Jamaica Church Records

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

Online Resources and Websites

 * 1646-1880 -, index, images, incomplete. - at FamilySearch Historical Records Description of record contents Also at Ancestry.com and at MyHeritage, index, ($).
 * Jamaica Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records. This collection is an index for the years 1752 to 1920. This index is not complete for any particular place, region or time period. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index.  Also at MyHeritage, index, ($).
 * Pre-1680 - "List of Marriages on record in Jamaica previous to 1680," in Caribbeana, Vol. 1 (1910):12-17, 59-62, 118-123. Digitised by dLOC - free. Includes marriages from St. Andrew and St. Catherine parishes.
 * Fothergill, Gerald. A List of Emigrant Ministers to America, 1690-1811. London: E. Stock, 1904. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive, 1965 reprint: . Addendum published in Caribbeana, Vol. 3 (1914):312-313. Digital version at dLOC - free.
 * Anglican servants in the Caribbean, c.1610-c.1740. University of Lancaster. Identifies Anglican clergymen and career information.
 * , index.
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 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages,, index and images, ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)

Historical Background

 * Religion in Jamaica, according to the most recent census (2001), consists of a breakdown of 66% Christian (62% Protestant, 2% Roman Catholic, and 2% Jehovah's Witnesses), 3% unstated, and 10% other.


 * 62% of the Jamaican population are Protestants. Jamaican Protestantism is composed of several denominations: 24% Church of God, 11% Seventh-day Adventist, 10% Pentecostal, 7% Baptist, 4% Anglican, 2% United Church, 2% Methodist, 1% Moravian and 1% Brethren Christian. The Church of God has 111 congregations in six regions.


 * There are about 50,000 (2%) Catholics in Jamaica.


 * Anglicanism was introduced by the British in 1664. In 1824, the Diocese of Jamaica, which also included Belize and the Bahamas, was established.

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:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

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 Jamaica.
 * b. Click on Places within Jamaica 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.

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.

Writing to a Local Parish
To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Jamaica

Historical Background

 * There are about 50,000 (2%) Catholics in Jamaica, which is divided into three dioceses, including one archdiocese:
 * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica
 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Mandeville
 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay
 * The Missionaries of the Poor monastic order originated in Kingston, Jamaica.

Online Records
Information is available to current members only for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background
The first missionary of the Church came to Jamaica in 1841, but his stay was brief. In 1853, missionaries were again sent to Jamaica. They found a great deal of antagonism and stayed only six weeks.Latter-day Saint families of John L. Whitefields and Jay P. Bills, came to Jamaica in the late 1960s and began holding meetings in Mandeville. The Mandeville Branch (a small congregation) was created 22 March 1970. Full-time missionaries began teaching again in Jamaica in November 1978. By 1983, membership had increased to 300. Jamaica became part of the new West Indies Mission created in 1983. In November of that year ground was broken for a chapel in Kingston. Total Church Membership: 6,542. Congregations: 18.

Anglican Church Records
The official religion in Jamaica is Church of England with records beginning as early as 1664. The records are cataloged by parish (see Jamaica/Jurisdictions).

Historical Background
Anglicanism was introduced by the British in 1664. The first church was built on the spot of the Spanish Church of the Red Cross in Spanish Town, and is the oldest Anglican cathedral outside of the British Isles and the oldest place of continuous worship in the western hemisphere. By the early nineteenth century, abolitionism had propelled other denominations to the forefront, and threatened the established Anglican church. Thus, in 1824, the Diocese of Jamaica, which also included Belize and the Bahamas, was established. In 1861, the Bahamas became a separate diocese, and, in 1891, the same happened to Belize. During the 1960s, the Cayman Islands were added, and, in 2001, the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Jamaica & the Cayman Islands.[2] Today, the diocese is part of the Church in the Province of the West Indies.[