Requirements:

• an entry in this field is mandatory and is the three-letter Chapman county code
• enter in upper case

Examples:

ABD, NTT, FLN, DUR
(Aberdeenshire, Nottinghamshire, Flintshire, and Durham, or County Durham)

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is mandatory
• enter the name of the town or village
• enter in lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Betws-y-Coed, Nottingham, Prestonkirk, Chorlton cum Hardy

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is mandatory
• enter in lower case with initial capitals

Examples:

St Ethelred, St Mary, Holy Trinity, Methodist, All Saints (North Street)

Guidance:

Enter the name of the church, parish or congregation Take care with this as larger towns may have more than one parish or church.

If a place has two churches with the same name, then use parentheses for the identifier part, as in the example.

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is mandatory
• enter in upper case
• use one of the codes from the list of Register Codes in General guidance

Examples:

AT, PR

Guidance:

This is a change in practice.

Requirements:

• enter the register number (or page and position), if there is one

Examples:

483, 25c

Guidance:

Usually found in baptism registers after 1813. Enter the number without leading zeroes.

If only the page has a number, enter that number, plus a lower case letter to indicate position on page. If there are no numbers, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the birth date
• use the format dd Mon yyyy or dd Mon yyyy/y(0) if appropriate

Examples:

30 Sep 1853, 25 Jan 1742/3, 19 Feb 1689/90, 02 Jun 1545

Guidance:

For a register that has no baptism dates, we need at least a year (given or estimated) in the birth_date field: if part or all of the birth_date is missing or illegible, see Dates in General guidance for how to enter.

Requirements:

• enter the baptism date
• use the format dd Mon yyyy or dd Mon yyyy/y(0) if appropriate

Examples:

30 Sep 1853, 25 Jan 1742/3, 19 Feb 1689/90, 02 Jun 1545

Guidance:

For a register that has no birth dates, we need at least a year (given or estimated) in the baptism_date field.

Where parts of the date are missing or illegible, see Dates in General guidance.

Where there is no date for a baptism, then …

• if there is a date of birth, put that in the birth_date field
• if there is also no birth date, then estimate a year (baptism or birth, whichever one is more appropriate for your register) and put that year in the relevant field
• if you need more help, then contact your SC with the details

Requirements:

• enter the confirmation date, or leave blank
• use the format dd Mon yyyy or dd Mon yyyy/y(0) if appropriate

Examples:

30 Sep 1853, 25 Jan 1742/3, 19 Feb 1689/90, 02 Jun 1545

Guidance:

Confirmation dates are usually found only in Catholic Church records: if no confirmation date is shown in the register, leave blank.

See Dates in General guidance for further help.

Requirements:

• enter the date the person was received into the church, or leave blank
• use the format dd Mon yyyy or dd Mon yyyy/y(0) if appropriate

Examples:

30 Sep 1853, 25 Jan 1742/3, 19 Feb 1689/90, 02 Jun 1545

Guidance:

Such a date is often recorded some time after a private baptism: if no such date is shown in the register, leave blank.

See Dates in General guidance for further help.

Requirements:

• enter the forename or names, as given
• use lower case with leading capitals

Examples:

Henry, Elizth, Raphe, Mary An

Guidance:

Transcribe the name as written, even if abbreviated or written in Latin or if it looks wrong. If a person has more than one forename, enter them all.

Be wary of apparent surnames that are really part of the forename. For example, the complete name Sarah Denman Neep, would be entered as Sarah Denman in this field, and NEEP in the surname field.

Any qualifier, such as Jr or Sr, should be entered using the Title field and not as a note: this is a change in practice.

Requirements:

• enter the person’s surname
• use upper case for the whole surname

Examples:

OWEN, WARD, BAIRD, SMYTH

Guidance:

Enter the spelling exactly as given, even if it looks wrong.

Any qualifier, such as Jr, Sr or Esq, must not be entered here: enter in the Title field.

