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There was some [[Birth and death registration|registration]] of Births and Deaths in [[British India]], commencing in 1864 in Calcutta, but generally it was voluntary, and records which exist are difficult to access. The next best thing for a genealogist is to use '''Church Records'''. An estimated 70% of all [[Birth, marriage and death records|baptism, marriage and burial records]] have survived today in the [[India Office Records]], and they are all indexed and available on microfilm. Records of baptisms, marriages and burials are available 1698-1968.
An estimated 70% of all [[Birth, marriage and death records|baptism, marriage and burial records]] have survived today in the [[India Office Records]], and they are all indexed and available on microfilm, and many are now available online, see below. Records of baptisms, marriages and burials are available 1698-1968. The records are housed in the [[British Library]] in London.
In 1930 the Anglican Church in India separated from the Church of England and became the autonomous Church of India, [[Burma]] and [[Ceylon]], still within the Anglican Communion. '''From this time onwards fewer ecclesiastical records were sent to England, and the number continued to decline over time. By the 1940s there were relatively very few records sent to England.'''
[[Image:Marriage cert St Pauls Calcutta.jpg|thumb|300px|Certificate of an 1885 marriage]]
As a general rule, there appears to be a better coverage of Anglican records compared to Roman Catholic and other church records. Records for some geographical/ occupational groups such as Railway Colonies appear to be under represented, or indeed non existent, even if the Railway Colonies were located in British India.
==Records at the British Library==
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 currently (March 2021) a limited transcription only is available on findmypast with no digital images for individuals who are still livingbaptisms '''after 1921''', the website findmypast host only a basic index and for birth/baptism marriages '''after 1936'''. Currently there appear to be additional records within 100 added on an annual basis, although this has not been consistent in past years and marriage .::Images of records under 84 years. <ref> after these dates can be obtained from digitised [[http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/britishinindia/index.html The British In India CollectionFamilySearch]] blmicrofilm, viewable, for non-LDS Church members, at a FamilySearch Centre for free.uk <Currently (2021/ref> When introduced 03) these digitised microfilms are also available at FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries, but such access has varied in 2014the past, so check availability at AFs, there were no images also noting some AFs which are libraries of Societies may charge a visitor fee for non members. See [[FamilySearch Centres]] for births after 1914details. The other option is to visit the British Library, or request a copy of the record (for marriages after 1929. The same date restrictions still applywhich a charge applies) from the [[British Library]], probably indicating that records were which may be the preferred option if your nearest FamilySearch Centre or Affiliate Library is not filmed after these datesgeographically or otherwise convenient for you. *Many of the indexes have been previously transcribed by FIBIS Volunteers and are available in the [http://wwwfibis.searchourarchives.fibis.org/frontisonline/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://archiverweb.archive.org/web/20190209215108/https://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/thhyperkitty/list/readindia.rootsweb.com/INDIAthread/2016-11113724/1478862721 Baptism records - Madras Presidency] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 11 November 2016, archived. Retrieved 11 November 2016</ref>
***India, Gujarat Diocese Protestant Church Records, 1854-2012
***Sri Lanka, Colombo District Dutch Reformed Church Records 1677-1990
*Some records, a small proportion of the whole, have been transcribed and are searchable on the British Library's [http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search].
===Geographic location===
Most of the records relate to British India and in particular to the three [[Presidencies]] of Bengal, Madras and Bombay, whose boundaries varied over time.
Some Army (East India Company and Indian Army) cantonments were geographically located outside of British India, in areas in [[Princely States]], leased by the Government in India. However, for record purposes these cantonments were considered to be part of British India and located in one of the Presidencies. The records from churches in these cantonments will generally be found in the Presidencies' records.
In contrast, railway colonies located in Princely States were not considered to be part of British India, even if the Railway was British owned, and records will not be found in the Presidency records. A possible source is the Indian States N/5 records mentioned below in [[Church records#Regional breakdown of ecclesiastical records|Regional breakdown of ecclesiastical records]], but many railway colony records are not included. The same applies to records from mining cities such as [[Kolar Gold Fields]].
Even for British India, many railway colony records do not appear in the collection at the British Library, and must be sourced, if they still exist, from churches in India.
