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Parish chest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parish chest, Mathon Church, near to Mathon, Herefordshire, Dated 1698, but understood to be much older.

In England and Wales, a parish chest is a wooden chest which was used for the storage of important documents relating to a parish, these would typically include the parish register of births, deaths and marriages, and other documents relating to the administration of the parish. A parish chest would usually be kept in the parish church.[1][2]

Parish chests were used from medieval times, and early ones were usually simple, constructed from a hollowed out log. In later centuries, parish chests generally became more elaborate, and incorporated features such metal bands and multiple locks.[1][2]

Examples

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Further reading

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  • Tate, William Edward (1969), The Parish Chest: a study of the records of parochial administration in England; 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press.
  • 1st ed. 1946; 2nd ed. 1951 both Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Parish Chest". SPFH History. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Illustrated Dictionary of British Churches - Parish Chest Definition". Retrieved 12 March 2024.