Essex Society for Family History
Research Services - Essex Parish Registers

In an effort to help our members, particularly those who live some distance from Essex and are unable to use the Essex Record Office, our Research Team will search parish registers that are available in the ERO.

We will search the Baptism, Marriage or Burial Register for a named person, in a parish, in a given year(s) if you tell us which register we are to search, the name of the person, the name of the church or parish and the year(s) to be searched. 

Please remember that many towns contain a number of parishes and ‘Colchester’ would be too broad an area to request.  This would need to be more specific e.g. Colchester (All Saints).

We are only able to search parish registers that are available in the ERO.

We will not search non-conformist churches unless specifically requested or conduct one name studies unless the name is extremely rare.

You will receive a photocopy of the entry that corresponds with your request and the ERO reference details of the search.

It may be necessary for you to do some research prior to contacting us.  Perhaps you need to establish the name of a parish or the date that the registers began.  There are numerous ways of locating this information but we can recommend the National Index of Parish Registers – (Essex) as a useful source or you could visit the ERO’s SEAX on-line facility. 

To request a search of the Essex Parish Registers please printout and complete the application form which is in .pdf format.