On 2nd January 2001 origins.net announced the launch of British Origins which provides exclusive Internet access to some of the valuable collections of the Society of Genealogists which relate to England and Wales. This material is unavailable online anywhere else. The new site works in much the same way as Scots Origins, but access is for 48 hours not 24. Within this time period, users will be able to view and download 150 records with the option to purchase more 'credits' and time if necessary. A FREE surname search facility allows users to determine whether there are any records that will be of interest to them before committing themselves to the £6 (approximately US $9) search fee. Use the free surname search to see how many records of interest there might be.
The English Origins database currently includes one million names, covering the period 1568 to 1850, and including the indexes listed below. These indexes provide rich genealogical and biographical details and also allow you to locate otherwise inaccessible source documents.
- Vicar-General Marriage Licence Allegations Index (670,000 names): 1694 to 1850
- Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations Index: 1701 to 1850
- Bank of England Will Extracts Index (61,000 names): 1717 to 1845
- Archdeaconry Court of London Wills Index (5,000 names): 1700 to 1807
- London City Apprenticeship Abstracts (170,000 names): 1568 to 1850
- London Consistory Court Depositions Index (3,200 names): 1700 to 1713
- Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) Wills Index (208,000 entries): 1750 to 1800
- Boyd's Marriage Index (6 to 7 million names): 1538 to 1837
Vicar-General Marriage Licence Allegations Index [1694-1850]
Search Results for RAMSDALE: 5 Records Licence Date Surname Groom Surname Bride Order Extract 19 June 1800 RAMSDALE ATKINS Order 257700 11 July 1834 RAMSDALE CHICK Order 257702 22 June 1796 RAMSDALE LLOYD Order 257699 20 August 1847 RAMSDALE PALMER Order 257703 9 July 1833 RAMSDALE RAILTON Order 257701
Search Results for RAMSDEL(L): 1 Record Licence Date Surname Groom Surname Bride Order Extract 3 August 1787 RAMSDELL PATTON Order 257704 Search Results for RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations Index [1701-1850]
Search Results for RAMSDALE: 2 Records Licence Date Surname Groom First Name Groom Surname Bride First Name Bride Order Extract 28 May 1847 RAMSDALE Michael Watts GROCOTT Mary Order 0265907 25 November 1771 KEELING John RAMSDALE Deb'h Order 0078039 Search Results for RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDEL(L) & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
Bank of England Will Extracts [1717-1845]
Search Results for RAMSDALE, RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDEL(L) & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
Archdeaconry Court of London Wills [1700-1807]
Search Results for RAMSDALE, RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDEL(L) & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
London City Apprenticeship Abstracts [1568-1850]
Search Results for RAMSDALE, RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDEL(L) & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
London Consistory Court Depositions [1700-1713]
Search Results for RAMSDALE, RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDEL(L) & RAMSDILL: 0 Records
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) Wills Index [1750-1800]
No entries under the names RAMSDALE, RAMSDAILLE, RAMSDAL(L), RAMSDEL(L) or RAMSDILL are recorded in these extracts but for RAMSDALE probate records visit Ramsdale Probate Records Database [1383 - 1967] and Ramsdale Probate Records Database [1968 - 1992] and for further probate research information visit Probate Records: 1383 to 1992 and Probate Records: A Research Summary
Wills have been proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) since 1383 and are now preserved in the Public Record Office, London. The index created by the Society of Genealogists and now available on English Origins covers wills proved in the period 1750 to 1800 (inclusive). By 1750 the PCC was proving Wills and granting Administrations at a rate of about 7,000 a year, and this number had grown to about 12,000 a year by 1800. It was the supreme church court in the British Isles for the probate of wills, and because of the great prestige of its acts and the greater safety of its records it had attracted the probate of wills of men of substance at least since the Reformation.
The Bank of England acknowledged no probate other than of this court, and the wills of persons who died abroad possessing property in this country were almost invariably proved at Canterbury. Because of this the PCC wills include copies of those of numerous Irish and colonial persons who had a second probate at the PCC and whose wills have not survived in their own countries. Particularly in the period under consideration, thousands of bi-national Hollanders and other Europeans who had invested money in the British funds (again whose wills may not have survived or be easily accessible in their own countries) had their wills proven by the PCC. The Bank of England did accept wills proved in other courts before 1812, but after that date it demanded PCC wills only.
The PCC was also the 'local court' for those possessing property in more than two dioceses in the Province of Canterbury and thus contains the wills of a great number of people in the south of England and particularly in the Home Counties (excepting Kent - see below), as also for those who had property in both the provinces of Canterbury and York. In Kent the Archbishop of Canterbury delegated his powers to his commissary general, but this does not mean that no Kent entries are to be found in the PCC - though rare, they do appear.