=== Anglican Records ===
Following Catholic emancipation in England and Wales (1829) 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.
<br>[httphttps://wwwdiscovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2abrowse/records.aspx?cat=059-iorn&cid=1r/h/bf3faf94-14283-642#143fc-1a30b-642 013234bf570c N/1/RC 1842-1856], [httphttps://wwwdiscovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2abrowse/r/records.aspx?cat=059-iorn&cid=1h/a3206289-2bb23-180#14744-295c9-180 79265261167a N/2/RC 1835-1854], [httphttps://wwwdiscovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2abrowse/records.aspx?cat=059-iorn&cid=1r/h/4b6a06cc-39a97-179#146bd-39cd8-179 a59d1ec4fc46 N/3/RC 1842-1854]. These records are available on [[LDSFamilySearch]] microfilm, refer table below. It would be expected/assumed this series of records is included in the digitised N/1, N/2 and N/3 India Office Church records on the pay website Findmypast, refer above.
== Missionary and Non-Conformist Church records, including the Church of Scotland ==
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 BL. As an example, baptismal records for January-March 1854 for St Andrew's Bombay were seen on [[Findmypast|findmypast]]<ref>Including that for Catherine Muirhead Jackson</ref>. Note, however, a number of marriages performed in the Church of Scotland feature in the [[Registrar marriages]], as explained in the link.
Some Church of Scotland Bombay church records and records for St Andrew's Church of Scotland, Madras may be found in [[LDS Microfilms of Church registers in India]], but the records for St Andrew's Church of Scotland in Calcutta have not been filmed and are only obtainable from the church, refer [[Calcutta#Churches and missions|Calcutta-Churches and missions]]. St Andrew's Church in Calcutta also holds the Baptism and Marriage Registers and some other documents for Church of Scotland cantonment Churches throughout India, Ceylon, Burma and some Gulf stations.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130923172221/http://standrewschurch-kolkata.org/index.html Previous Home page] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20130926204733/http://standrewschurch-kolkata.org/archive.html Archive] St. Andrew's Church. Retrieved 28 October 2014</ref>. See [[Burma#LDS (Mormon)|Burma: Records: LDS (Mormon)]] for details of Presbyterian church magazine extracts reporting baptisms, marriages and deaths in Burma, and also Malaya, Sumatra, and Siam, (available either now, or in the next few years), on LDS digitised microfilm.
==Other records==
*The FamilySearch website contains some databases which are browsable collections of images, which have not been indexed, which are of church registers in India and Ceylon, refer [[Church records#Online records and transcriptions|above]].
* See [[Cemeteries]] for details of monumental inscriptions in books, including books available online.*''Bengal Past and Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society'', available at the [[British Library]] has lists of baptisms, marriages and burials based on the original church registers in Calcutta, up to 1800. They are probably mostly covered by the Ecclesiastical Returns in the B.L.[[British Library]], however there may be some additional entries which never made it to England (e.g. the ship carrying the returns to England was lost). There are also some :Transcriptions from Registers of St John's, Calcutta by E W Madge as they appeared in ''Bengal Past and Present''. Each listing contains many pages of biographical detailsnotes. Some of the lists Articles are available online, see [[Bengal on Archive.org, Past and Present, Journal most being mirrors of the Calcutta Historical Society]] for online editions files originally from Digital Library of the India. '''Note'Journal'': Records for Baptisms 1767-1777 have been transcribed and are available on the [http://fibis.ourarchives.online/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_dataset&id=1979&s_id=1064&sort=0&st=0&np=14&tn=412 FIBIS database] in the category Publications.