New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922

These records are from the New England Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History and include baptism, marriage, death, membership, and other religious records from congregations throughout New England. See the browse feature on this collection to identify which congregations are included.

Baptisms (sometimes listed as christenings) typically include the name of the child, parents’ names, baptism date, mode of baptism, and by whom baptized. In some cases the birth date is noted as well. In some registers of children baptized, you may find family groups being baptized together. An infant baptism can be a clue that that member had been in the congregation for all of his or her life, whereas later christenings could indicate the family had more recently joined the congregation.

Marriage records include the marriage date, the couple’s names, residences, and the name of the officiant. Ages and remarks were sometimes recorded as well.

Death records typically included the name of the deceased, date of death, date and place of the funeral, and officiating minister. There are also some funeral records that, in addition to listing the name of the deceased and date of death, can include the cause of death and burial date and place.

Within the collection you may also find membership records, with some listing the names and dates of admission and how they were received into the church (e.g., baptism, certificate/transfer from another church, or other, which could indicate a transfer from another denomination). There are also some registers of church officials that can include dates of service.