Media: BOOK - paperback, 192 pages
Author: S. Raymond
Year: 2015
ISBN: 9781783030446
Other: b&w photos, bibliog, indexes
Publisher: Pen & Sword

Parish records are essential sources for family and local historians, and Stuart Raymond's handbook is an invaluable guide to them. He explores and explains the fascinating and varied historical and personal
information they contain. His is the first thoroughgoing survey of these resources to be published for over three decades.

In this concise, easy-to-follow book he describes where these important records can be found and demonstrates how they can be used. Covering more that simply the baptism, marriage and burial records, Mr Raymond writes about the parish chest records. Ones that relate to the poor laws, the apprentices, the church, tithes, the enclosures and charities. The emphasis throughout is on understanding their original purpose and on revealing how relevant they are for researchers today.

Compelling insights into individual lives and communities in the past can be gleaned from them, and they are especially useful when they are combined with other major sources, such as the census.

'Tracing Your Ancestors' Parish Records' is an excellent introduction to this key area of family and local history research – it is a book that all family and local historians should have on their shelf.

Contents:
Acknowledgements and Preface
1. What Can You Do With Parish Records?
2. The English Parish and its Government
3. Vesty Minutes and Officers' Accounts
4. The Poor Law
5. Records Relating to the Church
6. Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages abd Burials
7. Tithe Records
8. Enclosure Awards and Maps
9. Parish Charities
10. Other Miscellaneous Records
Notes
Subject Index
Personal Index
Place Name Index