New York, Buffalo, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Buffalo, New York. Only burial records go beyond the 1950s. This collection is being published as images become available.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism
 * Name of person being baptized (usually a child)
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Baptism date and place
 * Names of sponsors
 * May include the names of witnesses

Confirmation
 * Name of person being confirmed
 * Confirmation date
 * May include marital status and titles
 * May include the names of witnesses

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Death and burial dates
 * May include age
 * May include marital status and titles
 * May include the names of witnesses

Marriage
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * May include marital status and titles
 * May include the names of witnesses

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The ancestor’s name
 * The approximate date of the event such as the baptism or marriage

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information in the record. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Baptisms are an excellent substitute for civil birth records
 * Use marriage records to confirm the marriage date and place
 * Use church records in general to identify other family members who may have served as sponsors or witnesses
 * Use the date of the event along with the locality to find the family in census records and land records
 * Church records are considered a primary source and are an excellent substitute for civil records. They are usually reliable because they are kept by the minister, or a clerk appointed by the minister, usually recorded an event at or very near the time it occurred
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents
 * If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents
 * Continue to search the records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were in the congregation
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names
 * Check the records of other congregations and other religious denominations in the area or nearby communities. It is common for families to switch or to be divided into different religious groups. For information on other Episcopal parishes in the diocese, contact the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York Archives
 * Check with local genealogical and historical societies to see if they have indexed local church records
 * Consult the New York Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Saint Paul Episcopal Church records, 1812-1970.
 * Saint Paul Episcopal Church Records, 1812-1899
 * Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church Records, 1888-1911
 * Epiphany Episcopal Church Records, 1906-1929
 * Saint Simon's Episcopal Church Records, 1904-1917
 * Saint Jude's Episcopal Church Records, 1895-1918
 * All Saints Episcopal Church Records, 1891-1950
 * Grace Episcopal Church Records, 1824-1924
 * Trinity Episcopal Church Records, 1837-1953
 * Christ Episcopal Church Records, 1880-1884
 * Saint Thomas Episcopal Church Records, 1885-1953
 * Saint John's Episcopal Church Records, 1845-1935
 * Saint James Episcopal Church Records, 1856-1931
 * Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church Records, 1891-1916
 * Saint Luke's Episcopal Church Records,1857-1940
 * Saint Peter's Free Episcopal Church Records, 1872-1950
 * Episcopal Church Extension Society Hospital Church Records, 1921-1942
 * Riverside Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1877-1921
 * Saint Clement Episcopal Church Records, 1893-1939
 * Saint Mary's on-the-hill Episcopal Church

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Historical Records Survey, Service Division, Work Projects Administration. Guide to vital statistics records of churches in New York state, exclusive of New York City 2 volumes. Albany, New York : Historical Records Survey (New York), 1942
 * William Stevens Perry, The history of the American Episcopal Church, 1587-1883 2 volumes. Boston, Massachusetts : James R. Osgood, 1885

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.