UK, Admiralty Records of Marriages and Baptisms, 1754-1878

Source Information

Ancestry.com. UK, Admiralty Records of Marriages and Baptisms, 1754-1878 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2024.
Original data: Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives. ADM 6: Admiralty: Service Records, Registers, Returns and Certificates, 1673-1960 (Piece 432); ADM 7: Admiralty: Miscellanea, 1563-1956 (Piece 1); ADM 81: Admiralty: Royal Marines, Woolwich Division: Correspondence, Registers and Papers, 1805-1869 (Piece 25); ADM 193: Admiralty: Royal Marines: Miscellanea, 1761-1982 (Piece 9); ADM 305: Admiralty: Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar: Miscellaneous Books and Records, 1755-1968 (Piece 86).

About UK, Admiralty Records of Marriages and Baptisms, 1754-1878

General collection information

This collection contains images of marriage and baptism records for Royal Navy personnel dated between 1754 and 1878. The records appear in registration books and as individual certificates. The registration books typically have printed column headings with handwritten entries, and some records are simple handwritten notes. The information in the records varies, but they generally contain the names of family members.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Gender
  • Birth date and place
  • Baptism date, place, and age
  • Marriage date, place, and age
  • Death date and place
  • Father's military rank
  • Parents' names
  • Spouse's name
  • Spouse's maiden name
  • Spouse's marriage age
  • Spouse's gender
  • Parish name

    • These records can be used to verify when and where your ancestor was baptised or married while serving in the Royal Navy. They also can confirm when your ancestor was born. Names of spouses and parents can help you expand your family tree and learn about an additional generation with a single record. Marriage records with maiden names are helpful for researching the maternal branches of your family. The name of the parish where the event took place could allow you to find your ancestor's church records.

    Collection in context

    From the mid-1300s to the mid-1500s, the British Navy was commanded by the Lord High Admiral. The leadership position also had been referred to as Lord Admiral, High Admiral, and Admiral of England. In 1546 the Navy Board was established and given the responsibility of overseeing personnel and the civil administration of the Navy. The Lord High Admiral position was often unfilled during the 1600s, and the Board of Admiralty took control of the Navy by 1708. Civil administration of the Navy was passed to the Board of Admiralty when the Navy Board was dissolved in 1832. The Board of Admiralty was merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1946, where it became known as the Navy Department.

    Bibliography

    The National Archives. "Home." Accessed 7 July, 2023. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/.

    ---. "Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies." Accessed 7 July, 2023. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4.