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 March, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Hawaii Births and Christenings, 1852-1933
- Hawaii, Births and Baptisms, 1843-1909
- Hawaiian Missionaries, 1822-1894
- Honolulu, Fort Street Church Register of Marriages, 1858-1868
- Honolulu, Fort Street Church Register of Marriages, 1870
- Honolulu, Fort Street Church Register of Marriages, 1871-1881
- Honolulu, Fort Street Church Register of Marriages, 1882-1884
- Honolulu, Bethel Union Church Church Records, 1837-1887
- Honolulu, Kawaiahao Church Undated list of baptisms; baptismal certificate, 1898
- Honolulu, Second Church Marriage Registers of Rev. Lowell Smith, pastor of the Second Church in Honolulu, 1837-1886, 1889, 1891
- Island of Hawaii, Marriage Register of Rev. Cowan, 1837-1879
- Island of Hawaii, Marriage Register of Rev. Titus Coan, 1837-1882
- North Kohola, island of Hawaii, Register of Marriages performed by Rev. Elias Bond, 1852-1887
- Waikane, Oahu, Waikane Church Church Register, 1863-1877
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Hawaii Links, click on the category of interest:
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