England Protestant Nonconformist Records (National Institute)

Protestant Records
After centuries of persecution those who did not conform to the Church of England’s views found greater tolerance in the late 18th century. From then they were able to keep records more openly and much survives from the 1780s onwards. However, there were no overall rules for creation, retention and preservation of records and great differences appear between denominations and indeed between congregations. Some early attempts at standardization and preservation include the 18th century innovations at Dr. Williams’ Library, and the call-in of old registers in 1837 and 1858. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that Nonconformist historical societies were created to grapple with the issue of preservation.

The main (Protestant) Nonconformist groups that have surviving registers are Baptists, Bible Christians, Congregationalists (Independents), Latter-day Saints, Methodists (including Wesleyans, Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion and others), Moravians, and Presbyterians. The smaller groups for which records survive at the PRO include Inghamites, Irvingites, New Jerusalemites and Swedenborgians.

FHL films of Nonconformist registers are usually arranged alphabetically by town within each county, for example contains London registers:


 * Walworth Independent 1791-1837
 * Walworth Baptist Chapel 1813-1852
 * Walworth Baptist Church 1819-1837
 * Walworth Independent 1821-1837
 * Walworth Wesleyan 1817-1837
 * Wandsworth Wesleyan 1825-1837
 * Westminster Scotch 1753-1837
 * Westminster Particular Baptist 1825-1837

I recommend that one reads all the neighbouring denominations since families did try out different ones. Cavell has discussed Internet resources for Nonconformists, whilst Stockdill has highlighted the Northowram, Yorkshire Presbyterian/Congregational register that is more like a parish diary with copious remarks and stories about the inhabitants and parish incidents. The complete registers are on the Genuki website

Dr. Williams’ Library
The library of an eminent Presbyterian, Dr. Daniel Williams, was bequeathed to the public in 1729 and houses records mainly for Baptists, Independents and Presbyterians primarily from the London area. It now holds many kinds of nonconformist records from all over Britain, including:


 * The Surman Index with details of over 30,000 Independent, Congregational and early Presbyterian ministers.
 * Copies of denominational and historical society publications.
 * Evans’ 1772 list of congregations.
 * Indexes by subject and author, arranged both chronologically and geographically.

There were two centralized registries of importance in nonconformist research which are now at the Public Record Office with indexes in RG 4 and registrations in RG 5. Where local registers are unavailable, or the place of birth/baptism unknown, these could be most useful.


 * Protestant Dissenters’ Registry started in 1742
 * Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry began in 1818

Another register of births at the College of Arms contains only 224 births from 1747-1793 but it records exceptional detail up to four generations, mainly from affluent families. A list of the surnames appearing is given in the Volume 3 of the National Index of Parish Registers (Webb).

Protestant Nonconformist Registers
Registers of births or baptisms, and deaths or burials were kept by many Nonconformist congregations and large numbers have survived from the late 18th century onwards. It is unlikely that any English Nonconformist congregations kept registers before the Civil War, and the earliest surviving ones date from the latter era:


 * 1642 Hindly near Wigan, Lancashire Presbyterian.
 * 1644 Butt Lane, Stepney, Middlesex Independent.
 * 1646 Guildhall Street, Canterbury, Kent Independent.
 * 1647 Coate, Oxfordshire Baptist.

Quaker marriages were also recorded, but no other Nonconformist marriages were legal between 1754 and 1837, although some were performed and a few records exist. Between 1660 and 1754 it is likely that most recorded marriages and burials took place in parish churches, and certainly in the earliest part of this period few Nonconformists dared to keep registers for fear of incriminating their members. Thus many Nonconformists births or baptisms went unrecorded. In addition, some groups did not believe in infant baptism, some did not baptize at all, and some did not recognize marriage or burial as religious events. So, if a record of an event isn’t found it could mean:


 * A baptism, marriage or religious burial didn’t take place.
 * No record of a performed ordinance, a birth, a death or an interment without religious service, was made.
 * The record has been lost or destroyed.
 * The record has been mis-indexed.
 * You haven’t done a thorough job yet.

Absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence!
Many post-1837 nonconformist registers remain with their congregations. Some have found their way into archives, but many were considered the private property of the minister and still privately held if not lost. Occasionally a missing register finds its way to an archive so periodic checks are advisable. There is no statutory right to view registers that have not been deposited at an archives, but most ministers are sympathetic to researchers, and it is wise to ask if there is a congregation historian. They will know if a chapel history has been written, perhaps to celebrate a centenary, and which may have much personal detail from the memories of past members. As an example of what can be found, Wickes has written on Nonconformist registers in southwest England.

Unique features of Nonconformist Registers
Many of the first registers in the 17th century were Church Books which also recorded all the affairs of the congregation and reveal fascinating details about our ancestors and their friends. Nonconformist registers invariably drew their congregations from much wider geographical areas than Anglican ones as there were far fewer chapels per denomination. The earliest registers, which are of baptisms, start in 1642, the first year of the Civil War, but most commence after the Restoration. There was no legal requirement to keep them as there was with parish registers and it is highly probable that many Nonconformist registers were destroyed or lost. There have always been far more birth/baptism registers than burial registers, and they usually contain details of birth as well as baptism.

Nonconformist Burials and Monumental Inscriptions
Puritans did not accept the concept of consecrated ground and of any religious significance of a burial service. Since Nonconformist chapels tended to be built in towns, and on little plots of ground next to a member’s house, few had their own burial grounds until at least 1800, sometimes long after. Also, when they did get their own burial grounds few Nonconformists kept burial registers right away; it is worth noting that there are also few Scottish ones because of the much greater influence of Presbyterians there. Burial registers thus start later than baptismal ones, but can be most informative with long write-ups for long-standing members. The chart below shows a standard printed register not allowing much descriptive material.

Chart: Protestant Dissenters Burial Ground Register, Abingdon, Berkshire

Records of Nonconformist burial grounds are in RG 4, RG 6 and RG 8, and a further useful source about the closures of burial grounds is in RG 37. The latter can include names and dates of burial, grave plan and grave numbers, and monumental inscriptions as well as places of re-interment if remains have been moved. The FHLC has microfilmed such items for Bristol, Chesterfield and Coventry Quaker cemeteries and many other multi-denominational ones.

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