Massachusetts Church Records

Massachusetts Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Occupation & Business Records Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Public Records Taxation Town Records Vital Records Voter Records

Massachusetts Background

Biography Church History Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

United States

U.S. Church Records

Massachusetts

Church Records

For greater success, use all the Wiki Articles in this series: What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records? Determining the Church Your Ancestor Attended How to Find Church Records in the United States Searching for Church Records by Denomination Searching for Church Records by U.S. State

---

Historical Background

Before 1900 the major religious groups in Massachusetts were:

• Congregationalists
• Roman Catholics
• Baptists
• Methodists
• Episcopalians

Massachusetts was founded and settled by Brownist Puritans in 1620, and soon after by other groups of Separatists/Dissenters, Nonconformists and Independents from 17th century England. A majority of people in Massachusetts today remain Christians. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the various Congregational churches, the United Church of Christ and congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association, long located on Beacon Hill, is now located in South Boston. Many Puritan descendants also dispersed to other Protestant denominations.

Today, Christians make up 57% of the state's population, with Protestants making up 21% of them. Roman Catholics make up 34% and now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Catholic countries and regions—chiefly Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Quebec, and Latin America. The Association of Religion Data Archives, (ARDA) the largest single denominations are the Catholic Church with 2,940,199 adherents; the United Church of Christ with 86,639 adherents; and the Episcopal Church with 81,999 adherents.

Information Found in the Records

To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Baptisms or Christenings Marriages

Funerals or Burials Membership Lists

Minutes or Historical Narrative

Finding the Records

Look for online records.

Online databases are incomplete. This can lead to two common errors: Near matches: Researchers might mistakenly accept an entry very similar to their ancestor, thinking it is the only one available. Only use information that matches your ancestor in date, place, relationships, and other details. Stopping research: Researchers might assume the database proves church records do not exist. Actually the record is still out there, just not in this incomplete collection of records. Keep searching!

---

FamilySearch

• 1630-1943 Massachusetts, Church Records, 1630-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & some images incomplete
• 1639-1915 Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only
• 1695-1910 Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only
• 1795-1910 Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1630-1905 Massachusetts Town Births Index, ca. 1630-1905 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1640-1961 Massachusetts Town Deaths Index, ca. 1640-1961 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Ancestry.com

• 1700-1850 Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850($), index and images.
• 1620-1988 Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 ($)
• 1633--1850 Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850 ($)
• before 1699 American Marriages Before 1699 ($)
• before 1700 U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 ($)
• before 1800 Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. I($) Other digital versions:Genealogy Today, Internet Archive.
• 1620-1988 Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 ($)

Findmypast

• 1600-1961 United States Marriages – Massachusetts, 1600-1961 ($) index and images
• 1600-1961 United States Marriages – Massachusetts, 1600-1961 ($) index and images

Catholic

• 1789-1920 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston Archdiocese Roman Catholic Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1789-1920 Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)

Congregational

• Online Congregational Church Records, images

Dutch Reformed

• 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995, index and images, incomplete.($)
• 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Jewish

• 1861-1956 Marriages performed by three Rabbis in Boston, Chicago and Massachusetts, 1861-1956 at Ancestry — index ($)

Lutheran

• 1781-1969 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969, index and images, incomplete.($)
• 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, index and images, incomplete.($)

Methodist

• 1787-1922 All New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922, index and images, incomplete. ($)

Presbyterian

• 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Other Collections

• Dunham-Wilcox-Trott-Kirk indexes church, cemetery, probate and other early New England, New York and New Jersey records with links to abstracts of the records.

Look for digital copies of church records in the FamilySearch Catalog.

FamilySearch Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

• The FamilySearch Library (FS Library) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
• Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
• If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
• Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.
• To find records:

a. Click on the records of United States, Massachusetts.

b. Click on Places within United States, Massachusetts and a list of counties will appear.

c. Click on your county if it appears.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Click on Places within United States, Massachusetts [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.

f. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

g. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

h. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. . The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

---

Consult available finding aids.

These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.

• Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records: a list of the churches in each town, the date of organization, kinds of records kept, years covered, and condition of the records as of 1889

---

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.

Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.

• Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
• To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
• Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
• A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
• If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
• See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
• Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.

Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher.

