Baptisms in Parish Registers

Baptisms in Parish Registers

This section covers baptisms in Church of England parish registers.

Pre-1813, information found in parish registers is variable. Some entries for baptisms are very informative, and include:

Date baptised
Date born
Child's first name
Father's first name and surname
Mother's first name and maiden name

Example
One of my great great grandfathers, Charles King, was christened at St Gregory in Sudbury, Suffolk. The parish register entry reads, "Charles son of John King and Alice his wife, late Wells, was baptised 5 May 1799, born 20 April last."

The mother's maiden name was a useful clue when I looked for Charles King's birth in the parish register. His youngest daughter was called Susannah Wells King.

However, more often than not, the mother's maiden name is omitted, and often her first name as well!

Example

Henry Blackford Watkins - baptism in register

In this entry for Henry Blackford (or Blachford) Watkins, born and baptised in 1804, only the mother's first names are given, and not the maiden name.

As of 1 January 1813, most Church of England parishes began using standard forms in printed books, which continued much the same until the present day (with some amendments in 1978 and 1992). The information included was as follows.

Date baptised (this column may also include when the child was born)
Child's first name
Parents' first name and surname
Abode
"Quality, trade or profession"
Who performed the ceremony

Example

My great grandfather, Frederick Watkins, was born in 1836, so did not have a birth certificate. He was baptised in 1837. Note that no birth date was given.