Another under utilized genealogy resource is Church Records. We tend to focus our research on civil records, but need to be aware that often church records pre-dated civil records and are a great resource as well. In the BMD Records section of this website there are about 15,000 collections of civil records that are available online. Yes, that's a lot, but we need to also search church records as well.
What can we find in church or synagogue records? Here's just a shortlist of what nuggets we can find:
- Baptisms and Christenings
- Marriages
- Deaths
- Burials
- Confirmations
- Membership lists
- Church Minutes
- Church Directories
- Transfer Letters
- Bar or Bat Mitzvahs
- Sunday School lists
- Church newsletters
In addition, many folks also documented important events in family bibles, so they need to be searched as well if the event information has been digitized.
Here are a couple of articles that you might find useful:
- U.S. Church Records Research Guide
- United States Church Records
- A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Catholic Records in Genealogy Research
There is a large number of Free Online Church Record collections; the links accessible by state below:.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated February, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Ashford, Congregational Church Records
- Barkhamsted, Congregational Church Records
- Bethel, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1759-1917
- Canterbury, Records of the Congregational church 1711-1844
- Canterbury, Congregational Church Records, 1711- 1844
- Columbia, Congregational Church, Catalogue of the members
- Connecticut Church Records by County
- Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906
- Connecticut, Church Records, 1660-1955
- Connecticut, Miscellaneous Church Records, by County
- Coventry, Births, marriages, baptisms, and deaths from the Records of the town and churches 1711-1844
- Darien, Abstract of Church Records from the earliest Records extant to 1850
- Early Connecticut Marriages as found on Ancient Church Records prior to 1800
- Early Connecticut Marriages from Ancient Church Records prior to 1800
- Early Connecticut marriages, Ancient Church Records prior to 1800
- East & West Hartland, Church Records
- Franklin, Congregational Church, Records 1718-1860 : and a record of deaths in Norwich Eighth Society, 1763, 1778, 1782, 1784-1802
- Gilead, Church Records
- Greenwich, Abstract of Church Records
- Haddam First Congregational Church Church Records
- Hartford, Christ Church, Index to the manuscript records1786-1865
- Killingly, First Christian Church Record of marriages, funerals, and baptizings
- Litchfield, South Farms Church Records
- Mansfield, Births, baptisms, marriages and deaths from the Records of the town and churches 1703-1850
- Milford, St. Peters Episcopal Church, Records , 1832-1868
- New Haven, First Church, Catalogue of the members March 1, 1758, to May 1, 1847
- Newtown, Stratford, Congregational Church Baptisms and Marriages, 1814-1849
- Norfolk, Church of Christ Baptisms, marriages, burials and list of members taken from the church Records 1761-1813
- North Granby, Church Records
- Ridgebury, Church Records of Connecticut,1769-1812
- Ridgefield, Church Records
- Simsbury, Rev. Dudley Woodbridge Records, 1697-1710
- Stamford, Congregational Church, Records
- Suffield, Records of the Congregational Church 1710-1836
- Topsfield , Baptismal records 1727-1779
- Turkey Hills, Congregational Church, Records 1776-1858
- Windham, Records of the Congregational Church 1700-1851
- Windsor, First Congregational Church Membership 1639-1879
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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