Baptist Registers and Records

Nature of Source

Origins of the Baptist Movement
John Smyth, a Church of England minister and Puritan exile from Britain, founded the first Baptist congregation in Amsterdam in 1609. The movement emerged from English Separatism whose adherents, also known as English Dissenters, sought to entirely separate from the Church of England which was perceived as corrupt and too similar to Roman Catholicism. Thomas Helwys, a follower of Smyth in Amsterdam, returned to England in 1612 and founded the first General Baptist church in Spitalfields, London.

Key Theological Beliefs

• General Baptists: Rejected infant baptism. Baptisms take place only after a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ which typically happens in older childhood or adulthood. General Baptists supported Arminian theology, which teaches the view of general atonement that salvation is open to all regardless of God’s will. They rejected the doctrine of Calvinist predestination.

• Particular Baptists: Believed in particular atonement (Only God’s will brings salvation) and followed the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. Calvinism is more closely associated with Methodism.

Baptists are represented in Scotland by the Baptist Union of Scotland, in Wales by the Baptist Union of Wales and in Ireland by the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland.

Record Keeping
Before the 1640s, Baptists and other nonconformist sects kept only a few registers of their own as most sought to change the workings of the Anglican church from within. Other concerns included the legal status of a non-Anglican register and fears of persecution. Change occurred with Declaration of Indulgence (1672), which allowed licences for dissenting preachers and meeting houses. Greater religious freedom followed the Toleration Act of 1689. This was introduced under William III after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which William III (William of Orange) and his wife Mary II ascended to the throne after the Catholic James II fled to France in December 1688. The Act, for the first time, guaranteed freedom of worship for non-Anglican Protestant groups and granted these groups the right to establish their own licensed places of worship (attendance at Anglican church services was compulsory up until the Act).

Despite these freedoms, nonconformists were still required to accept the Church of England’s 39 Articles of Faith and remained barred from public office. However, Protestant congregations grew in numbers along with a growth of separate registers, although many nonconformists continued to record vital events within the established church to ensure their legality and validity.

Registers exist after 1780 following a decree from the authorities that nonconformist congregations should keep registers. Most complied with the ruling and these registers form the bulk of those handed in to the Registrar General in 1837. Collectively these registers are known as the Non-Parochial Registers and are held at The National Archives with copies available at various record offices and available online.

Types of Baptist Records
Baptist churches operated independently which meant records were less centralised with each congregation maintaining its own records. Baptist records vary considerably in content, completeness and availability.

Vital Records

• Baptisms and Births: Baptists traditionally do not practice infant baptism. Registers for adult baptisms may exist which means the baptism date is not necessarily a clue to the birth date. As an alternative look for Registers of Dedication for infants presented to the church. Dr Williams’s Library in London holds registers of births from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist adherents.
• Marriages: Marriage ceremonies held in Baptist chapels were legalised from July 1, 1837 following the Marriage Act of 1836. However, many Baptists continued to marry in Anglican churches or register offices for some time after 1837 as a second ceremony to ensure the validity of the marriage.
• Deaths and Burials: Methodist burial records are less common for a number of reasons such as chapels not being able to afford their own burial grounds and many nonconformists being buried in Anglican churchyards and later in municipal cemeteries. Many transcriptions of Baptist Monumental Inscriptions have been produced.

Baptist births, marriages and deaths were recorded in the Baptist Magazine. The library at Spurgeon’s College in South Norwood, south London holds copies covering 1809 to 1890 apart from 1856 and 1891. The Angus Library and Dr Williams Library also have good coverage of the title. Complete series available to download online at Biblical Studies.

Other Baptist Church Records

• Membership Rolls provide lists of members, noting when and how they joined for example by baptism or transfer. They may also record events such as marriage or death or departure from the church.
• Church Covenant Books often included lists of individual members of the church providing a record of church membership.
• Church Meeting Minutes and Committee Records.
• Church business meetings might mention individual members, especially when discussing disciplinary matters, admissions or dismissals.
• Sunday School Records include attendance logs and teacher appointments.

