Genealogy Chat

Soon after I joined GR, someone put up a very useful list of dates for certain events in family history. I copy pasted it, printed it out and often refer to it. Having just mentioned post-1900 dates to someone else, I thought I would reproduce the list in case anyone else might find it useful. Just realised that GR won't take the whole list in one message reply, so I've squashed it up a bit, and put part 2 on page 2.

1086 - Domesday Book survey of land holdings and tax liability 1290 - Lay subsidy records listed names of assessed taxpayers. Between 1332 and 1523 no names were recorded 1523 - Lay subsidy tax levied on an individual’s wealth in goods, annual income from land, or wage 1538 - Compulsory keeping of Parish Records began (reiterated in 1547, 1555, 1557). Thomas Cromwell instructed the Church of England clergy to keep records of baptisms, marriages and burials on a weekly basis 1598 – Bishop’s Transcripts. Copies of parish records had to be sent to the Bishop’s Registry annually 1601 - Poor Law comes into force, formally establishing the raising of money to shelter, feed and care for the poor within each parish 1613 - Quakers (Society of Friends) begin to keep detailed records using their own dating system 1640-1662 - Severe disruptions in the keeping of registers because of turmoil within the Anglican church, followed by Civil War 1645 - Parliamentary ordinance required the keeping of ‘register of vellum’ with dates of birth, baptism, death and burial. Baptism records should now include a date of birth and the parents’ names; burial records should include a date of death. There was not always compliance with the law 1648 - First Quaker registers kept. Became more general in late 17th century. Very high standard of record keeping 1653 - Act of Parliament establishes a civil registration system, civil marriage ceremonies and gives custody of parish registers to registrars appointed by ratepayers 1656 (Ireland) - Civil Survey of all major landowners 1662 - Settlement Act allowed removal of those claiming relief who did not have legal settlement in a Parish 1663-1666 (Ireland) - Hearth money rolls register for property owner 1665 - Act requiring burial in woollen, reiterated 1678. Many registers include long lists of affidavits as a result 1665 - The London Gazette first published. It gave information on Government activities and official information. Also listed bankruptcies, clerical preferments, service promotions, decorations, citations, statutes and Crown and Government appointments 1690 - Nonconformist registers kept (not very well) for first time 1708 (Ireland) – Registry of Deeds established 1740 (Ireland) – Protestant householders in Counties Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry and Tyrone listed 1742 - Protestant Dissenters’ Register set up at Dr Williams’ Library for Baptist, Independents and Presbyterians. Entries relate mostly to people in London and the South East, but some entries from other areas, and overseas. 1749 (Ireland) – census taken of most parts of Co. Roscommon, part of Co. Sligo and nine parishes of Co. Galway 1754 - Hardwicke’s Marriage Act came into effect. Introduced pre-printed marriage registers; this meant there was consistency of information on the certificate. Act also restricted the place of marriage to the established church. Quakers and Jews were exempt 1760 - Catholic registers begin to be kept, semi-officially 1766 (Ireland) – rectors of the Church of Ireland record householders by parish, indicating religion and other details. The only records still surviving today are for North Cork and the Counties of Limerick, Londonderry, Louth, Tipperary and Wicklow 1780 - Pallot’s Marriage Indexes begin. Concerned with marriages within the City of London until 1837 1787 - First Fleet of 586 male and 192 female prisoners was transported to Australia. Transportation ceased in 1868 1791 - Ordnance Survey maps of the UK first drawn up 1801 - First UK census; a population count, no personal details. No central archive material for this, 1801, 1811, 1821 or 1831 survives 1802-1803(Ireland) - census of Protestant parishioners made. Records of 28 parishes still survive 1813 - Rose’s Act came into effect. Printed registers had to be used for baptisms and burials. Bishop’s Transcripts were also required to use the same format 1818 - Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry established 1821 (Ireland) - first official census (destroyed in1922 fire) 1824 –1838 (Ireland) – Tithe applotment tax lists compiled 1832 – Introduction of electoral registers 1832 - Reform Act gave the vote to men owning property or land over a certain value 1834 - Poor law: introduction of workhouses 1834 - Tithe maps first drawn up and were compiled until around 1850 1837 - 1 July Civil Registration began in England and Wales 1840 - Non-Parochial Register Act requiring non-conformist registers to be handed over to the state 1841 Census – 6 June 1846 - Irish potato famine 1851 Census – 30 March 1854 - Crimean war 1855 - Date of Civil Registration in Scotland (before then all supposedly written in Parish Records) 1861 Census – 7 April 1866 - Death Indexes recorded age at death 1868 - Transportation abolished 1871 Census – 2 April 1881 Census – 3 April 1884 – By this time, all male householders over the age of 21 entitled to vote 1887 - Married Women's Property Act (enabling a woman to own property and chattels in her own right) 1899-1902 - Boer war 1891 Census – 5 April 1901 Census – 31 March 1907 - Deceased Wife’s Sister Marriage Act permitted a man to marry his deceased wife’s sister 1911 - September Birth Indexes contained mother’s maiden name 1912 - Marriage Indexes showed name of the second party 1914-1918 - First World War 1918 – By this time, all men over 21 and women over 30 entitled to vote 1921 - Deceased Brother’s Widow Marriage Act permitted a woman to marry her deceased husband’s brother 1926 - Legitimacy Act allowed for illegitimate children to be re-registered on the subsequent marriage of the parents 1926 - General Strike 1927 - Adoption of Children Act provided for adoption of children, with the creation of the Adopted Children’s Register 1927 - Registration of stillbirths made compulsory (but the register was not put on open access) 1928 – Age of voting for women changed to 21 (from 30) 1929 - It became illegal for anyone under 16 to marry. Previously, girls could marry at 12 and boys at 14, although they needed parental consent until they were 21 1931 - Marriage between uncle and niece/aunt and nephew allowed 1937 - Divorce Act 1939-1945 - Second World War 1947 - Short birth certificate introduced (this does not contain parents’ names) 1949 - Register of Births and Deaths in Aircraft listed any births or deaths that took place in an aircraft registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, wherever they took place in the world 1953 - Date and place of birth and the maiden surname of married women is given on death certificates (Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1953) 1959 - Legitimacy Act allowed the children born when one of their parents was married to someone else to be legitimized when their parents married. The child could be re-registered if it had been previously entered under the woman’s husband’s name 1969 - Death indexes showed date of birth 1969 - Age of majority reduced from 21 to 18. Parental consent to marriage now needed for people under 18 1975 - Children Act 1975 allowed adopted children to obtain the information on their original birth certificate 1986 - People permitted to marry a stepchild or stepgrandchild, but both parties had to be over 18 and the child must not have been treated as a child of the person’s family

