I’ve started to transcribe Alresford’s parish registers, which survive from the 1740s. I’ve discovered burials 1679-1740s in two vestry minutes books, which were recorded thanks to the Burials in Woollen Acts. I’m transcribing these too, and I’m also going to extract names from the vestry minutes books which help to give names to the inhabitants of the village, who otherwise would be forgotten.
Back in August, I went on a daytrip around several churches in Suffolk: Boxford, Groton, Edwardstone, Chattisham and East Bergholt. I took lots of photos of brasses, plaques, and grave stones, and you’ll see them popping up in galleries soon. There’s some wonderful memorials, so I’ll blog about some of the more unusual ones.
And here’s my tips on how to navigate them.
Nearly a century of baptisms for Shelley, Suffolk, from 1813 to 1901 now at Essex & Suffolk Surnames! Many thanks to Anthony Tricker for sending me these transcriptions.
Over 1,000 more burials added for Barking, Suffolk, from 1611-1639. The parish includes Needham Market and Darmsden.
The last of the transcriptions for Lawford, Essex, are now online, from 1558-1862. Thousands of baptisms, burials and marriages are yours to explore.
Quite by accident, I stumbled over the Stadsarchief Rotterdam site. It’s definitely worth having a look on here if you have merchant ancestors who go off-grid in British registers. I was looking into a Scottish family – the father was a merchant – and found the baptism for one of their sons in the register appears to be the register of the “Scots church” in Rotterdam, covering the 1600s and 1700s.
Given that the Harwich registers have several Dutch people in them, then there may well be Harwich people turning up in the records on the Stadsarchief Rotterdam site. If you click “Stamboom”, you’ll be taken to a search page. The registers have been indexed by name, so pop a name in and see what you find! There are English churches in Rotterdam too – St Mary’s (Anglican), and the Pilgrim Fathers’ Church (Dissenters).
As an example – take a look at that Scottish church register, which includes dates of birth and baptism, the father’s name, and the mother’s name, including her maiden name. What a goldmine!
Nearly 1,000 baptisms for Barking, Suffolk (including Needham Market and Darmsden) from 1595-1615 now available!
Over 1,000 burials now available for Barking, Suffolk, from 1568-1616. Thousands more to follow, up to 1766!
