A Mandate, formulated by Thomas Cromwell in 1538, instructed each parish to purchase a ‘sure coffer’ the parson to have one key and a churchwarden another. It is of note that Thomas Cromwell held manors in Frittenden, at Buckhurst, Bewper and Wallinghurst. Under this Mandate, each marriage, christening and burial was to be registered weekly by the minister with the churchwarden acting as witness; these records were then to be deposited in the newly acquired parish chest. Quite often these early registers were simply loose sheets and the survival rate is not high.
Frittenden Registers
Vol. I
An order signed by Elizabeth I in 1598 required that all the loose leaf registers be transcribed into parchment books, especially those records since her accession – a qualification which has led to the fact that the extant records of many parishes date from 1558.
What would appear to be the copy of Frittenden’s registers created under this order, found its way into the custody of the Rector of Frittenden, Allan Norris, in 2001. It was passed to the Frittenden Historical Society and is awaiting transcription.
This volume contains the following:
Baptisms 1558 – 1690
Marriages 1562 –1690
Burials 1561 – 1690
Vol. II
This volume also came into the custody of Allan Norris in 2001 and is also being transcribed.
This volume contains the following:
Baptisms 1666-1770
Marriages 1657-1760
Burials 1660-1812
An Ordinance of 1644/5 instructed that birth dates should be noted in the register as well as the parents’ names. The date of death was to be noted as well as the date of burial.
Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1754 introduced, inter alia, bound volumes of specially printed forms to register marriages.
Vol. III
Burials 1875 –1949
This is the first new register following George Rose’s Act of 1812 which required incumbents to keep a specially printed register to record burials. Entries were now to state age, address and occupation of the deceased.
Vol. IV
Baptisms 1879 – 1935
This is the first new register following George Rose’s Act of 1812 which required incumbents to keep a specially printed register to record christenings. Entries were now to include the names, addresses and occupations of the parents.
Vol. V
Marriages 1837 – 1925
There are also records held at the Kent County Archive [Kent History and Library Centre]. These records are held under the reference P152 and reflect the activities of the parish of Frittenden. As well as records of the incumbent minister, which include registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, they also contain records, where they survive, of the churchwardens, the parish constable, the overseers of the poor and the parish surveyor.
FINDING YOUR ANCESTORS
Kent History and Library Centre
James Whatman Way
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1LQ
Tel: 03000 41 31 31
Email: historyandlibrarycentre@kent.gov.uk
Frittenden Historical Society
Email: info@frittendenhistoricalsociety.co.uk.
Cranbrook Museum
Carriers Road,
Cranbrook,
Kent,
TN17 3JX
Tel: 01580 712929 (Answerphone)
Email: curator@cranbrookmuseum.org
The information on this page has been kindly provided by the Frittenden Historical Society.