Non-Conformist families in early PRs

[Wilkes_ml]

As I'm working my way through parish registers, I am finding the occasional non-conformist or dissenting family who have asked for their children's names to be recorded in the parish register. Often these lists are not with the other baptisms, and are not in chronological order of the register, so would be difficult to locate if one was searching for them.

So this is a thread for non-conformist or dissenting family lists found in Parish Registers (not Non-Conformist Registers) and may be of use to others in the future.

to start with:

At St. Mary the Virgin, Broomfield, Essex (Ref: D/P 248/1/1 image 54)

Pg. 74

"Children Baptised by Non-conformist as is said

Henry sonn of Henry NEVILL and Mary his wife was baptised November 9th 1686
William the sonn of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born November 30th 1685
Mary the daughter of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born December 18th 1687
Richard the sonn of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born January 3rd 1689
Elizabeth ye daughter of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born March 9 and baptised March 15 1691
John the son of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born March 8 and baptised March 12 1693
Sarah ye daughter of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born October 1 and baptised October 12 1696
Abigail the daughter of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born April 14 and baptised April 26 1698
Ann the daughter of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born July 16 and baptised July 18 1699
James the son of William KNIGHT and Mary his wife was born August 22 and baptised September 4 1700
George KNIGHT the son of widow KNIGHT was born May 4 and baptised May 11 1704 "

[Guy Etchells]

The following may be of interest and may explain some entries in the registers and indeed reasons for expected entries not being registered.

This was entered into the register of Bugbrook Parish, Northamptonshire 1668.

“memorand. That about this time that untoward generation of Quakers began to bury their’s Distinctly by themselves, in their gardens and orchards, in severall places of the towne, all which burials (there being no notice given of them to the minister or parish clerke) are therefore here omitted, (nor) have their names (been) inserted in this Church Register, though there was a considerable mortality among them ; as, also those of severall others sorts of Phanaticks, who, having forsaken the Church, would not be buried in the churchyard, but in their orchards and backside of their houses…

It also goes on to mention in Northampton the burial registers of the town contain the names of all persons who died in the several parishes, even when they were not buried in the churchyard.

The full paper this has been extracted from may be downloaded free at
http://anguline.co.uk/free.html scroll down to The Parish Registers of Northampton.
Cheers
Guy

[Wilkes_ml]

Thanks Guy, that is very interesting, and would explain the missing burials at that time. In Essex, I have only come across one parish which had an early Quaker burial ground area within the parish church yard, and I think that was Great Dunmow, which I will go back to as I'm sure it had some lists of dissenters in the register.

[Mitch in Notts]

I came across these in the General Register for Fakenham, Norfolk. They are added at the bottom of the Baptisms page.

N.B. February 11th 1734-5 was born Edmund the son of Joseph & Ann PECKOVER (FamilySearch Fakenham Bap,Marr & Bur 1719-58 image 30 of 58).
April 10th 1736 was born Catharine of Joseph & Ann PECKOVER (FamilySearch Fakenham Bap,Marr & Bur 1719-58 image 31 of 58).
N.B. August 21 1737 was born Joseph of Joseph & Ann PECKOVER (FamilySearch Fakenham Bap,Marr & Bur 1719-58 image 31 of 58).
August 5 1739 was born Ann of Joseph & Ann PECKOVER (FamilySearch Fakenham Bap,Marr & Bur 1719-58 image 32 of 58).
March 11 1741-2 was born Edmund of Joseph & Ann PECKOVER (FamilySearch Fakenham Bap,Marr & Bur 1719-58 image 33 of 58).

[Wilkes_ml]

Thanks Mitch for that contribution.

As I'm going through the burial register of Witham early 1700s, I'm noticing many Quakers being buried from other parishes, so I'm assuming that Witham had a section for Quakers, and that Quakers would travel further to use a designated Quaker burial ground.

Would it be useful to index all the Quaker burials in the burial registers? (not that I haven't got enough to do, as I'm also databasing all adult baptism too lol).

Eventually they should end up on FreeReg, but I suspect many researchers may overlook a burial or baptism if they are not in the expected parish (or with adult baptism, the expected year).

