England, Norfolk, Archdeacon's Transcripts - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Norfolk

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains church records from the county of Norfolk and certain outlying parishes, covering the period 1600-1812.

Beginning in 1598, parish priests were supposed to make a copy of their parish register and send it to send to the archdeacon or bishop every year. Termed either archdeacon’s or bishop’s transcripts, these copies were generally produced in the same form as a regular parish transcript. Many priests stopped producing these transcripts with the beginning of civil registration in 1837, but they did not fully disappear until after 1870.

As a particular feature of this collection, before 1812, parish priests in Norfolk sent their transcripts to their archdeacon for six out of every seven years; on the seventh year, they sent the transcript to the bishop instead. From 1813 on, all transcripts were sent to the bishop. As archdeacon’s transcripts generally contain more or less the same information as parish registers, they are an invaluable resource when parish records have been damaged, destroyed, or otherwise lost. However, because archdeacon's transcripts are, as their name implies, copies of the original records, they are more liable contain errors than parish registers might be.

Most collections of transcripts have been preserved, and their condition is relatively good considering the age of the records and their storage conditions over the centuries. Many collections have also been copied to microfilm or microfiche.

One of the 39 historic counties of England, Norfolk is located in the east of England on the coast of the North Sea. For a list of parishes historically belonging to this county, please see the Norfolk Parishes page.

Collection Content
The index to this collection refers to baptism, marriage, and burial records. Baptismal record entries are the most common in the index, followed by burial records, with marriage records constituting the smallest portion.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following lists indicate potential information given in each type of record. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all of the listed information, as the procedures for keeping parish records evolved considerably over the centuries after 1538. It must also be noted that individual parishes often developed record-keeping traditions unique to themselves.

How Do I Search the Collection?
To search for a person in a Church of England parish register, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Where the person lived and the corresponding parish
 * When the person lived; if you do not know the time period, you must estimate it from what you know of more recent generations.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

To search the collection image by image select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒ Select the appropriate "County" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Parish" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Date Range" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record type" which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

What Do I Do Next?
Baptism Records


 * Baptism or christening records list the parents’ names, making it possible for you to connect your ancestor to an earlier generation.
 * You may find a birth date listed or be able to approximate a birth date.
 * After 1812, the baptismal records list a place of residence, making it easier to identify your family by where they lived.
 * The records also list the father’s occupation, which makes it easier to identify your ancestor's family when more than one family with the same name lived in the parish.
 * If the deceased is a child, the parents’ names might be given. This information helps to extend your family another generation.

Marriage Records


 * Marriage records sometimes state the residence for the bride and groom. You can use this information to look for their baptisms and to identify the children of this couple.
 * Marriage records after 1754 list the names of witnesses, who were often family members.
 * These records can help you identify your ancestor’s family. Signatures in the records might be used to identify a particular individual by the handwriting style.
 * Banns indicate the parish of residence of the bride and groom. This information often leads to the records of another parish. You can search for the baptisms of the bride and groom in the parishes of residence since these might also be the parishes where they were born.

Burial Records


 * After 1812, and sometimes before, burial records include the age of the deceased. Use this age to approximate the person’s birth year and to find the baptismal record.
 * The occupation of a deceased male might be given (especially after 1812) and can help identify your ancestor when there is more than one person by that name in the area. Knowing the occupation might also provide you the opportunity to find other records about your ancestor.

Tips to Keep in Mind
Within the diocese, the Suffolk parishes in the Archdeaconry of Suffolk and County of Suffolk of Belton, Suffolk, Bradwell, Suffolk, Burgh Castle, Suffolk, Fritton, Suffolk, Gorleston, Suffolk transcripts are held at Suffolk Record Office.

'''Norwich transcripts are grouped together by year for ease of search. Exceptions include:'''


 * Norwich St Helen, Norfolk as no transcripts survive prior to 1813
 * Norwich St James with Pockthorpe, Norfolk, Norwich St Mary in the Marsh, Norfolk, Norwich St Paul, Norfolk each have their own Archdeacon Transcripts series.
 * Great Yarmouth, Norfolk has some difficulty in reading the Archdeacon and Bishop's Transcripts series. For the years 1773-1841 the Record Office series Great Yarmouth Weekly Register Bills may be easier to use for research purposes. The Record Office series is available on microfiche.
 * Castle Rising, Norfolk exceptionally has Archdeacon's transcripts beyond 1812; the years 1812-1818 are available.
 * Great Cressingham, Norfolk has no surviving Archdeacon's transcripts.
 * Thorpe St Andrew all transcripts were sent to the Bishop.
 * The parish of Emneth, Norfolk was within the Wisbech deanery of the Diocese of Ely and therefore all archdeacon's and Bishop's Transcripts are located at the University of Cambridge Library with the holdings of Ely diocesan Archdeacon and Bishop's Transcripts.

General Information About These Records
Marriage banns normally took place on three separate occasions prior to the marriage and gave anyone with a valid reason a chance to object to the marriage.

Parish registers are one of the best sources for identifying individuals and connecting them to parents, spouses, and other generations. In July 1837, the government instituted the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. However, parish registers continue to play an important role because they are often more readily available than civil registers. Bishops’ transcripts are a backup source for parish registers that are missing or illegible. If possible, you may want to search both the parish registers and the bishops’ transcripts since one is a handwritten copy of the other and might contain differences.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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