Do you have ancestors from Kent? Discover if they were buried there in records spanning over 400 years. These records may reveal where and when they were buried, as well as their spouses’ and fathers’ names. For a full list of all parishes and date ranges currently covered, view our parish list.
There are both transcripts and images of the original burial registers within these records. While the amount of information provided varies, most transcripts will include the following:
The images of the original registers will sometimes provide additional information, such as spouses’ and fathers’ names.
Before 1841, the diocese of Canterbury had only one archdeaconry, Canterbury. The diocese was divided into two archdeaconries after 1841: Canterbury in the east and Maidstone in the west. In 2011, the Archdeaconry of Ashford was created and the archdeaconry boundaries were redrawn accordingly.
The records include all parishes which are within the Archdeaconry of Canterbury and consented to online publication. Please note that four parishes withheld consent for publishing images of their records, therefore, where provided, you will only be able to search transcripts of their records: Cheriton St Martin, Harbledown St Michael, Ramsgate St Luke, and Shepherdswell (also known as Sibertswold) St Andrew. Original records for each of these four parishes can be consulted on microfilm at Canterbury Cathedral Archives.
Three ancient Thanet parishes can be found under the names St John in Thanet, St Lawrence in Thanet, and St Peter in Thanet (rather than under Margate, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs respectively).
For data protection and personal privacy, there is a 25-year cut-off for publishing burial records.
We are pleased to be working in association with Canterbury Cathedral Archives to bring you this important resource for researching your Kent ancestors. Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry burial is part of the Canterbury Collection.
Within these records, you can find the English landscape painter Thomas Sidney Cooper. He was particularly known for his depictions of farm animals in his paintings. From the records, we learn that he died in 1902 and was buried on 13 February 1902. By looking at the image of the original register, we discover that he was residing at Harbledown at the time of his death. Cooper had purchased land in Harbledown in 1848. The house he built there was named Vernon Holme, in homage of his early patron, Robert Vernon.
James Simmons, the founder of the Kentish Gazette, can also be found in these records. The year prior to his death he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Canterbury. On the original burial register it reads: ‘James Simmons Esq., one of [the] Representatives in Parliament for this City, and Senior Alderman of the same, aged 66 years’. We also learn that he was buried on 30 January 1807.
Begin your search broadly with just a first and last name.
You can narrow your results if needed by adding a year or burial place.
Be sure to explore the image, if provided, of the original register to discover more details.