An area that is sometimes overlooked in genealogy is that of Ecclesiastical matters.
It may be that an ancestor was a clergyman, in which case, we can help with copies of The Clergy List. These listed the names of clergymen in churches in England, Wales and Ireland as well as the Scottish Episcopalian Church. Maybe your clergyman was a military or prison chaplain or served in the far-flung reaches of the British Empire. We can help you to find him. Later, Crockford’s Directories appeared with even more information such as where the clergyman studied as well as when and where they were Incumbents.
Not only is the Church of England mentioned, there are books that help you to research your forebears in the Catholic Church as well as seeing how Quakers and other non-Conformist religions came into being.
Church Law can be rather confusing and so we have books that will help you to understand how the law related both to the clergy and to the Church in general. Did you know that a religious census took place in London on 24th October 1886? Although it does not name the individual members of the congregations, it does name every church and chapel in London, which is rather useful if you are looking for that elusive place of worship.
As well as about the men who worked for the Church, we have some beautiful books on the history of the various buildings in which religion has been practiced through the centuries. Many are illustrated with old photographs and etchings and certainly help you to get a feel for the importance that religion had on our ancestors’ lives. Click on the link below and spend some time with the religions of your past.