Nature of Source
The vestry was composed of the parish priest and other local worthies and could appoint parish officials such as the overseer of the poor, churchwardens and constables, all named and occasionally with an occupation and address. The New Poor Laws of the 19th century and the Local Government Act of 1894 which created elected parish councils brought a close on the vestry.
Look for militia lists, settlement papers, details of bastardy cases and payments to the poor amongst the minutes. Often the details of payments to the poor are included in the minutes if a separate book was not warranted as were details of informal apprentice agreements between the parish and master. Also search the internet for surviving parish magazines, with some available on CD at GenFair.
Also see
Apprenticeship Indentures, Parish
Bastardy Documents
Churchwardens’ Accounts
Overseers of the Poor Accounts
Rate Books
Settlement Certificates/Examinations and Removal Orders
Where Found
County Record Offices (Find the details of a local UK archive from a searchable list of over 2,500 archives hosted by The National Archives. Use the ‘Find an archive’ box to search for an archive)
Period Covered
1700 – 1894
Genealogical Value
- Names of officials and their occupations sometimes with addresses.
- Names of parishioners sometimes with their occupations, ages family relationships and parishes of origin.
Further References
- Eastwood, David. Governing Rural England: Tradition and Transformation in Local Government 1780-1840: Clarendon Press, 1994
- Osborn, Helen. Our Village Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Understanding the English Rural Past: The Crowood Press, 2021
- Raymond, Stuart A. Tracing Your Church of England Ancestors: A Guide for Family and Local Historians: Pen & Sword Family History, 2017
- Stephens W.B. Sources for English Local History. Cambridge University Press, 1981 (Preview available from Google Books)
- Tate, William Edward. The Parish Chest: Phillimore, 1983 (Preview available from Google Books)
- West, John. Village Records: Macmillan, 1962
Websites
https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/az-westvalleygenealogy.rootsweb.com/thread/30770405 (What is a Vestry? by Sherry Irvine)
www.londonlives.org/static/MV.jsp (London Lives: Minutes of Parish Vestries)
www.open.ac.uk/blogs/history/?p=382 (Open University: Notes on Sources: Vestry Minutes by Louise Ryland-Epton)
www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/article/10631/Vestry-Minutes (Durham County Record Office. Vestry Minutes. Information about vestry minutes in Durham County Record Office)
Online Databases
www.londonlives.org (London Lives: Vestry Minutes)
www.findmypast.co.uk (London Lives, Culture & Society 1680-1817. London Lives chronicles the lives of Londoners through the exploration of a variety of sources including criminal registers, session papers, ordinary’s accounts from Old Bailey, apprentice records, coroner inquests, workhouse minutes, Register of admissions to workhouse, clerks’ papers, Churchwarden’s account books, Vestry minute books/vestry minutes, Register of removal orders, Pauper examination books/examination books, bastardy bonds and much more)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Norfolk Parish Chest Records 1300-1990 Browse. Explore a variety of parish chest records from Norfolk spanning over 600 years including Vestry appointments books)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Dorset, England, Parish Poor Law Records, 1511-1997. The original records are held at the Dorset History Centre)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Warwickshire, Miscellaneous Parish Records including vestry books in association with Warwickshire County Record Office)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Warwickshire Parish Poor Law, 1546-1904: Lists of parish officers; Parish minutes produced in association with Warwickshire County Record Office)
www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/vestry-mins-colechurch-1613-72 (British History Online: St Mary Colechurch: Vestry Minutes 1613-72. A series of transcribed lists entered into a seventeenth century volume of vestry minutes for the parish of St Mary Colechurch. Produced by the IHR/Birkbeck/Cambridge ‘People in Place’ project)
https://durhamrecordsonline.com/updates/tag/vestry-minutes (Lanchester Vestry Minutes 1827-1828. Online set of 58 vestry minutes from Lanchester All Saints parish in Durham, covering Jan 1827 to the end of July 1828)
CD Roms
Hastings & Rother Family History Society (Select Vestry Minutes & Surname Index of Etchingham, East Sussex, 1819-1836)
West Surrey Family History Society (Surrey Poor Law Index & Calendar for non-metropolitan Surrey, compiled by John Holland. Includes Overseer Accounts and Vestry Minutes)
East Surrey Family History Society (Churchwardens Accounts 1504-1645, Vestry Book 1610)
Parish Chest (Vestry minute records from a number of family history societies and groups)
