Bishops Transcripts - General Info Please

[Rosemarie]

I've always assumed bishops transcripts relate only to BMDs in Anglican

parishes but most of our ancestors are RC and going back beyond 1837 is

particularly difficult - can somebody tell me what period and events the

transcripts cover and for which religious groups?

Marie.

[Linda_J]

Hi Marie

I was wondering the same thing but in my case it is chaple records. I presume there would be no BT's or At's.

Regards Linda

[Nick Carver]

As far as I understand it, periodically each parish had to supply details of all the BMDs carried out in that church during the previous quarter or year or whatever it was to the diocese. This is particularly useful since in many instances, the information supplied is more detailed than that in the register and it also means records are more likely to exist than if you have to rely exclusively on the parish records. What is more common however, is a discrepancy between the parish records and the BTs, probably as a result of spelling. Until 1837, the BTs were fulfilling the role of the registrar, for now, the parish has to supply details of all the BMDs to the local registrar.

I'm sure there are more details that can be added, but hope this helps. In the case of your RC ancestors, remember that many had their children baptised in CofE to be eligible for parish support if they were ever hard up and marriages were only legal in a CofE church until mid 19th century.

[Rosemarie]

Thanks for that Nick. Checking the transcripts may be worth it after all.

Marie.

[Nick Carver]

If a transcription of the parish records is available through the local FHS, you will probably find that it includes the BTs as well. In that case, differences are pointed out typically as follows (using imaginery entry):
Baptism
1795 August 2nd John SMITH son of William SMITH [BT. & Elizabeth]

In this case the BT has the mother's name but it is missing from the original register.

[Little Nell]

This is the explanation as given in The Dictionary of Genealogy

Bishops Transcript A copy of one year’s entries in a parish register, sent by the incumbent to his bishop, usually at Easter. This practice was made general in 1598 in accordance with an archiepiscopal order of the previous year, but in some dioceses it had been the custom from about the beginning of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign.In almost any series of Transcripts there are annual gaps and also errors and omissions owing to insufficient care in copying. However, they sometimes contain entries and valuable details omitted from the original registers. This stems from the practice by some incumbents of making notes of all baptisms, etc., on loose sheets or in rough notebooks and copying them into the register book at the end of the year, at the same time as making another copy for the bishop.  During the Commonwealth, very few transcripts were made. From 1813 all Transcripts had to be sent to the Diocesan Registrar.  Incumbents of peculiars sent their Transcripts to their ecclesiastical superior instead of to their bishop, but from 1813 they were obliged to conform to the general practice. Bishops’ Transcripts should not be treated as a source alternative to registers, but as a check on them and as a substitute when the registers are missing or contain gaps or omissions. The spelling of personal names, often differs from that in the parish register, which may be a help in identification.
The Federation of Family History Societies has published a useful guide to the location and indexes of the Transcripts, entitled Bishops’ Transcripts and Marriage Licences, by J.S.W. Gibson.

Nell

[Rosemarie]

Many thanks Nell

At present I'm stuck in the early 19C with most branches of my family and wondered if BTs may help and, if so, how I could access them as I live outside the NW where I grew up. I've searched Google for more info on BT's but didn't find anything useful which was why I turned to Rootschat

Marie.