Bruton Parish Church Register 1868-1908 - How To Use This Book

OW TO USE THIS BOOK

The following suggestions and explanations may be of service to clergymen:

I.-Families.

1.Arrange them in the order in which each family became connected with the parish.

2.Give to each family, less than twelve in number, the space across the page between the horizontal red
lines; thus keeping each family distinct, and leaving room to note subsequent changes. If the family
contains twelve or more names, combine two of the horizontal spaces.

3. Write the ordinal number I, II, III, IV, &c., under the heading “Number,” on the intersection of the
double red lines.

4. Insert the maiden name of the wife. Place the names of children immediately after those of parents,
and other names always in the second column.

5.The age recorded should correspond to the date in the first column.

6. The heading, B.C.C., indicates the abbreviations used respectively for those baptized, confirmed or
communicants.

7. Deaths may be indicated by the mark (*) immediately before the names: removals by the mark (†).

8. A list of families thus kept will not need re-writing while the register lasts.

II.-Baptisms.

1. Day and date.   That is, ecclesiastical and civil date.
2. Place.   If not the Church, sate at what house.

3. In recording adult baptisms, write “adult” under the surname.

4. Give to family name of the mother, the residence of the parents, and the residence and relationship
to the child of sponsors other than parents.

5. Every baptism should be authenticated, if possible, by the signature of the clergyman officiated.

6. Certifications of Private Baptisms, which were not performed in the parish, may be noted on the last line
Of the page; other certifications, under the “Day and Date,” and “Place” of the Private Baptism.

III. -Confirmed.

1. Give names in full. Note the place, if other than the Church.

2. Baptism. If in the parish, reference (by number or page) to entries of baptisms is sufficient; if else-
where, give the name of the parish or religious body in which it was performed.

IV.-Communicants.

1. “Day and Date”—of reception, or first Communion in the parish.

2. “Number”—as in all cases refers to the chronological order in which the names and date should be
written.

3. Write the year distinctly above the names added for that year, leaving a blank line above and below it.

4. The narrow column immediately before the name is intended to show at a glance the deaths (*), removals (†), and suspensions or withdrawals (‡).

5. Write the maiden names of married women in a parenthesis before the surname; the surname added by
Marriage after becoming a communicant, in a parenthesis before the surname; the surname added by
Marriage after becoming a communicant, in a parenthesis after the maiden name: e.g. Mrs. A— (B. —) C—;
Miss A—B—(C—). A representing the Christian name, B the maiden name, C the husband’s name.

6. C. A. R. Denote by C, those admitted to communion on their confirmation in the parish; A, those
Admitted otherwise, adding C if subsequently confirmed; R, those received from another parish. In
the latter case, give the name of the parish “whence received.”

7. The name of the communicant returning after removal should, as a general rule, be re-entered at the
foot of the list. Except in such cases, no name need be recorded more than once. If the removal
is temporary of uncertain, the mark (†) may be in pencil, and thus easily erased. 

V.-Marriages.

I. “Place”—i. e., in Church; or at what house.

2. The names and residence of two or more special witness should be recorded.

VI.- Burials.

1. After the name of a wife, note that of her husband; after that of a child, those of its parents, &c.

VII.-Index.

It may often be found convenient to arrange the Index in the form of an Index Rerum, by dividing the
space given to each initial into five subdivisions, headed each with an initial and vowel, the latter represent-
ing the first vowel of the name, as Aa, Ae, Ai, Ao, Auy, &c. The proportions of the vowels under different
initials may be readily found by looking through any alphabetical list- as the Clergy List in the Church
Almanac- or, still better, by first preparing a list from the Parish Records, and regulating the spaces
accordingly.
Advent, 1859.