Originally the only means of reference to the PCC probate records was a series of contemporary manuscript calendars arranged in chronological order and subdivided by the first letter of the surname only. For searches towards the end of the eighteenth century fifteen or twenty minutes might be needed to examine a year's entries in these calendars for a single surname and a search over several years when the exact date of death was not known could sometimes be a very lengthy task. There were three or four sets of these calendars, one set having been used in the Literary Department at the Principal Probate Registry and another in the Public Search Room there, and individual volumes having been copied again as they became faint and worn. One of these sets was borrowed by the Society of Genealogists, and between 1968 and 1973 volunteers were organised to write slips for the half million entries they contained. These slips were then sorted into strict alphabetical order, no attempt being made to sort variants of surnames together or cross-reference them, the wills being kept separate from the administrations. From this slip index a typewritten index was created. The present index, which contains 208,000 records, was created from the typewritten index.
Boyd's Marriage Index [1538-1840]
Search Results for RAMSDALE: 92 Records Year Groom Surname Groom Forename Spouse Surname Spouse Forename Place County 1572 RAMSDALE JN JEFFRIES ALCE YARMOUTH, GREAT NORFOLK 1585 RAMSDALE ALICE ... LAWR SNAITH YORKSHIRE 1599 RAMSDALE MARIAN WESLAKE ROG EXETER (ST PAUL) DEVON 1604 RAMSDALE HY STABLE AN LEEDS YORKSHIRE 1608 RAMSDALE ALEX HOLME DY SKIPTON YORKSHIRE 1617 RAMSDALE JN HEADLEY ELIZ SEAMER YORKSHIRE 1623 RAMSDALE MGT MOOR SIMSON WHITE RODING ESSEX 1633 RAMSDALE FCES HINDERWELL THOS SEAMER NEAR NORTHALLERTON YORKSHIRE 1645 RAMSDALE AN VALIANCE JNO CARLTON BY SNAITH YORKSHIRE 1714 RAMSDALE MARY WILSON RIC LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK 1717 RAMSDALE JN WARD ELZ LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK 1717 RAMSDALE JOHN THOMAS BARB HOWDEN YORKSHIRE 1719 RAMSDALE RALPH SISSONS MARY CONISCLIFFE DURHAM 1728 RAMSDALE FLINT FILMOUTH AN SUFFOLK ARCHDEACONRY ML SUFFOLK 1728 RAMSDALE FLINT TILMOUTH AN LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK 1730 RAMSDALE JAS WITTLE ANNA DEANE LANCASHIRE 1733 RAMSDALE THO ROIALL MARY CATFIELD NORFOLK 1736 RAMSDALE FRAN WILSON JN LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK 1736 RAMSDALE FRAN WILSON JN SUFFOLK ARCHDEACONRY ML SUFFOLK 1746 RAMSDALE ROB SMETHURST ELZ WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1748 RAMSDALE ELIZ CURDAS ROB CONISCLIFFE DURHAM 1751 RAMSDALE THOS NEWTON MARY CONISCLIFFE DURHAM 1757 RAMSDALE WM GREATHEAD ELIZ SOCKBURN DURHAM 1760 RAMSDALE MARY LITSTER ROB GAINFORD DURHAM 1761 RAMSDALE STE HURWORTH AN DENTON DURHAM 1762 RAMSDALE THOS GOLDTHORP MART DONCASTER YORKSHIRE 1767 RAMSDALE WM KINSLEY AN HATFIELD YORKSHIRE 1773 RAMSDALE THO MARSH MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1775 RAMSDALE THO KAY EST WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1775 RAMSDALE WM WETHERELD JANE SOCKBURN BANNS DURHAM 1777 RAMSDALE JN MEADOW MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1779 RAMSDALE ALCE KEIRSLY WM WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1779 RAMSDALE BETTY KEIRSLY ROG WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1779 RAMSDALE WM PLAIFORD MARY RIDLINGTON NORFOLK 1779 RAMSDALE WM PLAIFORD MARY RIDLINGTON BANNS NORFOLK 1782 RAMSDALE MARY HOLME JAS WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1782 RAMSDALE ROB FRANCE EST WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1784 RAMSDALE EDM LAITHWAIT ALCE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1784 RAMSDALE MARY HAMBLET ... WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1786 RAMSDALE JN GLAND MY BLACKTOFT YORKSHIRE 1787 RAMSDALE AN LONGWORTH ROB WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1787 RAMSDALE THO STEWARD BARB WALSHAM, NORTH NORFOLK 1789 RAMSDALE JAS BARLOW BETTY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1790 RAMSDALE TH CARPER EL DONCASTER YORKSHIRE 1791 RAMSDALE ROB STEPHENSON HAR BUBWITH YORKSHIRE 1793 RAMSDALE JN MAKIN JANE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1797 RAMSDALE ROB BUSHAL