Page 147 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

held in the cusfody of the Senior called Angleland which was divided
Chaplain.
into a number of small Kingdoms.
Cathedral: Birtlis, Marriages and known as the Kingdoms of Tlep-
tarchy, constantly at war with one
Deaths, 1836, held by the Dean.
Roman Cathoiic:
another. Once again the few survi-
Births 1704, Marriages 1705, vors of this invasion gradually
with
the
intermarried
Deaths, 1697, held by the Parish became
Priests.
and
Saxons
once
no
igain
Church
Scotland
(Presby- records were ever made of the
of
terian): Births, 1840. Marriages population at this time. In fact the
1842, Deaths 1855, held by the on1y possible link, which any family
Minister.
could claim today with the Saxon
Wesleyan Methodist: Births 1804. period, might be where a surname
Marriages 1840, Deaths 1818, is similar to one of the old Saxon
place names and this does arise in a
held by the Minister.
Jewish: Births 1807, Marriages few instances.
1823, Deaths 1828, held by the
In 1066 Britain was once again
Registrar, Webrew Community.
invaded. this time by the Normans,
and for the next two or three cen-
Gilbert and EUce Lslands - The turies they were completely under
registers which date from 1893 are Norman influence.
retained in the custody of the High
Wi th the coming of the Norrnans
Commissioner, Tawara.
the system of record-keeping began.
The Nonnans paid great respect
to birth and nobility, probably be-
cause most of them possessed
neither of these qualities until en-
nobled by William the Conqueror
H
for the support they gave him dur-
ing the invasion.
Everyonc has heard of the Domes-
History
Affecting GeneaIogical day Book which was the earliest
Records - The Ron~ans occupied form of record. However, this did
Britain in 55 B.C. and although they not contain genedogical material,
intermarried largely with the indi- but was merely designed to set out
how the land in England was held
genous population, no records of
any sort were kept and, though and the value pIaced upon it.
some peopte may like to believe Between 1066 and 1538 when Henry
that they are descended from these VTII ordered that al1 Parishes
early times, any possible chance of should maintain records of bap-
proving it is quite out of the ques- tisrns. marriages and burials, only
tion. a very few records of any sort were
When the Roman Empire had in existence, partly of course
collapsed, Britain was invaded by because so few members of the
the Saxon tribes from across the population could read or write.
North Sea and 180 years later, when Even in the families of the nobil-
Britain once again made serious ity and landed gentry, where a cer-
contact with Europe, there was tain amount of recording was
nothing left which in any way carried out, there is littie whicll
resembled a Roman Province. survives further back than the six-
hstead had risen a new country teenth century and where it does it
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