India, Madras Diocese Protestant Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths for the church in the Diocese of Madras, Church of South India. The Church of South India was created as a successor to the Church of England after India's independence in 1947. It is a union of the Anglican Church in India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka; the South Indian Methodist Church; and the South Indian United Church. The South Indian United Church was formed by a merger of Congregationalist, Dutch Reformed, and Presbyterian churches in 1908.

The Church of South India is comprised of 24 dioceses in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telegana, and the distrcts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka. The Madras Diocese is one of eight diocese in the state of Tamil Nadu. The other seven are Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Madurai-Ramnad, Thoothukudi-Nazareth, Tirunelveli, Trichy-Tanjore, and Vellore.

For many of the volumes included in this collection the information found in the parish registers was entered by clerk in the diocesan offices from reports submitted by the several parishes. Because of this you may find records from multiple parishes on the same page, or several consecutive pages from the same parish.

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

Baptism
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Given name of child
 * Date of birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ occupations
 * Residence
 * Who performed the baptism

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Previous marital status of bride and groom
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Fathers’ names
 * Names of witnesses
 * Who performed the marriage

Burial
 * Date of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Deceased’s profession
 * Cause of death
 * Who performed the burial

How Do I Search This Collection?
As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as:
 * The person's name
 * Their residence
 * Approximate time of the event

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 it 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?

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in India.
 * India Research Tips and Strategies

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Church of South India, Diocese of Madras, Parish registers, 1743-1990

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.

Índia, Diocese de Madras, Registros da Igreja Protestante (Registros Histórico do FamilySearch)