You never know what you might find in a parish register

[At home in NZ]

Although I found this almost a year ago and didn't think to mention it at the time I have come across the record once again.
There is a record, in Ancestry, that is transcribed as a burial in 1772 of Edward Penfold in Betchworth, Surrey.

The handwritten entry reads
Robert Wells of the parish of Buckland (killed by
Edward Penfold) was buried Oct 12.

Murder recorded in a burial register
Have I found something unique?

 

[jorghes]

No idea... but its an interesting find!

 

[peter]

Murder recorded in a burial register
Have I found something unique?

People who were murdered were just as entitled to be buried in the parish churchyard as anyone else. After 1813 (when pre-printed registers were introduced) it's unusual to see annotations like this, but prior to that date many incumbents recorded facts that they thought were of note, such as deaths from plague and accidents. The burials I personally find most interesting are of those killed during an insurgency, because the incidents are often long-forgottten.

Whereas civil registration was introduced for legal reasons, and the content of the registers is dry, an 18th century vicar who was in charge of registers dating back to the 16th century would have been in no doubt of the historical significance of the records he kept.

 

[Helen7]

My particular favourite burial register entry was one I came across years ago on a visit to Bedford Record Office, while looking for my relatives in the Bedfordshire village of Cople.

The death of an unfortunate child, Joseph Cox, in Nov 1802 was reported as "killed by a seal thrust down its throat by another child." An unpleasant death indeed. (I assume the seal was the sort made of wax used to seal letters, rather than the animal!)

 

[At home in NZ]

People who were murdered were just as entitled to be buried in the parish churchyard as anyone else

I didn't think for one minute that they weren't.

I found it odd that the cause of death was only recorded for this person in this particular register.

What's more, Ancestry has transcribed BOTH men as buried on the same day because of the way it is written over two lines.

 

[peter]

I found it odd that the cause of death was only recorded for this person in this particular register.

That's the way it worked - in the early 18th century there were no official instructions to clergy, other than to:

"...record in the said book the names the names of all persons christened, together with the names and surnames of their parents, and also the names of all persons married and buried..."

In the absence of detailed instructions the incumbents did what they thought appropriate: for example, some recorded the age at death and other useful identifying features, whilst others didn't.

There were various experiments in different parts of the country - you may have a page from one of the experimental registers in my newsletter earlier this year. See John Wintrip's article in the June Genealogist's Magazine for a detailed analysis.