Parish Chests.

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:44 pm

I was reading about Parish chests in a genealogy magazine article recently (I understand that they were large wooden chest, kept in many churches, in which all the parish records and money was kept. Consequently, there was a big lock on the front to keep all the theiving parishioners out!). But they don't still keep them in parish churches, surely - at least, not with anything as vaulable as old record books in them anyway.

As, I'd never heard of them or, to my knowledge, seen one before, I wondered whether anyone had ever seen one, used one, opened one, accessed one...or whatever it is you do with them

And is it a worthwhile avenue of pursuit to try and knock down the brickwall I'm up against!?

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:22 pm

Hi Anne
I think the "Parish Chest" is more associated witth England than Scotland. Certainly whenever I have seen mention of one in family history articles it has been to do with English records.

Best wishes
Lesley

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:12 pm

Ah, no use to me then - cos I have no rotten sassenachs in my tree

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:20 pm

I'm not sure where it was from, but I once saw a parish chest opened for the first time in "living memory" on the Antiques Road Show on TV. After much great excitement, it was found to contain newspapers...from the 1960's

.

Nina

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:56 pm

Post by **paddyscar** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:15 am

ninatoo wrote:I'm not sure where it was from, but I once saw a parish chest opened for the first time in "living memory" on the Antiques Road Show on TV. After much great excitement, it was found to contain newspapers...from the 1960's .

Nina

I saw that episode!! What a hoot, it was when it was opened

http://uk.yahoo.com search for parish coffers yields predominantly English sites - not surprising based on the following website introduction.

http://wsom-opc.org.uk/Data/index.html

"Prish registers were first introduced by Thomas Cromwell in 1538. From that date, every parish church was required to acquire a sure coffer (i.e. parish chest) within which their records could be securely stored."

http://www.genealogy.hampshire.org.uk/parish-chest.html has transcriptions of various records held in parish chests including one for Barry, Angus

http://www.parishregisters.co.uk/scotla ... /barry.htm

Frances

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:51 am

That Hampshire site was useful Frances, thanks!

Allison · Post by **Allison** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:13 pm

Good afternoon everyone. Actually I was fortunate enough to see a parish chest, complete with registers dating back to 1875 and earlier in a Scottish Episcopal Church. I was looking for two ancestors and the parish clerk at the time took me to this huge wooden chest kept in the vestry, undid the lock, pulled out the appropriate marriage register and then gave it to me to go through until I found the right entry. The priest was even kind enough to pull it out when my spouse and I were married and put it directly about the modern marriage register so my father could see his grandparents' marriage entry. Hard to believe that there are still some of these around.

Allison