Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: A Guide to Religious Records

In many parts of the world, places of worship were recording births, marriages and deaths long before governments began. Their registers can carry your research back several generations further.

The main types of register

• Baptism or naming registers usually record the child's name, date, parents' names and sometimes the family's address and the father's occupation.
• Marriage registers name the couple and often their parishes, ages, fathers and witnesses.
• Burial registers record the name, date of burial and sometimes the age and residence of the deceased.
• Membership and confirmation lists show who belonged to a congregation at a particular time.

What to keep in mind

• A baptism date is not always a birth date. Some children were baptised days, months or even years after birth.
• Early registers may contain only the briefest details, while later ones tend to be fuller.
• Families did not always worship where they lived, and some changed faiths or congregations over time.
• Registers can be written in older styles of handwriting or in another language, such as a classical or liturgical language.

Where religious records are kept

Some registers remain with the place of worship. Many older volumes have been moved to regional or national archives for safekeeping. Religious organisations sometimes maintain their own central archives too. Contact the local archive for the area where your family lived to find out where the registers are now.

Using witnesses and sponsors

Godparents, sponsors and marriage witnesses were frequently relatives. Noting their names can help you identify aunts, uncles and grandparents, and can confirm you have the right family when names are common.

Combine with other sources

Religious records are most powerful alongside civil registration, census returns and burial records. Together they can confirm dates, fill gaps and help you get past brick walls.