Virgin Islands US, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

U.S. Virgin Islands

What Is in This Collection?
This Collection will include records from 1765 to 2010. The collection includes birth/baptisms, marriages, and death/burials from Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church, Reformed Dutch Church, Episcopal Church. Also included are other miscellaneous records such as communions, roll of members, license to marry, confirmations, paternity acknowledgments, refuge regulations, letters, finances, pastoral acts, pew rentals, etc.

This collection of church records includes records for several church denominations in St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, and covers the years 1803 to 2010. The Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded by Danes in 1666 on the island of St. Thomas; this was the official church of the Danish West Indies. Since 1917, with the transfer of the Virgin Islands to the United States, Frederick Lutheran Church has been part of the Lutheran Church in America.

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

Baptism
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Name and gender of child
 * Names and ages of parents
 * Names of sponsors/witnesses

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Marital status (condition) of bride and groom
 * Residences of bride and groom
 * Married by banns or license
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiating minister

Death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Last residence of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Cause of death
 * Date of burial
 * Place of burial
 * Officiating priest
 * When and where baptized
 * To whom married
 * Name of slave/plantation owner
 * Disease or cause of death

Burial
 * Date of death
 * Name and age of deceased person
 * Occupation, and last residence of deceased
 * Place of birth
 * Place of burial
 * Legitimate or illegitimate
 * Marital status
 * Name of officiating minister

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The first name of the person
 * The approximate date of the event and place where the event occurred
 * The name of the parents or spouse

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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if if provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname or given name only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States Virgin Islands.
 * U.S. Virgin Islands Record Finder

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.