​East Kent Parishes:

A guide for Genealogists. Local Historians and other Researchers in the Diocese of Canterbury by David Wright. 2nd Edition.
Published by David Wright, 168pp.,
​This publication is a valuable reference work for those with ancestors in East Kent (Canterbury Diocese). The first section gives general information on the region’s parish registers, poor law unions, nonconformist chapels, monumental inscriptions, tithe records, directories etc. The main body of the book then lists the Anglican parishes in alphabetical order, for each one giving their location and administrative structure (in which hundred, bailiwick, deanery and lathe they are located), together with the survival and location of parish registers and Bishop’s Transcripts, nonconformist registers etc. Other useful features include a gazetteer, parish map of the Diocese, and unique index of over 1000 East Kent manors.
This second edition incorporates the progress made in microfilming the records over the past 10 years, and make a first attempt to list the extensive holdings that the Society of Genealogists have acquired over that time.  There are some minor inaccuracies in the SoG’s microfilm holdings of East Kent registers and BTs because the author was working from rather inaccurate lists compiled by the filmers. As usual when the Librarian came to catalogue the films she found noted more detail about the coverage. She hasn’t yet fully catalogued all the new Kent films (there were over 550) and hence they have not appeared in the Library Accessions listings in the Genealogists’ Magazine but there are short entries on the library catalogue and of course in this guide. Since its publication the library’s opening hours have changed but that is a minor criticism of a work which otherwise was a credit to the author. It includes far more up-to-date and comprehensive information than the corresponding volume of the National Index of Parish Registers, and would benefit both beginners and more seasoned researches alike.
Tim Lawrence