Wigan, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1911

This database contains Church of England baptism records from the parish of Wigan, which was historically located in Lancashire.

Parish Records

Before civil registration in England began in 1837, key events in a person’s life were typically recorded by the church rather than the state. Parish records are the best source of vital record information in England before the 19th century and remain an important source thereafter.

Baptismal and Christening Records

Children were usually baptized (or christened) in the Church of England within a few days or weeks of birth. Along with documenting a birth, baptismal records also list the name of at least one parent, providing a link to another generation, and other significant details. The forms used for the baptismal records in this database record the

• baptismal date
• child’s name
• parents’ names
• abode/residence/parish
• quality/trade/profession
• person who performed the ceremony

Earlier Records

In 1812, George Rose’s Act called for preprinted registers to be used for separate baptism, marriage, and burial registers as a way of standardizing records. These standardized registers are included in this collection. For earlier registers, please see the links provided in the Related Data Collections section on this page.