Requirements:

• enter any recorded prefix or suffix to the name

Examples:

Jr, Sr, Esq, Dr. Professor

Guidance:

If not stated, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the age as an integer (whole number)
• you may use d (days), w (weeks), m (months), h (hours) “infant” or “child”
• if required, use y (years)

Examples:

17, 21, 51, 2y5m, 3m, 3w, 3d, 2h, infant, child

Guidance:

If not stated, leave blank.

If the age is given as say, “less than an hour”, put 0 (zero) here and “less than an hour old” in the Notes field.

Requirements:

• enter relationship, of the person baptised to a relative, usually the father, or leave blank

Examples:

son of, dau of, child of

Requirements:

• a single character from f, F, m, or M
• leave blank where the sex is not stated
• if the entry is illegible, put ?
• if you find just a ‘-’ (a hyphen) or a ‘?’ in a transcript, put ?

Guidance:

Do not guess based on the name: Julian, for example, was also a female name. Similarly, do not assume that Frances is female or Francis male.

Requirements:

• enter the abode or address as given of the person
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Ruardean
High St
23, High St
Napoleon Sq., Cinderhill

Guidance:

This should not be confused with the abode of the father or mother.

If there is only one abode in the record, enter it only once, usually in the the Father’s Abode field.

This information will usually appear only for adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• enter the person’s condition (marital status)
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Single, Married

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only for adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• enter the person’s status or position in their family
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Illegitimate, Spurious, Twin, Eldest

Guidance:

This is for information that is additional to ‘son of’ or ‘dau of’, for example, which go in the Relationship field.

Requirements:

• enter the person’s job or occupation
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Carpentier, Shoemaker

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only in adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• enter the name of the town or village
• enter in lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Betws-y-Coed, Nottingham, Prestonkirk, Chorlton cum Hardy

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only for adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is the three-letter Chapman county code
• enter in upper case

Examples:

ABD, NTT, FLN, DUR
(Aberdeenshire, Nottinghamshire, Flintshire, and Durham, or County Durham)

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only for adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• enter the father’s forename(s) as given
• use lower case with initial capitals

Examples:

Joseph, Saml John, Henrey, Gulielmus

Guidance:

If the father’s name is not stated, for example in the case of an illegitimate birth, then leave blank.

See Forename(s) for other details of how to enter forenames.

Requirements:

• enter the father’s surname as given
• use upper case for the whole surname

Examples:

OWEN, WARD, BAIRD, SMYTH

Guidance:

Enter the spelling exactly as given, even if it looks wrong.

A widow’s surname would be entered in this field.

Any qualifier, such as Jr, Sr or Esq, should be entered using the Father’s Title field.

Requirements:

• enter the Father’s title as written

Examples:

Jr, Sr, Esq, Dr. Professor

Guidance:

If not stated, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the abode or address as given of the person’s father
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Ruardean
High St
23, High St
Napoleon Sq., Cinderhill

Guidance:

This should not be confused with the abode of the person or mother.

If there is only one abode in the record enter it only once — usually in this field, Father’s Abode.

Requirements:

• enter the father’s job or occupation
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Carpentier, Shoemaker

Requirements:

• enter the name of the town or village
• enter in lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Betws-y-Coed, Nottingham, Prestonkirk, Chorlton cum Hardy

Guidance:

This information is given primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is the three-letter Chapman county code
• enter in upper case

Examples:

ABD, NTT, FLN, DUR
(Aberdeenshire, Nottinghamshire, Flintshire, and Durham, or County Durham)

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only in adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• enter the mother’s forename(s) as given
• use lower case with initial capitals

Examples:

Agnes, Charlotte Elizabeth, Jane, Onoria

Guidance:

See Forename(s) for other details of how to enter forenames.

Requirements:

• enter the mother’s maiden surname as given
• use upper case for the whole surname

Examples:

PARRY, FORBES, READ, WALKER

Guidance:

This is the mother’s surname before marriage, sometimes signified by something like “late Parry”.

