Church of England Records

The Church of England is represented in virtually every Parish in England which means that Ministers amongst family ancestors are common.

There are several titles associated with Church of England Ministers

Rector - A clergyman who enjoys the tithes( local taxes and bequests) associated with his Church

Vicar - A clergyman who enjoys part of the tithes associated with his church

Advowson or Patron - The person in whose power it was to appoint the Rector or Vicar

Curate - A clergyman who is not entitled to any tithes and is paid by the Rector, Vicar or the Diocese to act in the absence of the Rector or Vicar.

Churchwarden - A lay person who represents the laity to the Bishop and is responsible for the smooth running of their Church.

Sexton - A lay person who is in charge of the maintenance of the church building and land. This often included gravedigging.

The Advowson was owned sometimes by the Bishop, sometimes by a Monastery, sometimes even by other Rectors although in most cases by prominent residents.

The advowson could appoint whoever he wished to fill the relevant post.

Rectors often lived well away from 'their' Parish visiting rarely and paying a Curate to run local affairs whilst living on the tithes drawn from the parish.

Where would you find Church of England Records

There are several places to look for these records.

Visit the existing Parish Church and talk to the current Minister or Churchwardens.

Often Churches keep memorabilia relating to past ministers.

Contact the modern Diocese Office.

Their staff are used to family history enquiries and will be able to direct you to the relevant place to find the information.

County Records Offices have a great deal of Church of England Information.

The primary online source of the splendid Church of England Database which has attempted to list every minister appointed by the Church.

Crockford Clerical Directory is an annual publication of Church of England Ministers.

The current directory allows a search for a small fee whilst the database can be searched on several commercial sites such as Ancestry.

Google Books and Internet Archive both list    directories for 1861 and 1868 that allow free reading online.