Transcript:Lincolnshire, England. Lincolnshire Parish Registers, Marriages/01

Phillimore's Parish Register Series. Vol. LI.

Lincolnshire Parish Registers.
Marriages.

Vol. I. (1905)

Edited by W. P. W. Phillimore, M.A., B.C.L. and Ashley K. Maples, of Spalding.

Preface.

The Editors have now the pleasure of issuing the first volume of Lincolnshire Marriage Registers. The whole of this volume, which considerably exceeds the average size of the volumes issued in this series for other counties, is occupied with the important register of the town of Spalding but though for this reason it does not cover so wide an area as is usual, the Editors trust that it will be none the less appreciated by Lincolnshire Genealogists. Much interest has been taken in the proposal to print Lincolnshire Parish Registers, and should sufficient support be accorded, they propose to continue the series in similar volumes. They will be very glad to receive offers of assistance, since it is only by volunteer help that it is possible to print our ancient Parish Registers.

Genealogists, not only in Lincolnshire but throughout the English world, will appreciate this systematic attempt to render available the information contained in parish registers, which to most students are at present almost sealed books. These printed copies will preserve the information they contain, even though the originals be lost by carelessness, theft, or fire. Moreover, registers in the past have been sometimes tampered with for wrongful purposes, as was done in the Shipway pedigree case, in which forged entries, both early and late, were inserted in several Gloucestershire parish registers.

In several instances where registers have been printed, as a consequence, volumes which had been supposed to be lost have been discovered and subsequently printed, thus shewing how desirable it is to make public by means of the printing press these ancient records.

The whole of these marriage registers have been abstracted by Mr. Maples, (with the exception of 40 years in the 18th century by Mr. W. F. Howard), and are now printed by permission of the Rev. Canon Rd. Bullock, M.A., Vicar of Spalding.

Every care has been exercised in the transcription of the copy, and in many cases the proofs have been collated with the original registers. Still errors may have crept in, from the difficulty of distinguishing certain letters, such as c and t, u, m, n, and i, K and R, O and C, etc. It must also be borne in mind that the existing early registers are themselves but transcripts from the original paper registers made under the order of Elizabeth, in 1597.

The entries have been reduced to a common form, and the following abbreviations adopted :—

It must be remembered that these printed abstracts of marriage registers are not “ evidence ” in the technical sense. Certified copies must still be obtained when evidence of a marriage is needed for proving a pedigree in a Court of law, or when registering it at Heralds' College. For such certificates application must be made to the clergy in charge of the original registers.

Ultimately, no doubt, the baptisms and burials will find their way into print, but it seems expedient to issue the weddings first, as is done in the present series.

No index is issued with the volume, as the Editors believe that it is better to print as many registers as possible, and for the present to defer index-making until the registers still in manuscript are placed beyond the risk of loss.

W. P. W. P.

A. K. M.

June, 1905.

Contents.