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Suggestions as to Transcription.

LIMITS OF DATE.

It is evident that there is most reason for transcribing the oldest Registers, but those of later date are also of great value, and it is suggested that 1812, the date of the Act of 52 Geo. III, cap. 146, is a suitable point to which copies may be taken.

CHARACTER OF WRITING.

In transcribing, great care must be used to avoid mistakes from the confusion of certain letters with modern letters of similar form.

An alphabet is adjoined giving some of the ordinary characters, but Registers vary, and the manner in which the capital letters are formed is of infinite variety. It may be noted that capital F resembles two small ff's, but there is no reason whatever for printing it in the latter way; G is a difficult letter running into C and T; K and Rare formed exactly alike, except that the direction of the top loop is always reversed; W is formed as two U's or two V's,

A B C O O I C H G C T H I J L FK, L, MC.IC, O P Q P R S T C D W W BW, DE a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q x. ffo, tuz w x y z

Great help in deciphering names may be gained from a study of existing local names. It must, however, be borne in mind that the same name may be continually spelt in different ways, and may undergo considerable changes in the course of time or from the hands of different scribes.

In copying dates, it must be remembered that down to 1752, the year began on the 25th of March and not on the 1st of January. METHOD OF TRANSCRIPTION.

There can be no doubt that a verbatim et literatim transcription is of far more value than any other form; it is otherwise impossible to be sure that some point of interest and importance has not been overlooked; the extra trouble of making a complete transcript is small, and the result much more satisfactory. In any case the names should be given literatim and all remarks carefully copied, with some indication, where possible, as to the date of the remark. Other records,

such as Churchwardens' Accounts, should certainly not be transcribed and printed otherwise than in full. It is far better in both cases to do a portion thoroughly than the whole imperfectly.

REVISION AND COLLATION OF COPIES.

The decipherment of old Registers is, as already pointed out, a work of considerable difficulty, and it is therefcre strongly recommended that in cases where the transcribers have no great previous experience, they should obtain the help of some competent reader to collate the transcript with the original.

It should be remembered that in many cases transcripts are preserved in the Bishops' Registries, and a reference to these will often fill up a void, clear up a difficulty, or supply an omission. It occasionally happens that the original Registers are preserved as well as later Transcripts; in such cases, the two should be collated and all variations noted.

PUBLICATION.

With regard to the publication of Registers, the Committee have carefully considered the question of printing in abbreviated or index form and have come to the conclusion to strongly recommend that the publication should be in full, not only for the reasons given for transcription, but because the extra trouble and expense is so small and the value so very much greater.

There seems, however, no objection, in either case, to the use of contractions of formal words of constant recurrence. A list of some of these is adjoined:

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With regard to entries of marriage after Lord Hardwicke's Act of 1752, it is suggested that the form of entry may be simplified by the omission of formal phrases, but care should be taken not to omit any record of fact, however apparently unimportant, such for instance as the names of witnesses, ministers, occupation, etc.

It is essential in all cases that an index should be given, and that the christian names should be given with the surnames.

It is believed that many Registers remain unprinted owing to an exaggerated idea of the cost of printing and binding. Reasonable estimates for these might, probably, often be obtained from local presses which would be interested in the publication.

No absolute rule as to size and type can be laid down, but on this and other questions the Standing Committee will always be glad to give advice. It is probable that demy octavo or foolscap quarto will be found the most convenient sizes.

A Standing Committee has been appointed by the Congress for the purpose of giving advice and distributing to the various Societies in Union such information and lists as may be of common value to all.

Societies in Union are strongly urged to form their own Committees to take steps to secure the printing of the many Transcripts that already exist unpublished, and to promote further Transcription.

By permission of G. W. Marshall, Esq., LL.D. (Rouge Croix, College of Arms), the accompanying list of Printed Registers has been prepared from the Calendar privately printed by him in 1891. A revised and augmented edition of this Calendar is in progress, and will contain full references to all known printed Registers, Transcripts, and Collections, whether complete or consisting of extracts.

The Committee also issue a list of MS. Transcripts, and propose to prepare and issue further lists from time to time. They therefore ask that information may be sent to them, or to the Secretaries of County Societies, of any Transcripts in private hands. The inclusive dates of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials should be given, and any complete Transcript will be calendared, although extending over a short period only, but extracts will not be admissible.

The Committee suggest that lists of existing Transcripts, with full particulars of the location of the Transcript, should be kept by the County Societies, and where possible, in order to avoid risk of loss, it is very desirable that such Transcripts should be deposited, either temporarily or permanently, in the Libraries of the Societies.

It is believed that the publication of a series of Registers, supplemental and extra to their Transactions, would add to the attractiveness and usefulness of the Societies without being a serious burden to their funds. By combination and organization a considerable body of outside subscribers may probably be secured for such a series, and the cost of distribution of circulars, etc., may be materially reduced by such a plan as the issue, by the Central Committee, of an annual circular containing lists of Registers in course of publication. Such a circular might be distributed by the local Societies and published in their Transactions and elsewhere.

The Standing Committee will be very glad to receive suggestions from Local Committees and others.

In this reprint only a few corrections of errors have been made, the rest remains as in the edition of 1892.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

List No. 1.-Parish Registers printed as separate works. No. 2.-Parish Registers printed in other works. No. 3.-Original Registers and Bishops' Transcripts in the British Museum Library.

