Parish Registers (Part 1): Sixteenth Century Injunctions

A transcript from the Hardback MSS book. C. F. D. Sperling. “Notabilia Quadam” I (1892), (S/LIB/9/1 f85) belonging to the Essex Society for Archaeology and History now deposited at the Essex Record Office.

Cromwell’s Injunction to the Clergy, 8 September 1538

“Every parson, vicar or curate within this diocese for every church shall keep one book or Register wherein he shall write the day and year of every wedding, christening or burial made within your parish for your time, so every man succeeding you likewise, and also there insert every person’s name that shall be wedded, christened or buried.

And for the safe keeping of the same book, the parish shall be bound to provide of their common charge one sure coffer with two locks and keys, whereof the one to remain with you and the other with the wardens of every parish wherein the said book shall be laid up.

Which book ye shall every Sunday take forth and with the presence of the said wardens, or one of them, write and record in the same all the weddings, christenings and burials made the whole week afore, and that done lay up the book in the same coffer as afore.

And every time that the said shall be omitted, the party that shall be in the fault thereof, shall forfeit to the said church iijs iiijd, to be employed on the reparation of the said church.”

This same injunction was re-issued by Edward VI in 1547 except that the penalty was to be paid “to the Poor Box of that parish.”

In 1555 Cardinal Pole directed the Bishops at their Visitation to enquire “if the parish had a register with the names of the baptised, of the sponsors, of the married, and of the dead.”

In 1559, a similar injunction to that of 1538 was enacted except that the penalty was to be divided between the poor box and the repair of the church.

On 25 October 1597 a constitution made by the Archbishops, Bishops and clergy was approved by the Queen under the great seal, ordering all Parish Registers to be copied anew into a parchment book.