Illogan Research: How To
The following information may assist you in using the IGI and Illogan's parish registers to research your family

The International Genealogical Index [ IGI ]

First, it is important to note that Illogan's registers were NOT filmed by the Latter Day Saints (LDS).
The Parish Church Council declined the LDS offer to film the registers, electing instead to undertake local filming of the registers to be housed at the Cornwall Record Office (CRO).
The films, as well as most of the original register books themselves, are housed at the Cornwall Record Office (CRO) in Truro.

At present, the films of the registers are available ONLY at the Cornwall Record Office.

This is important because it means the IGI (International Genealogical Index) compiled by the LDS is NOT complete for Illogan.
Hence, your Illogan ancestors may very well have records in the parish registers, yet not be included in the IGI.

The LDS did film the "Bishop's Transcripts" for Illogan Parish, as well as an early transcript (transcriber unknown), so there are a good many inclusions in the IGI. But do note, these are far from complete.

So how are you to know if your ancestorsí records ARE in Illoganís parish registers?

You have several options:

Go to Truro. ;-)

For ancestors up to 1845, you may order the LDS film #1849636 which includes the excellent transcriptions of Illogan parish baptism, marriage and burial registers - as well as Illogan entries in many non-conformist (i.e. Methodist) chapels of the area. These transcriptions were performed by the late Mr. Dick Bawden of Redruth and were painstakingly cross-referenced by consulting with the Bishopís Transcripts in order to form the most complete record possible of Illogan's parish records. AND, these transcriptions are fully indexed, with the index included on this film!

The CRO staff will undertake (for a fee) a *limited* search of the records for you to ascertain if your ancestor is noted in the records.

You may hire a professional genealogist to search the films of Illogan's registers at the CRO. The Cornwall Family History Society maintains a list of such professionals whom you may contact.

The Parish Registers: [also see the page on 'Extant Records']

You need to be aware which parish records are extant - or have survived - and what dates are missing.

Knowing what records are lost, or have become illegible, enables you to make an "educated guess" as to whether your ancestor might have moved into (or out of Illogan) from or to another parish, or whether the record might have existed but did not survive.

It is always wise to check neighbouring parishes for records of baptisms, marriages and burials. Indeed, many Illogan b-m-dís are found in neighbouring parishes, particularly in Camborne and Redruth.

However, caution must be exercised because it is also possible your ancestorís baptism, marriage or burial actually took place right there in Illogan during a period in which there is a "gap" in the extant records!
You cannot immediately "assume," just because you find (as an example) a Henry Jenkin married in Camborne, but no Henry Jenkin married in Illogan, that the Henry in Camborne is "your" Henry. There are Jenkin families in both parishes...and possibly this is "your" Henry...but it's also possible "your" Henry was married in Illogan during a "gap" in the extant Illogan registers! There may well have been two Henry Jenkins married about the same time...one in Camborne and another in Illogan. You would need additional substantiating information to know "with certainty" that the Henry in Camborne is your Henry of Illogan.  However, Parish registers do often contain notations of the "home parish" - so you may well find your Henry Jenkinís record in Camborne is notated as "Henry of Illogan."
Extracts to the IGI *rarely* include this information - so checking the original registers is ALWAYS recommended. Absent that opportunity, a check of Dick Bawden's transcripts should provide this additional information, as Mr. Bawden included such notations in his transcripts.

Illogan's parish registers begin in 1539.
The following "missing years" in the parish registers were noted by Mr. Bawden during the course of undertaking his transcriptions:

Baptisms: September to January 1541, 1542; March to November 1543; March to July 1544; 1548 to 1566;  there are only two entries for 1557 and 1558; 1590 to 1612; 1618, 1629 to 1624; 1626; 1627; 1629 to 1634; 1637 to 1662; 1668; 1669; 1671; 1674 to 1662.
He further notes there are two baptism entries for 1611 in with the burials and one entry for 1623 in with the marriages.

Marriages: 1539 to 1597; 1623,; 1646; 1647; 1649 to 1653.
Burials: 1539; 1544 to 1557; 1560; 1604 mainly lost;l 1606 & 1624 only exist in the 1801 transcript; 1647 to 1652; 1698.

In addition, not all entries in all regisers remain legible. Often the ink has faded, the parchment has flaked or other problems (such as handwriting) preclude accurate transcription.

BURIALS and monuments (i.e. gravestones)

A few words about burial records....
Discovering a burial entry in parish records does not necessarily mean you can expect to find a monument or gravestone for your ancestor in the parish churchyard - particularly in the case of Illogan.
No gravesone may exist for a number of reasons - among them:
1) Possibly no stone was ever erected. Erecting a monument is relatively expensive, and often families simply could not afford this.
2) Even if a stone was erected, it may not survive. Illogan was a large and populous parish, with many burials. Graves have been placed on top of older ones - indeed raising considerably the height of ground of the churchyard. Some older stones survive, while others do not.

Records of the locations of burials in the churchyard exist, but ONLY beginning in the year 1894.
There is no record showing who was buried where in the churchyard prior to 1894.
Illoganís rector, Rev. Mike Kippax, has transcribed the burial plot records which may be viewed online.

Inscriptions of all extant monuments (gravestones) at Illogan Parish churchyard have been recorded by Suezan James. These have been alphabetized and may be viewed online.
Included is a listing of those soldiers honored with Illoganís 1914-1919 War Memorial and the 1939-1945 War Memorial.

Go to the Illogan Data Files Online page to access the files.

You might wish to visit  the Commonwealth War Graves Commission  website,  [use your browser's 'back' button to return here] where a searchable database often can provide additional details of deceased soldiers.

Other Factors:

Certain times of ìnatural disasterî are worth noting in conjunction with the burials, such as the plague in 1591, during which ten times the average died and were buried in the churchyard.
In addition, bear in mind Illogan was a great center of mining, and mortality rate among miners was high.

Final notes.....

Each personís approach to research of family history will be unique, reflecting his or her level of interest in a particular branch of the family.
As your research extends further back to earlier generations, I believe you are likely to see the value of reconstructing the various family units of your line, rather than strictly recording only those members of your direct line.
Reconstruction of related family units (for example, families of siblings of your direct ancestors) will enable you to ìconnectî your family more easily with those of other researchers who may have additional information  regarding your own "direct line."

Likewise, a study of the local history of the area(s) in which your ancestors resided can prove both interesting and beneficial in gaining a better picture of the lives of your family. Illoganís history is an ancient one, rich in heritage and well worth discovering. Unlike the more commercial and "touristy" areas such as Newquay and Lands End, Illogan is a ìrealî Cornish village. Should you be fortunate enough to travel to Cornwall, I would encourage you to put Illogan top on your list of spots to visit.