*:*[httphttps://mywebarchive.tiscaliorg/stream/in.ernet.dli.co2015.uk134759/cmadge2015.134759.Bengal-Past-And--Present-Vol20---21jan-june#page/n351/mode/2up Baptisms%20in%20Calcutta%2017671713-17771758] BPP Volume XXI, pp 143-159. Archive.pdf Baptisms 1767 -1777] and org/DLI:*[httphttps://mywebarchive.tiscaliorg/details/in.cogov.ukignca.31275/page/n409/cmadgemode/2up Baptisms%20in%20Calcutta%2017781759-17821766] BPP Volume V, pp 325-332. Archive.pdf Baptisms 1778-1782] Transcriptions from Registers org, Archaeological Survey of St John's, Calcutta by E W Madge as they appeared India Collection.:*[https://archive.org/stream/in ''.ernet.dli.2015.501554/2015.501554.Bengal -Past and Present''<ref>Available on the [[Online books#Digital Library of India| Digital Library of Indiapage/n383/mode/2up Baptisms 1767 -1777]] website. ''Bengal Past and Present BPP Volume 25XXV, Parts I and II (Series nos 49-50) January-June 1923'', pages pp 130-155 and '', Archive.org/DLI:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.501554/2015.501554.Bengal-Past#page/n167/mode/2up Baptisms 1778-1782] BPP Volume 26, part 2, XXVI 1923'', pages pp 142-168, . Archive.org/DLI computer pages 45-71<:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.32668/ref> – this link is to website of Madge Family of Bengal2015. Each listing contains many pages of biographical notes (13 and 16 pages respectively)32668. The first Bengal-Past-And-Present--Vol28#page of the second document lists articles in other volumes of BP&P containing transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials to 1800. **/n93/mode/2up Baptisms 17131783-1758 1785] BPP Volume XXIXXVIII, pp 143193-159221. Archive.org/DLI:**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.501555/2015.501555.Bengal-Past#page/n95/mode/2up Baptisms 1769-1766 BPP 1786 to 1788] Volume VXXX, 1925, pp 32579-107. Also contains an addendum for the years 1783-3321785:**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.32678/2015.32678.Bengal-Past-And-Present--Vol-9#page/n85/mode/2up Marriages 1713-1754 ] BBP Volume IX, Part II, Serial No 18, Oct-Dec 1914 pp 217-243. Available online on DLI, catalogued as volAlso [https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.32678/2015.32678. Bengal-Past-And-Present--Vol-9, 1918; computer #page/n157/mode/2up Marriages 1713-1754-II] pages 86282-112284. Archive.org/DLI. '''Note''' on page 218 it is stated that in the 18th century, 'Mrs' is often used to denote a young unmarried lady of quality. "'Miss' appears but rarely in these early registers". :**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.500673/2015.500673.Bengal-Past#page/n105/mode/2up Marriages 1759-1779 ] BBP Volume IV, July-Dec 1909 pp 486-512. Available online on Archive.org/DLI as (1909) vol:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.500676/2015.500676. 4; computer pages 107Bengal-147**Past#page/n195/mode/2up Marriages 1780-1785 ] BPP Volume VII, pp 164-171. Available online on Archive.org/DLI, catalogued as (1917) vol:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.503761/2015.503761. 7 Bengal-Past#page/n51/mode/2up but published c 1911; computer pages 197-204**Marriages 17851786-1792 ] BBP Volume XVI, Part I, Serial No 31, Jan-March 1918 pp 41-71 Available online on . Archive.org/DLI as vol:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.134759/2015.16, pt134759. 1; computer pages 52Bengal-Past-And--Present-Vol20---21jan-82**june#page/n285/mode/2up Marriages 1781-1800 (Supplementary Register) ] BBP Volume XXI, pp 76-141 . Archive.org/DLI.:**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.32665/2015.32665.Bengal-Past-And-Present--Vol10#page/n83/mode/2up Burials 1713-1755 ] BPP Volume X, Jan-June 1915, Serial Nos 19-20, pp 257-284 Available online on . Archive.org/DLI as vol.10; computer pages 84-111:**[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.31275/page/n167/mode/2up Burials 1759-1761 ] BBP Volume V, pp 136-142Archive.org, Archaeological Survey of India Collection.:**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.500675/2015.500675.Bengal-Past#page/n141/mode/2up Burials 1762-1774 ] BBP Volume VI 1910, pp 92-126 Available online on . Archive.org/DLI, catalogued as Volume 6, no 12; computer pages 143-177.:**[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.501558/2015.501558.Bengal-Past#page/n147/mode/2up Burials 1775-81 ] BPP Volume 31 (Jan-Jun 1926) pages 130-156. Available online on Archive.org/DLI, catalogued as Vol.31,Part:*[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.501558/2015.1,Serial no501558.61, computer pages 149Bengal-175**Past#page/n359/mode/2up Burials 1782-88 ] Volume 32 II (Oct-Dec 1926) pages 109-132. Available Archive.org/DLI.*See [[Madras (City)]] for online on DLIdetails of Marriages at St Mary’s , Fort St George, catalogued as voland Marriages at Outstations 1680-1805.32*Also see other Fibiwiki Location pages , computer pages 132-155including [[Cawnpore]] for online monumental inscriptions.
