church records – Connecticut Roots by Charter Oak Genealogy

Connecticut Congregational Church Records

Because the Congregational Church was the “state church” of Connecticut until the Constitution of 1818, many Connecticut ancestors were Congregational by default. As a result, Congregational Church records should be part of your search. In the early 20th century, the Connecticut State Library began a project to preserve church records. They asked churches to submitContinue reading “Connecticut Congregational Church Records”

I can’t find a Connecticut birth record. Where do I look next?

Connecticut required vital records beginning in the 1640s on the town level and on the state level beginning on 1 July 1897. Yet, for some families, you may not find birth records until the 1910s. Where do you look next? Church records. Connecticut had a state church until 1818, so many colonial families were CongregationalContinue reading “I can’t find a Connecticut birth record. Where do I look next?”

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

What is the Connecticut Church Record Abstract Collection and how can it help my research?

Until 1818, the Congregational Church was the establishment or state church of Connecticut. As a result, many families were members by default. Congregational Church records can provide substitute records of birth, marriage, and death. In the early 1900s, the Connecticut State Library began to collect copies of the state’s church records to ensure their preservation.Continue reading “What is the Connecticut Church Record Abstract Collection and how can it help my research?”