Scotland Genealogy Sites
Family history stumbling blocks with the English parish registers
Sometimes, our research can get bogged down while we working on our family history. Not the least of which is in the parish registers. Some time ago, when I started this quest to find my ancestors, I was introduced to this list of twelve stones of stumbling while I was doing an online course with Pharos guardians. Some of the barriers below can be circumvented, while others are not so easy to get past!
1. Writing – It can be devilishly difficult to decipher May and it varies greatly from parish to parish by the vicar or clerk to write. The art of reading the old script is called paleography and you may find different books available for purchase in bookstores. There are guides online on the website of the National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/Palaeography/ and another on the website of the people of Scotland http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/. This site deserves the detour, even if you do not like their Scottish ancestors guide is really useful for family historians.
2. Errors in documents – the records are often copies of the original memorandum book every day. These may have been written once a year and thus risk of errors creeping or entries being left behind becomes a real possibility. If this has happened to the records you should use there no real work here other than finding a different data source.
3. Gaps in the records or they are completely absent is another problem frustrating without proper remedy.
4. Details May be lacking in the records as there was no standard applied so that should be registered.
5. Before 1733 most legal documents would be written in Latin, although names, at least, are not translated in Latin. My solution here is to do an Internet search for a Latin to English translation page, if entering the Latin box in an English translation is produced.
6. Spelling of surnames vary in May of the norm. Stop and think likely spelling for how a name may have sounded to the writer. Remember also to consider the local accent when you do.
7. Can not find baptismal records? Perhaps the children were not baptized at all or were baptized when they were older? In one of my classes four or five were baptized together on the same day! Remember to keep looking for several years.
8. Periods of non-compliance. Again, even in my paternal line, I found several children baptized in the established church, and several others in the Presbyterian chapel, before returning to the Church England. The lesson I learned this was not to admit they were C of E from cradle to grave.
9. Illegitimacy – Do you have an ancestor whose parentage is in doubt? Doing a search of local poor law records as Bastardy bonds if you do not your ancestor in the Parish Records.
10. A person who gives their details to the Minister may have been a mistake and do not know where they are born. The solution here is to expand your search to other parishes.
11. People moved more than many expect when Be prepared to look around parishes that you assume that your ancestors came from.
Similarly, the family may have moved the region of a different parish. Here, you should do a search for parishes in the IGI or the County Record Office for a ten mile radius. A large piece of Software to help find the names of neighboring parishes Parish Locator is free from this site: http://www.yorksgen.co.uk/
12. The change of schedule in 1752, may be a trap you fall into if you're not conscious. England and Wales adopted the Gregorian calendar in September 1752.
– 11 days have been omitted – the day after the 2nd September 1752 September is now the 14th.
– The first day of the year, or computation of the year became the 1st January.
– Prior to this in England and Wales, year began on Lady Day, March or the 25th. That means that March 24, 1750 would be the last day of 1750 and the next day was March 25, 1751, and a new year.
The Calendar Act 1750 changed this situation, so that after the December 31, 1751 was 1 January 1752. Consequently, 1751 was a year very short – it only worked from March 25 to December 31.
The year had already been divided into quarters, still in use for certain legal practices, Lady Day (March 25), Midsummers Day (24th June), Day of Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas December 25).
To throw even more confusion in this, Scotland has already changed the first day of the year to January 1 in 1600 and if 1599 was a weak year there (remember that in 1600, Scotland was a kingdom completely separate from England as the United Kingdom had not emerged yet).
What must be recognized is that when the king Jacques VI of Scotland also became King James I of England in 1603, the possibilities of confusion dates must have actually been very important on both realms.
So remember that there are stones stumbling block just waiting to stumble. Some you can do little but others require the application of a little effort to move. Good luck in all your research your ancestors.
About the Author
Nick Thorne, alias: The Nosey Genealogist, shares the secret tips and tricks, learnt from professional family historians, so that you can break down your brickwalls in family history. Nick provides reports, podcasts and screencast videos to help you succeed in your online search for your ancestors. Want to learn more about Beginning Family History Online? Claim Nick’s free weekly tips and tricks, available at:=>
http://www.NoseyGenealogist.com
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