Parish Registers

Bangor Cathedral [Cathedrals, abbeys and
churches of England and Wales; page 252]

When searching for births, marriages and deaths prior to 1837 you will need to consult church registers where baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded. Of course, these events continued to be recorded by the church after 1837, so do not discount parish registers as an additional source after this date.

Key Resources

Findmypast UK
Findmypast UK has an extensive collection of Welsh parish registers which have been indexed and digitised. This collection includes:

• Baptisms: over 2 million records covering 1538-1912
  
• Marriages: over 1 million records covering 1539-1927
  
• Marriage banns: over 1/2 million records covering 1603-1927
  
• Burials: over 2 million records covering 1539-2007
  

The Phillimore atlas and index of parish registers
The Phillimore atlas is an invaluable source of information about the location and extent of parish registers.
Genuki Wales
The Genuki website also has useful information about parish registers for most counties.
FamilySearch
One of the most important sources for parish registers is the extensive collection of microfilmed material available from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Some of this material has been indexed on their website.
You may also like to check the International Genealogical Index (IGI) on the FamilySearch website. Please note, however, that the IGI contains births and marriages, not deaths. If you do find the entry you want in the IGI, you should always consult the microfilm of the original document which often has additional information. Microfilms can be ordered for a small fee from any of the FamilySearch Centres located around the world. Check the Library Catalogue to see what is available and obtain the relevant microfilm number for ordering.
Ancestry library edition
There are a few parish registers for Wales available on Ancestry.
British Isles Vital Records Index
This index covers England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and has over 10 million birth and christening records and nearly 2 million marriage records for the following periods:

• Baptisms 1530-1906
• Marriages 1538-1940

FreeReg
This website has transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials transcribed by volunteers. Select 'Counties and Parishes' to see which areas have been included so far.
National Burial Index (NBI)
The NBI covers England and Wales and has over 13 million burials from a variety of denominations from 1538 onwards. It is not a complete index of burials but includes many records put together by family history societies and groups. The Welsh counties with the best coverage are Glamorganshire and Cardiganshire. As well as being available on CD-ROM the NBI can be searched on Findmypast UK.