Ecclesiastical Parish

Hello list,

Could somebody tell me the importance of Ecclesiastical Parish details as
opposed to civil parish details on Census information. Are the
Ecclesiastical parishes a more precise location ? I've just been viewing the

Eve McLaughlin...

All they do is suggest the parish church which the person MIGHT have
attended, if he or she was into that kind of thing. It tends to be a
fact of diminishing use, as CofE attendance declined steeply in the C19,
but it just might help if your lot were unusually devout (and not
nonconformist).

free Ancestry indexes for 1901 census.

caroline.bradford...

It rather depends on what you mean by "importance". UK "administrative
geography" is an incredibly complex subject, which is a challenge for all
family historians, even those who are native to the UK. But, put very
simply, the civil parish was the smallest unit of "local government". The
ecclesiastical parish is what many now understand by the word "parish", i.e.
the "catchment area" of an actual church.

If you are trying to ascertain which parish registers to look at for
baptisms, marriages etc., then it is the ecclesiastical parish you should
take most notice of (though attendance at one's own parish church was by no
means compulsory). If your researches are leading you towards needing
information about parish relief etc., then the civil parish is the right
one.

Hope this helps!