Search UK’s Roman Catholic registers
England became a Protestant country after the Reformation in the 16th century, but not everyone adopted the new faith. Those who remained Roman Catholic suffered persecution for over two centuries. As a result, Catholics were recorded only in Anglican parish registers during this period. However, with the gradual abolition of penal laws in the late 18th century, Catholic churches began to keep their own registers.
Browse Findmypast’s records
Findmypast has digitised and indexed many Catholic registers, particularly those from the 19th century, for Scotland as well as England. To find them, click the top search menu, then type Catholic in the box under ‘All Record Sets’.
The original English registers are held by the Catholic diocesan archives of Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Northampton, Nottingham, Plymouth,…