[Wilkes_ml]

At St. Andrew, Shalford, Essex at the end of the 1757 burials (not with the baptisms in their rightful place)

Not technically non-conformist as the parish vicar baptised them (I am assuming after the decease of their Quaker father)

baptised 23rd July 1717 Goodman SMITH's 4 children

Ann SMITH aged 12 years
Daniel SMITH aged 9 years
Mary SMITH aged 6 years
Ruth SMITH aged 1 1/2 years

"The reason why they were not baptised before was because their father was a Quaker but they were then baptised by me

[Wilkes_ml]

Holy Cross, Felsted, Essex (D/P 99/1/4) at the end of the register (image 71)

Quaker children born in the parish of Felsted:

Ann HURRELL daughter of George HURRELL and Ann his wife born 31st August 1706
George HURRELL son of George HURRELL and Ann his wife born 11th February 1717
Joseph son of Joseph FOSTER & Mary his wife born 6th April 1729
Mary daughter of Joseph FOSTER & Mary his wife born 18th June 1730
Joseph son of Joseph FOSTER & Mary his wife born 20th June 1731

[Wilkes_ml]

In the parish Register of St. Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow, Essex (D/P 11/1/2)
At the end of baptisms 1705

"Then follow ye names of such children as their parents being dissenters do not receive ye Holy Mystery of Baptism according to ye Usage of ye Church of England " and all the children born in the year 1705 but not baptised were listed ( and there were a lot!). Prior to this children born but not baptised were entered amongst the baptisms, but the date was in brackets and many entries did not specify that the parents were dissenters, though many Quakers were noted as such.

[tanveer shah]

I enjoyed reading this posts was very informative,Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, I'm sure it'll greatly benefit the community.

[Wilkes_ml]

I'm glad you are enjoying this post...you may also be interested in my other ones I have on the go. Late Baptisms (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php/79058-A-very-late-baptism!?highlight=late+baptism) and travellers (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php/79193-Travellers-in-the-parish-registers?highlight=travellers)

[Joanna1941]

Hello... I am interested in non-comformists posts... do you nkow anyone who may do this particular branch of work in the North East... Mainly Middlesborough / Guisborough / Witney / Ormesby area???
Your posting was good,,, Thanks

[Peter Goodey]

Hello... I am interested in non-comformists

This thread is about non-conformists being mentioned in parish registers. If you want non-conformist and other non-parochial registers, most surviving registers (pre-1837ish) are online at BMDRegisters. For post 1837, you can use civil registration.

[Wilkes_ml]

Ancestry & The Genealogist also have non-conformist registers online, but I'm not sure of the date coverage. If you are looking for late baptisms of teenagers/adults (that are indicitive of non-conformist beliefs) in the parish registers in the areas you are interested in, you could either hire a private researcher, or order microfilms via your local Family History centre (Latter Day Saints) https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator

[Wilkes_ml]

Another one to add to the list, this time in the parish register of St. Mary the Virgin, Bocking, Essex .....at the end of the marriages but before the burials! (D/P 268/1/3 image 172)

"Born, not baptised - being Dissenters

Mary daughter of John & Mary REEVE born November 16th 1768
Rebekah daughter of John & Mary REEVE born January 5th 1770"

[Wilkes_ml]

I was interested to find in the parish register of St. Nicolas, Witham, Essex, in-between the baptisms 1676-1677, inserted several "batches" of families baptised with dates ranging from 1670-1730 (images 9 & 10).

These appear to be summaries rather than batch baptisms, as the baptisms are on different dates/years and are not in order chronologically.

In amongst thes batches of baptisms is what appear to be a batch of non-conformists, as they are listed as births and "registered"

The children of Edward & Martha POWELL:
Thomas POWEL was born September ye 19th 1713
Martha POWEL was born November ye 3rd 1714
Edward POWEL was born June the 28th 1718
Mary POWEL was born July ye 27th 1721

mem. These 4 children were registered by me A. Brookbank Curate at Witham 1730

[Wilkes_ml]

Also amongst the baptisms at St. Nicolas, Witham, Essex (image 10 in the marriages column!)

Sarah daughter of John Jackson the Eldest son of William Jackson was born January 3rd 1736/7
Elizabeth was born August 2nd 1738
William Jnr April 2nd 1740
Registered by a Brookbank, Curate

[Wilkes_ml]

Been a while, but I've finally stumbled across another one!

Entered in the parish register of St. John the Baptist, Sedlescomb(e), Sussex, at the beginning of the composite register 1725-1802 (PAR-481/1/1/3) image 754 of 794 on scanned images on Family Search.

"A register of the births of children of dissenters within the parish of Sedlescomb in the County of Sussex. The first that I have had notice of is a daughter of Samuel CROFT & Elizabeth his wife - her name Elizabeth born November 30th 1740"