An excellent idea, Mandy, and I shall give it a ''nudge'', if you don't mind, every now and then, as I do to other threads that I think are useful. :-)

And the Census dates are sometimes useful too: 6th June 1841 30th March 1851 7th April 1861 2nd April 1871 3rd April 1881 5th April 1891 31st March 1901 Linda

Good list, Mandy. You might like to add: 1953 - date and place of birth and the maiden surname of married women is given on death certificates (Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1953). Richard

Many thanks Richard, I've slotted it into the list. Mandy

Thanks Mandy, have added info I was looking for yesterday. This is on the homepage. Electoral registers began in 1832 and by 1884 all male householders over the age of 21 were entitled to vote. By 1918 all men over 21 and women over the age of 30 could vote, changing to the age of 21 for women in 1928. In 1969 the age was lowered from 21 to 18. They are usually kept by local libraries and county record offices and are an excellent way of trying to trace down towards the present. Cas

The BBC also have a useful timeline on their family history portal entry via BBC home page. From there I have 1834 poor law introduction of work houses 1846 Irish potato famine 1854 crimean war 1868 transportation abolished 1899-1902 Boer war 1914 -18 first world war 1927 national adoption register 1926 general strike 1937 divorce act 1939-45 second world war.

1887 Married Women's Property Act (enabling a woman to own property and chattels in her own right) Cherry

Hi Mandy, I am assuming this is my dear friend from 1988 in Chase Farm Hospital!!!!! What a useful list - I have printed this off to use in my searches. Will email you soon. Best wishes Anne and gang

Thanks for info. Catherine.

thanks Mandy and all others v useful julie x

great stuf mandy i have printed it off it will save me time. in the past i have spent hours looking for records only to be told by the wonderful people on here that there was none - i was too early etcc.. thanks linda x

Thanks for that info! I'll give it a nudge for future ref! Collette

Thanks for that.

Very useful, thanks. Pete

Many thanks :) nudge Cynthia

Many thanks to everyone who has added further significant dates. I've now updated the main list to include them all. Glad it's proving useful! Mandy

Hi Can I just say my great grandfather married his deceased wifes sister in 1898. The marriage date and place were on ancestry. Perhaps he was a trendsetter!!

keeping for later thanks