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| + | #REDIRECT [[Birth, marriage and death records]] |
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| − | These ‘Vital Records’ include not only Births, Marriages and Deaths but more particularly in India, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. Note that there was no general registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths (BMDs) in British India.
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| − | Such records are available in three major sources:
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| − | == Ecclesiastical Records (‘N’ Series in the India Office Records) ==
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| − | Also refer [[Church records]]
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| − | 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. These latter have been collated and sent to London and they are now in the care of the [[India Office Records]] at the [[British Library]] in their Asia, Pacific & Africa Collections Reading Room ([[APAC]]). Microfilmed copies of these 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.
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| − | These indexes and records are available on microfilm at [[LDS]] [[Family History Centres]] and many of the indexes have been transcribed by FIBIS Volunteers and are available in the [http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/index.php FIBIS Search] section of this web-site
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| − | === Anglican Records ===
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| − | Since the Company only officially accepted employees of Protestant faith, all early Ecclesiastical Records in the [[APAC]] are Anglican. The India Office categorization of these records and their earliest dates are:
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| − | {|-
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| − | |'''Bengal''' || N/1 || 1713
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| − | |'''Madras''' || N/2 || 1698
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| − | |'''Bombay''' ||N/3 || 1709
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| − | === Roman Catholic Records ===
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| − | The Company initially legislated against the employment of Roman Catholics. However, such was the pressure to find recruits for its armies in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th Century, it was forced to repeal this legislation and to recruit Catholic soldiers from Ireland. The pastoral needs of these soldiers were generally met by the independent Catholic Missionaries, largely established by the [[Portuguese]] or the [[French]]. Following Catholic emancipation in England and Wales (1829) its Irish soldiers prevailed upon the presidency authorities to provide English-speaking Catholic chaplains and churches for their use. These were established beginning in the mid-1830s. Again, their BMD returns were made to the presidency ecclesiastical authorities. Initially, these returns were filed separately (N/x/RC series, where x=1 for Bengal, x=2 for Madras and x=3 for Bombay) but after a few years, they were amalgamated with the Anglican records.
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| − | === Missionary and Non-Conformist Records, including the Church of Scotland ===
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| − | It may be noted that a number of independent missionary and non-conformist churches were requested to return their BMD records to the presidency authorities. The latter considered it necessary to record proof of relationships of its employees for official purposes such as rights to pension, etc. A number of priests refused to do this, largely on the grounds of time taken and of cost. Accordingly, many of their vital events are not recorded in the [[APAC]] today. Foremost among these are the records of the large numbers of Catholic soldiers who used the missionary churches during the thirty years or so before emancipation. To obtain details from these ‘missing’ records, it is necessary to visit the church where the ceremony was performed and to apply to see the original register.
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| − | With the passage of time, the BMD returns became increasingly included and therefore more likely to feature in the ‘N’ series of returns at the [[APAC]]. Note, however, that for some reason, a number of Marriages performed in the Church of Scotland feature in the ‘Registry Office Marriages’ described below.
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| − | == ‘Domestic Occurrences’ in Registers, Almanacs and Newspapers ==
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| − | In a fashion similar to BMD announcements in the newspapers of today, it was often the custom to make such announcements in the ‘Domestic Occurrences’ of the early nineteenth century. Accordingly, for British India, a significant number are to be found in publications such as ''The East India Register'', ''Calcutta Annual Register'', ''Madras Almanac'' and ''Bombay Almanac''. It should be recognized that such announcements were often made some two years after the event.
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| − | A comprehensive transcription of these sources is available in the [http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/index.php FIBIS Search] section of this web-site.
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| − | The [[Directories reading list]] contains links to directories and almanacs available to read online.
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| − | == Registry Office Marriages ==
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| − | Although not strictly ecclesiastical, Registry Office Marriages, 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/index.php FIBIS Search] section of this web-site.
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| − | Below is the list of references to the India Office Records ‘N’ series.
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| − | == Regional Breakdown of Ecclesiastical Records ==
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| − | {| border="1"
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| − | |+ '''(Baptisms, Marriages and Burials''')
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| − | ! Catalogue Section !! Presidency or Region !! Range of Volumes !! Range of Years !! LDS Film Range* (I = Index)
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| − | | N/1 || Bengal || 1 – 641 || 1713 – 1948 || 498954 - 535699
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| − | | . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1844 || 527437
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| − | | N/2 || Madras || 1 – 176 || 1698 – 1948 || 463296 - 527486
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| − | | . || . || RC/1-8 || 1835 – 1854 || 530008 - 530011
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| − | | . || Cochin || 177 || 1751 – 1804 || .
