Pennsylvania, Church Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
In this collection there are many more records besides the marriage records, none of which are indexed. Many of these churches were from Germany so the earliest records are in German. Some of the following are records you may find. To find them look at the coverage table with this article.


 * Baptism
 * Confirmation
 * Communicants
 * Burials
 * Indexes of records, with explanations of records


 * Church histories
 * Biographies of ministers
 * Family ancestor charts
 * List of indentured servants
 * Some records from Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and Illinois

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images to selected marriage records for the years 1682 to 1976 from various churches in Pennsylvania. The records may also contain other types of records as well as marriages. Some of the records are in German. For help reading them, see the following wiki articles:

Reading These Records
Some of these records are written in German. For help reading them see:
 * German Word List
 * German Language and Languages

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

Marriage
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Marriage place and date
 * Birthplaces and dates of the bride and groom
 * Residences of the bride and groom
 * Previous spouse, if any


 * Ages
 * Race
 * Parents’ names
 * Name of the officiator
 * Names of witnesses

Baptisms
 * Name of child
 * Name of parents
 * birth and baptism dates
 * Place of ordinances
 * Sponsors

Burials
 * Name
 * Date of death and burial
 * Places
 * Age
 * Relationships

Inventory
An inventory listing the contents of each film/digital folder in this collection can be found at Pennsylvania, Church Marriages - Inventory.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of 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.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find other vital records such as birth and death
 * Use the information to find additional family members in census records
 * Search church records for additional information
 * Search land and probate records

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Pennsylvania Guided Research
 * Pennsylvania Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Pennsylvania Research, 1880-Present
 * United States Church Records

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson, CG, How to find your family history in U.S. church records: a genealogist's guide Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 2019 FS Library 973 K27m
 * Historical Records Survey, Inventory of church archives in Pennsylvania

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.