For anyone with ancestry in Suffolk, the release of the digitised Anglican parish registers by www.ancestry.co.uk last week has been an exciting development. Having easy access to the digital images is an incredibly useful resource when researching Suffolk family history, even if some of the transcriptions are not always accurate.
Prior to this, various transcriptions were available for some Suffolk parishes, but not all in one place. And of course, a transcript can never be the same as viewing an original image of the parish register – where additional information may be given by the clerk recording the event.
Take this burial in 1713 for example, from the Suffolk parish of Bradfield Combust. Bradfield Combust is covered by the excellent Suffolk Burial Index, compiled by the Suffolk Family History Society, which has in turn been included within the transcribed collections on www.findmypast.co.uk. The information from the transcript is given as follows:
James English buried 4th Oct 1713, Bradfield Combust
Looking at the original parish register entry, however, reveals a much longer entry for young James’ burial:
James ye son of John English was buried Octob 4th & an Affid: was brought within 8
days next after, that he was put into a coffin unlin’d & unfac’d, & was not wrapt up in
any material but what was made of sheeps-wool only.
Acts for Burials in Woollen
James’ burial entry provided the additional detail that he was buried in a woollen shroud, as per the rules put in place by the Acts for Burials in Woollen. These Acts were passed between 1666-1680, and ensure that every body was buried in a woollen shroud – in order to help the ailing woollen industry. By the later 18th century the Acts were generally ignored, but earlier parish registers often record that an affidavit had been received by the clergyman responsible for the burial, to show that the body was wrapped in a woollen shroud.
Such burial registers would generally be annotated with the words ‘Affidavit received’ or sometimes simply ‘Aff’ – although here in Bradfield Combust, the clerk provided a lengthy confirmation that the Acts had been adhered to.
