PARISH REGISTERS Meaning and
Definition
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Parish registers refer to official documents or records maintained by a local church or parish that document important life events, such as births, marriages, and deaths within a particular geographical area. These registers typically include detailed information about individuals such as their names, dates of events, and often additional information such as the names of parents, witnesses, or sponsors.
Parish registers have been used for centuries by religious institutions, predominantly Christian churches, as a means of recording and keeping track of vital events within their community. The practice of maintaining parish registers can be traced back to the 16th century, although some records may date even earlier in certain jurisdictions.
These registers serve both religious and civil purposes. Religiously, they help the clergy in administering sacraments, such as baptisms, marriages, and burials, and ensuring the spiritual well-being of their parishioners. From a civil perspective, parish registers are valuable historical and genealogical resources, allowing individuals to trace their family histories, establish lineage and inheritance, and provide evidence for legal or administrative purposes.
Parish registers have generally been maintained in physical ledger books, organized chronologically. However, in recent years, many institutions have digitized their records, making them more accessible to researchers and the public. Today, these digitized registers can often be found in online databases and archives, aiding in the preservation and dissemination of historical records.
Common Misspellings for PARISH REGISTERS
- oarish registers
- larish registers
- -arish registers
- 0arish registers
- pzrish registers
- psrish registers
- pwrish registers
- pqrish registers
- paeish registers
- padish registers
- pafish registers
- patish registers
- pa5ish registers
- pa4ish registers
- parush registers
- parjsh registers
- parksh registers
- parosh registers
- par9sh registers
- par8sh registers
Etymology of PARISH REGISTERS
The word "parish" comes from the Old French word "parroche", which originated from the Latin word "paroecia" meaning "small diocese". A parish refers to a small administrative district within a larger geographic area and is typically associated with a church.
The word "register" comes from the Middle English word "registre", which borrowed from the Old French word "registre", meaning "official record". This word can be traced back to the Latin word "regesta", which means "things recorded".
Therefore, "Parish Registers" refers to the official records or books maintained by a church or parish that contain entries of important events such as baptisms, marriages, and burials within that specific ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
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