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):
- Addison, Addison Baptist Church, Members 1797 – 1879
- Barnard, Broad Brook Union Society Church Records, 1833-1968
- Bennington, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Marriage Records: 1834 – 1871
- Bethel, Christ Church Records of the Church and Society, 1821-1947
- Bradford, Baptist Society Church Records, 1863-1913
- Brandon, Rutland County, Marriages, By Rev. Cornelius Thomas, 1835 – 1850
- Brookline Township, Baptist Church Church Records, 1891-1970
- Brownington, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1809-1869
- Burlington, Unitarian Church, Marriage Records: 1822 – 1831
- Cavendish, Baptist Church Church Records, 1866-1966
- Cavendish, First Universalist Church Church Records, 1848-1965
- Charlotte and East Charlotte Baptist Churches and Societies’ Records, 1807-1958
- East Barnard, Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1867-1899
- Franklin, Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1872-1905
- Franklin, South Franklin Methodist Church Church Records 1860-1880
- Georgia, Town and Vital Records, 1792-1866
- Greensboro, Congregational Church of Christ Church Records, 1804-1910
- Ira, History of the Baptist Church and containing a complete list of more than 1000 members 1783-June 1925
- Ira, Baptist Church Church Records, 1862-1927
- Jericho, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1793-1943
- Jericho, Second Congregational Church Church Records, 1843-1960
- Marlboro and Newfane, Rev. Ephraim H. Newton’s Records of Marriages, 1814-1862
- Newbury, First Congregational Church, Index to the Records., 1786-1835
- Newbury, First Congregational Church, Marriage Records 1790 – 1810
- Northfield, Congregational Church of Christ Church Records, 1822-1879
- Orange County, Marriages Performed by Rev. Hezekiah Dickey, 1847-1895
- Orange, Windsor, Caledonia, Orleans, and Washington Counties, Marriages and Baptisms Performed by Richard Bedford, 1836-1849
- Orange, Second Freewill Baptist Church Records 1837-1861
- Pittsford Marriages recorded and/or performed by Caleb Hendee, 1798-1803
- Pittsford, Congregational Church Baptisms
- Rockingham, First Church Records October 27, 1773, to September 25, 1839
- Rockingham, First Church Records, 1773-1839
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church History
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Minutes (1788 – 1852)
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Private Papers (Marriages and Funerals) (1913 – 1922)
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Records (1797 – 1870)
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Records (1809 – 1891)
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Records (1870 – 1923)
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Records, Baptisms, 1870 – 1891
- Rutland, East Parish Congregational Church Records, Deaths, 1843 – 1863
- Shaftsbury, South Shaftsbury Universalist Society Society Book, 1840-1876
- Sheffield, Freewill Baptist Church Records of the Church and Society, 1800-1890
- Shrewsbury, Baptist and Congregationalist Union Society Church Records, 1842-1884
- Shrewsbury, Christian Church of North Shrewsbury Church Records, 1822-1905, 1923
- Shrewsbury, First Universalist Society Church Records, 1807-1951
- Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Center Free Religious Society Church Records, 1851-1883
- St. Johnsbury, First Congregational Church Church Records, 1809-1918
- St. Johnsbury, Universalist Society Church Records, 1825-1854
- Strafford, Marriages by Rev. Aaron Buzzell
- Sudbury, Sudbury Congregational Church Church Records, 1791-1938
- Tinmouth, Congregational Church of Christ Church Records, 1780-1868
- Tinmouth, Methodist Church Church Records, 1856-1952
- Tunbridge, Congregational Church Church Records, 1792-1864
- Vermont, Franklin County Sunday School Union Church Records, 1863-1911
- Vermont, Union House Society of North Shrewsbury Society Records, 1840-1903
- Vershire Circuit, Methodist Episcopal Church Records, Abstract and Index, 1802-1861
- Waitsfield, Congregational Church Records of the Church 1796-1876
- Wardsboro, Congregational Church Church Records, v. 1-2, 1793-1859
- Washington County, Church Marriage Records
- West Berkshire, Methodist Episcopal Church Church Records, 1851-1890
- West Parish First Congregational Church Records (1773 – 1881)
- Wilmington and Readsboro, Marriages and Funerals Performed by Rev. N.D. Sherman, 1857-1898
- Windham County, Membership Roll of The Old Rockingham Meeting House and the First Church in Rockingham, 1773-1840
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Vermont 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
2 replies on “Free Vermont Online Church Records”
Manchester Records?
Would like to see Westminster church records