Changes

India had no civil registration (including birth certificates) as such. The next best thing for a genealogist is to use '''Church Records'''. About An estimated 80% of all [[Birth (baptism) , marriage and death (burial) records|baptism, marriage and burial records]] have survived today, and the good news is that they are all indexed and available on microfilm. Records of baptisms, marriages and burials are available 1698-1968. 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 the number of ecclesiastical records sent to England was smaller than previously, and continued to decline over time.

The records are housed In 1930 the Anglican Church in India separated from the Church of England and became the [[APAC]] in Londonautonomous Church of India, Burma and Ceylon, still within the Anglican Communion. If you live outside London, then From this time onwards the best way to have access to these number of ecclesiastical records is sent to use the [[LDS]] (Mormon) microfilmsEngland was smaller than previously, which will be available in an LDS [[Family History Centres|Family History Centre]] near youand continued to decline over time.

Some regiments of The records are housed in the [[British ArmyAPAC]] (not the [[East India Company Army|HEIC Army]]) chose to have their records included reading room in the [[General Register OfficeBritish Library]] records at what was formerly called St Catherine's House, in London. If your ancestor was in you live outside London, then the British Army best way to have access to these records and you are unable their indexes is to find your ancestor's baptism record in the church records held at use the [[APACLDS]] or on microfilm(Mormon) microfilms, there is a chance that they which will be available in the an LDS [[Chaplains_ReturnsFamily History Centres| Army Ecclesiastical ReturnsFamily History Centre]] of the General Registrar's Office. Indexes to these records are available in most genealogical libraries and family history societiesnear you.

The ==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 APAC, broken down by [[Society of GenealogistsPresidency]], London has some church records relating to India, some of which alphabetically and by year. Records are not found in catalogued under the 'N ' series of India Office Records at (ie, the British Libraryreferences for ecclesiastical records being with N). To see what is available refer to [http://www.sog.org.uk/prc/overseas.shtml#india Church records of India at SOG]

==Using Microfilms=Anglican Records ===Since the [[East India 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:

*[[Using LDS Microfilms {| How to Use Church Records on Microfilm]]-Instructions on how to use the microfilmed copies of the [[APAC]] church records and indexes at an LDS Family History Centre. |'''Bengal''' || N/1 || 1713|-|'''Madras''' || N/2 || 1698|-|'''Bombay''' ||N/3 || 1709|}

*=== Roman Catholic Records ===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 [[LDS Microfilms for Madras Presidency Church RecordsIreland]]A list . The pastoral needs of all these soldiers were generally met by the independent Catholic Missionaries, largely established by the microfilm numbers for [[Portuguese]] or the LDS copies of Madras church records[[French]].

*[[LDS Microfilms Following Catholic emancipation in England and Wales (1829) Irish soldiers prevailed upon the presidency authorities to provide English-speaking Catholic chaplains and churches for Bombay Presidency Church Records]]A list of all their use. These were established beginning in the mid-1830s. Again, their BMD returns were made to the microfilm numbers 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 LDS copies of Bombay church Anglican records.

*[[=== Missionary and Non-British Conformist Records, including the Church Records]]of Scotland ===Lists It may be noted that a number of microfilms of church independent missionary and non-conformist churches were requested to return their BMD records in India which are not held by to the [[APAC]]presidency authorities. They are principally native Roman Catholic congregationsThe latter considered it necessary to record proof of relationships of its employees for official purposes such as rights to pension, but also include [[Syrian]]etc. A number of priests refused to do this, [[Armenian]]largely on the grounds of time taken and of cost. Accordingly, [[Danish]] and [[Dutch]] church records many of their vital events are not recorded in Indiathe APAC today. There Foremost among these are also a very small number the records of the large numbers of British Catholic soldiers who used the missionary churches in this listing, namely during the original Anglican thirty years or so before emancipation. To obtain details from these ‘missing’ records from [[Fort St George]] in Madras, it is necessary to visit the church where the ceremony was performed and to apply to see the Church of Scotland in [[Bombay]]original register.

