Jersey, Church of England Marriages, 1754-1940

Marriage Registers

Both the British government and the church had an interest in record keeping, and a 1538 act of Parliament required ministers in the Church of England to record baptisms, marriages, and burials. In 1754, Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1753 went into effect, requiring a formal ceremony be performed by Anglican clergy in the parish of one of the participants following the publication of banns and in the presence of two witnesses. (There were exemptions allowed for Jewish and Quaker marriages.)

In 1842 civil registration began in Jersey which removed many of the restrictions imposed by Hardwicke’s Act. This database includes parish records with dates ranging from 1734 up until 1940.

Marriage records pre civil registration typically include the name of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage and the parish of origin or residence of both parties. Very rarely is the occupation of the groom included or the parentage of the couple. Post 1842 the registers of the parishes are all written in a standard format and record further details including the age, status, place of residence, place of birth, occupation, name of father and father’s occupation.

See the browse on the right to determine which parishes are included in this collection and the date coverage for each parish.

Please note that names may appear in the records in their abbreviated forms. Please see below for a key to commonly abbreviated names found within the registers.

• Charles – Ch, Chs
• Clement – Clem
• Daniel – Dan
• Elizabeth - Eliz
• Esther - Est
• Francois - Frcs, Frs
• Francoise - Frcse, Frse
• George - Geo
• Jean - Jn
• Jeanne - Jne
• Marguerite (Margueritte) – Margte, Mgte, Marg, Margtte, Mgtte
• Matthew, Mathieu - Mat, Matth, Math
• Nicolas – Nic
• Philippe – Ph, Phle
• Pierre – Pe
• Susanne - Sus
• Thomas – Th, Tho
• William - Wm