Here you will find archive information unique to the state. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

---

---

American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library
1 Sundial Avenue, Suite 317N
Manchester, New Hampshire 03103

Tel: (603) 622-1554

• Research Services
• Library Holdings Parish Repertoires and Vital Records

---

American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library

American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library
1 Sundial Avenue, Suite 317N
Manchester, New Hampshire 03103

Tel: (603) 622-1554

• Research Services
• Library Holdings Parish Repertoires and Vital Records

Baptist

• 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Congregational

The Congregational Library
14 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 523–0470
Fax: (617) 523–0491
E-mail: jsteytler@14beacon.org

• Online Congregational Church Records, images
• Finding Aids for Massachusetts Records

Society of Friends (Quakers)

Rhode Island Historical Society
121 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: (401) 273–8107
Fax: (401) 751–7930

• Guide to the Records of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in New England

---

• Quaker Census of 1828: Members of the New York Yearly Meeting, the Religious Society of Friends of New York, Ontario, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Quebec, at the Time of the Separation of 1828 Fay, Loren V., editor. Rhinebeck, N.Y.: Knshp, 1989 and is available in the FS Library Collection. Use this to determine the monthly meeting a person attended. It includes name, age, and family group.
  • To locate a copy nearest you, use WorldCat.

---

Methodist

Boston University School of Theology Library
745 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353–3034
Fax: (617) 358–0699

• Inventory of Methodist Church Records for Massachusetts
• All New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922 Online, index and images, incomplete. ($)

Roman Catholic

Archdiocese of Boston Archives
66 Brooks Drive
Braintree, MA 02184-3839
Phone: (617) 254-0100

• Genealogy Guide
• Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 Online Indexed on Ancestry.com($)
• Holdings:
  • Boston (Proper & Neighborhoods)
  • Cities/Towns, A-G
  • Cities/Towns, H-Z

• Researchers may contact the archive and request one of our staff members conduct research for them. There is a fee for this service which will depend on the number of records requested, how much detail is provided, and other factors. A quote will be provided prior to commencing any research."
• For records not digitized, contact the local parish.

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk

---

Diocese of Fall River Archives
362 Highland Avenue
P.O. Box 2577
Fall River, MA 02722
Phone: (508) 675-1311

• Location of Records for Closed or Merged Parishes

Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Fall River Diocese. Requests for baptism, confirmation or marriage records must be made to the parish where the sacrament took place. The sacramental records from parishes that have been closed or merged become the property and responsibility of the parish to which the former parish was joined or of the new parish community formed in the merger.
The diocese includes the counties of: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes and Nantucket

---

Diocese of Springfield
65 Elliott St.
P.O. Box 1730
Springfield, MA 01102
Phone: (413) 732-3175

• Location of Records for Closed or Merged Parishes

Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Springfield Diocese.
The diocese includes the counties of: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire

---

Diocese of Worcester
49 Elm Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Phone: (508) 791-7171
Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Springfield Diocese.
The diocese includes the county of: Worcester

---

Unitarian/Universalist

Andover-Harvard Theological Library
Harvard Divinity School
45 Francis Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495–5788
Fax: (617) 496–4111

• Manuscripts and Archives Click on "Unitarian Universalist Congregational Records". Then scroll down to "Massachusetts".

Consult the PERSI index for records published in journals.

PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) at Allen County Public Library; index PERSI is an index to family and local history periodicals from 1847 to the present. Many of these periodicals publish church records. If you locate an index entry for a church, you will then need to find the periodical. Use the WorldCat.org search engine to find a library near you that carries the periodical. Library reference desks can be contacted to request a copy of articles, or you may need to hire a researcher.

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.

Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:

Next, go to the Wiki article for your ancestors' denomination.

There are frequently additional, nationwide or regional archives and online collections for each denomination. Find the article for your ancestors' denomination and follow the instructions there to access these sources.

Major U.S. Religious Denominations
Adventist Amish Anabaptist Anglican Apostolic Christian Armenian Catholic Armenian Evangelical Armenian Orthodox Assemblies of God Baháʼí Baptist Buddhist Catholic Apostolic Church of the Brethren Community of Christ Confucianism Congregational	Coptic Orthodox Disciples of Christ Dutch Reformed Episcopal German Reformed Greek Orthodox Hinduism Huguenot Hutterites Jehovah's Witnesses Jewish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Lutheran Maronite Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Methodist	Mennonite Moravian Muslim Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Pentecostal Presbyterian Roman Catholic Russian Orthodox Schwenkfelders Serbian Orthodox Sihkism Society of Friends (Quakers) Syriac Orthodox Church Ukrainian Orthodox United Church of Christ United Brethren in Christ Unitarian/Universalist

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor

You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:

• name, including middle name and maiden name
• names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
• exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
• names and approximate birthdates of children
• all known places of residence
• occupations
• military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.