• Correspondence and letters between church leaders, members or other congregations might cover disputes, invitations to preachers or dealings with Baptist associations such as the Baptist Union.

Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a significant historical burial ground in Islington, just north of the City of London. It is particularly known for its association with religious nonconformists, although it was open to anyone who could afford the fees. It became a popular burial ground for London dissenters with over 123,000 nonconformist burials taking place at the site between 1665 and 1854. Unlike consecrated churchyards, it provided a suitable burial ground for those who did not adhere to the Church of England’s practices or denied burial in Church of England consecrated ground. Notable Baptists buried in Bunhill Fields include John Bunyan, author of ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’, John Rippon, an important figure in Baptist history and John Gill a prominent Baptist theologian and biblical scholar.

Researching Church Ministers
For further research on ministers and places of worship consult the ‘Evans List’ of Dissenting Congregations and Ministers compiled in 1715 and updated in 1730. The survey, conducted county by county, provides information on dissenting congregations and ministers in England and Wales. The Josiah Thompson List of 1773 is similar in scope. The Surman Index is a biographical card catalogue of dissenting ministers compiled by Charles Surman (1901-1986) covering the period from the mid-seventeenth century to 1972. The Index includes approximately 32,000 ministers, with details such as dates, education, ministries, employment and sources. Both resources are available at Dr Williams Library with the Surman Index available online.

To locate individual chapels, consult local trade directories which include listings of churches and chapels by denomination. Also useful is the Ecclesiastical Census of 1851 which was conducted to assess the availability and usage of places of worship across England and Wales, including Nonconformist chapels such as Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic chapels.

General Register of Protestant Dissenters
The register housed at Dr Williams Library covers some 29, 865 nonconformist births from 1743 to 1837, with some retrospective entries dating back to 1716. The registry began when a committee representing Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists, known as the Dissenting Deputies, arranged with the library to keep an official register of births. A typical entry should include the name of child, date and place of birth, parent’s name, mother’s maiden name, occasionally the names of the mother’s parents and the father’s occupation. The registers were handed to the Registrar General in 1837 and are now housed at The National Archives in series RG 4 and RG 5. They are available on line at BMD Registers and partially at FamilySearch.

Key Legislation and Changes:

Hardwicke Act (1753)

The Hardwicke Act, officially known as the Marriage Act of 1753, came into force on March 25, 1754. The Act fundamentally reformed the marriage system in England and Wales, closing the loophole to prevent legally binding ‘irregular’ or ‘clandestine’ marriages taking place.
Key provisions included:

• All marriages to take place in a licensed Anglican parish church before an Anglican minister to be valid and legal.
• The ceremony to take place in the bride or bridegroom’s own parish in the presence of two witnesses.
• The marriage to proceed only after the publication of banns or after obtaining a marriage license.
• The details to be recorded in a separate book with a numbered space for each entry, to prevent fraud.
• Jews and Quakers were exempt from the new law.
• Marriages celebrated overseas or in Scotland were not affected.

The Hardwicke Act remained in force until it was repealed by the Marriage Act of 1823.

Civil Registration (1837)
Civil registration was introduced in England and Wales on July 1, 1837, following the Registration Act of 1836. The Act allowed all religious denominations the freedom to hold legal marriage ceremonies and maintain their own registers. Following the Non-Parochial Registers Act of 1840, the Registrar General issued a request to nonconformist congregations including Catholics to voluntarily submit their pre-1837 registers to be authenticated as legal records and deposited with the Registrar General. A second set of registers was voluntarily surrendered in 1857. Many churches chose to leave their registers with the government for safekeeping whilst some churches kept their registers which were later deposited in local archives.

Evolution and Splits Within Baptism

• 1633: Formation of a breakaway group from the General Baptists known as Particular Baptists or Strict Baptists. They followed a theology closely aligned to Calvinism, emphasising the doctrine of Particular Atonement. This refers to the belief that salvation extends only to those predestined to receive it. After the 1689 Toleration Act, which relaxed restrictions on nonconformists, the Particular Baptists became the dominant form of Baptism in England.
• 1750: Many General Baptists churches adopted the Unitarian theology which fundamentally denies the doctrine of the Trinity, viewing God as a single entity. The movement became known as the Old Connection.
• 1770: Those that remained as General Baptists maintaining their beliefs about the Trinity, formed the Baptist New Connection under the leadership of Dan Taylor.
• 1812: The Strict and Particular Baptists together with the Baptist New Connection merged to form the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1859: Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a prominent Particular Baptist preacher, built the Metropolitan Tabernacle in Elephant & Castle, London which seated over 6,000 people. The Metropolitan Tabernacle continues today as a Reformed Independent Baptist Church.
• 1880: The Old Baptist Union, formed in 1880 by an itinerant preacher called Henry Squire, remains a small separate evangelical group of General Baptist churches. Despite its independence, it is aligned with the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
• 1891: All major Baptist groups, including General and Particular Baptists, merged to form the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The Union is now known as ‘Baptists Together’ and represents Baptists in England and Wales.
• 1980: Calvinistic Strict Baptists remained outside of the 1891 union maintaining their theological distinctiveness and independence. In 1980 the Strict Baptist Assembly and the Assembly of Baptised Churches merged to form the Grace Baptist Assembly. The group continues to represent churches holding to a Calvinistic interpretation of Baptist theology. A further group of Strict Baptist churches was established under the name of the Gospel Standard Baptists. The group operates independently maintaining a high-Calvinist theology.

See also
Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy
Sacrament Certificates

Where Found

The National Archives

• Series RG 4, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857.
• Series RG 8, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non Parochial Registers Commission of 1857, and other registers and church records.
• Series RG 4, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857. Also the registers of the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist registry at Dr Williams’ Library and the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry, with indexes.
• Series RG 5, Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry. Original parchment and paper certificates from which the entries in the registers of births from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist registry at Dr Williams’ Library were compiled, and the parchment certificates recorded in the registers of births and baptisms from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry.

County Record Offices
Local archives hold a variety of nonconformist records from Methodist, Baptist, Quaker, Congregationalist and other Protestant denominations including:

• Baptist church records.
• Pre-1837 non-parochial registers collected by the General Register Office.
• Baptism/Birth, marriage and burial registers from nonconformist burial grounds
• Membership Records.
• Administrative Records and correspondence.
• Licenses and Certificates for dissenters’ Meeting Houses issued under the 1689 Toleration Act.
• Sunday School and Charity Records.
• Court records documenting prosecutions.
• Certificates for Dissenters’ Meeting Houses: Issued under the 1689 Toleration Act.

Angus Library and Archive
Regent’s Park College, Oxford. The library hosts a leading collection of Baptist history and heritage worldwide, containing more than 70,000 items relating to Baptist history in Britain and globally. This collection includes printed books, pamphlets, journals, local church minute books and directories of ministers, manuscripts, letters and other artifacts dating from the early 15th century to the present day. The library incorporates the archives of Baptist organisations such as The Baptist Missionary Society (founded in 1792), The Baptist Union of Great Britain (founded in 1832), The Baptist Historical Society and the Baptist Times. It also holds extensive manuscript collection from key Baptist people such as William Carey and C.H. Spurgeon.

Strict Baptist Historical Society
The society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Strict, Reformed, Particular, Grace, and Gospel Standard Baptist churches in the UK. The Library and Archives contains historical documents, church records and periodicals such as Grace Magazine and Waymarks. The website also offers guidance on accessing church records and historical documents. The site hosts the Personal Names database and the Baptist Pastors and Chapel database.

Bristol Baptist College
Library and Archives. The library supports research in Baptist history and theology, Anabaptist studies and the history of dissenting academies. The library houses over 35,000 volumes, including books, periodicals, microfilms, and audio-visual materials focussing on Baptist and Anabaptist studies.

The Gospel Standard Baptist Library
The Library collections cover a wide range of Calvinistic, Puritan and Reformed literature. The holdings include over 10,000 books and more than 2,000 pamphlets, leaflets and booklets.