ALCE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1798 RAMSDALE JOS SKIPSEY JEN AYTON, GREAT YORKSHIRE 1801 RAMSDALE AN WILCOCK JAS WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1802 RAMSDALE ESTHER FLITCROFT WM WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1803 RAMSDALE ABR BROWN ELZ MANCHESTER LANCASHIRE 1803 RAMSDALE BETTY LEE GEO HATFIELD YORKSHIRE 1803 RAMSDALE JAS HUGHES MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1803 RAMSDALE JAS ORRET MGT MANCHESTER LANCASHIRE 1803 RAMSDALE MGT PICKERING THO WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1804 RAMSDALE BETTY HARDMAN THO WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1805 RAMSDALE ELN CRAWFORD GEO WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1808 RAMSDALE JAS CHADWICK MARY HINDLEY LANCASHIRE 1813 RAMSDALE ELZ ROPER RIC WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1813 RAMSDALE JN SMALL MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1814 RAMSDALE JAS HAIES AN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1814 RAMSDALE ROB HODGSON ESTHER WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1814 RAMSDALE WM MATHER HAN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1815 RAMSDALE WM SHUFFLETON MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1816 RAMSDALE WM FAGAN MGT WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1817 RAMSDALE MGT MARSH ROB WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1818 RAMSDALE JN GREGORY SARA WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1819 RAMSDALE MY ROSE JN ROTHERHAM YORKSHIRE 1819 RAMSDALE NATH NELSON ELZ WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1819 RAMSDALE ROB SHORT ELZ WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1820 RAMSDALE SARA OROMTON JAS WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1821 RAMSDALE MOSES RAY MARY WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1821 RAMSDALE ROB BOLTON AN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1821 RAMSDALE THO HOUGH JANE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1822 RAMSDALE ESTHER DAVIS JN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1823 RAMSDALE SAM BOARDMAN SARA WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1825 RAMSDALE THO LEE ELN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1826 RAMSDALE ALCE ELTOFT HEN E WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1826 RAMSDALE THO COOP MGT WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1826 RAMSDALE THO HOIGHTON ELN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1827 RAMSDALE SAM SMITH ALCE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1828 RAMSDALE JAS RICHARDSON SARA WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1828 RAMSDALE ROB GASKEL JANE WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1829 RAMSDALE ELZ LONGWORTH JN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1830 RAMSDALE AN HARISON JN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1830 RAMSDALE AN STEPHENSON JN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1830 RAMSDALE MOSES WINNARD MARTH WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1832 RAMSDALE MARTH SOUTHWORTH RIC LEYLAND LANCASHIRE 1834 RAMSDALE ANA FAUSTON WM LINTON ON OUSE YORKSHIRE 1835 RAMSDALE THO GOLDING HAN WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1836 RAMSDALE ELZ ATHERTON WM WIGAN LANCASHIRE 1836 RAMSDALE HAN HOWARTH EMANUEL WIGAN LANCASHIRE
Search Results for RAMSDALL: 7 Records Year Groom Surname Groom Forename Spouse Surname Spouse Forename Place County 1566 RAMSDALL JANE TOWNEND THOS NORMANTON YORKSHIRE 1579 RAMSDALL WM JEPSON AN DONCASTER YORKSHIRE 1634 RAMSDALL MARY WILSON THO LEYTON ESSEX 1636 RAMSDALL DY LEATHAM ... CAMPSALL YORKSHIRE 1731 RAMSDALL ISB GOWTHWATTE ROB YORK (ST MARTIN CONEY STREET) YORKSHIRE 1780 RAMSDALL ELZ STEEL WM ROTHERHAM YORKSHIRE 1814 RAMSDALL FRAN BOW ELZ DONCASTER YORKSHIRE
Search Results for RAMSDAL and RAMSDAILLE: 0 Records
