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
Manchester Records?
Would like to see Westminster church records