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| − | | N/3 || Bombay || 1 – 178 || 1709 – 1948 || 462965 - 523914
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| − | | . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1844 || 528361
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| − | | N/4 || India and Pakistan || 1 – 8 || 1949 – 1968 || 527415 - 527421
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| − | | N/5 || Indian States || 1 – 2 || 1890 – 1946 || 498603 (I) & 527422-3
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| − | | N/6 || St. Helena || 1 – 3 || 1767 – 1835 || 498603 (I) & 498605
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| − | | N/7 || Fort Marlborough || 1 || 1759 – 1825 || 498603 (I) & 498606
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| − | | N/8 || Penang (Prince of Wales Island) || 1 || 1799 – 1829 || 498603 (I) & 498606
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| − | | N/9 || Macao & Whampoa || 1 || 1820 – 1834 || 498603 (I) & 498606
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| − | | N/10 || Burma || 1 – 7 || 1937 – 1957 || 527436 (I) & 534495
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| − | | N/11 || Registry Office Marriages || 1 – 11 || 1852 – 1911 || Not Filmed
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| − | | N/12 || Kuwait Political Agency || 1 – 16 || 1937 – 1961 || Not Filmed
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| − | | N/13 || Aden || 1 – 21 || 1840 – 1969 || Believed unfilmed
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| − | | N/14 || Register Lists || .
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| − | | . || (Registration Act 1886) || .
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| − | | . || . || 1 Bengal ||
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| − | | . || . || 2 Bombay ||
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| − | | . || . || 3 Madras, Assam, Burma, Central Provinces and Punjab
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| − | |}
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| − | <nowiki>*</nowiki> or Film Numbers to insert into [[LDS]] Catalogue to yield full range.
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| − | Note: The [[LDS]] tend to classify the locations of these ecclesiastical events according to the present day Indian States, which the researcher will have to relate to the provinces of the former British Presidencies.
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| − | == Related articles ==
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| − | [[LDS Microfilms for Bengal Presidency Church Records]] A list of the microfilms available for the parish register transcripts of Protestant and Catholic churches in the Presidency of Bengal, 1713-1948.
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| − | [[LDS Microfilms for Bombay Presidency Church Records]] A list of the microfilms available for the parish register transcripts of Protestant and Catholic churches in the Presidency of Bombay, 1709-1948.
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| − | [[LDS Microfilms for Madras Presidency Church Records]] A list of the microfilms available for the parish register transcripts of Protestant and Catholic churches in the Presidency of Madras, 1698-1948. | |
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| − | [[LDS Microfilms for Church Records outside of the usual Presidencies]] A list of the microfilms available for the parish register transcripts of various European churches outside of the usual three Presidencies.
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| − | [[Bengal Ecclesiastical Returns Index]] Table showing British Library microfilm numbers and their LDS equivalent for the Bengal presidency.
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| − | [[Bombay Ecclesiastical Returns Index]] Table showing British Library microfilm numbers and their LDS equivalent for the Bombay presidency.
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| − | [[Madras Ecclesiastical Returns Index]] Table showing British Library microfilm numbers and their LDS equivalent for the Madras presidency.
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| − | [[Using LDS Microfilms]] Instructions on how to use the LDS (Mormon) records to research family history in India.
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| − | [[Goa Church Records]] List of microfilms for churches in the former Portuguese colony of Goa.
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| − | [[Non-British Church Records]] List of microfilms for churches throughout India, except the Portuguese colony of Goa.
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| − | == External Links ==
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| − | [[Directories]]
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| − | [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZEMFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:0pz3M0zH_jAj1L0O&output=html ''Parbury's oriental herald and colonial intelligencer 1838''] contains some births, marriages and deaths
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| − | [http://books.google.com/books?id=gEMFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:0pz3M0zH_jAj1L0O&output=html ''Parbury's oriental herald and colonial intelligencer 1839''] contains some births, marriages and deaths
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| − | [[Category: Records]]
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