Search Results for RAMSDELL: 11 Records Year Groom Surname Groom Forename Spouse Surname Spouse Forename Place County 1621 RAMSDELL THO BRIARLY MARY LEYTON ESSEX 1631 RAMSDELL JAS THIRSTON DY DOCKING NORFOLK 1632 RAMSDELL JN MORLEY JANE YORK (HOLY TRINITY GOODRAMGATE) YORKSHIRE 1637 RAMSDELL JN BERRY JANE YORK (ST MARY BISHOPHILL JUNIOR) YORKSHIRE 1642 RAMSDELL ISAB ROBERTS THOS FEWSTON YORKSHIRE 1652 RAMSDELL GRACE INGRAM FCIS WHITKIRK YORKSHIRE 1665 RAMSDELL JOS MUNTSER JANE HEIGHINGTON DURHAM 1697 RAMSDELL LETTICE PEPPER EDM BAWSEY NORFOLK 1729 RAMSDELL THO SHADFAST AN BRADFIELD NORFOLK 1755 RAMSDELL FLINT WILLIAMS JANE LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK 1773 RAMSDELL WM HUNTINGTON ANN MIDDLETON ST GEORGE DURHAM
Search Results for RAMSDEL: 8 Records Year Groom Surname Groom Forename Spouse Surname Spouse Forename Place County 1678 RAMSDEL JN READ ELZ BECCLES SUFFOLK 1686 RAMSDEL ESTHER HADDINGHAM JACOB BECCLES SUFFOLK 1770 RAMSDEL THOS JOHNSON SARAH DITCHINGHAM NORFOLK 1801 RAMSDEL MICH FOX ANN GRESHAM NORFOLK 1802 RAMSDEL SARAH MARIA PALMER WM DITCHINGHAM NORFOLK 1780 RAMSDEL CHR COVERDALE MY AYTON, GREAT YORKSHIRE 1794 RAMSDEL RALPH WATSON ELIZ DURHAM (ST MARGARET) DURHAM 1832 RAMSDEL SAM ROBINSON AGN CHORLEY (ST LAWRENCE) LANCASHIRE
Search Results for RAMSDILL: 2 Records Year Groom Surname Groom Forename Spouse Surname Spouse Forename Place County 1707 RAMSDILL WM CARTT ELIZ YORK (HOLY TRINITY GOODRAMGATE) YORKSHIRE 1804 RAMSDILL ELZ RICHMOND DAV OUSEBURN, GREAT YORKSHIRE
Boyd's Marriage Index
Boyd's Marriage Index is an index of English marriages taken from copies of marriage registers, Bishops' Transcripts and marriage licences, and limited to the period 1538-1837. It has no Scottish, Welsh or Irish material. The only complete copies of the original typescript index are in the possession of the Society of Genealogists, the College of Arms, and the Genealogical Society of Utah. Some county records offices and libraries have copies of segments of the Index.
The Index was principally the work of Percival Boyd, MA, FSA, FSG (1866-1955), and his staff, and was made at his expense between 1925 and 1955, but it has since been expanded by other genealogists.
At present the copy of the Index in the possession of the Society of Genealogists consists of 534 volumes containing about six to seven million names. This is thought to be between twelve and fifteen per cent of all the marriages which took place in England between 1538 and 1837 (when statutory registration started). No English county is fully covered (though in some cases, for example Cambridge, coverage is almost complete), and the periods indexed from each marriage register vary according to the copies of records which were readily available. Parts of the registers of over 4,300 parishes are included.
The index is particularly important to anyone researching East Anglian ancestry for not only is the coverage almost complete (over 95%: of all the ancient parishes are included), but little of this data is available anywhere else (for example, the International Genealogical Index has very limited coverage of this area).
All index entries contain the surname and forename of the bride and groom, the year, county and parish where the marriage took place, and source of the record: BT for Bishops' Transcripts, ML for marriage licences, BANNS for banns.
Origins.net is digitising the original printed index (Main Series first and then the First Miscellaneous Series) and will be adding the data to English Origins as each county is complete.
Counties currently available on English Origins
Currently available are records for Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Devon, Durham, Essex, Lancashire, Norfolk, Northumberland, Somerset, Suffolk, and Yorkshire. If you are searching marriages in one of these counties there is a high probability that it will be in the index.
Cambridgeshire
169 of 171 ancient parishes are indexed in the Main and Miscellaneous Series. There is currently a gap in Cambridgeshire records during 1626-50 and 1651-75 (First Miscellaneous series records to be added when the volumes are digitised). The index currently contains records of over 135,00 Cambridgeshire marriages (270,00 names).
Most marriages up to 1812 were copied by Rev Evelyn Young (1866-1936). A supplement, 1801-37, was compiled by Thomas P R Layng in 1977, while volunteering for the Cambridgeshire Record Office. We acknowledge the consent of Cambridgeshire Archives Service for use of the supplement.
Cumberland
There were 143 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 37 (26%) are indexed. The index contains records of over 10,800 Cumberland names.
