Hi all, for a long time now I have been trying to find my 4th great grandfathers birth certificate or any info on his parents. His Name is Philip Wright and he was a Verger at the Sub Deanery of St.Peter The Great, Chichester Cathedral, West Sussex, UK. The only information I have is as follows:12/03/1777 marriage between Philip Wright from Burwash married Ann Hasler at Rumboldswhyke Parish Church, the witnesses were John Habin and Sarah Francies. I cannot find his Birth Certificate so I assume he was born in Burwash. East Sussex until I know further. Philip was the Verger of the Sub Deanery of St. Peter the Great, Chichester Cathedral, Sussex, England. He died sometime in 1808 and he is buried in what is called "Paradise" in the Cathedral Cloisters. He lived in the Cathedral Close with his family, his wife Ann and their three children Ann, Philip and George. He was born around 1750. I have emailed the Cathedral sometime in the middle of last year but have not heard from them since. I would like to know where he was born and his father and mother. If anybody can help or suggest where I go from here please do. Much appreciated Mike. There was no such thing as a birth certificate before 1837 when civil registration began in England and Wales on 1 July of that year. Surely you knew that? The most you are likely to find is a baptism in a parish register and given that he married in 1777 it does seem likely he was born some time in the 1750s. However, you cannot assume he was born at Burwash just because he was living there when he married. He may have been born in a different parish or even a different part of the country altogether. His burial appears in the NBI on 20 June 1808 but it doesn't give his age. All you can do is keep searching parish registers, starting with Burwash and moving outwards in an ever-increasing circle. I can't see a likely entry in FamilySearch. Nor should you expect a reply from the Cathedral, I'm afraid. They probably get umpteen requests and are more concerned with the living thann the dead! -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ Reach For The Stars blog: roystockdillgenealogy.com "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE