FamilySearch Wiki

WikiProject:PA County Church Records Pages



Project Leader

Danielle

Purpose

Church records are an important substitute record in Pennsylvania because the lack of vital records being kept before 1880. Thus, there are many resources and the Church Records section on the county pages are too large. We are going to create subpages and reformat the section.

Part 1: Create pages - Ready
Part 2: Add Databases from FS Catalog - Not Ready
Part 3: Add New Marriages Database to Applicable Counties - Ready
Part 4: Add New Births Database to Applicable Counties - Ready
Part 5: Add New Deaths Database to Applicable Counties - Ready
Part 6: Add New Congregational Database to Applicable Counties - Ready

Task List

Part 1- Create Pages

Step One - Choose a County Page to Create

  • To select a county from the Part 1 Task List, copy and paste the URL in the task list onto a new tab and press enter. To create the page, click on "create this page" at the end of the sentence.


Step Two - Add Template to New Page

  • Copy the following wikitext and add it to the new Wiki page.


{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
| link2= [[Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy|Pennsylvania]]
| link3=[[COUNTYNAME County, Pennsylvania Genealogy|COUNTYNAME County]]
| link4=
| link5=[[COUNTYNAME County, Pennsylvania Church Records|COUNTYNAME County, Pennsylvania Church Records]]
}}
==Online Resources==
{{PA Church Intro|COUNTYNAME}}
===List of Churches and Church Parishes in COUNTYNAME County===
*'''[REPLACEWITHPLACESURL FamilySearch Places]''' <br>

===Databases with Several Denominations===

===Databases by Denomination===
====Catholic Church====

====Congregational Church====

====Episcopal/Anglican Church====

====Lutheran Church====

====Methodist Church====

====Presbyterian Church====

====Quaker (Society of Friends)====

====Reformed Church====

(PUT IMAGE OF DENOMINATIONS FOR COUNTY HERE)
==History of Churches in COUNTYNAME County==
==Historical Sketches on COUNTYNAME County Churches==
==Archives, Libraries, and Societies with Church Records==

[[Category:COUNTYNAME County, Pennsylvania]][[Category:Pennsylvania, United States]]



Step Three - Add County Name to the Page

  • Click on Ctrl + F and type in COUNTYNAME to locate the various places on the page that should be replaced with the county name you are working on.


Step Four - Move the Information From County Page

  • Go back to the county wiki page and start transferring over information into the template on your new page.


  • Make sure to:
  • Change REPLACEWITHPLACESURL with the correct URL.
  • Replace (PUT IMAGE OF DENOMINATIONS FOR COUNTY HERE) with the link for the pie chart. Make the pie chart a little larger if necessary.


Step Five - Add Additional Headers

  • Add any necessary denomination headers to cover all the information from the county page. Leave on headers even if they are blank.


  • Add or change headers to fit the needs of the information you have on the county page. For example, if there is no historical sketches for this county, take the header off the page.

Step Six - Review and Reformat all the databases

  • Review all of the databases found under each heading to make sure they are in the correct header and are in chronological order.



  • Use the following example to update all the links for IGI Batches:


Old wikitext code:

*'''1842-1880'''  Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, York Springs, Baptism Index 1842-1880 in [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/igi International Genealogical Index] at FamilySearch. Batch {{IGI|M505471}}


New wikitext code:

*'''1842-1880'''  {{IGI|M505471|disp=Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, York Springs, Baptism Index, 1842-1880, Batch M505471}} in International Genealogical Index] at FamilySearch - index


Step Seven - Example




Step Eight - Preview and Save the Page

  • Once you have moved over all the information, preview the page to make sure all the links work and it looks correct.


  • Copy and paste the following in the Summery line:
Create new county church records page


Step Nine - Remove Church Info from County Page and Link to Wiki Page

  • Go back to the county page you are working on and remove all of the information under Church Records that was there before except for the PA Church Intro template.


  • Add the following link directly under the Intro template.


*Visit [[COUNTYNAME County, Pennsylvania Church Records]] for information about church denominations and records in COUNTYNAME County.
  • Replace COUNTYNAME in the link with the name of the county.


  • Preview the section and make sure the link works and then add the following in the Summary field and save the page.


