Updated 1 Oct 2001

WIRKSWORTH Parish Records 1600-1900

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Photos of Early PRs

Here are some pictures of the early Parish Register pages. They show the style of old handwriting and the page format used. Forgive the resolution and contrast, its the best my scanner can do.


Wirksworth Parish Register opened at 1611 

Here's a quick description of what the earliest
Wirksworth Register  (1608-1662) looks like. 
Its kept in the Derbyshire Record Office at Matlock.

The Register is 6 1/2" wide and 15" tall and 3" thick.
The cover is made of Leather
On the spine in large letters is written BMD 1608-1662
There are about 100 pages made of parchment
The condition of the binding is very poor
Each page contains up to 50 records on each side
The Register contains about 10,000 records.
Baptisms start at the front, about 4,500 total
Burials start at the back, about 4,500 total
Marriages start in the middle, about 900 total
Each entry is written in black ink with a quill pen.
Usually one entry covers one line about 6" long.
Legibility varies from good to completely faded.
Pages are marred by ink blots and skin imperfections.
Writing style is mainly "Secretary Hand", in use 1500-1700
The Register smells "old".


1629 Baptisms 

    |           1629
----|-------------------------------------------------------
    | John filius Robeart Heald baptized ---    5 of Julye
    | Henrye filius Henrye Buxton bapt   ---    5 of Julye
    | Margareat filia Thomas Barnes baptized    5 of Julye
    | Thomas filius William Spensur baptized - 12 of Julye
    | Thomas filius Robeart Frost baptized  -- 25 of Julye
    | Idyth filia John Higgit baptized   ----- 26 of Julye
    |



1614 Marriages 

------------------------------------------------------------
               1614
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raph Bruckshaw et Dorothe Buntinge nupt ye 9 of Maye
Roberte Cardwall et Em Gretrecks nupt ye 16 of Maye
Francis Twigshall et Joone Waterfall nupt ye 19 of June
Roger Harrison et Margerye Buntinge nupt ye 3 of Julye
Roger Coates et Joan Flint nupt ye 7 of August


1611 Burials 

           Anno\ini 1611

Edward flius Robti Craddock sepult ---- xxxi Martii
Elizabeth uxor Homefri Booes sepult -- xxxj Martij
Margarett filia Rowlandi Beck sepult --- xij Die Aprilis
Ellen Cadman uxor Johis Cadman sepult --- x Aprilis
Elizabeth uxor Alexand Ogden sepult --- x11j Aprilis
Mary Bacon sepult Decimo octoii Die Aprilis


Compiled, formatted, hyperlinked, encoded, and copyright © 2001, . All Rights Reserved.