Anguilla Church Records

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Anguilla

Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Anguilla, go to the Religious Records page.

Online Resources and Websites

• Anglican Church. St. Mary's Parish (Anguilla) Parish registers, 1826-1974, images.
• Methodist Church (Anguilla) Parish registers, 1910-1975, images.
• Basseterre (St. Christopher). Registrar Civil registration, 1859-1932, includes Anguilla, images.

Historical Background

As early as 1813, Christian ministers formally ministered to enslaved Africans and promoted literacy among converts. The Wesleyan (Methodist) Missionary Society of England built churches and schools from 1817.

According to the 2001 census, Christianity is Anguilla's predominant religion, with 29% of the population practicing Anglicanism and another 23.9% are Methodist.[64] Other churches on the island include Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Roman Catholic (served by the Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre, with the See at Saint John on Antigua and Barbuda) and a small community of Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%).

Information Recorded in the Records

Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms

In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

baptism date the infant's name parents' names father's occupation

status of legitimacy occasionally, names of grandparents names of witnesses or godparents, who may be relatives

birth date and place the family's place of residence death information, as an added note or signified by a cross

Marriages

Marriage registers can give:

the marriage date the names of the bride and groom indicate whether the bride and groom were single or widowed their ages

birth dates and places for the bride and groom their residences their occupations

birthplaces of the bride and groom parents' names (after 1800) the names of previous spouses and their death dates names of witnesses, who might be relatives.

Burials

Burial registers may give:

the name of the deceased the date and place of death or burial the deceased's age place of residence

cause of death the names of survivors, especially a widow or widower deceased's birth date and place parents' names, or at least the father's name

How to Find Records

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog

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 Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Anguilla.

b. Click on Places within Anguilla and a list of towns will appear.

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

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

e. 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.

Writing for Records

You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Catholic Church Records

Writing to a Local Parish

To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:

• The Catholic Directory: Anguilla

Historical Background

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis–Imatellurana) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, covering five English-speaking jurisdictions in the Caribbean, including Anguilla. The diocese was erected on 16 January 1971 as Diocese of Saint John's, on territory split off from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau (Dominica). On 1981.06.21 it was renamed as Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre.

Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records

Writing for Records

• [ Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Anguilla]

Jehovah's Witnesses Church Records

Writing for Records

• [ Google Maps search results for Jehovah's Witnesses churches in Anguilla]

Methodist Church Records

Writing for Records

• [ Google Maps search results for Methodist churches in Anguilla]

Seventh-day Adventist Church Records

Writing for Records

• [ Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Anguilla]