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):
- Abington, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1714-1877)
- Adams, Quaker Church, 1783-1842
- Adams,Society of Friends. East Hoosuck Monthly Meeting Book of Records for East Hoosuck Monthly Meeting to record births and burials
- Athol, Church Records 1831-1835
- Attleboro, Second Congregational Church Membership and Vital Records 1900-1989
- Barnstable, East Parish Church, Church Records (1717-1816)
- Barnstable, West Parish Church, Church Records (1639-1853)
- Berkley, Congregational Church, Church Records (1737-1814)
- Berkshire County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Beverly, Records of the First Church in Massachusetts, 1667-1772
- Beverly, First Church Records, 1667-1772
- Beverly, First Parish Church Register of baptisms 1667-1710
- Boston, Old South Church, Church Records (1669-1882)
- Boston, Grace Church Church Records, 1828-1865
- Boston, New Brick Church Church Records, 1722-1776
- Boston, South Congregational Church Church Records; marriages, baptisms, burials, 1828-1885
- Boxford, First Church, Church Records (1703-1823)
- Boylston, First Church, Church Records (1718-1859)
- Bradford, First Church of Christ, Church Records (1682-1915)
- Braintree, First Church, Church Records (1697-1825)
- Brattle Square, Boston, The Manifesto Church, Records, lists of communicants, baptisms, marriages, and funerals, 1699-1872
- Brewster, Congregational Church Records 1700-1792
- Brockton, First Parish Congregational Church, Church Records (1738-1852)
- Byfield Massachusetts Parish Records
- Byfield, Byfield Parish Church, Church Records (1709-1845)
- Cambridge, First Church, Church Records (1638-1783)
- Cambridge, Records of the Church of Christ, 1632-1830
- Cambridge, Second Church, Church Records (1739)
- Cambridge, Church of Christ at Cambridge Records , 1632-1830
- Cheshire, First Baptist Church, Records
- Cheshire, Lanesborough Baptist Church Records
- Danvers, First Church, Church Records (1689-1845)
- Dedham, First Church Church Records, ca. 1588-1736
- Dorchester, First Church, Church Records (1727-1784)
- Dorchester, First Church Records, 1636-1734
- Enfield Congregational Church Records (vol. 4) , 1861–1885
- Essex, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1681-1879)
- Falmouth, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1731-1790)
- Franklin, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1737-1887)
- Georgetown, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1736-1886)
- Grafton, Congregational Church, Church Records (1731-1828)
- Granville, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1757-1848)
- Greenfield, St. James' Church, Records of proceedings from the first formation of the society, 1812
- Groton, Early Church Records, 1761-1830
- Hadley, First Church in Hadley Records, 1832-1900
- Hanover, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1728-1800)
- Harwich, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1745-1899)
- Haverhill, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1719-1756)
- Haverhill, West Parish Congregational Church, Church Records (1734-1900)
- Hopkinton, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1708-1880)
- Hull, Congregational Church, Church Records (1725-1767)
- Ipswich, First Church, Church Records (1724-1830)
- Ipswich, South Church, Church Records (1747-1868)
- Lancaster, Birth, marriage, and death Register, Church Records, 1643-1850
- Lancaster, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1708-1846)
- Lancaster, Birth, marriage, and death register, Lancaster, 1643-1850
- Lanesborough, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Records, 1767 to 1900
- Lexington, Church Records, Church of Our Redeemer, 1884-1916
- Lynnfield, First Church, Book of Records
- Manchester, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1717-1881)
- Marblehead, Old North Church, Church Records (1684-1886)
- Marblehead, Second Church, Church Records (1714-1850)
- Marblehead, Third Church, Church Records (1858-1877)
- Marlborough, First Church, Church Records (1704-1839)
- Massachusetts, Church Records, 1630-1943
- Mattapoisett, Congregational Church, Church Records (1736-1886)
- Medfield, First Parish Unitarian Church, Church Records (1697-1880)
- Medway, First Church of Christ, Church Records (1730-1876)
- Merrimac, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Church Records (1725-1848)
