Cornwall Burials
Discover if your ancestor was buried in Cornwall. Search over 280,000 records covering more than two hundred parishes across the Cornish peninsula. This collection is published in partnership with Cornwall Family History Society and the Family History Federation.
See description
Discover if your ancestor was buried in Cornwall. Search over 280,000 records covering more than two hundred parishes across the Cornish peninsula. This collection is published in partnership with Cornwall Family History Society and the Family History Federation.
Learn about these records
Each record contains a transcript of the original record. The information can vary but you could find out the following about your ancestor:
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First name
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Last name
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Age
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Birth year
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Death year
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Burial year
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Burial date
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Burial place
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Residence
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Relative’s first name
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Relationship
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Repository
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Document reference
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Notes
These records contain transcriptions of burial records for Church of England parishes and other denominations across Cornwall.
Although the Church of England was the established church, in Cornwall a huge percentage of the population turned to Methodism and other so-called non-conformist protestant denominations. The largest of these smaller groups is the Bible Christian Movement.
By the mid 19th century there were more Methodists than Anglicans in Cornwall. Methodism was especially dominant in the mining districts of Western Cornwall.
Before 1837, regardless of religious beliefs, most people were baptised, married and buried in the local Church of England Parish. Despite differences in belief and even after the Toleration Act of 1689 which granted freedom to worship, many non-conformists continued to use their local parish church for registration purposes.
However, some non-conformists did keep their own registers, particularly baptism and burial registers, in the period between 1689 and 1837. Between 1754 and 1837 is was illegal to marry anywhere except in a Church of England parish Church unless you were a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) or Jewish. In both cases members were exempt from the Act and allowed to keep their own records.
After 1837, while people were now allowed to marry in the church of their choice, some organisations still did not keep their own records.
Even after 1837 many burials in Cornwall continued to take place in Church of England cemetaries.
Transcripts with thanks to the Cornwall Family History Society
A full list of the parishes and denominations covered is available in the useful links and resources section.
Search tips
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