== Regional breakdown of ecclesiastical records ==
Many of the following records are '''also available on the pay website Findmypast'''.
{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3"
|+'''(Baptisms, Marriages and Burials''')
|-
| . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1856 ||[httphttps://www.familysearch.org/engsearch/librarycatalog/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=143359&disp=Roman++Catholic++returns++of++baptisms2++ LDS FamilySearch Library catalogue]
|-
| N/2 || [[Madras (Presidency)|Madras]] || 1 – 176<br>'''For more details see'''<br> [[LDS Microfilms for Madras Presidency Church Records]] || 1698 – 1948 || 463296 - 527486
| N/3 || [[Bombay (Presidency)|Bombay]] || 1 – 178<br>'''For more details see'''<br> [[LDS Microfilms for Bombay Presidency Church Records]] || 1709 – 1948 || 462965 - 523914
|-
| . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1854 || [httphttps://www.familysearch.org/engsearch/librarycatalog/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=143359&disp=Roman++Catholic++returns++of++baptisms2++ LDS FamilySearch Library catalogue]
|-
| N/4 || India and Pakistan || 1 – 8 || 1949 – 1968 || 527415 - 527421
| . || . || 3 Madras, Assam, Burma, Central Provinces and Punjab ||||
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> or Film Numbers to insert into the [[LDSFamilySearch]] Catalogue to yield full range. Note: The [[LDSFamilySearch]] 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.
==Other sources==
==Churches==
Some church registers in India have not survived due to climate conditions such as flooding, or may have been eaten by insects. For those registers which survive, some churches retain their original registers, while some registers have been centralised in Diocesan offices. As a general rule, many churches and church organisations do not answer emails or letters, due either to a lack of staff, a lack of interest, potential problems with money transfer, or other reasons. Telephone contact perhaps may be more successful. There are exceptions, generally when the minister of a church has an interest in historical records. Most people who have obtained records from India have personally visited and have generally made a (generous) donation to a church or organisation.
Professional genealogical researchers appear not to exist in India and this may be related to the fact that churches are reported willing to supply church records only to family members, not to unrelated researchers.<ref>Some years ago (c 2010-2012) a researcher asked the company YourManInIndia
whose services include Document Procurement (as part of their Concierge Services) whether it could obtain church records, but was advised churches would not supply records to unrelated persons/companies.</ref>
*[[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://archiverweb.archive.org/web/20200507050812/https://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/thhyperkitty/list/readindia.rootsweb.com/INDIAthread/2009-122240438/1262183536 Roman Catholic Registers in India (and elsewhere)] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 30 December 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2015, archived.</ref>
==External links==
*[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=PvtqMe2cxhoC&pg=PA294 Established Church and Roman Catholic Church] page 294, ''Statistics of the Colonies of the British Empire from the Official Records of the Colonial Office'' by Robert Montgomery Martin 1839 Google Books. ''Book IV- Possessions in Asia'' “Chapter I-Hindostan”
*[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=LNEQCLbWoP4C&pg=PA447 "List of Churches in the Diocese of Calcutta"] page 443, ''The Bengal and Agra Annual Guide and Gazetteer for 1842 Volume I'' Google Books
*Comments about [https://archive.org/details/registrumecclesi00burnrich/page/238 "The registers of Persons Baptised etc Abroad: The East Indies"] page 238 ''Registrum ecclesiae parochialis : the history of parish registers in England : also of the registers of Scotland, Ireland, the East and West Indies...'' by John Southerden Burn 2nd edition 1862 Archive.org.
== References ==
