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Presented By:

DeAnne Shelley

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Let’s look at the history of Church Records…

1538 – English Parliament required church records for christenings, marriages, and burialsTherefore, we must remember that America was a colony of the British Empire

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1641: Virginia

1715: North Carolina

1706: South Carolina

1752: Georgia

1697: New York

The Church of England was not a popular church with the people of the colonies.

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After the Revolutionary War, the Church of England was

disestablished:1776: Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York1777: Virginia and North Carolina1789: Georgia1790: South Carolina

In 1783, group of Episcopal churches met and adopted the name

“Protestant Episcopal Church” (PE Church)

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The Congregational religion was the state religion in New England until as

late as 1833.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut were all

congregational areas.

Massachusetts revoked its charter of colonial times.

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Three Religion Movements from Europe:Lutheranism

CalvinismAna-baptism

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Lutheranism•The State religion in:

GermanyNorwayDenmarkSweden

•Churches were established in:PennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkMaryland

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Amish-Mennonite originally settled in Pennsylvania, but moved later into:

IndianaOhioNebraskaIllinoisCanada

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The Methodists arrived from Ireland in 1760.

Moravians date back to 1457, being first formed in Bohemia. In 1734, they arrived in Pennsylvania and

then went to Georgia.

A group formed settlements at Salem.

Their present headquarters are in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Good

membership records.

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Presbyterianism

In the U.S., began outside of New England.

Maryland was organized in 1684.

Very good records.

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The people known as the Quakers or the Society of Friends have one of the most interesting stories to be

told in the religious history of America.

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In 1657, they landed in Virginia, where the law suppressed activity.

The first meetings were held in Rhode Island, and then Rhode Island

outlawed them.

Then Baltimore, Maryland was organized followed by Virginia and

North Carolina, and then persecution ended in New England.

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By 1760, 30,000 Quakers were in the colonies.

By mid-1800 there was a separation of Hicksite and Orthodox movement.

Certificates of removal are very helpful to research.

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Church Records are the best source for:•Birth

The Internet has made them more accessible now than ever

before.

•Marriage

•Death

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There are two types of churches:•State Churches

•Free Churches•BaptistsBaptists

•MethodistsMethodists

•LDSLDS

etc.,etc.,

CatholicCatholic

MexicoMexico

Church of Church of EnglandEngland

British British IslesIsles

LutheranLutheran

ScandinaviScandinaviaa

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Types of Church Records:Types of Church Records:

•Baptism and Christening

•Marriage

•Confirmation

•Membership

•Deaths or burial

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Other Types of Church Records:•Consent notices

•Bonds (NC and SC)•Intentions

•Proclamations•Letters of transfer

•Banns

•Removals •Bar Mitzvah

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Locating Church Records

How to find records if the Church is still in the area:

1.Write to ecclesiastical head of the church

2.Check the FHLC

3.Check city directory

4.Check the Internet

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Locating Church Records

How to find records if How to find records if the Church is the Church is no no longerlonger in the area: in the area:

•Contact nearest historical society

•Check to see if church has a central archive•Check the FHLC

•Check the Internet

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Locating Church Records

How to determine church affiliation:

• Where are they now?

• What country did they come from?• What churches are in the area?

Remember… frontier families went to the closest church.

• Check the county history

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“Double Dating”

Example:

11/22 Feb. 1731/32

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Julian Calendar

•Combined lunar and solar time•By 1582, he was off 10 days

So…

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Pope Gregory XIII

•In 1582, the 4th of October was to be followed by 15 October 1582

•In 400 years, there would be an error of 3 days, so there would not be a February 29th if the year ended in two 0’s and the first two numbers could not be evenly divided by 4

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Not all countries accepted the Gregorian Calendar at the same time…

•England and the U.S. colonies waited until 1752

•By then, their calendar was off 11 days

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George Washington was born 11 Feb. 1731, but we recognize the date as 22 Feb. 1732.

Why?

When he was born in 1731, the government went by the old calendar, which started with March 25. They said there was over a month of 1731 left before 1732 began.

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However, when January became the first official month, it meant that the 11 Feb. (or 22 Feb) was in 1732.So double dating began, which means:•Two children can be born into the same family on 1 April 1720 and 22 March 1720•A man can die in October 1692 and have his will probated in February 1692

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Let’s look at some Quaker Records…Let’s look at some Quaker Records…

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The Repositories of American Church Records are shown in

the enclosed handout.

The Repositories of American Church Records are shown in

the enclosed handout.