New York Church Records
The first churches established in New York during the seventeenth century were the Dutch Reformed, French Protestant, and Lutheran churches. As New Englanders continued to migrate to New York, the Congregational Church (Puritans) and Society of Friends (Quakers) grew. Many New Yorkers joined both the Baptists and Presbyterians. By 1775 the Presbyterian Church was the largest denomination in New York.
In the mid-1800s, the Methodist Church was the largest, followed by the Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Dutch Reformed, Congregational, Roman Catholic, Society of Friends, Universalist, Lutheran, Union, Christian, Unitarian, and Jewish.
Since then, the Roman Catholic Church has been the largest denomination (particularly in the large cities) due to the large number of immigrants from Ireland and eastern and southern Europe.
Locating Church Records
The Family History Library has several important collections of church records which are described below under the denominational headings. The names of individuals in many of these records are indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Many church records have been copied and filed with the Daughters of the American Revolution Cemetery, Church, and Town Records, described in New York Genealogy
The following guides describe the towns, denominations, record types, and years available:
Historical Records Survey. Guide to Vital Statistics Records of Churches in New York State (Exclusive of New York City). Two Volumes. Albany, New York: Historical Records Survey, 1942. (FHL book 974.7 K23h; films 908710 items 1–2 and 1293576; fiche 6046729.) There are numerous other Historical Records Survey inventories of New York church archives.
Historical Records Survey. (New York City.) Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of [Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or Richmond] Churches. Five Volumes. New York, New York: Historical Records Survey, Work Projects Administration, 1942.
- Bronx FHL book 974.7275 K23h; film 908038 item 3
- Brooklyn
- Manhattan
- Queens
- Richmond FHL book 974.726 K23h; film 908038 item 4
Historical Records Survey. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City [various denominations]. New York, New York: Historical Records survey, 1939–1941. These volumes are:
- Eastern Orthodox and Armenian (FHL book 974.71 K23eo; film 1425700 item 5).
- Lutheran (FHL book 974.71 K23L; film 1036522 item 5).
- Methodist (FHL book 974.71 K23m; film 1036716 item 9).
- Presbyterian (FHL book 974.71 K23p; film 1033755 item 12).
- Protestant Episcopal [Manhattan, Bronx, Richmond] (FHL book 974.71 K23en v. 2; film 1425700 item 6).
- Protestant Episcopal [Brooklyn and Queens] (FHL book 974.71 K23eL v. 2; fiche 6046526).
- Reformed (FHL book 974.71 K23r; film 1035526 item 3).
- Roman Catholic (FHL book 974.71 K23rc; film 1036299 item 2).
Some denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located.
Baptist
American Baptist Samuel COLGATE Historical Library
1106 Goodman Street
Rochester, NY 14620-2532
Telephone: 716-473-1740
FAX: 716-473-1740
Internet: http://www.baptisthistory.us/about.php
For information about the availability of records, see Susan M. Eltscher, The Records of American Baptists in New York and Related Organizations (Rochester, New York: American Baptist Historical Society, 1982; FHL book 974.7 K23aA1 no. 655).
Congregational
The Congregational Library
14 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Telephone: 617-523-0470
FAX: 617-523-0491
Internet: http://www.14beacon.org/
Dutch Reformed
Commission on History, Reformed Church in America
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
Gardner A. Sage Library
21 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1159
Telephone: 908-247-5243
Fax: 908-249-5412
Internet: http://www.nbts.edu/crcs/about.htm
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many of the Dutch Reformed Church records at this archives. The collection is described in Melody Takken Meeter, compiler and Russell L. Gasero, editor, Guide to Local Church Records in the Archives of the Reformed Church in America and to Genealogical Resources in the Gardner Sage Library, New Brunswick Theological Seminary (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Historical Society of the Reformed Church in America, 1979; FHL book 974.9 A1 no. 103; fiche 6046480).
Commission on History, Reformed Church in America
122 E. 58th Street
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: 212-758-1871
Fax: 212-758-2232
Internet: http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=2050&srcid=838
The Year Book of the Holland Society of New York (New York, New York: The Holland Society of New York, 1886–1928/1929; FHL book 974.7 C4h; on 16 FHL films) contains historical material as well as church record abstracts and passenger lists. To use the year books, first consult the Index to Publications listed under the periodical De Halve Maen described in the "Periodicals" section of this outline. It indexes publications by name, subject, and locality. Most of the church records in these year books have been extracted for the International Genealogical Index (IGI).
The Family History Library has the Holland Society's 128 volume Holland Society of New York Church Record Collection. There are many microfilms and computer numbers for the collection. The records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Author/Title Search under the title mentioned above and are also listed in the Locality Search under the individual cities or towns. This includes some German Reformed, French Reformed, Lutheran, and Episcopal records. An inventory of this collection is Marie J. Pierre, compiler, Index to LDS Microfilms of the Church Record Collection of the Holland Society of New York (New York, New York: The Holland Society of New York, 1990; FHL book 974.7 A1 No. 452).
