India Church Records: Difference between revisions

Church records are an excellent source for accurate information on names and dates and on places of births, marriages, and deaths. Many people who lived in India who had British or European ancestry, married into or were adopted by British families, or who converted to Christianity, have information recorded about them in church records. About 80% of church records in British India are believed to have survived. Since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until 1872, church records are the best source for family information before that date.  

*'''1676-1914''' [http://anom.archivesnationales.culture.gouv.fr/caomec2/recherche.php?territoire=INDE India (French Overseas) Civil Registration and Parish Registers, 1676-1914]at France National Archives -  index & images

*'''1698-1948''' {{FSC|159329|item|disp=Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Madras, 1698-1948}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images and incomplete index.

*'''1709-1948''' {{FSC|150474|item|disp=Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bombay, 1709-1948}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images and incomplete index.

*'''1712-1965''' {{RecordSearch|5000023|United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms, 1712-1965}} at FamilySearch — [[United Kingdom, British India Office, Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index & images

*'''1713-1948''' {{FSC|143280|item|disp=Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal, 1713-1948}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images and incomplete index.

*'''1724-1996''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2174937 India, Archdiocese of Goa, Roman Catholic Priesthood Candidates, 1724-1996] at [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch], index & images.

*'''1809-1997''' {{FSC|1335481|item|disp=Church records, 1809-1997 of St. Mark's Church in Bangalore}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1835-1856''' {{FSC|143359|item|disp=Roman Catholic returns of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1835-1856}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images

*'''1858-2014''' {{FSC|3006163|item|disp=India, Haryana, Gurgaon, New Colony, St. Michael's Church, parish registers, 1858-2014}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1887-1997''' {{FSC|216304|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1887-1997, Catholic Church, Saint John the Baptist (Benaulim, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1913-1995''' {{FSC|216518|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1913-1995, Igreja Católica, São Felipe e São Tiago (Cortalim, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1913-1996''' {{FSC|224176|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1913-1996, Catholic Church, Saint Inês (Panaji, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1956''' {{FSC|216087|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1956, Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Rosary (Siridão, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1957''' {{FSC|217091|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1957, Catholic Church, Our Lady of Snows (Rachol, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1982''' {{FSC|217059|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1982, Catholic Church, Saint John the Evangelist (Neurá, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1988''' {{FSC|217095|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1988, Catholic Church, Our Lady of Snows (Raia, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1988''' {{FSC|217083|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1988, Catholic Church, Saint John the Baptist (Pilerne, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1990''' {{FSC|217075|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1990, Catholic Church, Our Lady of Piety (Divar, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1914-1990''' {{FSC|204379|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1990, Catholic Church, Saint Thomas (Aldona, Goa)}} at [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch], images only.

*'''1914-1991''' {{FSC|210421|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1914-1991, Catholic Church, Saint John the Baptist (Carambolim, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1929-1999''' {{FSC|962842|item|disp=Parish registers, 1929-1999, Catholic Church, Our Lady of Purification Church (Manambathi Kandigai, Chinglepet)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1940-2013''' {{FSC|3006150|item|disp=India, Delhi, Delhi, Shahdara, St. Joseph's Church, parish registers, 1940-2013}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1940-1947''' {{FSC|651736|item|disp=Registros paroquiais (cópias), 1940-1947, Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Rosary (Rivona, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1947-1990''' {{FSC|788755|item|disp=Registros paroquiais, 1947-1990, Catholic Church, Saint Cajetan (Bastora, Goa)}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

*'''1949-1967''' {{FSC|138720|item|disp=India and Pakistan, ecclesiastical returns, registered 1949-1967}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog, indexed images.

More than 200,000 transcriptions of indexes to church records are available on [https://www.fibis.org/ FIBIS Families in British India Society] and [http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]. All of the church record transcriptions and indexes have been microfilmed and are available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library ([http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=LDS_Microfilms_of_Church_registers_in_India direct link to a list of FS Library Microfilms of Church registers in India]). They can be found by using the Place Search for [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=1927063&query=%2Bplace%3A%22India%22&subjectsOpen=431655-50 India - Church Records].