*[[Goa 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 Records]]Lists of microfilms of church records Scotland feature in the [[GoaRegistry Office Marriages]].

==ChurchesRegional breakdown of ecclesiastical records == {|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3"|+'''(Baptisms, Marriages and Burials''')!Catalogue Section!!Presidency or Region !!Range of Volumes!!Range of Years!!LDS Film Range* (I = Index)|-| N/1 || [[Bengal (Presidency)|Bengal]] || 1 – 641 || 1713 – 1948 || 498954 - 535699|- | . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1844 || 527437|- | N/2 || [[Madras (Presidency)|Madras]] || 1 – 176 || 1698 – 1948 || 463296 - 527486|- | . || . || RC/1-8 || 1835 – 1854 || 530008 - 530011|- | . || [[Cochin]] || 177 || 1751 – 1804 || .|- | N/3 || [[Bombay (Presidency)|Bombay]] || 1 – 178 || 1709 – 1948 || 462965 - 523914|- | . || . || RC/1-5 || 1842 – 1844 || 528361|- | N/4 || India and Pakistan || 1 – 8 || 1949 – 1968 || 527415 - 527421|- | N/5 || [[Princely States|Indian States]] || 1 – 2 || 1890 – 1946 || 498603 (I) & 527422-3|- | N/6 || St. Helena || 1 – 3 || 1767 – 1835 || 498603 (I) & 498605|- | N/7 || [[Fort Marlborough]] || 1 || 1759 – 1825 || 498603 (I) & 498606|- | N/8 || [[Penang]] (Prince of Wales Island) || 1 || 1799 – 1829 || 498603 (I) & 498606|- | N/9 || Macao & Whampoa || 1 || 1820 – 1834 || 498603 (I) & 498606|- | N/10 || [[Burma]] || 1 – 7 || 1937 – 1957 || 527436 (I) & 534495|- | N/11 || Registry Office Marriages || 1 – 11 || 1852 – 1911 || Not Filmed|- | N/12 || Kuwait Political Agency || 1 – 16 || 1937 – 1961 || Not Filmed |- | N/13 || [[Aden]] || 1 – 21 || 1840 – 1969 || Believed unfilmed|- | N/14 || Register Lists || . |||||- | . || (Registration Act 1886) || . |||||- | . || . || 1 Bengal || |||- | . || . || 2 Bombay || |||- | . || . || 3 Madras, Assam, Burma, Central Provinces and Punjab |||||}<nowiki>*</nowiki> or Film Numbers to insert into [[LDS]] Catalogue to yield full range. 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.

==Other sources==*[[Churches Birth, marriage and death records]], an overview of sources.*[[IGI]], details of searching the [[LDS]] genealogical index and using their microfilms of Church records.*[[Non-British Church Records]], a list of microfilms of church records in South Indiawhich are not held by the APAC. *[[Goa Church Records]]A , a list of postal addresses and phone numbers microfilms of all bishops church records in [[Goa]].*[[Society of CSI dioceses in Genealogists]], London has some church records relating to India, correct some of which are not found in 1993the N series of India Office Records at the British Library. To see what is available refer to [http://www.sog.org.uk/prc/overseas.shtml#india Church records of India at SOG].

==Churches==*[[Churches in South India]], a list of postal addresses and phone numbers of all bishops of CSI dioceses in India, correct in 1993. *[[Churches in North India]], a list of the postal addresses and phone numbers of all bishops of CNI dioceses in India, correct in 1993. *[[Catholic Churches in Madras]]A , a list of Roman Catholic churches in Madras, with their date of building and approximate location. This list was kindly transcribed by Peter Bailey.*[[Calcutta#Other|Calcutta]], a reference to a listing of church records in Calcutta to 1800.

==External Linkslinks==

*This India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2009-11/1258214986 post] gives details of a [marriage] Banns book at Roman Catholic churches. The example mentioned contained information additional to the marriage record.