|
1066 |
The
Norman Invasion |
|
1086
|
The
Domesday Book: The first ever census
of people living in England &
Wales. |
|
1100s |
Surnames
begin to come into use. |
|
1300s
|
Quarter
Sessions: Courts held four times
a year by the Justices of the Peace
in each county, until 1971. |
|
1377
|
Poll
Taxes first levied; then again between
1660 and 1697 and again in the late
1980s. |
|
1534
|
Act
of Supremacy: King Henry VIII becomes
head of the Church of England. |
|
1538
|
Parish
Registers introduced: Thomas Cromwell,
the Vicar General to King Henry
VIII decreed that each parish should
keep records of baptisms, marriages
and burials. |
|
1598 |
Parish
Registers should be written on parchment. |
|
1598
|
Bishops’
Transcripts were first recorded,
these were supposed to be true copies
of all baptisms, marriages and burials
that took place in parish churches
and sent to the bishop who had authority
over that parish. |
|
1609 |
Baptist
Church founded in Holland by John
Smyth. |
|
1642 |
Civil War commences. Some clergy
flee or were ejected from their
parishes. Keeping parish registers
was disrupted in many places for the
period of the Civil and Interregnum. |
|
1647 |
The
Quakers founded by George Fox. |
|
1649 |
Execution of Charles I. Charles II
declared king in Scotland.
Commonwealth declared with the
abolition of the House of Lords and
the monarchy. |
|
1653 |
Cromwell’s Protectorate begins. Act of
Parliament removes custody of parish
registers from the church and
institutes civil marriage conducted by
Justices of the Peace. |
|
1660 |
King Charles II restored to throne.
Resumption of parish registers by
the church. Civil marriages cease,
but retrospectively recognised as
valid by the church and sometimes
recorded in the parish registers. |
|
1662 |
Hearth
Taxes introduced (until 1689). Charge
was 2s per year per fireplace, hearth
or stove. |
|
1662
|
Act
of Settlement introduced, insisting
that all individuals were to have
an official place of settlement. |
|
1666-1680 |
The
Woollen Acts were introduced, decreeing
that all bodies were to be buried
in woollen shrouds. These were designed
to boost the British woollen industry. |
|
1670
|
The present building of The College
of Arms was erected after the great
fire of London. |
|
1693
|
Land
Tax first introduced. The tax was
levied on land with an annual value
of more than 20s. |
|
1696 |
Window Taxes imposed. From 1696-1766
the charge was for 10 or more
windows. |
|
1747 |
Carriage Tax levied (a horse tax was
later introduced in 1784). |
|
1752 |
Gregorian Calendar introduced,
giving us 12 months in a year from
January to December. The previous
Julian Calendar started the year on
25 March. |
|
1754 |
Hardwicke’s Marriage Act 1753 comes
into effect on 25 March. Introduced to
ensure that all marriages in churches
and chapels were to be preceded by the
reading of Banns or by the issue of a
licence from the bishop of the
diocese. |
|
1766 |
Window Taxes levied for 7 or more
windows (until 1825). |
|
1782 |
Gilbert’s Act allowed parishes to
combine their resources to build union
workhouses. |
|
1797-8 |
Clock
& Watches Tax levied. |
|
1801 |
The first official Census for
England & Wales: These were then
taken every ten years thereafter
with the exception of 1941 due to
WWII (statistical only until 1841).
1931 was destroyed in the Blitz. |
|
1812 |
The
Rose Act came into force requiring
that parish incumbents use specially
printed registers, with baptism,
marriage and burials in separate
books. Up to this date they were
still being written on parchment.
|
|
1825 |
Window
Taxes change again until 1851 to
8 or more windows. |
|
1830 |
The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints founded by Joseph Smith. |
|
1834 |
The
Poor Law Amendment Act: (The introduction
of the New Poor Laws) The responsibility
for the poor was transferred from
the parish to the Board of Guardians. |
|
1837 |
Queen
Victoria came to the throne. |
|
1837 |
The
Civil Registration system was introduced
in England and Wales on 1 July (Births,
Marriages & Deaths). |
|
1841 |
The
first Census for England, Wales
and Scotland was taken in which
personal names and details were
required. |
|
1855 |
The
Civil Registration system was introduced
in Scotland (Births, Marriages &
Deaths). |
|
1858 |
Crockford’s
Clerical Directory first published.
Published every two to three years,
gives detailed information about
clergymen of the Church of England,
Wales and Scotland and until 1985,
Ireland. |
|
1858 |
Civil
District Probate Registries were
set up for England and Wales to
handle Wills, removing the system
from the Church Courts. |
|
1864 |
The
Civil Registration system was introduced
in Ireland (Births, Marriages &
Deaths). |
|
1889 |
The
British Record Society formed, publishers
of various archives. |
|
1901 |
Queen
Victoria dies. |
|
1911 |
The
Society of Genealogists was founded
in London. The library holds the
best collection of genealogical
information in Britain. |
|
1918 |
The
Royal Air Force was formed from
the amalgamation of the Royal Flying
Corps (the Army) and the Royal Naval
Air Service. |
|
1927 |
Legal process of adoption introduced. |
|
1941 |
No
census taken because of WWII. |
|
1952 |
King George VI dies and Queen
Elizabeth II ascends to throne. |
|
1971 |
Quarter Sessions replaced by Crown
Courts. |
|
1972 |
The
United Reformed Church founded. |
|
1974 |
Major reorganisation of local
authorities in England and Wales. |
|
1984 |
Family
Tree Magazine was first published. |
|
1986 |
900th
anniversary of the Domesday Book
Exhibition held at the Public Record
Office, (PRO) at Chancery Lane London. |
|
1988 |
The
Public Record Office celebrated
it’s 150th anniversary. Home of
national archives for Great Britain,
now known as The National Archives. |
|
1996 |
The
1881 Census Project completed. The
total population for Britain in
that census year was 30,372,318.
|
|
1997 |
Practical
Family History Magazine first appeared. |
|
1997 |
The
Family Records Centre was opened
at Myddelton Street, London. The
Civil Registration Indexes were
transferred there from St Catherine’s
House, as were the modern records
from the Public Record Office at
Chancery Lane, which was also closed
down. The ancient records were transferred
to The National Archives at Kew. |
|
2000 |
The
first Society of Genealogists,
Prince Michael of Kent Award was
given to the Family Records Centre
for
Excellence in Family History. |
|
2002 |
The first online version of the 1901
Census appeared. Earlier censuses
had previously been available on
microfilm. |
|
2003 |
The
PRO and the Historical Manuscripts
Commission amalgamate to become
known as The National Archives.
|
|
2004 |
ABM
Publishing, producers of Family
Tree Magazine and Practical Family
History was presented with the second
Society of Genealogist, Prince Michael
of Kent Award, for ‘Introducing
Family History to a wide audience
for the past 20 years’. |
|
2005 |
First same sex civil partnerships
take place. |