This table lists each Catholic diocese in India, the number of parishes in the diocese, the province where the diocese is headquartered. Province is a designation used by the Catholic church and is not the same as a State or Union Territory. Information is as of 2015. See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_dioceses_in_India List of Catholic dioceses in India] for more information.

! Diocese !! Parishes !! Province !! Diocese Description

| Adilabad || 32 || Hyderbad ||

| Agartala || 16 || Shillong || Comprises the entire state of Tripura

| Agra || 35 || Agra || Consists of the following districts in Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Auraiya, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Etah, Etawah, Farrukabad, Fathegarh, Firozabad, Gautambudha Nagar, Hathras, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Mathura and in Rajasthan, Bharatpur and Dholpur

| Ahmedabad || 42 || Gandhinagar || In the state of Gujarat: the districts of Ahmedabad, and Kheda

| Aizawl || 29 || Shillong || Comprises the districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Kaimkanj of Assam and the entire state of Mizoram

| Ajmer || 10 || Agra ||

| Allahabad || 39 || Agra ||

| Alleppey || 39 || Trivandrum ||

| Ambikapur || 51 || Raipur ||

| Amravati || 19 || Nagpur ||

| Asansol || 15 || Calcutta ||

| Aurangabad || 23 || Nagpur ||

| Bagdogra || 19 || Calcutta ||

| Balasore || 39 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar ||

| Bangalore || 135 || Bangalore ||

| Bareilly || 55 || Agra ||

| Baroda || 44 || Gandhinagar ||

| Baruipur || 22 || Calcutta ||

| Belgaum || 67 || Bangalore ||

| Bellary || 41 || Bangalore ||

| Berhampur || 23 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar ||

| Bettiah || 12 || Patna ||

| Bhagalpur || 69 || Patna ||

| Bhopal || 35 || Bhopal ||

| Bijnor || 53 || Agra ||

| Bombay || 122 || Bombay ||

| Bongaigaon || 29 || Guwahati ||

| Buxar || 14 || Patna || Civil Districts of Buxar, Bhojpur, Bhabua, and Rohtas

| Calcutta || 42 || Calcutta ||

| Calicut || 39 || Verapoly ||

| Chanda || 6 || Nagpur ||

| Chikmagalur || 38 || Bangalore ||

| Chingleput || 86 || Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) ||

| Cochin || 41 || Verapoly ||

| Coimbatore || 64 || Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) ||

| Cuddapah || 59 || Hyderbad ||

| Cuttack-Bhubaneswar || 36 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar ||

| Daltonganj || 23 || Ranchi ||

| Darjeeling || 57 || Calcutta ||

| Delhi || 84 || Delhi ||

| Dibrugarh || 34 || Guwahati ||

| Dindigul || 55 || Madurai ||

| Diphu || 22 || Guwahati ||

| Dumka || 50 || Ranchi ||

| Eluru || 113 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Gandhinagar || 17 || Gandhinagar || In the state of Gujarat: the districts of Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Patan, Banaskantha, and Sabarkantha

| Goa e Damão || 167 || Goa e Damão ||

| Gorakhpur || 30 || Agra ||

| Gulbarga || 25 || Bangalore ||

| Gumla || 37 || Ranchi ||

| Guntur || 84 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Guwahati || 42 || Guwahati ||

| Gwalior || 25 || Bhopal ||

| Hazaribag || 23 || Ranchi ||

| Hyderabad || 94 || Hyderabad ||

| Imphal || 49 || Imphal ||

| Indore || 25 || Bhopal ||

| Itanagar || 30 || Guwahati || Civil Districts: Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, Papum Pare, Upper Subansiri, Lower Subansiri, Kurung Kamay, West Siang, East Siang, and Upper Siang