- Methuen, First Congregational Church Baptisms and marriages
- Middleboro, First Church, Church Records (1707-1865)
- Milton, First Congregational Church, Church Records, 1681-1754
- Natick, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1721-1862)
- New Bedford, Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Records, 1897-1912
- Newbury, First Church, Church Records (1634-1828)
- Newbury, Second Church, Church Records (1696-1857)
- Newburyport, First Religious Society, Church Records (1725-1816)
- Newton, First Church, Church Records (1773-1827)
- North Middleboro, Backus Memorial Baptist Church Church Records, 1756-1894
- Northampton, First Church of Christ (1661-1846)
- Northampton, First Church Records of Deaths in Mass. (1653-1880)
- Northbridge, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1782-1836)
- Norwell, First Parish Church, Church Records (1642-1908)
- Oxford, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1721-1850)
- Pembroke, First Church, Church Records (1711-1887)
- Phillipston, Church Records, 1785-1876
- Pittsfield, Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Birth and Baptism Records 1860 - 1923
- Plymouth, Church Records 1620–1859
- Plymouth, First Church Church Records, 1620-1859
- Quincy, Bethany Church Records, 1832-1857
- Reading, Second Church of Christ, Church Records (1720-1806)
- Rehoboth, First Church of Christ, Church Records (1785)
- Rehoboth, Congregational Church Records,
- Rockport, First Congregational Church Records of the Fifth parish 1752-1771
- Rowley, First Church Early Records
- Rowley, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1664-1835)
- Rowley, First Church, Record of Deaths
- Rowley, first and second parishes, Record of baptisms, marriages, and deaths 1665 to 1838.
- Roxbury, First Baptist Church Church Records, 1821-1884
- Roxbury, Third Parish Church Church Records, 1771-1860
- Salem, East Church Record of the Parish list of deaths, 1785-1819
- Salem, East Church, Church Records (1717-1806)
- Salem, First Church, Church Records (1629-1843)
- Salem, North Church, Church Records (1772-1831)
- Salem, South Church, Church Records (1774-1805)
- Salem, Tabernacle Church, Church Records (1743-1850)
- Salisbury, First Church, Church Records (1746)
- Salisbury, First Church Records 1752-1805
- Sandwich, First Church, Church Records (1691-1853)
- Scituate, Second church records
- Scituate, Second Church Records (in abstract) 1645-1850.
- Scituate, St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, History and Records, 1725-1811
- Sheffield, Second North Housatonic Parish of Sheffield, Church Records (1743)
- Sheffield, Early Records, Congregational Church
- Shelburne, Congregational Church Record Book, 1773-1880
- Somerset, Congregational Christian Church, Church Records (1840-1912)
- Southampton, Congregational Church Records
- Springfield, Sixth Church of Christ, Record book, 1762-1819
- Sterling, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1744-1813
- Stoneham, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1728-1889)
- Sturbridge, Congregational Church, Church Records (1736-1831)
- Sturbridge, Separatist Church, Church Records (1749-1762)
- Topsfield, Baptismal Records 1727-1779
- Topsfield, Congregational Church, Church Records (1684-1869)
- Topsfield, Congregational Church Baptismal Records 1779-1841
- Topsfield, Congregational Church Early Records
- Wareham, First Congregational Church Records 1739-1850
- Watertown, West Church, Church Records (1709)
- Wendell, Congregational Church, Church Records (1783-1847)
- Wenham, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1643-1847)
- West Brookfield, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1754-1867)
- West Stockbridge, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1789-1889)
- Westborough, Church of Christ, Church Records (1724-1787)
- Westfield, First Church, Marriage Records 1781-1835
- Weston, First Parish Church, Church Records (1709-1864)
- Weymouth, Old South Church, Church Records (1723-1886)
- Williamsburg, Church of Christ Records 1804-1839
- Winchendon, Church records, 1801-1834
- Worcester County, Church Records of the Congregational Society of Leominster
- Worcester, First Congregational Church, Records 1747-1892
- Wrentham, Second Church, Church Records (1767)
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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