Please do not enter her married surname. If the mother was unmarried, enter her surname.

Most registers do not have a married mother’s maiden name. Leave the field blank if this is so.

Any qualifier, such as Jr or Sr, should be entered using the Mother’s Title field.

Requirements:

• enter any prefix or suffix to the mother’s name as written

Examples:

Mrs, Jr, Sr, Widow

Guidance:

If not stated, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the abode or address as given
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Ruardean
High St
23, High St
Napoleon Sq., Cinderhill

Guidance:

This is usually only given in baptism registers from 1813 onwards.

If one address or abode is given, enter it once only, in the most appropriate of the abode fields.

If it is not given, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the job or occupation of the mother
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Seamstress, Nurse

Guidance:

This is usually given in baptism registers from 1813, but may be found earlier. If not stated, leave blank.

Requirements:

• enter the mother’s condition (marital status) before marriage
• use lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Single, Widow, Spinister

Guidance:

We are looking primarily for her condition prior to marriage, if it is given, or if she is unmarried.

Requirements:

• enter the name of the town or village
• enter in lower case with initial capitals as appropriate

Examples:

Betws-y-Coed, Nottingham, Prestonkirk, Chorlton cum Hardy

Guidance:

This information will be found primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• an entry in this field is the three-letter Chapman county code
• enter in upper case

Examples:

ABD, NTT, FLN, DUR
(Aberdeenshire, Nottinghamshire, Flintshire, and Durham, or County Durham)

Guidance:

This information will usually appear only for adult baptisms and primarily in nonconformist registers.

Requirements:

• if the baptism was a private one, enter one of y, yes, private, private baptism, private_baptism or true (lower or upper case)
• any other entry will be treated as a ‘no’ (false)
• otherwise leave blank

Guidance:

Enter only if a private baptism is noted in the entry.

Usually, baptisms take place at the place of religion, however if it seemed that the child might not live, a baptism could take place in the home, for example. If so, the official entry in the register would note that it was a private baptism.

Requirements:

• enter the forename(s) of the first witness as given
• use lower case with initial capitals

Examples:

Phebe Martha, Charles, Esther, Thos.

Guidance

You can enter up to 8 witnesses as numbered pairs of forename(s) and surnames. Use these field names (column headers):

• witness1_forename & witness1_surname
• witness2_forename & witness2_surname
• …
• witness8_forename & witness8_surname

Use only the number of fields that you need.

See Forename(s) for other details of how to enter forenames.

Requirements:

• enter the surname of the first witness as given
• use upper case for the whole surname

Examples:

ADAMS, COLLIER, MITCHELL, SANDFORD

Guidance:

See Witness forename for details of how to enter more than one witness.

See Surname for other details of how to enter surnames.

Requirements:

• enter any other information as written in the register

Example:

This child was baptized according to the form for Hypothetical Baptism

Guidance:

Use for any other information given in the register that does not belong in any of the other fields.

Do not include the details of the officiating minister unless there are compelling reasons to do so (that is, something about the minister looks like a clue for a researcher).

Requirements:

• use this field to record any observations about the entry from your point of view

Examples:

A very faint document
Part of record is missing
An ink blob in the person’s surname
Date unreadable so year entered by assumption from position in the register

Guidance:

Do not use to record additional information that is in the register: that belongs in the Notes field.

Requirements:

• enter the name of the film or fiche
• for use only with an old allocation from the image server or from a source outside of FreeREG

Guidance:

Do not use if you are transcribing from an image from the Image Server using the new Assignment system. See the Image file name field for more details.

Requirements:

• enter the number of the image
• for use only with an old allocation from the image server or from a source outside of FreeREG

Guidance:

Do not use if you are transcribing from an image from the Image Server using the new Assignment system. See the Image file name field for more details.

Requirements:

• enter the name of the image file in your Assignment

Guidance:

Use only if transcribing from an image from the Image Server using the new Assignment system.