> 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. There is no such thing as a 'birth certificate' before July 1837. What you are looking for is his baptismal entry, which may or may not be in the town of Chichester, which had more than one parish. As he was a verger, the chances are that at the time of his appointment, he was a 'settled' man of the place. Either the Cathedral or the Diocesan Archives may have a reference to his appointment, which should give his parish of that date. You could then study records of Settlement certificates (should be in W Sussex Archives, as indeed should the parish registers. It is rare to find registers still in the atual parish, which is probably why the Cathedral authorities have not replied.). However, Chichester registers have been published on CD by a firm whose name i have not noted here. Try Googling for Chichester and see if 'transcripts' comes up. I may later be able to locate the name, and if so will come back on this. I presume you have used 'familysearch' to see if they have any records? EVE Author of The McLaughlin Guides for Family Historians Secretary, Bucks Genealogical Society