Dr Williams Library
The library holds significant materials on Unitarian theology and history and other Protestant nonconformity in England including correspondence, diaries and autobiographical writings from key figures; printed pamphlets, theological works and historical texts; the Congregational Library which includes books and manuscripts documenting the Congregationalist tradition. The library maintained a central registry of births for nonconformist families before civil registration began in 1837.

Borthwick Institute for Archives
The Institute holds a collection of nonconformist records covering various denominations including Methodist Records from the York Circuit and surrounding areas; Quaker (Society of Friends) Archives; Unitarian Archives; Congregational and United Reformed Church Records; Meeting House Certificates; Histories of nonconformist churches in York; Digitised Registers of baptism, banns, marriage and burial.

Lambeth Palace Library
The Library holds the archive of the Court of Arches which includes cases involving nonconformists, particularly disputes over ecclesiastical law. The records may deal with disputes over tithes, marriages, or property between Anglican authorities and nonconformist individuals or groups.

National Records of Scotland
The NRS holds records and registers related to nonconformist churches and Protestant dissenting groups that were not part of the Church of Scotland including Seceders, Baptists, Methodists, Quakers and Congregationalists.

The Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives
The City Archives holds the records of a large number of non-Presbyterian dissenting churches, including Baptist churches, Congregational and Evangelical Union churches across Scotland, Episcopalian churches for Glasgow, Methodist churches for Glasgow and Lanarkshire, Unitarian Church of Glasgow and Quakers, Edinburgh and Glasgow (copies only.

Period Covered

1612 – Onwards

Genealogical Value

Baptism

• Full name, address, date of baptism, possibly date of birth.
• Name of parents and father’s occupation.
• Name of minister.

Marriage

• Full name of bride and groom and address.
• Name of bride’s father.

Burial

• Name date of burial.
• Address.

Other Records

• Names, addresses, occupations of practicing Baptists.
• Location and description of chapels and meeting houses.

Further References

• Breed, Geoffrey. My Ancestors Were Baptists: How Can I Find Out More About Them?: Society of Genealogists, 2002
• Dix, Kenneth. Strict and Particular: English Strict and Particular Baptists in the Nineteenth Century: Baptist Historical Society, 2001
• Gandy, Michael. Basic Facts About English Nonconformity for Family Historians: Federation of Family History Societies, 1998
• Gandy, Michael. Tracing Nonconformist Ancestors: PRO Publications, 2001
• Gandy, Michael. Family History Cultures and Faiths: How your ancestors lived and worshipped: Expert Advice to Speed up Your Search: The National Archives, 2007
• Hayden, Roger. English Baptist History and Heritage: Baptist Union of Great Britain, 2005
• Livingstone, E.A (ed). Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church: Oxford University Press, 2013
• McLaughlin, Eve. Nonconformist Ancestors: Varneys Press, 1995
• Palgrave-Moore, Patrick. Understanding the History & Records of Nonconformity, Elvery Dowers, 1994
• Ruston, Alad (ed). Obituaries and Marriages of Dissenting Ministers in the Gentleman’s Magazine in the 18th Century: Rushton, 1996
• Steel, D J. National Index of Parish Registers, vol. 2: Sources for Nonconformist Genealogy and Family History: Phillimore, 1973
• Thomas, Amanda A. The Nonconformist Revolution: Religious dissent, innovation and rebellion: Pen and Sword Books, 2020
• Waller, Ian H. Introducing Nonconformist Records: Explaining Nonconformist Records for Family Historians: Family History Books, 2023

