Virginia Church Records: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Bruton Parish Church.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bruton Parish Church.jpg]]The Church of England (now Protestant Episcopal) was the established church in Virginia from 1624 to 1786. Between the time of the American Revolution and the year 1900, the largest religious groups in [[Virginia]] were the Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches.<ref>Sydney E. Ahlstrom, ''A Religious History of the American People'' (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1972). {{FHL|282712|item|disp=FHL Book 973 K2ah}}.</ref>  

[[Image:Virginia churches.png|thumb|right|400px|Virginia churches.png]] Before the American Revolution, the state church of Virginia was the Church of England (also called Anglican, and later Protestant Episcopal). Besides keeping parish registers, the church kept many records of a civil nature in their vestry books. In many instances, parish registers containing baptism, marriage, and death records have not survived when vestry books have. Colonial vestries largely ceased functioning in 1786, when local overseers of the poor took charge of some of the vestries' main responsibilities.<ref>John Frederick Dorman, "Review of ''Albemarle Parish Vestry Book,"'' in ''The Virginia Genealogist,'' Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 2005):320. Digital version at [http://www.americanancestors.org/ American Ancestors] ($); {{FHL|33159|item|disp=FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 49 (2005)}}.</ref><br>