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Nonconformist Records
Baptists and their records
Introduction
The Baptists in England predate many other Protestant denominations, and had two distinct beginnings.
In 1609, during the reign of James I, the first group of Baptists were formed. They had split off from a group of Puritans who had left England to look for religious freedom and were living in exile in Amsterdam. This group returned to London and formed their first meeting in London in 1611. They rejected Calvin’s idea of predestination, and practised adult baptism, or "the baptism of believers" by immersion. Although each congregation was fairly independent they did have "messengers" appointed to link congregations. They became known as the General Baptists. They had 155 chapels throughout the country by 1658.
In 1633, another group broke away from an Independent church in London. They too adopted adult baptism, but they retained Calvinistic views on predestination, and adopted an entirely "independent" church government. They became known as the Particular Baptists.
Baptists, like other Dissenters, were persecuted and suppressed after the Restoration, and had to meet in secret in barns, people’s houses etc – in 'conventicles' - until 1689. They were also prevented from holding public and military office.
The Baptist denomination of the 18th century was characterised by the growth of factions, like the evangelical New Connexion, and the Strict Baptists, who held strict Calvinist views and only offered communion to "immersed believers". The Baptist Missionary Society was formed in 1792, and sent its first missionary to India in 1793.
Organisation
The Baptist denomination is not centrally organised like the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist Churches. Each local Baptist church is a separate, autonomous body, self-governed by the "church meeting". The Minister of each Baptist church is chosen by the members, and does not necessarily have to be ordained nor have formal theological training .
There are area associations and a Union of Baptist churches, but not all congregations belong, particularly not Strict Baptists.
Baptist records
No non-conformist records exist before 1642, and very few Baptist records before 1688. Many of the early records took the form of Church Books, recording not only births, adult baptisms and memberships, but also meeting minutes and reports on the affairs of the congregation, including disciplinary procedures against "back-sliders" and non-attendees. However, early records were kept in a very sporadic way when compared to parish registers.
Baptismal records
Because Baptists did not believe in or practise infant baptism, the births and baptisms of their children often do not appear in the parish registers.
Before civil registration began, some Baptists did have their children baptised in the parish church to ensure a legal record existed of the age of their children – especially where property inheritance was involved. Also, some Baptists changed their religious allegiance and had all their children baptised together years later, or joined the Baptist church later in life after their children had already been baptised.
Some Baptist churches chose to keep their own records of births or deaths, as described above, in Church Books, and later in separate registers. However, for many Baptist children one has to accept that there was not ever any record kept of their births.
Marriage records
From 1688 to 1753, dissenting marriages were tolerated though not legalised as such; they were considered as "irregular". Very few records survive of these marriages. However, many dissenters’ marriages still took place in the parish church.
From 1754 to 1837, Baptists and other dissenters were compelled to marry in the parish church. Baptists found this hardest because some clergy were unwilling to marry those who had not been baptised as infants.
From 1837 to 1898, a Baptist chapel could only be used for marriage if it was licensed for the purpose, and a Civil Registrar had to be present to complete the legal formalities, together with the minister who performed the marriage ceremony. The General Register Office is the best source of marriage information, as many marriage registers are not deposited in the Record Office.
Burial records
Some Baptist meeting-houses did not have their own burial ground, so the members were buried in the parish churchyard or local cemetery. Some burials in meeting house burial grounds were still recorded in parish registers.
Some meeting house burial records were entered in Church Books; these are not always complete. Many pre-1837 Baptist burial registers are deposited in the Public Record Office, but the survival of post-1837 registers is very variable.
Church membership lists
These can often provide details of individuals which are unrecorded in any other records, including names of members, addresses, dates of admission and cessation, the married names of those women who joined when single, with reason for cessation of membership and date of death if this occurred.
Location of records
Because Baptist churches are autonomous there is no one central body for the deposit or collection of records. Some Baptist registers were surrendered to the Registrar General after 1837; these are now in the Public Record Office (where their class reference is RG4) and are available on microfilm there as well as in various other research centres, libraries and repositories.
Some churches have chosen to hold on to all of their own records; others have deposited them in Record Offices or in a Baptist repository or library.
Devon's Record Offices have lists of church members, records of births, adult baptism and church admission, marriage and burial registers from 25 of the Baptist congregations in Devon. Other records relating to the organisation of the congregations have also been deposited in some cases.
- List of Baptist Registers held in Devon's Record Office
- Baptist libraries, record repositories and societies