Devon
There were 472 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 170 (36%) are indexed in two volumes for each period in the Main Series. The data are taken from transcripts held by the Devon and Cornwall Record Society, which has a copy of the index in its possession. The index contains records of over 330,000 Devon names.
Durham
There were 91 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 71 (76%) are indexed in the Main Series; banns are in the First and Second Miscellaneous Series (not yet online). Nearly all the work in this county was done by Herbert Maxwell Wood, MA, FSA (died 1929). Copies are at the Newcastle Public Library, the Cleveland County Central Reference Library in Middlesbrough, Durham County Library and Durham County Record Office. The index contains records of over 230,000 Durham names.
Essex
374 of the 405 ancient parishes have been indexed, 92%: coverage (mostly in the Main Series but some 1801-1837 are in Miscellaneous). The index contains records of over 200,000 Essex marriages (over 400,000 names).
Lancashire
There were 211 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 102 (48%) are indexed in the Main Series. There are copies of the index in the Lancashire County Record Office and Wigan Record Office. The index contains records of over 520,000 Lancashire names.
Norfolk
Of the 691 ancient parishes, marriages taking place at varying periods in 275 (40%) are indexed in two volumes for each period in the Main Series. 121,000 records (242,000 names) from the Norfolk volumes are available to search online.
Northumberland
There were 96 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 81 (84%) are indexed in the Main Series. Almost 250,000 names from the Northumberland volumes are available to search online.
Somerset
There were 486 ancient parishes; marriages taking place at varying periods in 123 (24%) are indexed in the Main Series. The index contains records of over 180,000 names.
Suffolk
491 of 504 ancient parishes, over 97%, are indexed in the Main Series, together with one Meeting of (the Society of) Friends. The index contains records of over 277,000 Suffolk marriages (over 554,000 names).
Yorkshire
There were 751 parishes and chapels of ease in Yorkshire; marriages taking place at varying periods in 229 (30%) are indexed in the Main Series. Over 500,000 names are listed in these indexes and the records cover 1538 to 1840.
Many thousands of names which have not been accessible to users of the book version are now available online, unlocked for the first time. The Yorkshire marriages index was initially only typed up by groom's name and no parallel series arranged by brides names was ever produced, until now when these entries have been digitised. Yorkshire is particularly rich in surnames which are peculiar to that county and since marriages generally took place in the bride's parish, this index may now help to pinpoint the place of origin of rare surnames.
Source of records
While most records have been captured from the parish registers, many have been captured from Bishops' Transcripts (BTs), and both sources have been used for some. When you search you will sometimes find two records for (apparently) the same event, one from the parish register and one from the BT. In theory a BT should contain a copy of what appears in the register, however, there are often variations in spellings, names, and dates and either source may contain additional information. Where names in the two records differ this may mean either:
- that the names in the two sources are not quite identical This could be due to a mistake having been made in the BT, a mistake in the register having been corrected in the BT, or that the person making the BT entry had difficulty reading the register entry.
- that the names in the two sources were the same but the discrepancy is within the Boyd's index This could be because of an error in one or other of the Boyd's entries, an error in capturing the Boyd's entry, or that the person(s) creating the Boyd's entry read the original handwriting differently in the two source documents.
Bishops' Transcripts
From 1598, English parishes had to send their bishop an annual list of baptisms, marriages and burials. Known as Bishops' Transcripts, these lists contain similar information to the parish registers, so where parish registers are missing, information may be obtained from the Bishops' Transcripts. Ideally, if both are available, the researcher should check both. BT records may pertain to a parish or to a deaconry. Surviving Bishops' Transcripts are usually held at the relevant County Record Office. Where the seat of the bishop is in a different county to the parish, the transcripts could be in either county.
Marriage Licences
For Suffolk there are also 12,000 marriage licence entries (24,000 people) for the Archdeaconries of Suffolk (9,758) and Sudbury (2,243). There are also a few records of Banns.
Copies of the typescript index
Copies of the original typescript index are with the Society of Genealogists, the College of Arms, the Genealogical Society of Utah and some county records offices and libraries have copies of segments of the Index. At present the Society of Genealogists' copy of the Index consists of 534 volumes containing about 6 to 7 million names. This is thought to cover 12 - 15% of marriages in England between 1538 and 1837.
What do the index records tell you ?
Boyd's Marriage Index records contain the year, surname and forename of bride and groom, parish and county of the marriage. Common forenames are often, though not always, abbreviated. Less common names will be written in full. There are some idiosyncrasies in the way surnames are spelled in Boyd's Marriage Index.