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Barbados Registration of Baptisms Marriages and Burials 1885. A transcript of the Barbados law regarding keeping Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
BARBADOS. An Act to amend An Act for the better making and keeping Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials solemnized in the several parishes of this Island – passed on the 10th day of February 1855.
Barbados Registration of Baptisms Marriages and Burials 1885. A transcript of the Barbados law regarding keeping Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
[No. 56 – Session 1884’85] (Assented to 30th October 118)
Whereas it is expedient to amend the Act entitled, An Act for the better making and keeping of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials solemnised in the several parishes of this Island – passed on the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five – so that there may be a more general registration of baptisms, marriages and burials than that now kept in this Island; Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and Assembly of this Island and by the authority of the same, as follows;
Short title.
I. This Act may be cited as, “The Registration of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials Act, 1885.”
Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials to be kept in a prescribed form.
Copies to be certified and transmitted to Colonial Secretary to be kept as records of his Office.
II. Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials solemnised by any religious body, denomination, sect or person authorised by law in this Island, shall be kept in proper bound books, and such books shall be in the form in Schedules A. B. and C. to the said Act of the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, with the adaptations necessary to the circumstances of each case; and the entries in the register books in respect of each year, shall be numbered progressively to the end of each year, the first entry to be distinguished by the number one; and a copy of such register, made on duplicate sheets, and corresponding in every particular with the aforesaid bound books, shall between the first and tenth days of February one thousand eight hundred and eighty six, and between the first and tenth days of every succeeding month, be transmitted by each religious body, denomination, sect or person authorised by law to the Colonial Secretary of the Island, to be kept by him as records of his office; and the proper officiating minister of every such religious body, denomination, sect or person authorised by law (as the case may be) shall certify in writing on such copy of the register that the same is a true and correct register of the baptism, marriage or burial solemnised for the past month.
Treasurer to provide, at public cost, books and duplicate sheets.
III. The Treasurer of the Island shall provide the books and duplicate sheets required to be kept in accordance with the provisions of section two of this Act, from time to time as it may be necessary to do so, at the public cost.
Registers to be bound, indexed and kept in Colonial Secretary’s Office
IV. The registers shall be bound and indexed and kept in the Colonial Secretary’s Office of this Island in like manner as the registers are bound and indexed and kept in accordance with the provisions of the said Act of the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, and the cost and expenses incidental thereto shall be defrayed and paid in like manner as the cost and expenses for the binding, indexing and keeping of those registers are defrayed and pain under the said Act.
Penalty for failing to forward duplicate registers.
V. If any minister or other person solemnizing any baptism, marriage or burial, shall fail to forward to the Colonial Secretary the duplicate registers which by section two of this Act he is required to forward to him, between the times in which by that section he is required to forward him the same, he shall for every day immediately following those times respectively during which he makes default in forwarding such duplicate registers, forfeit a sum not exceeding one pound.
Registers kept by Ministers or persons other than Ministers of the Church of England to be forwarded to Colonial Secretary for fair copies to be made for reference and originals returned.
Penalty.
VI. All registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials kept or made by ministers, or persons other than ministers, of the Church of England up to (and inclusive of) the thirty first day of December one thousand eight hundred and eighty five, shall on or before the thirty first day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty six be forwarded by the person having custody thereof to the Colonial Secretary’s Office; and the Colonial Secretary shall within six months from the receipt of such registers have fair copies thereof made, and such copies shall be indexed and kept in his office for reference; and such registers shall then be returned by the Colonial Secretary to the person entitled to receive the same. In default of any minister or other person complying with the provisions of this section to forward as aforesaid, he shall be liable to pay a penalty not exceeding ten pounds for every month in which he may be in default.
Fee to be paid for certificate of baptism &c.
Penalty.
Proviso.
VII. Any person shall, on payment of a fee of sixpence, be entitled to demand of every rector, curate, minister, or other person in charge of the register book a copy of the register of any baptism, marriage or burial certified under the hand of such rector, curate, minister or other person to be a true copy; and any rector, curate, minister or other person aforesaid who shall refuse to furnish such certified copy within three days after tender of six pence shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds; provided always that in case the person demanding such certified copy shall be unable to state to such rector, curate, minister or other person the date of the baptism, marriage or burial, as the case may be, then such rector, curate, minister or other person shall be entitled to demand a fee of six pence for each year of search.
Penalties how recovered.
VIII. All penalties imposed by this Act may be recovered in a summary manner before any police magistrate, on complaint of any person, and shall be paid into the public treasury of the Island.
Repeal.
IX. Section five of the Act of the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, from the words “And the Treasurer of the Island is hereby directed,” to the end of the section, is hereby repealed.
This Act read with original Act.
X. This Act and the said Act of the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, shall be read together as one Act; but such provisions of the said Act of the tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty five as are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed.
Repeal.
X. The Act of the ninth day of March one thousand eight hundred and twenty six entitled, “An Act for the better regulating the fees of Rectors, Clerks and Sextons of the several parish churches of this Island,” is hereby repealed.
Date of operation.
XII. This Act shall not come into operation until the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and eighty six.
Read three times and passed the General Assembly the twenty first day of July one thousand eight hundred and eighty five.
A.J. PILE,
Per T. YEARWOOD,
Speaker.
Read three times and passed the Legislative Council, with amendments, the thirteenth day of October one thousand eight hundred and eighty five.
GEORGE C. PILE,
President
Amended by the Legislative Council and amendments agreed to by the General Assembly the twenty seventh day of October one thousand eight hundred and eighty five.
T. YEARWOOD,
Speaker.
SCHEDULES TO WHICH THIS ACT REFERS
SCHEDULE A.
Baptisms solemnized in the of in the
Islandof Barbadosin the year 185 .
| No. | When Baptized. | When born. | Child’s Christina Name. | Parent’s Names | Mother’s Maiden Surname. | Abode. | Rank, occupation or profession of Father. | Minister officiating. | |
| Christian | Surname | ||||||||
SCHEDULE B.
Burials solemnized in the of in the
Islandof Barbadosin the year 185 .
| No. | When Buried. | Name and Surname. | Age | Rank-Occupation or Profession. | Abode. | Place of Birth | Minister Officiating |
SCHEDULE C.
Marriages solemnized in the of in the Island of Barbados in the year 185 .
| No. | When Married. | Name and Surname | Age. | Condition | Rank-Occupation or Profession. | Residence at time of Marriage. | Father’s Name and Surname. | Rank-Occupation or Profession of Father. |
Married in the according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church of England and Ireland*
_____________________________________________________ by me _______________________________________
This Marriage in the presence
was solemnized of us
between us
* by License or after Banns [as the case may be.]
SCHEDULE D.
I do hereby certify that I did on the Baptize according to the Rites of the
United Church of England and Ireland, son [or daughter] of and
His wife by the name of
To the Rector of _______________________
Source: BARBADOS An Act for the better making and keeping Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials solemnized in the several parishes of this Island 1855. The National Archives: CO 30/25/fo:240-242
