Massachusetts Church Records

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Historical Background
Before 1900 the major religious groups in Massachusetts were:


 * Congregationalists
 * Roman Catholics
 * Baptists
 * Methodists
 * Episcopalians

Massachusetts was founded and settled by Brownist Puritans in 1620, and soon after by other groups of Separatists/Dissenters, Nonconformists and Independents from 17th century England. A majority of people in Massachusetts today remain Christians. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the various Congregational churches, the United Church of Christ and congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association, long located on Beacon Hill, is now located in South Boston. Many Puritan descendants also dispersed to other Protestant denominations.

Today, Christians make up 57% of the state's population, with Protestants making up 21% of them. Roman Catholics make up 34% and now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Catholic countries and regions—chiefly Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Quebec, and Latin America. The Association of Religion Data Archives, (ARDA) the largest single denominations are the Catholic Church with 2,940,199 adherents; the United Church of Christ with 86,639 adherents; and the Episcopal Church with 81,999 adherents.

Information Found in the Records
To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Look for online records.
'''Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

FamilySearch

 * 1630-1943 -, index and some images, incomplete
 * 1639-1915 - Index only.
 * 1695-1910 - Index only.
 * 1795-1910 - Index.

Ancestry.com

 * 1700-1850 - Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850, ($), index and images.
 * 1620-1988 - Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 ($)
 * 1633--1850 - Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850 ($)
 * before 1699 - American Marriages Before 1699 ($)
 * before 1700 - U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 ($)
 * before 1800 - Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, Vol. I($) Other digital versions:Genealogy Today, Internet Archive, World Vital Records ($)
 * 1620-1988 - Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 ($)

FindMyPast

 * 1600-1961 - United States Marriages – Massachusetts, 1600-1961 ($) index and images
 * 1600-1961 - United States Marriages – Massachusetts, 1600-1961 ($) index and images

Other Collections

 * Dunham-Wilcox-Trott-Kirk indexes church, cemetery, probate and other early New England, New York and New Jersey records with links to abstracts of the records.

Catholic

 * Archdiocese of Boston Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 Online Indexed on Ancestry.com, ($)

Congregational

 * Online Congregational Church Records, images

Dutch Reformed

 * U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1856-1970 - U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Lutheran

 * 1800-1947 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, index and images, incomplete.($)

Methodist

 * All New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922, index and images, incomplete. ($)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog.

 * The Family History Library (FHL) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
 * Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
 * If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?
 * 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 United States, Massachusetts.
 * b. Click on Places within United States, Massachusetts and a list of counties will appear.
 * c. Click on your county if it appears.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Click on Places within United States, Massachusetts [COUNTY] and a list of towns will appear.
 * f. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * g. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * h. 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.

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Consult available finding aids.
These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.
 * Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records: a list of the churches in each town, the date of organization, kinds of records kept, years covered, and condition of the records as of 1889

Correspond with or visit the actual churches.
Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
 * Make an appointment to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
 * To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
 * Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
 * A donation ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
 * If the church has a website, you may be able to e-mail a message.
 * See the Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
 * Each denomination page offers an online address directory of local churches for that denomination.

Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.
Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. Some archives provide research services for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher. '''Here you will find archive information unique to the state. Many more archives are kept by denomination. For denominational archives, go to  Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

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Congregational
The Congregational Library 14 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108 Phone: (617) 523–0470 Fax: (617) 523–0491 E-mail: [mailto:jsteytler@14beacon.org jsteytler@14beacon.org ]
 * Online Congregational Church Records, images
 * Finding Aids for Massachusetts Records

Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rhode Island Historical Society 121 Hope Street Providence, RI 02906 Phone: (401) 273–8107 Fax: (401) 751–7930
 * Guide to the Records of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in New England

Methodist
Boston University School of Theology Library 745 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215 Phone: (617) 353–3034 Fax: (617) 358–0699
 * Inventory of Methodist Church Records for Massachusetts
 * All New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922 Online, index and images, incomplete. ($)

Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Boston Archives 66 Brooks Drive Braintree, MA 02184-3839 Phone: (617) 254-0100 "Researchers may contact the archive and request one of our staff members conduct research for them. There is a fee for this service which will depend on the number of records requested, how much detail is provided, and other factors.  A quote will be provided prior to commencing any research." The Archdiocese includes the counties of: Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk
 * Genealogy Guide
 * Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 Online Indexed on Ancestry.com, ($)
 * Holdings:
 * Boston (Proper & Neighborhoods)
 * Cities/Towns, A-G
 * Cities/Towns, H-Z

Diocese of Fall River Archives 362 Highland Avenue P.O. Box 2577 Fall River, MA 02722 Phone: (508) 675-1311 Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Fall River Diocese. Requests for baptism, confirmation or marriage records must be made to the parish where the sacrament took place. The sacramental records from parishes that have been closed or merged become the property and responsibility of the parish to which the former parish was joined or of the new parish community formed in the merger. The diocese includes the counties of: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes and Nantucket
 * Location of Records for Closed or Merged Parishes

Diocese of Springfield 65 Elliott St. P.O. Box 1730 Springfield, MA 01102 Phone: (413) 732-3175 Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Springfield Diocese. The diocese includes the counties of: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire
 * Location of Records for Closed or Merged Parishes

Diocese of Worcester 49 Elm Street Worcester, MA 01609 Phone: (508) 791-7171 Sacramental records are kept and maintained at the parish where the particular sacrament was celebrated. These records are not centralized in the Springfield Diocese. The diocese includes the county of: Worcester

Unitarian/Universalist
Andover-Harvard Theological Library Harvard Divinity School 45 Francis Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone: (617) 495–5788 Fax: (617) 496–4111
 * Manuscripts and Archives Click on "Unitarian Universalist Congregational Records". Then scroll down to "Massachusetts".

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.
Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:
 * Society Hill List of Massachusetts Societies

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor
You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:
 * name, including middle name and maiden name
 * names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
 * exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
 * names and approximate birthdates of children
 * all known places of residence
 * occupations
 * military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.