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:
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 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, ; 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, Births or Christenings, 1768-1875
- Buxton, Church of Christ Records
- Cape Elizabeth Twp., Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1734-1875
- Cape Elizabeth, Cape Elizabeth Town and vital Records, 1760-1900
- Caribou, Aroostook, 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, 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, Births or Christenings, 1831-1873
- Industry, Franklin, Births or Christenings, 1732-1875
- Jay, Franklin, 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, 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, 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, Births or Christenings, 1720-1875
- Yarmouth, Cumberland, Births or Christenings, 1830-1875
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Maine 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
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