Information on Baptisms, Marriages & Burials

BAPTISMS

There are a number of factors that determine what sort of information is contained within baptism records. The main factor being that there was no standard rule of how to record them, so the information can vary vastly.

Prior to 1813 there was no fixed format at all and the earlier we go, the less information seems to be recorded. Some will just record the date of baptism, name of child and the name of the father and nothing else.

In 1813, the Church of England did produce a "standard" form for completion of baptisms which gives the following information: Date of baptism, name of child, name of parents, abode and father's occupation. It was very much down to the individual church should they wish to record any further information and we can often see the addition of dates of birth and even the mother's maiden name in some cases.

Occasionally, there are records known as "Dade registers." These are particularly useful for those studying their family history, as not only does it record the name of the child baptised, but those of the parents and their fathers, so you get three generations in one go! The only Dade registers locally are held at All Saints, Batley and are dated in the late 1700s for a number of years.

You may occasionally come across baptisms that are recorded as "private." Infant mortality was very high back in the day, and a private baptism would be carried out, normally on a child not expected to survive. These baptisms would often take place at the home of the parents rather than in the church or chapel. It would be quite often the case that a burial for the child would soon follow, and sadly sometimes of the mother also. If the privately baptised child survives, then you may find a further baptism showing them "received" into the church or chapel. The date received may also be recorded against the original private baptism.

Non-conformist registers also vary in their content, and just like Church of England records, there was no set format in how they were recorded.

MARRIAGES

In 1753 a Marriage Act was implemented that meant prior to 1837 all marriages were only considered legal if they took place in the Church of England. The exception to this rule was that of the Quakers, who didn't fall into the legislation and could perform their own ceremonies.

Prior to what is called Civil Registration in 1837, there were two main ways in which to marry; by Banns, or by Licence. Banns was by far the most common and involved the reading of Banns on three Sundays prior to the actual marriage. Banns were just a notice of intention to marry so that any objections could be lodged prior to the marriage. 

For those who couldn't wait, a Licence could be obtained and marriage could take place almost immediately. There are actually two types of Licence; a Common Licence or a Special Licence. The Special Licence was very rare and was only available from the Archbishop of Canterbury. It enabled the couple to marry anywhere. Licences cost money, so in the main, they were reserved, though not exclusively, for the more affluent. Licences that were issued sometimes contain information that would not be generally available on the marriage record and could include ages and the name of a parent in the case of a minor. From experience, I have found that the ages recorded on Licences can be somewhat generous in favour of the parties!

Prior to Civil Registration in 1837, information contained on a marriage record was quite basic: giving the date of the marriage, details of the groom and bride, their abode and two witnesses. Some records may give an occupation for the groom and sometimes the condition of the bride is also recorded, but certainly not in all cases. The earlier we go back, we see the information lessening and prior to Marriage Act of 1753 you will only find the date of marriage and the names of the parties in most cases. Even earlier than this time you will also find that Latin was the written choice!

After Civil Registration we see a standardised form for Church of England and Non-conformist marriages which gives the following information: Date of marriage, names of parties, ages, condition (single/widowed etc), occupation, abode, father's name and his occupation. At least 2 witnesses were also required.

Also after Civil Registration, there was introduced a third way in which you could marry, this being by a Registrar's Certificate. The Certificate is slightly different from the Licence. The Licence doesn't prove that you actually married, it just gave you permission to do so, whereas the Certificate is returned to the Registrar after the marriage, signed by the performing minister with a time and date the ceremony was performed. Non-Conformists couldn't marry by Banns, so the Certificate was mainly used along with Licences.

BURIALS

There are a number of factors that determine what sort of information is contained within burial records. The main factor being that there was no standard rule on how to record them, so the information can vary vastly.

Prior to 1813 there was no fixed format at all and the earlier we go, the less information seems to be recorded. Some will just record the date of burial, name and nothing else. If you are lucky, you can sometimes see a cause of death, as with the Whitechapel registers in the late 1700s for a period.

In 1813, the Church of England did produce a "standard" form for completion of burials which gives the following information: Date of burial, name, abode and age. It was very much down to the individual church should they wish to record any further information and we can often see the addition of a relationship, a grave number and sometimes a date of death. 

Non-conformist registers also vary in their content, and just like Church of England records, there was no set format in how they were recorded. Some, however, can be quite useful. The Moravians, for example, often included dates and places of birth as well as the death date.

1n 1880 there was an Amendment made to the Burial Act which basically gave any parishioner the right to be buried in a Church of England location regardless of their religious belief. This meant that non-conformists, or those with no religious inclination, could be buried in Church of England burial grounds. The ceremony was not performed by the Vicar of the church but by some other authorised person, who could literally be anyone fit to do so. There are several of these burials recorded at St. John's church in Cleckheaton and at St. Mary's, Gomersal.