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India Church Records

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

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.

The first step in researching European or Anglo-Indian ancestry in colonial India is to use the church records. For administrative purposes, colonial India was divided into three Presidencies, Bombay, Madras, and Bengal. Protestant and Catholic churches began to keep records in India in 1698 (Madras), 1709 (Bombay) and 1713 (Bengal). Each year, these records were transcribed and sent to the capital of the Presidency, where they were indexed. The records and indexes were then sent to headquarters in London. This practice ceased at Independence in 1947. Learn more about family history in the India Office Records.

Parish maps can help you determine which parish to search. Maps will reveal neighboring parishes to search if your ancestor is not listed in the parish where you expected him or her to be. See India Maps for more information.

Online Resources

India: British Subjects - Baptisms, Births, Marriages, Deaths and Burials

Christian Church Records

These include records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Includes not only British, and European members, but native Indians as well. They generally exist from 1700 to present. Some churches were established in the 1600s, but records generally do not exist from that time.

Burial records give date and place of death and deceased name, if in the military has detachment, if a mariner the name of his ship, if a colonist the words “inhabitant”. European nationality was given if not English and if a native Indian the words “India Man” were used. Initially no age was given however, if an infant it was so noted. Cause of death given. Christenings, baptisms and births are often mixed together in the register. The event’s date, the name and sex of the child, it’s father’s name and sometimes that of the mother is given as is European nationality if other than English. The marriage records show date and place of marriage, full name of bride and groom except in the case of an Indian woman where only a European first name is given, the groom’s military affiliation if any and the word “inhabitant” was generally noted.

Locating Church Records

To find an ancestor in church records, it helps to know his religion and the parish where he lived. The Imperial Gazetteer may help you find the parish. See the "Gazetteers" section of this Wiki for information about the gazetteer and for other help in finding a parish.

More than 200,000 transcriptions of indexes to church records are available on FIBIS Families in British India Society and 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 (direct link to a list of FS Library Microfilms of Church registers in India). They can be found by using the Place Search for India - Church Records.

Christian Church Organizations

Catholic Church

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 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

Church of North India (Anglican)

The Church of North India was established in 1970 by the merger of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (Anglican); the United Church of Northern India (Congregationalist and Presbyterian); the Baptist Churches of Northern India (British Baptists); the Methodist Church (British and Australian Conferences); and the Disciples of Christ. The Church of the Brethren in India, which was a part of the merger withdrew in 2006.[1] The Church includes all of the states and Union Territories of India with the exception of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, and is divided into seven diocese: Calcutta, Mumbai, Chotanagpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, North East India, and Nasik.

The Diocese of Mumbai covers the entire state of Gujarat, as well as parts of the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.[2][3] During the Bombay Presidency (1843 to 1936), it also included Anglican churches in what is now Yemen. The seat of the bishop is located at St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai.

States where the Church of North India has parishes
Church Also Known As Location Established
All Saints Church Bijapur
All Saints Church Dharwar 1888
All Saints Church Kirkee 1869
All Saints Church Lonavala 1903
All Saints Church Malabar Hill, Mumbai 1891
All Saints Church Kolhapur
Anscesion Church Deshpandenagar, Hubli 1905
Ascension Church Hubli 1905
Christ Church Ahmedabad
Christ Church Byculla 1837
Christ Church Deesa
Christ Church Karwar
Christ Church Lusadia Village 1904
Christ Church Mahableshwar 1842
Christ Church Rajkot 1842
Christ Church Surat 1820
Christ Church Ahmednagar
Christ Church Steamer Point Aden (Yemen)
Church Mission House Mumbai
Church of Good Sheperd Ranibennur
Church of Holy Angels Rasta Peth, Pune 1883
Church of Holy Name Hubli, Dharwar
Church of Holy Name Guruwar Peth, Pune 1883
Church of Sholapur Epiphany Church Sholapur
Church of St Mary the Virgin Castel Rock 1926
Church of the Good Sheperd Dharwar 1888
Church of the Resurrection Betgari, Dharwar
Emmanuel Church Mumbai 1869
Garrison Church Ghorpadi, Pune 1866
Holy Cross Church Mumbai 1898
Holy Home University Settlement Thane
Holy Nativity Church Matunga 1925
Holy Redeemer Church Dadar 1925
Holy Trinity Church Purandar 1865
Kadoli Church Karoda, Kolhapur 1906
Resurrection Church Gadag 1895
Seaman’s Institute Bombay Prince of Wales Seamen's Club Ballard Estate, Mumbai
St Andrew’s Church Agripada, Mumbai 1916
St Andrew’s Church Bhileda, Vijaynagar
St Andrew’s Church Keshavpur, Hubli
St Christopher Church Goa 1837
St Christopher Church Kalyan 1837
St Crispin's Church Pune 1907
St Francis Church Panvel 1992
St George’s Church Ahmedabad 1882
St Georges Church Kaira 1824
St James Church Baroda (Vadodara) 1818
St James Church Thane 1825
St John the Evangelist Church The Afghan Church Colaba 1824
St John’s Church Army United Church Colaba, Mumbai
St Mary’s Church Belgaum 1869
St Mary’s Church Parel 1884
St Mary's Church Kirkee 1915
St Mary's Church Pune 1821
St Mathew’s Church Pune 1893
St Matthias Church Broach (Bharuch)
St Paul’s Church Pune 1867
St Peter’s Church Pachgani Satara
St Saviour’s Church Mount Abu 1834
St Stephen’s Church Bandra 1853
St Thomas Church Satara 1847
St. James' Church Mount Abu (Rajasthan)
St. Mary's Church Aden Crater (Yemen)
St. Thomas Cathedral Mumbai 1676
Umerkhadi Church Mandvi, Mumbai

Church of South India

The Church of South India was created as a successor to the Church of England after India's independence in 1947. It is a union of the Anglican Church in India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka; the South Indian Methodist Church; and the South Indian United Church. The South Indian United Church was formed by a merger of Congregationalist, Dutch Reformed, and Presbyterian churches in 1908.

The Church of South India is comprised of 24 dioceses in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telegana, and the distrcts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka. The Madras Diocese is one of eight diocese in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Diocese

States where the Church of South India has parishes
Diocese State / Country
Krishna Godavari Andhra Pradesh
Nandyal Andhra Pradesh
Rayalaseema Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka Central Karnataka
Karnataka Northern Karnataka
Karnataka Southern Karnataka
Cochin Kerala
East Kerala Kerala
Kollam-Kottarakkara Kerala
Madhya Kerala Kerala
Malabar Kerala
South Kerala Kerala
Coimbatore Tamil Nadu
Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
Madras Tamil Nadu
Madurai Ramnad Tamil Nadu
Thoothukudi-Nazareth Tamil Nadu
Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu
Trichy-Tanjore Tamil Nadu
Vellore Tamil Nadu
Dornakal Telengana
Karimnagar Telengana
Medak Telengana
Jaffna Sri Lanka

Lutheran Church

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

a. Click on the records of India.
b. Click on Places within India 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. FHL icons.png. 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.

External Links

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia, Church of North India. Accessed 30 August 2022.
  2. ↑ The Bombay Diocesan Trust Association Pvt Ltd. Churches. Accessed 7 April 2020.
  3. ↑ The Bombay Diocesan Trust Association Pvt Ltd. Properties. Accessed 7 April 2020.
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