Draycot Cerne - Bishop's Transcripts

The earliest Birth, Marriage and Burial records for Sutton Benger are from 1605, but there are a few earlier records for Draycot Cerne. These are Bishop's Transcripts from 1601. The following image shows that the quality is not great, but it is just about possible to read:

'A true noate of all [?] Christenings, Marriages and buriales ....'

The first record - quite difficult to read - is for John Godwine. The second is easier to make out: 'Thomas Fluelline, sonne of Richard Fluelline, was baptized the 10th day of January.'

There is often no logic to explain why some of these records survive and why others don't. But the records for Draycot Cerne include dates for the Lords of the Manor, which may partly explain why they survived. The second page of these Bishop's Transcripts includes the burial of 'The Lady Barbara Longe' on the 'fift of Januaire 1605'. This was the Dowager Lady Barbara, widow of Sir Robert Long (died 1581).

However, not all of the pages are this easy to read, nd not all of them survived without some damage, especially because they were not written on paper. Vellum was made from skins, normally calf skin; and calves are not usually square-shaped.