An index to original baptismal records, transcripts, microfilm, and published works of 17 congregations from 24 volumes of the aforementioned Dutch Reformed Church Record Collection is Wilson Ledley, compiler, Index to Baptismal Surnames in the Reformed Churches of Claverack, Cortlandt, Fishkill, Gallatin/Ancram, Gravesend, Hillsdale/Krum, Kaatsbaan/Saugerties, Kinderhook. (New York, New York: The Holland Society of New York, 1990; FHL book 974.7 K22L).
The Family History Library also has many volumes of Hudson and Mohawk Valley Reformed and Lutheran records transcribed by Arthur C. M. Kelly, Gertrude Barber, and others. Many New York Dutch Reformed church records have also been published in periodicals such as the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.
The Family History Library has 99 of the 101 volumes of the Royden Woodward Vosburgh, New York Church Records: Vosburgh Collection (FHL films 017441–501). Included in the collection are Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, and some Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, and German Reformed records for Hudson Valley and Mohawk Valley churches (transcribed between 1913 and 1921). These records are listed under the title New York Church Records: Vosburgh Collection but are not listed under the cities and towns in the Family History Library Catalog. Two helpful lists of the churches, first by county and then by town, are at the beginning of film 017441.
Episcopal
Episcopal Diocese of New York
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10025
Telephone: 212-316-7400
Fax: 212-932-7345
Internet: http://www.dioceseny.org/
There are also dioceses of Albany, Central New York, Long Island, Rochester, and Western New York. The Family History Library has acquired many Episcopal records for Western New York. The names in many of these records are indexed in the International Genealogical Index.
Jewish
Most synagogue records have not been centralized, so you must write to the local congregation. Addresses are listed in Sidney Lightman, editor, The Jewish Travel Guide (London, England: Jewish Chronicle Publications, 1990; FHL book 910.202 J556 1990).
American Jewish Historical Society Library
2 Thornton Road
Waltham, MA 02154
Telephone: 617-891-8110
Fax: 617-899-9208
Internet: http://www.ajhs.org/reference/library.cfm
Philadelphia Jewish Archives Centre at the Balch Institute
18 South 7th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-1423
Telephone: 215-925-8090
Internet: http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/balch.txt
This archives has the Philadelphia Hebrew Immigrant Society records, which include ship passenger lists, passage order books, and Lipschutz Steamship record books. These are on microfilm at the Family History Library.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
200 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
Telephone: 212-967-4100
Internet: http://www.hias.org/
New York Public Library
Jewish Division
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street
New York, NY 10018
Telephone: 212-930-0601
Fax: 212-642-0141
Internet: http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/jws/jewish.html
More New York Jewish records, sources, and archives are described in Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolitan Area, mentioned in the "Archives and Libraries" section of this outline.
Lutheran
Library of the Council National Lutheran
50 Madison Avenue
New York City, NY 10010
Internet: http://www.elca.org/ScriptLib/OS/Congregations/cdsSearch.asp?state=NY
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Metropolitan New York Synod
360 Park Avenue, South
New York, NY 10016-8803
Telephone: 212-532-5369
Internet: http://www.elca.org/archives/regsyn.html
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Atlantic District
315 Park Avenue, South, Room 1920
New York, NY 10010
Internet: http://www.elca.org/archives/regsyn.html
Methodist
United Methodist Archives Center
General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church
Drew University Library
P.O. Box 127
Madison, NJ 07940
Telephone: 201-408-3189
Fax: 201-408-3909
Internet: http://depts.drew.edu/lib/methodist/faq.php
Presbyterian
Presbyterian Historical Society and Department of History
United Presbyterian Church in the USA
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516
Telephone: 215-627-1852
Fax: 215-627-0509
Internet: http://www.history.pcusa.org/
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of most of the records at this archives.
Roman Catholic
Most Catholic records have not been gathered to central repositories. You must determine the town where your ancestors lived and the parish they most likely attended and then write to that parish.
If a parish has closed, the records will have been sent to the diocesan archives or to a nearby parish. If the diocese does not have an archives, the diocese chancellor usually knows where the records are.
The Family History Library has many Roman Catholic records for Western (filmed at Canisius College, Buffalo) and Northern New York. Catholic dioceses are located in Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rockville Centre, and Syracuse.
Archdiocese of New York
1011 First Avenue
New York City, NY 10022
Telephone: 212-371-1000
Fax: 212-319-8265
Internet: http://www.ny-archdiocese.org/
Society of Friends
New York Yearly Meeting Archives
Haviland Records Room
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY 10003
Telephone: 212-777-8866
Internet: http://www.westburyquakers.org/qt/archive/files/GENE1.htm
Many of the records in the archives are on microfilm at the Family History Library. The New York City and Long Island Quaker records, 1657–1940, transcribed by John Cox, are published in William Wade Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume 3 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, Incorporated, 1946; FHL book 973 D2he v. 3; film 432602).
A useful guide to New York Quaker records and research is:
Cox, John, Jr. New York City Church Archives, Religious Society of Friends Catalogue. New York, New York: Historical Records Survey, 1938. (FHL film 017255.)
A helpful 1828 census was taken:
Fay, Loren V., editor. 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. Rhinebeck, New York: Knshp, 1989. (FHL book 974.7 K2fL.) Use this to determine the monthly meeting a person attended. Also includes name, age, and family group.