I read something in Mark Herbers Ancestral Trails earlier today, here goes.
The Baptist Movement split in the 17thC into the General Baptists and the Particular Baptists ( who beleived that only a chosen few and not all believers would achieve paradise).
Baptists recorded births of children and the baptism of adults, because they beleived that only believers should be baptised and only adults could make that decision. Hmmm... Since Baptists baptised adults, and not children, you should take care in assesing the age of the baptised ancestor. Look for further evidence of age ie a baptism in an Anglican church or age at death or burial.
Most birth, baptism, death and burial registers were surrendered to the Registrar General and are held at the PRO (now National Archives, at Kew) in classes RG 4 and RG 8. The copy registers are at the SoG
Entries in registers class RG 4 (but not RG 8 ) are in the IGI. Few records survive before 1688.
After 1754 Baptists had to marry in Anglican churches and should be recorded in their registers. Baptist marriages became legal again in 1837 if a civil registrar was in attendance.
Baptist burial grounds were opened in the late 18th and early 19thC and many burial registers are held at the PRO. Some pre 1837 registers were not surrendered - these and post 1837 registers are held at CR offices, churches, archives of Baptist associations and Baptist Theological Colleges or at the following archives...
a)Regents Park College, Pusey Street, Oxford
b)The Strict Baptist Historical Society's Library, Dunstable Baptist Chapel, St Marys Gate, Dunstable, Beds
c)The Gospel Standard Baptist Library, 5 Hove Park Gardens, Hove, East Sussex.
Many other Baptist records are at local CR offices - some are held by the Baptist Historical Society - (there is a name and address but not sure if it's still relevant, will try to check)
Minutes of some Baptist assemblies survive from the 17thc, including the names of those attending. Much information on the movement but also about particular congregations. Church minute books deal with theology and doctrine but also membership, finance and charity.
Some include lists of members, where they lived and dates of members baptism's. Donations may be recorded in minutes or accounts, some chapels provided charity for members and the minutes may record names and sums of money for donations and expenditure. Also recorded are disciplinary cases (many for drunkeness and fornication) that were heard by chapel meetings, proceedings often resulted in a persons expulsion from the congregation.
Many church minute books are held at a) and c) above.
Thats it -
Suey