Websites

Centre for Baptist Studies
Regent’s Park College, Oxford. The centre, initially established as The Centre for Baptist History and Heritage, is a leading institution dedicated to research and teaching in Baptist history and theology. The centre provides a forum for studying Baptist principles and practices from the 17th century to the present day. The Centre works in partnership with the Angus Library and Archive and the Baptist Historical Society.
The Baptist Historical Society
The Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Baptists in Britain. The society provides resources and information related to Baptist heritage, including historical documents, articles, publications and family and church history guides. The Baptist Quarterly features articles on Baptist theology and history.
The Baptist Historical Society
The guide offers an overview of Baptist history and tradition, covering key aspects such as their core beliefs, practices and historical development.
Centre for Anabaptist Studies
Bristol Baptist College. The centre houses library of the Mennonite Trust, which includes n extensive collection in the UK of resources relating to the Anabaptist and Mennonite traditions.
The Queen Mary Centre for Religion and Literature in English
The Centre is an association of individuals, societies, centres, and projects with a shared commitment to the broad subject of religion and literature in English. The focus is on the history of Roman Catholicism, the Church of England, Protestant dissent, Methodism, and Judaism.
The Dissenting Academies Project
The project brings a wealth of information about dissenting higher education from the later 17th to the later 19th centuries. The site has a history of nonconformity and individual dissenting denominations as well as Timeline charting key dates and events in nonconformist history as well as a history of dissenting academies.
Dissenting Academies Online
Database and Encyclopedia, 1660-1860. The site is major research resource containing detailed historical accounts of individual dissenting academies including biographical articles about leading tutors and biographical data for thousands of students educated at the academies.
Dissenting Academies Online
Virtual Library System. The System is a union catalogue recording the holdings of leading Baptist, Congregational, and Presbyterian academy libraries in England over the 18th and 19th centuries compiled from a range of sources.
Strict Baptist Historical Society
The society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Strict, Reformed, Particular, Grace, and Gospel Standard Baptist churches in the UK. The Library and Archives contains historical documents, church records and periodicals such as Grace Magazine and Waymarks. The website also offers guidance on accessing church records and historical documents.
World Council of Churches
Baptist Union of Great Britain. The history and structure of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
SOAS
School of Oriental and African Studies. The library holds the largest collection of Christian missionary archives in the UK, including records from London Missionary Society (Council for World Mission), the Methodist Missionary Society and the Presbyterian Church of England Foreign Missions Committee as well as personal papers of individual missionaries. These collections, spanning the 18th to 20th centuries, offer primary source material like correspondence, reports, minutes, journals, photographs, and films.
The Theologian
The Rise and Development of the English Baptists, by Graham Beynon.
The Reformed Reader
The website promotes historic Baptist and Reformed beliefs, offering a comprehensive collection of resources on Baptist history, doctrine, theology and biographies. It offers materials such as historic Baptist documents and information on Baptists and Calvinism.
The Chapels Society
The Society seeks to foster public interest in the architectural and historical importance of all nonconformist places of worship including churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the United Kingdom.
Society of Genealogists
Nonconformist Records.
West Yorkshire Archive
Collections Guide 2: Nonconformist Registers.
Victoria County History
The Victoria County History aims to provide comprehensive histories of each county in England, covering various topics from ancient times to the present day to the present day, including social, religious, economic and industrial history. Each county volume contains detailed accounts of local history, including religious institutions which may include the description and location of nonconformist chapels and meeting houses.
Devon Archives and Local Studies
Research Guide. Nonconformist Records.
North Devon Record Office
Research Guide. Nonconformist Records
BMD Registers
Guide to Non-Parochial Records.
The London Archives
Research Guide. Nonconformist records. This guide explains how to trace people in London who did not belong to the established church (known as nonconformists or dissenters). Since 1559, the established church in England has been the Church of England (Anglican Church).
Spartacus Educational
Anabaptists.
Spartacus Educational
Baptists
Society of Genealogists
Nonconformist Records.
FamilyTree
Guide to Researching Methodist Ancestors, by Sunny Jane Morton.
Who Do You Think You Are? magazine
Nonconformist family history: The best websites.
Explore Your Genealogy
Indications of Nonconformists in Your Ancestry.

Online Databases

BMD Registers
The Official Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial BMDs Service. The site contains records of births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials from various Non-Conformist denominations, including Methodists, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, Protestant Dissenters, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Quakers (Society of Friends) and Russian Orthodox. The Bunhill Fields Burial Ground registers are included in the dataset. The data is extracted from a number of series at The National Archives including RG 4 and RG 5 with some records going back to 1567.

