Dudley parish records - where to start?

[Frenchy]

So I plan to go to a record office this summer to search for parish records relating to Edward Go(u)lding born about 1801 – 1812 in Dudley but do not know where to start with regards to which parish records to look at and which record office to go to.

His wife was Sarah Richards born about 1806 in Dudley. Their first child John was christened in 1832 and their son Edward in 1834, both in St. Thomas, Dudley. I obtained their christening details from familysearch.org.

The website shows they have all the records for St. Thomas as well as for the other churches in Dudley but searches do not provide results for the marriage of Edward and Sarah and for Edward senior’s baptism. Does anyone know if these are incomplete and if I should search through the actual church records? If not, where else should I look?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Chris

[Victor Harvey]

Hi Frenchy,
Contact the Worcester History Centre. I spent 4 days there researching and parish records are held on microfiche.
I know they have recently moved, but I'm sure you'll find them by googling Worcester History Centre.
Victor

[DudleyWinchurch]

Transcriptions for the baptisms for St Thomas, Dudley for the period that you are researching (1794-1812) are available on line at FREEREG (also marriages and burials but not certain that those are complete).

www.freereg.org.uk

[ciderdrinker]

Hi there,
Looking at the familysearch.org website.
A member of the church has included a baptism at Dudley 25.12.1801 to Valantine and Hannah Golding.They have gone for a marraige to a Sarah Willaims 22.8.1831 Wombourn just down the road.
Ciderdrinker

[Frenchy]

Thank you for your help.

I've sent Worcester History Centre an email asking if they have parish records for Dudley but I think I remember seeing a map showing their record coverage and it didn't include Dudley. I think these would be held at Dudley Archives?

FreeREG doesn't include my Edward senior's baptism. There is one for an Edward baptised around the right time but his mother's name is given as Hannah. My Edward's mother was Margaret. This would suggest that he wasn't baptised there or that they are incomplete.

Thank you ciderdrinker. I had previously found that marriage but my Sarah's children's birth certificates give her maiden name as Richards. I will need to check if the original marriage record shows her as a widow. Where would the Wombourn records be held?

Not completely sure where I should go from here. I'm not keen on the idea of travelling all that way only to find they show exactly the same as what's online. Once I find where the records are located, I'll ask if this would be the case.

Chris

[Frenchy]

Just found that the Wombourne church records are located at Staffordshire Record Office. I should perhaps begin my search there.

Chris

[absolom]

Dudley PRs are kept at the Archives in Coseley Dudley its a great place and they are all really helpful.If you go onto Dudley council website and look under genealogy or family history it will give you a map ,opening times and email if you have any queries
regards Absalom