Getting back to the 17th Century

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi Everybody,

How do we get back to the 17th century, with our research?

Best wishes,

Dave the Walrus

[aghadowey]

Very difficult to give an answer to such a vague question. It depends on all sorts of things such as which country/county/parish/town, family's religion and availablity of church records, social standing...

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi aghadowey,

It would be for England, Ireland and Scotland, but mainly England.

Best wishes,

Dave

[Little Nell]

I have reached the 17th century on a number of branches, through a combination of the parish registers, wills, using the A2A catalogue of archives, county histories, printed genealogies giving me clues where to look (I was lucky on that one - some of them were quite well-to-do).  It takes a long time.  I made a breakthrough this week to the late 17th century with one family, but it has taken me the better part of 15 years to get there.

Nell

[aghadowey]

For Ireland you'll need to know both the family's religion and where they lived (parish if not actual townland). However, very few church records will survive for such early dates. In general you might get back to c1800 with available recoerds (civil registration, Wills, etc.) but unless you are extremely lucky and have some details (especially a location) to start with them it would be extremely difficult to get back another 100 years or so earlier.

[GR2]

I'm afraid you just work your way back using the post 1855 bmds, the census and parish registers, monumental inscriptions, kirk session records etc. etc. I see you have an Allan family from Aberdeenshire. I have such a family and have been able to trace those Allans back from Aberdeenshire to Banffshire in the late 17th century.

Graham.

[Ruskie]

A less common name, a small village (that the family remained in) and some good Parish Record keeping can also help. 

[Redroger]

If mainly England, then sight of Phillimore's "Atlas and Index of Parish Registers" gives amongst other things the date and location of the earliest parish register for each parish in England, Wales and Scotland. Will be available at most reference librairies, though expensive copies often appear on Amazon at a reasonable price. I saw one at WDYTA Olympia good condition price £8.

[seank]

Yes, it might be stating the obvious, but parish registers in England and Wales can date from the mid-16th century and, from the early 1600's they were required to be copied to the local bishop (so you have twice the chance of finding surviving records).

All the same, it definitely helps if your ancestors had unusual surnames or were wealthy enough to leave wills!