The
Latin
Documents

• Return to Main Screen
• Paleography Introduction
•  
• Latin Documents
  • Introduction
  • Techniques & Tools
    
    • Practical Suggestions
    • Grammar
      • Nouns
      • Adjectives
      • Verbs
    • Numbers and Calendars
    • Abbreviations
    • Common Latin Phrases
    • Given Names
  • Documents
    
    • Browse By Record Type
      • Parish Registers
        • Baptism
        • Marriage
        • Burial
        • Marriage Investigations
      • Notarial
    • Browse By Year
      • 18th Century/ 1700-1799
      • 19th Century / 1800-1899
      • 20th Century/ 1900-1999

Parish Registers            

What are Parish Registers?

In many countries throughout the world, Catholic parish records were written in Latin even into the 20th century. In some countries registers of Protestant churches, such as Lutherans and Anglicans, were also maintained in Latin. Since the keeping of records as part of the civil registration systems did not start until the 19th century, parish records constitute an invaluable source of information about individuals. These re​cords can be divided into two categories: Non-Sacramental Records and Sacramental Records. ​

Non-Sacramental Records:

In addition to records of the sacraments performed in the parish, administrative records of parish activities exist. These administrative records are the non-sacramental records, and they include fraternal order books, church censuses, account books, and local history documents.

Sacramental Records:

Since the Council of Trent (1545-1563), Catholic parish priests have been required to keep record of certain sacraments in bound register books. These include records of baptisms or christenings, marriages, deaths or burials, and confirmations. Parish entries appear in two basic formats: tabular and paragraph. The tabular format generally has columns with the headings in Latin with the information within the columns written in Latin, although the grammar does not always precisely follow the proper grammatical function indicated. The paragraph format generally contains more information about procedures followed and parties participating in the sacrament, although they are more challenging to read.

Although the specific requirements for keeping parish registers have changed from time to time, the formats of baptisms, marriage and death/burial entries have stayed basically the same. This tutorial will introduce you to those formats, focusing on the specific information contained in each entry and where within the entry that information can usually be found.

Click on the links below to start learning more about these magnificent sources of genealogical and demographical information.

Types of Sacramental or Parish Registers

Click on the type of record below to learn more and see sample images with transcriptions and translations.

Baptism Records	Marriage Records	Marriage Investigations	Burial Records

Additional Resources

• List of Common Phrases used in Parish Records