| Jabalpur || 13 || Bhopal ||

| Jagdalpur || 23 || Raipur ||

| Jaipur || 26 || Agra ||

| Jalpaiguri || 29 || Calcutta ||

| Jammu-Srinagar || 42 || Delhi ||

| Jamshedpur || 34 || Ranchi ||

| Jashpur || 50 || Raipur ||

| Jhabua || 30 || Bhopal ||

| Jhansi || 24 || Agra ||

| Jowai || 12 || Shillong ||

| Jullundur || 109 || Delhi ||

| Kannur || 59 || Verapoly ||

| Karwar || 65 || Bangalore ||

| Khammam || 60 || Hyderabad ||

| Khandwa || 34 || Bhopal ||

| Khunti || 19 || Ranchi ||

| Kohima || 44 || Imphal ||

| Kottapuram || 55 || Verapoly ||

| Kottar || 81 || Madurai ||

| Krishnagar || 22 || Calcutta ||

| Kumbakonam || 89 || Pundicherry and Cuddalore ||

| Kurnool || 52 || Hyderabad ||

| Kuzhithurai || 100 || Madurai ||

| Lucknow || 40 || Agra ||

| Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) || 132 || Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) ||

| Madurai || 69 || Madurai ||

| Mangalore || 113 || Bangalore ||

| Meerut || 59 || Agra ||

| Miao || 33 || Guwahati ||

| Muzaffarpur || 21 || Patna ||

| Mysore || 78 || Bangalore ||

| Nagpur || 34 || Nagpur ||

| Nalgonda || 65 || Hyderabad ||

| Nashik || 34 || Bombay ||

| Nellore || 83 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Neyyattinkara || 72 || Trivandrum ||

| Nongstoin || 16 || Shillong ||

| Ootacamund || 62 || Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) ||

| Palayamkottai || 48 || Madurai ||

| Patna || 33 || Patna ||

| Pondicherry and Cuddalore || 101 || Pondicherry and Cuddalore ||

| Poona || 30 || Bombay || Consists of the civil districts of Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg

| Port Blair || 14 || Ranchi ||

| Purnea || 16 || Patna ||

| Quilon || 102 || Trivandrum ||

| Raiganj || 33 || Calcutta ||

| Raipur || 66 || Raipur ||

| Rajkot || 14 || Gandhinagar || In the state of Gujarat: districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Rajkkot and Surendrangar in Saurashtra and Kutch

| Ranchi || 34 || Ranchi ||

| Rayagada || 23 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar || Civil districts Kalanhandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Rayagada

| Rourkela || 41 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar || Comprised the four Orissa Districts of Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bolangir and Dhenkanal

| Sagar || 40 || Bhopal ||

| Salem || 57 || Pondicherry and Cuddalore ||

| Sambalpur || 22 || Cuttack-Bhubaneswar ||

| Satna || 16 || Bhopal ||

| Shillong || 34 || Shillong ||

| Shimoga || 22 || Bangalore ||

| Simdega || 33 || Ranchi ||

| Simla and Chandigarh || 55 || Delhi ||

| Sindhudurg || 21 || Goa e Damão ||

| Sivagangai || 78 || Madurai ||

| Srikakulam || 33 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Sultanpet || 21 || Verapoly || Civil district of Palakkad, State of Kerala

| Tanjore || 89 || Pondicherry and Cuddalore || Comprises the entire districts of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagai (excepting two taluks of Papanasam and Kumbakonam in the district of Thanjavur). It is also covers six taluks of Pudukottai district and two taluks of Cuddalore district.

| Tezpur || 32 || Guwahati ||

| Tiruchirapalli || 67 || Madurai ||

| Trivandrum || 85 || Trivandrum ||

| Tura || 41 || Shillong ||

| Tuticorin || 111 || Madurai ||

| Udaipur || 50 || Agra ||

| Udupi || 50 || Bangalore ||

| Ujjain || 41 || Bhopal ||

| Varanasi || 44 || Agra ||

| Vasai || 34 || Bombay ||

| Vellore || 84 || Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) ||

| Verapoly || 164 || Verapoly ||

| Vijayawada || 98 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Visakhapatnam || 67 || Visakhapatnam ||

| Warangal || 63 || Hyderabad ||

Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a [https://locations.familysearch.org/en/search '''FamilySearch Center'''] near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.  To find records:  

:::a. Click on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=1927063&query=%2Bplace%3A%22India%22&subjectsOpen=431655-50 '''records of India'''].