Findmypast
Datasets include:

• England & Wales Non-Conformist Births and Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. Search non-conformist registers to find ancestors who did not follow the established Church of England such as Methodists, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, Protestant Dissenters, Roman Catholics, Congregationalist, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Quakers (Society of Friends) and Huguenots. The records are extracted from The National Archives series RG 4, RG 5 and RG 8 and include records from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry and Dr Williams’ Library in London and burials from the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.
• Britain, Baptist Handbooks, 1832-1955. The record sets consists of 22,594 images and transcriptions taken from British Baptist handbooks.
• Cornwall baptism, marriages and burials. Search over a million Anglican and nonconformist record transcripts covering more than three hundred parishes across the Cornish peninsula.
• Yorkshire Baptisms and Burials. Search parish register transcripts across the three historic Yorkshire counties of Anglican parishes as well as records from some Roman Catholic and Non-Conformist parishes.
• Greater London Marriage Index. Search a collection of transcribed marriage records created by various family history societies and covering the Greater London area including Middlesex, Surrey and Hertfordshire. The dataset includes Anglican, Non-conformists, and Quaker marriages and covers 1502 up to 1871.
• Greater London Burial Index, 1399-1992. Search burial records across 300 parishes in the Greater London area including Anglican parishes and nonconformist registers. The record set includes the Middlesex Memorial Inscriptions, South London Burials Index 1545-1905, City of London Burials 1754-1855 (originally compiled by Cliff Webb) and Middlesex Burials 1538-1992. Also included are records from the Bunhill Fields and Spa Fields Burial Grounds which catered mainly for nonconformists.
• London, Bunhill Fields Non-Conformist Burials 1713-1826. Browse nonconformist burial registers and monumental inscriptions.
• The Shropshire Collection, 1538-1900. The collection includes searchable transcripts and scanned colour images of Non-Conformist Shropshire registers.
• The Cheshire Collection. Non-Conformist and Roman Catholic Records 1671-1910.
• Essex Memorial Inscriptions. The dataset contains records covering Anglican, Roman Catholic, Quaker, and non-conformist, as well as community and war memorials.
• Norfolk Non-Conformist Records 1613-1901 Image Browse. This collection comprises registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials as well as membership lists and meeting minutes covering Methodist, Quaker, Baptist and Congregational congregations.
• Derbyshire Births and Baptisms. Search nonconformist registers mainly covering Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians.
• Northamptonshire Quarter Sessions Licences, 1689-1932. Discover the names of any individual or group who wished to open a Nonconformist chapel or hold such religious services in a house or other premises and needed to obtain a licence from the Quarter Sessions.

Ancestry
Datasets include:

• England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970 This collection is mainly comprised of birth, marriage, and death registers from non-conformist congregations and churches in England and Wales that were turned over to the Registrar General following the Non-Parochial Register Act of 1840 and a later request in 1857.
• London Non-conformist Registers, 1694-1931: Baptism, marriage, and burial registers for many Non-Conformist churches in the greater London area digitised in partnership with The London Archives.
• Hampshire, Nonconformist Registers, 1835-1921. This collection contains registers of baptisms and marriages from non-conformist churches in Hampshire, including Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Methodists, Catholics, and Unitarians.
• Bristol, England, Non-Conformist Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers, 1644-1981. This collection comprises baptism, marriage and burial records from Non-Conformist congregations in the Bristol area. These include Roman Catholic, Methodist, Quaker, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Congregationalist, Baptist, Unitarian, and other denominations.
• Birmingham, England, Non-Conformist Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1825-2007. This collection contains baptism records up to 1932, marriage records continue through 1958 and burial records end in 2007. The collection contains records from Baptist, Independent, Unitarian, Wesleyan, and Presbyterian churches.
• Wiltshire, England, Non-Conformist Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1810-1987. This collection comprises baptism, marriage and burial records from Non-Conformist congregations from the county of Wiltshire. These include Methodist, Quaker, Wesleyan, Independent, Baptist, and other denominations.
• West Yorkshire, Nonconformist Records, 1646-1985. This database contains a compilation of records from Nonconformist congregations in the West Yorkshire area of England including Methodist, Baptist, Society of Friends (Quaker), Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and other congregations.
• Manchester, Non-Conformist Births and Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths and Burials, 1758-1987. This database contains birth records from Nonconformist congregations in the Manchester area. These include Methodist, Quaker, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, URC, Congregationalist, Baptist, Unitarian, and Jewish congregations.
• Medway, Kent, Methodist Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1798-1932.
• Bristol, England, Non-Conformist Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers, 1644-1981. This collection comprises registers from Non-Conformist congregations in the Bristol area. These include Roman Catholic, Methodist, Quaker, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Congregationalist, Baptist, Unitarian and other denominations.
• Tyne and Wear, Non-Conformist Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1710-1960. This collection contains congregation member lists and registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials from non-conformist churches in Tyne and Wear.
• Westminster, London, England, Non-Conformist Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1841-1964.
• West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Non-Conformist Parish Registers, 1840-1969. The collection includes registers of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics and many other groups.

