Free Massachusetts Online Church Records

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-date 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 short list 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 links listed 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 to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s 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. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Massachusetts Church Records

• Abington, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1714-1877)
• Adams, Society of Friends. East Hoosuck Monthly Meeting Book of Records for East Hoosuck Monthly Meeting to Record Births and Burials
• Adams, Quaker Church, 1783-1842
• Arlington, Pleasant Street Congregational Church, Pastoral Records, Marriages and Baptisms
• 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, First Church, 1667-1772
• Beverly, Records of the First Church in Massachusetts, 1667-1772
• Beverly, Records of the First Church, 1667-1772
• Beverly, First Church Records, 1667-1772
• Beverly, First Parish Church Register of Baptisms 1667-1710
• Boston, Bowdoin Street Church, List of Members. 1833, 37, 56
• 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)
• Braintree, Records of the First Congregational Church, 1711 to 1762 and 1811 to 1859
• 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
• Charlestown, First Church, Records, 1632-1789.
• Charlestown, High Street Baptist Church
• Charlestown, Massachusetts First Church, Births and Christenings, 1789-1832
• Cheshire, First Baptist Church, Records 
• Cheshire, Lanesborough Baptist Church Records
• Danvers, First Church, Baptisms, 1689- 1800
• Danvers, First Church, Church Records (1689-1845)
• Dartmouth, First Congregational Church, Vital Statistics from Records
• Dedham, First Church, Church Records, ca. 1588-1736
• Dorchester, First Church, Church Records (1727-1784)
• Dorchester, First Church Records, 1636-1734
• Easthampton, First Parish Church, Records, 1785-1892
• Egremont, Berkshire, Births or Christenings, 1770-1875
• Enfield Congregational Church Records (vol. 4), 1861–1885
• Enfield, Enfield Congregational Church, Church Records, 1804-1938
• Essex, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1681-1879)
• Falmouth, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1731-1790)
• Feeding Hills Church Records
• Feeding Hills Church Records, [1762-1852]
• 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, 1706-1830
• Groton, Early Church Records, 1761-1830
• Groton, First Parish, Early Church Records, 1761-1830
• Hadley, First Church in Hadley Records, 1832-1900
• Hanover, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1728-1800)
• Harwich, Barnstable, Births or Christenings, 1674-1788
• 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
• Lenox, Berkshire, Births or Christenings, 1795-1845
• Lenox, Episcopalian Church Records, 1771-1858
• Leverett, Pastor’s Record Book
• Lexington, Church Records, Church of Our Redeemer, 1884-1916
• Littleton, Births and Deaths, 1715-
• Lowell, Central Methodist Episcopal Church, Marriage Records, May 11, 1886-Dec. 26, 1891, Aug. 30, 1861-Dec. 26, 1871
• Lowell, Worthen Street Methodist Church, Marriage Records, 1875-1883, 1887-1894
• Lynnfield, First Church, Book of Records
• Manchester, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1717-1881)
• Manomet, Manomet Second Congregational Church, Births or Christenings, 1841-1881
• Marblehead, Old North Church, Church Records (1684-1886)
• Marblehead, Second Church, Church Records (1714-1850)
• Marblehead, St. Michael’s Church, Vital Statistics, 1715-1823
• Marblehead, Third Church, Church Records (1858-1877)
• Marlborough, First Church, Church Records (1704-1839)
• Marlborough, Second Parish, Church Record
• Marlborough, Union Congregational Church, 1883
• Massachusetts, Church Records, 1630-1943
• Massachusetts, State Archives Collection, Colonial Period, 1622-1788
• 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)
• Middleborough, Town, Vital, and Church Records ca. 1757-1889
• Milton, Church Records, 1678-1754
• Milton, First Congregational Church, Church Records, 1681-1754
• Monson, Hampden, Births or Christenings, 1755-1837
• Monterey, Berkshire, Births or Christenings, 1741-1809
• 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 Adams, First Baptist Church, Record of Members Who joined before 1860
• North Brookfield, First Congregational Church, Church Records, 1752-1965
• 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)
• Pepperell, Middlesex, Births or Christenings, 1747-1861
• Phillipston, Church Records, 1785-1876
• Pittsfield, Death Records of Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1860 through 1995
• Pittsfield, Marriage Records of Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1860 through 1923
• 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, First Church of Christ, Church Records, 1648 to 1846
• 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 Church, Record of Deaths
• Rowley, First Congregational Church, Church Records (1664-1835)
• 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, Records of the First Church in 1629 to 1736
• Salem, South Church, Church Records (1774-1805)
• Salem, Tabernacle Church, Church Records (1743-1850)
• Salisbury, First Church, Church Records (1746)
• Salisbury, First Church, Records of First Church, 1687-1754
• 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, Congregational Church, Records [1735-1858]
• 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)
• South Walpole, Methodist Church, Marriage Records and Membership List
• Southampton, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1842- 1924
• Southampton, Congregational Church Records
• Southborough, Church of Christ, Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1780-1863
• Springfield, First Church, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1736-1809
• 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
• Upton, Church of Christ, Church Records, 1752-1858, 1752-1858
• Wareham, First Congregational Church Records 1739-1850
• Washington, Cemetery Inscriptions and Congregational Church Records, 1774-1900
• 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
• Windsor, Congregational Church, Records, 1773-1865]
• Worcester County, Church Records of the Congregational Society of Leominster
• Worcester, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1899-1918
• Worcester, First Congregational Church, Records 1747-1892
• Wrentham, Second Church, Church Records (1767)