/* Church Records */ Moved info to County Church Records page




Part 2 - Add Databases from FS Catalog - Not Ready Yet

Step One - Go to the Church Records Task List

  • Go to the Church Records Part 2 Task List and locate the county you are working on. They are in alphabetical order.


Step Two - Go to the Church Records Task List

  • This spreadsheet lists all the FamilySearch Catalog collections available for all the counties in Pennsylvania. Copy each database in Column ? and:
  • Paste it under the correct denomination header.
  • If the denomination header is not on the page, add it.
  • Put the databases in chronological order and if there is no date, at the end of the respective lists.
  • Headers for the denominations should be in alphabetical order.
  • If you see a collection that may not be appropriate on the wiki, leave it off and add a note in Column ?

Part 3 - Add PA Marriage Database to Applicable Counties

Step One - Open County Church Records Page


  • Find the header in the Contents: General Databases Covering Several Denominations and click on Edit Source.


Step Two - Review and Add Databases

  • Review the entries to see if the database is already in the heading.


  • Add the collection and replace the old version on the page with the new version of the link.


*'''1512-1989''' {{RecordSearch|4138689|Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1512-1989}} at FamilySearch — [[Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Marriage Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index and images; includes various counties; ''Also at: [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/historical-society-of-pennsylvania-marriages Findmypast] ($)''


  • Make sure all the databases listed under this header are in chronological order.


Step Three - Review and Save the Page

  • Click on Preview and if the links work, copy the following and add it to the Summary field:


/* General Databases Covering Several Denominations */ PA Church Databases Project


  • Click on Save Changes.

Part 4 - Add PA Births Database to Applicable Counties

Step One - Open County Church Records Page


  • Find the header in the Contents: General Databases Covering Several Denominations and click on Edit Source.


Step Two - Review and Add Databases

  • Review the entries to see if the database is already in the heading.


  • Add the collection and replace the old version on the page with the new version of the link.


*'''1520-1999''' {{RecordSearch|4138679|Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms, 1520-1999}} at FamilySearch — [[Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index and images; includes various counties; ''Also at: [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/historical-society-of-pennsylvania-births-and-baptisms Findmypast] ($)''


  • Make sure all the databases listed under this header are in chronological order.


Step Three - Review and Save the Page

  • Click on Preview and if the links work, copy the following and add it to the Summary field:


/* General Databases Covering Several Denominations */ PA Church Databases Project


  • Click on Save Changes.

Part 5 - Add PA Deaths Database to Applicable Counties

Step One - Open County Church Records Page


  • Find the header in the Contents: General Databases Covering Several Denominations and click on Edit Source.


Step Two - Review and Add Databases

  • Review the entries to see if the database is already in the heading.


  • Add the collection and replace the old version on the page with the new version of the link.


*'''1856-1971''' {{RecordSearch|4138690|Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Deaths and Burials, 1856-1971}} at FamilySearch — [[Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index and images; includes various counties; ''Also at: [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/historical-society-of-pennsylvania-deaths-and-burials Findmypast] ($)''


  • Make sure all the databases listed under this header are in chronological order.


Step Three - Review and Save the Page

  • Click on Preview and if the links work, copy the following and add it to the Summary field:


/* General Databases Covering Several Denominations */ PA Church Databases Project


  • Click on Save Changes.

Part 6 - Add Congregational Church Database to Applicable Counties

Step One - Open County Church Records Page


  • Use the Contents on the page to locate the Congregational Church Header and click on Edit Source.


Step Two - Find the Congregational Church Header

  • Copy the following database and add it under the header:


*'''1620-1991''' {{RecordSearch|4138685|Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Congregational Records, 1620-1991}} at FamilySearch — [[Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Congregational Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index and images; includes various counties; ''Also at: [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/historical-society-of-pennsylvania-congregational-records Findmypast] ($)''


Note: This collection may erroneously be under Databases Covering Several Denominations (even though it covers Congregational Churches). Please remove it if it is there.

Step Three - Review and Save the Page

  • Click on Preview and if the links work, copy the following and add it to the Summary field:


/* Congregational Church */ PA Church Databases Project


  • Click on Save Changes.


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