FamilySearch
The Historical Records collections contain digitised, indexed and browsable images of nonconformist records and registers dating from 1567.

• England and Wales Nonconformist Record Indexes, 1588-1977. The collection includes records of births, baptisms, marriages and burials from nonconformist registers deposited with the General Register Office in 1837 and 1857 and now with The National Archives in series RG4 to RG8.
• England nonconformist registers from various chapels and meeting houses covering counties including Gloucestershire (1642-1996), Lancashire (1647-1996) and Northumberland (1613-1974).
• Wales nonconformist registers from various chapels and meeting houses covering a number of counties.
• Scotland nonconformist church records from groups like the United Secession Church, Free Church and Relief Church.
• Ireland nonconformist records include Presbyterian and Methodist records from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• Digitised copies of Quaker Monthly Meeting records, including births, marriages, and burials, particularly from England and Wales.

MyHeritage
Shropshire Nonconformist and Roman Catholic Registers.
British Newspaper Archive
The Archive holds several nonconformist journals and newspapers, including those representing Methodists, Quakers, Baptists and other dissenting groups including The Nonconformist (1841-1900) which represented Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists and other free churches, later renamed The Independent.
British Newspaper Archive
Baptist Times, 1906-1907, 1940-1947. The newspaper is published by Baptist Union of Great Britain in London, England. The Baptist Times traces its roots all the way back to The Freeman, which was founded on 24 January 1855. Changing its name to the Baptist Times and Freeman in February 1899, this publication went on to become one of the world’s longest running Free Church weekly newspapers.
Gloucestershire Archives
Genealogical Search. Non-conformist baptisms (child, father and mother) for some chapels in Gloucestershire.
Durham Records Online
Transcripts (mainly baptisms) from Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist Circuits covering County Durham and Northumberland. Coverage also includes Baptist, Congregational, Quaker and Roman Catholic registers.

CD Roms

The EurekA Partnership
The company offers items in booklet form and as PDF download files covering various Baptist church records and registers.

S & N Genealogy Supplies
Worcestershire, Dudley Non-Parochial Parish Registers 1656-1837.

Gloucestershire Family History Society
Gloucestershire Non-Conformist Transcriptions: Vol 1 Baptisms, Gloucestershire Non-Conformist Transcriptions; Vol 2 Baptisms and Burials, Gloucestershire Non-Conformist Transcriptions; Vol 3 Baptisms, Gloucestershire Non-Conformist Transcriptions.

GenFair
Browse tens of thousands of family history products including nonconformist registers and records from hundreds of suppliers. Products include the Sussex Family History Group: Sussex Nonconformists Registers: Over 50 Sussex Nonconformist Chapel pre-1837 Registers, mainly baptisms and burials, transcribed by Michael Burchall. Set out in alphabetical order by place, then date. Full search facility for names, occupations and places.

Berkshire Family History Society
Bradfield, St Andrew, Parish Registers & Tutts Clump BMDs including Methodist Chapel Baptisms 1873-2002, Marriages 1921-2006 and Burials 1908-2006.

Devon Family History Society
Wesleyan Methodist Historic Roll 1899-1904: A transcription of the names and addresses of over 24,000 donors from Wesleyan Methodist Circuits in Devon and Cornwall and parts of Somerset and Dorset.