BAPTISM RECORD
Page from baptism register of St Benet Gracechurch ( bit.ly/anniebesantbaptism)
baptisms are included in London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812. Within the 1813-1906 collection, you can also search the Board of Guardian records, which cover 72 years of births that took place in London’s workhouses during the Victorian period.
NON- CONFORMISTS
Until 1837 (with exceptions for Quakers and Jews) marriages had to take place in an Anglican Church – no matter what your religious beliefs. However, followers of a variety of non- conformist religions could still conduct baptism ceremonies in their own places of worship. Though these events weren’t always recorded for fear of punishment, many of these unique records do survive, and sometimes give more detail than their official counterparts.
Despite not doing a great deal of record-keeping, Presbyterian ministers in urban areas such as London did tend to make records of events, and their baptism registers often include additional information such as mother’s maiden name and the child’s date of birth. Ancestry has a collection of London non- conformist church registers from 1694 to 1921.
But whatever their religion, your ancestor’s birth records will be a great first step to uncovering the rest of their life story.
The Board of Guardian records cover births in the workhouses