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No. 4.-Registers of other Churches in all classes.
No. 5.-Parish Registers transcribed in MS.

No. 1-A List of Parish Registers that have been printed as separate works.

Extracted by permission from " Parish Registers," privately printed by Geo. W. Marshall, Esq., LL.D., 1891, and continued to date.

NOTE. Those printed at Middle Hill for Sir Thomas Phillips are very rare, and many others, such as those by Mr. Crisp, were privately printed and are scarce.

BEDS.

BERKS.

BUCKS.

HAYNES, 1596-1812, Wm. Brigg, B.A., pr.

READING, St. Mary, 1538-1812, Rev. G. P. Crawfurd,
2 vols.

WELFORD, Bap. 1562, Mar. 1603, Bur. 1559-1812, Mis.
Olney, 1892, 410

Batson

GREAT HAMPDEN, 1557-1812, E. A. Ebblewhite 1888, fol. CAMBRIDGESHIRE. ABINGTON PIGOTTS, 1653-1812, Rev. W. G. F.

Pigott

CHESHIRE. EASTHAM, 1598-1700, F. Sanders

Norwich, 1890, 410

Lond. 1891, 8vo

LEYLAND, 1653-1710, B.T. 1622-1641, W. S. White, 1892
PRESTBURY, 1560-1636, J. Croston.

1881, 8vo

CORNWALL. MADRON, Bap 1592-1726, Mar. 1577-1678, Bur. 1577

1681, G. B. Millett

Penzance, 1877, 4to ST. COLUMB Major, 1539-1780, A. J. Jewers 1881, 8vo

DENBIGHSHIRE. KEGIDOG alias ST. GEORGE, 1694-1749, F. A. Crisp

DERBYSHIRE.

DORSET.

WEST HALLAM, Rev. C. W. Kerry

ASHMORE, 1651-1820, E. W. Walsin

1890, fol.

1887, 8vo

1891, 4to

1887, 8vo

NORTH WOOTON, Bap. 1539-1785, Mar. 1542-1760, Bur.

1698-1785, Rev. C. H. Mayo, pr.

DURHAM. DENTON, 1586-1662, J. R. Walbran

ESSEX.

Ripon, 1842, 8vo

DURHAM, St. Oswald, 1538-1751, A. W. Headlam

Durham, 1891, 8vo

GAINFORD, Index, Bap. 1560-1784, Mar. 1569-1761, Bur. 1569-1784, Rev. J. Edleston, 3 parts Lond. 1889, 8vo BOBBING WORTH, Bap. 1559-1782, Mar. 1559-1753, Bur. 1558–1785, F. A. Crisp, pr.

1884, fol.

LAMBOURNE, 1582-1709, F. A. Crisp, pr.

COLCHESTER, St. Leonard, 1670-71, F. A. Crisp, 1885, fol.
GREENSTED, 1558-1812, F. A. Crisp, pr.

1892, fol.

1890, fol.

MORETON, 1558–1759, F. A. Crisp, pr.

1891, fol.

ONGAR, 1558-1550, F. A. Crisp, pr.

1886, fol.

SOUTH WEALD, 1539–1573, R. Hovenden, F.S.A.

1889, 8vo

STAPLEFORD TAWNEY, 1558-1752, F. A. Crisp

1892, fol.

STIFFORD, 1568-1783, F. A. Crisp. pr.

1885, fol.

1881, 8vo

STOCK HARVARD, 1563-1700, Rev. E. P. Gibson, B.A.

GLAMORGAN. LLANTRITHYD, 1571–1810, II. S. Hughes
GLO'STER. BRETFORTON, Mar. 1538-1752, Sir T. Phillips

KEMPSFORD, 1653–1700, F. A. Crisp, pr.
MICKLETON, 1594-1736, Sir T. Phillips, pr.

HANTS. COLMER. 1563-1812, Rev. T. Hervey

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CANTERBURY, St. Feter, 1560-1800, J. M. Cowper

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J. M. Cowper, 1890
St. Paul, 1562-1800, J. M. Cowper 1892
CHISLET, 1538-1751, R. Hovenden, F.S.A. Lond. 1887, 8vo
ELMSTONE, 1552-1812, Rev. C. H. Wilkie
KINGSTONE, 1558-1812, Rev. C. H. Wilkie
LEE, 1559-1754, Duncan and Barron
LEWISHAM, 1558-1750, L. L. Duncan
MAIDSTONE, Mar. 1542-1620, Rev. J.

1892, 8vo Lee, 1888, 8vo Lond. 1891, 8vo Cave-Browne

Lond. 1890, 8vo

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL, 1657-1837, T. Shindler, M.A.

to be pub. Svo

LANCASHIRE. COLTON-IN-FURNESS, 1622-1812, Rev. A. Williams

and J. P. Burns

Lond. 1891

1888-9, 8vo

LEIGH, 1559-1624, J. H. Stanning Leigh, 1882, 8vo
ROCHDALE, 1582-1641, H. Fishwick, 2 vols.
SADDLEWORTH, 1613-1751, J. Radcliffe
ULVERSTON, 1545-1812, Bardsley and Ayre

1887, 8vo

1886, 4to

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