England, Devon, Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains baptisms, marriages, and burials from parishes in West Devon. This collection was done in cooperation with FindMyPast, and a full version of the index can be found at www.findmypast.co.uk.

Church records are the main source for identifying people prior to 1837 when civil registration began. It is also a main source after 1837 in conjunction with civil registration. The Church of England was formed in 1536, after King Henry VIII severed all ties to the church in Rome. Each local parish was responsible to register all marriages, baptisms and burials starting in 1538. The governing of each parish created a group of records known as parish chest records. The Church of England has dominated the religious scene in England; therefore it is likely that this is where you will find your ancestors. As time passes other religions began to organize and keep their own records. Those that did not belong to the Church of England were referred to as nonconformists or dissenters. The main influence of nonconformism was in larger towns and cities.

Parish registers often record only the marriage date and the names of the bride and groom. The records may also include the marital status and the parish of residence of both parties, the groom’s occupation, signatures of witnesses, and the minister’s name, especially after 1754. Starting in 1813, marital status and occupations may be given. Names of witnesses are also given.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:

Baptism Records


 * Date of baptism, sometimes with birth date
 * Child's name
 * Names of parents
 * Residence
 * Occupation of father

Marriage Records


 * Full name of bride and groom
 * Maiden name of bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of witnesses

Burial Records


 * Name of deceased
 * Date of burial
 * Age in Years and Months

Beginning your search
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Approximate year of the event
 * Place of the event
 * Names of parents (For Baptisms)
 * Name of spouse

Searching the Index
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Can't Find Information
If you can't find the information that you are looking for, consider the following to help you in your search:


 * Surnames are often found under unexpected spellings.
 * Events are filed by the date registered, not the date they occurred (for example, a birth on 20 March which was registered on 6 April will be in the April-May-June quarter).
 * Indexes were prepared by hand and may contain copying errors (for example, "T" for "F") or omissions.
 * A person may have been registered under a different name than he or she used later in life.
 * Some marriages were indexed by the name of only one spouse.
 * A woman’s surname in the marriage index may be her surname from a previous marriage.
 * Persons with common names may be difficult to identify in the index.
 * Some deaths were registered as "unknown."
 * A child born before the parents’ marriage may be registered under the mother’s maiden name.
 * Some children were registered as "male" or "female" if a name had not been selected before registration.

Related Websites

 * Church of England Parish Registers on FindMyPast.co.uk

Related Wiki Articles

 * England
 * Church of England Parish Registers
 * England parish registers

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata.