When were Nonconformist rites of passage first registered at Dr Williams Library

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I know I've recently visited this topic, but I'm still a little confused.  On the www.bmdregisters.co.uk website I obtained my gt-gt-grandfather William GURNER's birth entry, which was "received, filed, and registered according to the custom in use among Protestant Dissenters, at the registry of births kept at Dr Williams Library, Red Cross Street, Cripplegate, London"
Although William was born on 19th May 1822, his birth was not registered until 2nd March 1830.  (From the same TNA pay-as-you-go-site I have uncovered his baptism, which was July 3rd 1822 - and his entry was listed as William Pakeman, as his father's name Henry Pakeman GURNER must have been interpreted by a clerk as "Henry Pakeman, Gurner (some kind of obscure profession or trade!)")
So, when did Dr Williams begin gathering together all his Nonconformist entries, and who took the responsibility of assembling it. And for how many years did this process take place?
I presume there was no legal compulsion for Nonconformist births to be registered in a central place, as was the case from July 1837 for all BMD's...
keith

[Little Nell]

Dr Williams (Daniel actually) was a presbyterian minister c 1643 - 1716.  His library is based upon his bequest of his books and manuscripts for public use.

Non-conformist ministers were apparently notorious for neglecting to keep proper registers, so  the Protestant Dissenting Deputies of the Three Demoninations (Baptist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist)  formed the General Register of Births and arranged with the trustees of Dr Williams Library to  look after this register.  The librarian there acted as Clerk.  It began on 1 January 1742/3.  It was apparently open to anyone (not just Londoners and non-conformists) who were ready to pay 6d for the privilege of registering their child's birth.  The registers also gave the the exact place of birth and the name of the mother's father (bonus!!  )

Apparently baptisms were still hard to collate or collect.  Not everyone sent in the entries etc.  Eventually the Registry became a repository for ministers to deposit their register books.  In total there are apparently 48,975 entries (no, I've not counted them!) and they overlap in the last 6 months with those of the GRO.

The Library has a card index of names.

Hope that helps.

Nell

[Keith Sherwood]

Nell,
That makes things very clear indeed.  Thank you so much for putting me out of my misery!
keith

[SarahU]

Query re an old post - Dr. William’s Library. I recently came across an ancestor’s birth entry in this register. Child appears to born in Inswich in 1805, notation made ‘at whose birth we were present” Wm Spark & Frances Payne - Really? Registered at Dr. William’s Library, Redcross Street, near Cripplegate, London on Nov  22, 1815, signed Thos. Morgan, Register
Does this mean the family were part of the non-conformists, had to pay and register - who made the choice as registration was not compulsory at that time. What about other family births, deaths and marriages? Sorry if l appear vague but first time l have run across this.

[melba_schmelba]

Query re an old post - Dr. William’s Library. I recently came across an ancestor’s birth entry in this register. Child appears to born in Inswich in 1805, notation made ‘at whose birth we were present” Wm Spark & Frances Payne - Really? Registered at Dr. William’s Library, Redcross Street, near Cripplegate, London on Nov  22, 1815, signed Thos. Morgan, Register
Does this mean the family were part of the non-conformists, had to pay and register - who made the choice as registration was not compulsory at that time. What about other family births, deaths and marriages? Sorry if l appear vague but first time l have run across this.

I am not sure if you are surprised at the fact they travelled from, what I presume is Ipswich not Inswich or not. Some ways of registering a birth may have been important for certain things, like various military positions or civil service positions, but people likely just liked to have some form of proof of birth for no particular reason. Some people registered in their own non conformist church registers, but some congregations had no register, so people may have held their nose and had their child baptised at a CofE church, but when the Dr. William's Library option came in they preferred to use that. Children would often be registered at the Library in batches.

[SarahU]

Thank you for the speedy response and the information, totally unexpected. The reasons you gave are plausible but l was looking forward to learning my ancestors were a bit rebellious - weren’t they known as a breakaway protestant group? Though the birth was reported as 1806, the entry was not signed as registered until 1815, hence my query as to other family registrations. It certainly opens up another avenue of research. Thank you again.
P.s. read this over twice, hoping no typos

[melba_schmelba]

Thank you for the speedy response and the information, totally unexpected. The reasons you gave are plausible but l was looking forward to learning my ancestors were a bit rebellious - weren’t they known as a breakaway protestant group? Though the birth was reported as 1806, the entry was not signed as registered until 1815, hence my query as to other family registrations. It certainly opens up another avenue of research. Thank you again.
P.s. read this over twice, hoping no typos

The non conformists weren't just one group . There were a huge number of different churches and sects, Methodists, Baptists, Unitarians, Congregationalists, Quakers being the most common, but there were many more more obscure ones like Swedenborgians, Muggletonians, Ranters, Diggers, and Levellers. That is one frustrating aspect of the Dr. William's library register, in that it doesn't usually record the sect or church to which the parents belong. It is quite normal for registrations to occur some years later.