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 January, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Albion, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1750-1875
- Alfred, York, Congregational Church Births or Christenings, 1806-1870
- Alna, Lincoln, Births or Christenings, 1850-1875
- Amherst, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1782-1875
- Appleton, Knox, Births or Christenings, 1729-1875
- Avon, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1743-1850
- Bar Harbor, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1735-1875
- Belfast, First Congregational Church, Index to Records
- Belgrade, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1725-1875
- Biddeford, First Church of Christ Membership, Baptisms, Marriages
- Biddeford, Second Congregational Church Manual
- Blue Hill, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1762-1875
- Boothbay, Lincoln, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1763-1875
- Bridgton, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1785-1875
- Brooklin, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1781-1875
- Brooksville, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1771-1875
- Brunswick, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1725-1875
- Bucksport, Hancock, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1768-1875
- Buxton, Church of Christ Records
- Cape Elizabeth Twp., Cumberland, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1734-1875
- Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth Town and vital Records, 1760-1900
- Caribou, Aroostook, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1849-1869
- Carthage, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1812-1865
- Castine, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1727-1875
- Charlotte, Baptist Church Early Church Records
- Chelsea, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1770-1875
- Chesterville, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1751-1875
- China, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1775-1864
- Cumberland, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1715-1875
- Cushing, Knox, Births or Christenings, 1751-1875
- Deer Isle, Maine, Christ, Births, 1778-1871
- Deer Isle, Town, Vital, and Church Records 1784-1867
- Ellsworth, Records of the Unitarian Universalist Church
- Falmouth (Portland), First Church, Baptisms
- Falmouth, Cumberland, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1784-1875
- Farmington, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1741-1875
- Fayette, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1749-1875
- First Regular Baptist Church of Fayette Church Records
- Freeport, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1759-1875
- Friendship, Knox, Births or Christenings, 1769-1847
- Gouldsboro, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1766-1875
- Harpswell, Cumberland, Births and Christenings, 1735-1862
- Harrison, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1806-1871
- Hodgdon, Aroostook, Births or Christenings, 1794-1864
- Hope, Knox, Births or Christenings, 1776-1875
- Houlton, Aroostook, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1831-1873
- Industry, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1732-1875
- Jay, Franklin, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1779-1875
- Kenduskeag, Baptist Church Records 1854-1906
- Kenduskeag, Congregational Church Records 1834-1875
- Kingfield, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1811-1824
- Lamoine, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1849-1875
- Lewiston, Freewill Baptist Church Church Records, 1817-1830
- Lewiston, Second Freewill Baptist Church Church Records, 1826-1924
- Linneus, Aroostook, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1784-1875
- Litchfield, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1740-1875
- Madrid, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1789-1875
- Maine Genealogy Archives, Church Records
- Maine, Church Records, 1734-1907
- Maine, Kennebec County probate estate files, 1779-1915
- Manchester, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1761-1875
- Marquis Fayette King, Marquis F. Baptisms and admission from the Records
- Mars Hill, Aroostook, Births or Christenings, 1786-1875
- Minot, Congregational Society of Minot Center Book no. 1, 1867-1917
- Minot, Congregational Society of Minot Center Record of accounts, 1909-1923
- Minot, First Congregational Church of Christ Baptisms from books 1 and 2 of the Records, 1788-1957
- Minot, First Congregational Church of Christ Church Records, no. 1-2, 1784-1977
- Minot, First Congregational Church of Christ Sabbath school Records, 1878-1909
- Minot, Second or West Congregational Church Church Records, book no. 1, 1806-1821
- Monmouth, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1764-1875
- Monmouth, Church of Christ Church Records, 1817-1847
- Monmouth, Second Church of Christ Church Records, 1817-1840
- Mount Desert, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1747-1875
- Mount Vernon, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1743-1875
- Naples, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1807-1875
- New Gloucester, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1732-1875
- New Sharon, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1757-1875
- New Sweden Lutheran Church, Church Register, 1871-1928
- North Haven, Knox, Births or Christenings, 1786-1875
- North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1701-1875
- Orland, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1762-1875
- Pepperrellborough, First Church, Records
- Poland, Births or Christenings, 1752-1875
- Pownal, First Freewill Baptist Church Church Records, 1847-1865
- Rockland, Christenings, 1783-1875
- Saco, Most Holy Trinity, Marriages, 1916-1993
- Sanford and Springvale, First Baptist Church, Church Records 1772-1877
- Sanford, Congregational Church Records April 4, 1823-Sept. 4, 1842
- Scarboro, Second Congressional Church Marriage Records, 1729-1800
- Tremont, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1815-1875
- Trenton, Hancock, Births or Christenings, 1738-1875
- Turner, Androscoggin, Births or Christenings, 1776-1875
- Van Buren, St. Bruno's Parish, Index of Birth Records 1838-1893
- Vassalboro, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1763-1875
- Vienna, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1752-1875
- Wales, Androscoggin, Births or Christenings, 1759-1875
- Waterville, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1807-1875
- Wayne, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1763-1875
- Wayne, Baptist Church Records 1794 to 1845
- Webster, Androscoggin, Births or Christenings, 1840-1875
- Weld, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1752-1875
- Wells, First Church of Christ Records, 1701-1811
- Wells, First Congregational Church Records 1701-1811
- West Gardiner, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1848-1875
- Westbrook, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1800-1875
- Wilton, Franklin, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1760-1875
- Windham, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1789-1875
- Windsor, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1791-1859
- Winslow, Kennebec, Births or Christenings, 1759-1875
- Winthrop Congregational Church - Records
- Winthrop, Kennebec, Maine Christ; Births or Christenings, 1720-1875
- Yarmouth, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1830-1875
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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