancestry, findmypast etc).
  • Marriage Licence Records (Allegations and Bonds) at Guildhall Library This is a brief introduction to searching for records relating to the issue of marriage licences, with particular reference to those concerning the City of London and former county of Middlesex. Licences were issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Bishops, and the records are called Marriage Allegations or Bishops’ Marriage Allegations. These records have been transferred to the London Metropolitan Archives and are now available online on the pay website Ancestry.
Update July 2017. findmypast has added a database of transcribed indexes called "London Marriage Licences 1521-1869" which is taken from the book of the same name, published 1887 available on Archive.org

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