WHAT TYPES OF RECORDS DO WE USE?
OUR SOURCES
Legend Family History will never rely on family trees available on the internet, which can sometimes prove to be inaccurate. We always try to obtain a copy of the original document and use a variety of reliable sources to reconstruct the lives of your ancestors and build your family tree. These may include:
- Convict Records
- Pioneer Registers
- British India Records
- Military Service Records
- Navy Service Records
- Wills and Probate
- Divorce Records
- Cemetery & Burial Records
- Headstone Inscriptions
- Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates
- Census Records
- Electoral Rolls
- Criminal Records
- Parish Records
- Marriage Banns
- Court Records
- Newspaper articles
- Obituaries
- Funeral Notices
- Funeral Cards
- Institutional Records
- Land Records
- Immigration Records
- Shipping Records
- Trial Proceedings
- Government Gazettes
- Coroner's Inquests
- Medical Records
- Deceased Estates
- Directory Listings
- Advertisements
- Publications
- Educational Records
- Employment Records
- Pension Records
- etc.
HAVE ALL RECORDS SURVIVED?
RECORD AVAILABILITY
Our customers should be aware that despite our best endevours, there are situations where information is not available. Records may have been destroyed, faded, damaged, lost, not available due to privacy or copywrite reasons, has never been published or was never provided.
WAS JANUARY ALWAYS THE 1ST MONTH?
CALENDAR YEAR
England, Wales and Ireland commenced using the Gregorian calendar on September 2nd, 1752 (Calendar Year commencing January 1st). Prior to this, the calendar year began on Lady Day (25th March) of each year.
CIVIL REGISTRATION VS PARISH RECORDS
BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES
Mandatory civil registration was introduced by the government to record the births, deaths and marriages of its citizens. Due to privacy laws, there are restrictions imposed by the government as to the availability of birth, death and marriage certificates for family history purposes. Prior to civil registration, we are reliant on the recordings of baptisms, marriages and burials in the church registers.
Australia
Civil Registration & Parish Records for Australia by State
England
Civil Registration Began: 1837
From September 1911 the mother's maiden name is also included on the BDM records.
The earliest Parish Records date back to 1538. This is dependent on county, parish, religion, and record availability.
Wales
Civil Registration Began: 1837
The earliest Parish Records date back to 1538. This is dependent on county, parish, religion, and record availability.
Ireland
Civil Registration Began: 1864
Protestant marriages (more properly non-Catholic marriages) are also available from April 1st 1845.
Many Parish Registers were destroyed in the fire in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922.
Scotland
Civil Registration Began: 1855
A small number of Parish Registers dating back to 1553 have survived.
New Zealand
Non-compulsory Civil Registration Began: 1848
Marriages included in Civil Registration: 1854
Compulsory registration for Europeans: 1856
Mouri registration for Marriages: 1911
Mouri registration for Births & Deaths: 1913
British India
Civil Registration began: Mid-1800s
Protestant and Catholic church records:
Madras: Earliest records from 1698
Bombay: Earliest records from 1709
Bengal: Earliest records from 1713
Fiji
Births from 1875
Deaths from 1875
Marriages from 1871
USA
Vital Records for Birth, Death and Marriages: Timeline varies greatly between states