Reconstitutions of families from historical parish register baptism, marriage and burial entries of individuals in 26 English parishes (Alcester, Aldenham, Ash, Austrey, Banbury, Birstall, Bottesford, Bridford, Colyton, Dawlish, Earsdon, Gainsborough, Gedling, Great Oakley, Hartland, Ipplepen, Lowestoft, March, Methley, Morchard Bishop, Odiham, Reigate, Shepshed, Southill, Terling and Willingham). These data formed the empirical basis for the population history of England presented in: EA Wrigley, RS Davies, JE Oeppen and RS Schofield: 'English Population History from Family Reconstitution: 1580-1837' (Cambridge University Press, 1997).Using families reconstructed from baptism, burial and marriage records from Anglican parish registers as a national population sample to explore the demographic history of England. This included detailed studies of fertility, mortality and nuptiality, and refinements to previous estimates of population size and structure.

Sample of 26 parishes selected for completeness and length of good quality event recording from a non-random sample of locations studied by English local historians and volunteer enthusiasts. Baptism, burial and marriage records transcribed and compiled into families using Tony Wrigley's adaptation of Louis Henry's method for family reconstitution. Studied population consists of families and individuals who resided long enough in an English parish to record events in its Anglican parish register (no coverage of out-migrants).