Dorset, England, Church of England Confirmations, 1850-1921

This database contains images of Church of England confirmation records in registers from parishes in Dorset County.

Parish Records

Before civil registration in England began in 1837, key events in a person’s life were typically recorded by the church rather than the state. Parish records are the best source of vital record information in England before the nineteenth century and remain an important source thereafter.

Confirmation Records

Over time, what is now called confirmation in the Church of England became a separate rite from baptism, as a bishop needed to perform the confirmations, and bishops could not attend all baptisms. Confirmation now usually comes later in life and affirms one’s commitment to the Christian life represented by baptism. Thus, most of the people named in these registers are teenagers and young adults.

The records typically include spaces for name, age, address, date of first communion, and sometimes change of address or other remarks. In some instances, a birth date will be given for the age. Others may list only name, date, and address.