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The Skelton Parish Registers 1567 to 1657.
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Rev John Hawell. 1855-1904.
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The Skelton Parish Registers for Baptisms start from 1571, Marriages from 1568 and Burials from 1567.
It is likely that some earlier records have been lost, as apart from the different commencement dates, records should have been made according to the Law of the Land from the 5th September 1538
On that date Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's Vicar General, ordered that all Parish Priests must enter all Baptisms, Marriages and Burials that took place in their area during the previous Month "in a book" in the presence of the Churchwardens.
The book was to be kept secure with 2 locks.
Failure to comply would incur a fine of one mark [3 shillings and fourpence or 17 new pence.]
Many Parishes did not comply, believing that it was the probable introduction of some new tax.
From 1598 the records Nationally were ordered to be kept in "great decent books of parchment" and monthly returns sent in to the local Bishop.
From 1711 entries had to be made in English rather than Latin.
From 1754 a separate Marriage Register had to be kept.
From 1812 separate printed registers were issued for Baptisms, Marriages and Burials in much the same format that is still used today.
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The first three Volumes of Skelton's Parish Registers, covering the period up to 1698, were transcribed in the years 1890/91 by John Hawell MA, the Vicar of Ingleby Greenhow, N Yorks. He also transcribed the Registers of his own Parish and was a noted local Geologist.
These transcripts are now held by Teesside Archives, 6 Marton Road Exchange Square, Middlesbrough, TS1 1DB. Tel: 01642 248 321.
See the following examples.
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