Transcript:Coleby, Lincolnshire, England. Registers of Coleby, Lincolnshire, 1561-1812

Preface.

The Registers of this parish from 1561 to 1812 are contained in four Volumes, as detailed below.

The transcription of Volume I. was entirely carried out by Mrs. Tempest, of Coleby Hall ; and to her kindness and energy is chiefly due the possibility of this issue. Volumes II., III., and IV., were transcribed by Rev. W. F. Curtoys.

Various points of interest will be noticed, such as the Memorandum of October 30, 1657, as to the appointment of John Rodgers as “ Parish Register.”

In the year 1655 (p. 76) there is an almost indecipherable entry, which was made out by the Rev. H. E. Tweed to be “ Geo : Hodgkinson (?) Min : preached here for the first time ” ; and which has been erased by the unfriendly flourishes of some later writer. There is little doubt that the name is Thomas Hitchinson, the intruded Minister, to whom in October, 1656, the Commissioners allowed an Augmentation (Lambeth MSS., No. 1,008, p. 203 ; and No. 968, p. 53). As “ minister ” he signed the Bishop's transcripts of the parish register for Coleby, 1653–1662. The burial of his daughter is mentioned, January 4, 1658-9. Finally, we find that he was ordained Deacon in July, 1662.

As to the later volumes, the custom prevailed, for a short time, of the Vicar and, at first, the Churchwardens and Sidesmen also, signing the entries at the close of the year. From 1753, there being no Vicar then in residence, the Curate alone signs them until 1762, from which date, neither Vicar nor Curate, it would seem, being resident in the Parish, the Registers of Baptisms and Burials were turned over to be kept by the Parish Clerk, whose handwriting and spelling shew him to have been sadly unfit for the task.

Volume I. is written on parchment, and is in excellent preservation, but some of the earlier leaves have been much damaged by the wholesale application of tincture of galls, and in some places the entries are quite illegible. It is a sad pity that this tincture was (and still is) used, for although it does bring out the writing that has faded, yet it soon blackens the whole of the places to which it has been applied, and renders them all unreadable. There are other chemicals that can with much greater advantage be used to bring out faded writing in a permanent manner, which leave no black stains behind.

The earlier part, down to 1641, is in one handwriting. The book is 10¾ in. high and 6¼ in. wide, and contains 80 leaves or 160 pages. The binding is limp parchment, and is in poor condition. It contains entries of Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages all mixed together from 1561 to 1740. The first page has been scrawled over with signatures of Thomas Toynby, John Roger, and Wm. Stanley 1680. The first entry commences half way down the first page.

Volume II. contains 62 parchment pages, and contains entries of Baptisms and Burials from 1741 to 1791, and Marriages from 1741 to 1754, when in accordance with the Act of Parliament, known as Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act for the prevention of clandestine marriages, a new system of entry was adopted in fresh books.

The binding is limp parchment, and outside is hand printed in very bold capitals “ The Register Book for the Parish of Coleby, near Lincoln, bought by Jos^h Boone, Churchwarden, October 10, 1740.”

On the inside of the cover and on the paper flyleaf occurs twice, “ William Storr, Clark of Coulby, 1790.”

Volume III. contains Banns and Marriages only “ according to the Act of Parliament ” previously mentioned. Only 37 pages (which are of paper) are used, embracing the period 1754 to 1812, The Banns are placed immediately before the Marriage entries.

The first flyleaf contains “ Directions how to use this Marriage Register Book,” and the second flyleaf has “ Coleby Register, price 8/-, Bought Mar. 26, 1754, John Sarraude, Vicar, Thomas Fountaine, Church Warden, William Tindal, Parish Clerk.”

Volume IV. This book contains Baptisms and Burials from 1792 to 1812. Up to 1800 both classes of entries are on the same page, but from 1801 the Burials are entered separately at the end of the book. Twenty-six pages in this volume are not used.

On the cover is written “ William Storr, Clark, of Colby parish in this year of Our Lord, 1792, Wm. Harrison, Curate, 1794, Thomas Toynbee, Clerk, 1798.”