Struggling to determine an ancestor’s church affiliation? Have you checked the tax records?

Connecticut had an establishment or state church until 1818. That meant many Connecticut residents – but not all – were Congregationalist by default. Yet, the Baptist and Episcopal Churches had a foothold in the state well prior to 1818.

How do you determine which of the denominations your ancestor attended? While it is possible to review the records of all churches in their area, you may also want to check the tax records for a hint. Beginning in October 1791, “dissenters” were allowed to file a record with the clerk of the ecclesiastical society indicating that they were attending a dissenting church. This allowed them to be exempted from payment of taxes going towards the support of the Congregational Church. Since those taxes were generally administered by the town government, the exemption is often noted in town records – along with the name of the church they were actually attending.