Oliver Cromwell and Genealogy

During the seven year English Civil War led by Oliver Cromwell, there was a tremendous amount of social upheaval. This time period also corresponds directly with the great expansion of the British Empire overseas such as Nova Scotia, Virginia, Maryland, and the Bahamas. Eventually Cromwell overcame the odds and England became a commonwealth for a time. Then from 1642 to 1660, parish record keeping became sporadic. Marriage ceremonies during this time many marriages were performed outside of the church and the banns were declared from the public marketplace, not the churches. Then from 1653-1657 the right to perform marriages was taken completely taken away from the clergy and given solely to the justice of the peace.