Another underutilized 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 for the state are 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 October 2021; 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!
For other Free Connecticut Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Griswold Twp, (Jewett City, Preston) New London, Connecticut, United States