Myanmar Church Records

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

Online Resources and Websites

 * Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal, 1713-1948 The Presidency of Bengal mainly included the states of Bihar and Orissa. At times the Presidency extended to Punjab and most of Northern India. Includes returns from the British colonies of Burma, Malacca and Singapore.
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Myanmar (formerly Burma), index and images, ($)
 * British India Office Births & Baptisms, index
 * British Civil Service Evidence Of Age, index ($)
 * UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Myanmar (formerly Burma), index and images, ($)
 * British India Office Marriages, index ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, index and images, ($)
 * British India Office Deaths & Burials, index ($)
 * UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628-1969, index ($)

Historical Background
'''Time period: 1650-present. Records may exist for the following denominations:''' A large majority of the population practices Buddhism; estimates range from 80% to 89%. According to 2014 Myanmar Census, 87.9% of the population identifies as Buddhists. Christianity is practised by 6.2% of the population, practiced primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Karen people, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas. About four-fifths of the country’s Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention; Roman Catholics make up the remainder.
 * Anglican 1650-
 * Catholic 1662-
 * Baptist 1825-
 * Methodist1865-
 * Adventists 1905-
 * Church of Christ 1910-

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 Myanmar.
 * b. Click on Places within Myanmar 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 French Letter Writing Guide or Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters. English and French are taught extensively in the schools. Or, contact a Burmese translation servoce.

Writing to a Local Parish
Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Myanmar (Burma)

Historical Background
The Catholic Church in Myanmar (also known as Burma) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are around 750,000 Catholics in Burma - approximately 1% of the total population. The country is divided into sixteen dioceses including three archdioceses. Each of the archdioceses is also a metropolitan.

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Myanmar

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Myanmar

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Church of Christ in Myanmar

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Methodist churches in Myanmar

Writing for Records

 * Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Myanmar