Norfolk Marriage Index 1801-1837
Background
Several years ago, one of the Society's members Mr. Philip HAMLIN set himself the task of compiling an index of Norfolk Marriages for the period 1801 - 1837 from the original parish registers and associated sources at the Norfolk Record Office. In 1997 Mr. Hamlin generously gave his approval for the Norfolk Family History Society to computerise and publish his index. Over the next 4 years a small team of volunteers transcribed to computer more than 100,000 marriage events, extending their remit to include the Norwich Marriages 1813 - 37, a transcript of which had been published in book form by the Society in 1982. With the successful conclusion of the main transcription effort in 2001, and some finishing touches in the months which followed, we were reasonably confident of having a complete index for the target years.
Content
The Norfolk Marriage Index CD for 1801 to 1837 includes marriages from the 705 Norfolk parishes having relevant records, plus 25 Suffolk (border) parishes mostly in the area around Lowestoft. The original computer version consists of 50 Excel spreadsheet files, one for each letter of the alphabet ( except X ) for both Brides and Grooms. Each entry gives the surnames and first name(s) of both parties, the date and the parish. The index has been converted to Adobe Acrobat Pdf format and Norfolk Quaker Marriages for the relevant period have been added.
Parishes included in the Index (PDF document)
Accuracy
Given the prevailing logistical conditions it was not feasible for the computerisation team to double-check Mr. Hamlin's records against the originals, therefore we apply the usual caveat that the index should only be regarded as an AID TO FURTHER RESEARCH and not a definitive record. The work has been done by volunteers in good faith but the NFHS cannot guarantee either its accuracy or completeness.
Some parishes are not in the index because they do not have relevant records. Please refer to the list of parishes with no relevant records for details.
Availability
Since June 2001 the computerised index and a printout of it have been available for perusal at Kirby Hall. The Research Team provide a restricted look-up service for members unable to visit in person. See the Research Services for Members.
To increase the accessibility of this excellent resource, the computer files were converted to Adobe Acrobat Pdf format and a CD-ROM produced. This contains, in addition to the index, the Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 5 for those who may not already have a reader program installed. The CD is configured to run with all Windows 95 (and above) and Mac operating systems.
You can order this CD via the Publications List and Order Form.