Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This information pertains to church records created 1840-1930.

Record Description
Entries are recorded in register books in columns or in paragraphs without columns.

Record Content
Genealogical information in church birth and christening records includes:


 * Birth and christening dates and places
 * Names of parents and children, witnesses, and godparents

Genealogical information in church confirmation records includes:


 * Names of parents and children
 * Birth and christening dates and places
 * Ages of children confirmed

Genealogical information in church death and burial records includes:


 * Names of persons and their parents, spouses, and children
 * Birth, death, and burial dates and places
 * Ages of persons
 * Places of residence

Genealogical information in church marriage records includes:


 * Names of husbands and wives, parents, and witnesses
 * Birth, marriage, and divorce dates and places
 * Ages of husbands and wives
 * Places of residence

How to Use the Records
Compare the information you find in the probate records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine which record is about your ancestor. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use christening and birth records of christenings (baptisms) to identify a person’s birth date and place. They are an excellent substitute for civil birth information.
 * Use church records of confirmations to identify a person’s birth date and place or his or her age. If only the age is given, use it to calculate the person’s birth date.
 * Use church records of deaths or burials to identify a person’s birth date and place.
 * Use age at death or burial to calculate a person’s birth date. They are an excellent substitute for civil death information.
 * Use church records of marriages to identify a couple, the marriage date and place, and to begin compiling a family group. They are an excellent substitute for civil marriage information.

Collection History
Church records in the United States began in the early 1600s. They can be found in the churches, church archives, or university archives. They normally records christenings, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. An infant’s christening usually took place within a few days or few weeks of the birth, depending on the religion. Some churches, such as the Baptists, only baptized adults instead of infants. Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints blessed their infants when they were a few weeks or a few months old. Many religions tested the church knowledge of those that had been baptized as infants and then confirmed them a member of that religion. Frequently, a person’s age at confirmation was between 14 and 20. Church records in Ohio cover about 33% of the population.

Why this Record Was Created
To know who were members, churches were required to record the date a person was baptized into the Christian religion. Many churches recorded the date of birth along with the date of baptism. Churches were also required to record the burial and marriage dates of the members of the local congregation. Only some churches performed confirmations and were required to record the names of those that were confirmed members of the church.

Collection Reliability
To know who were members, churches were required to record the date a person was baptized into the Christian religion. Many churches recorded the date of birth along with the date of baptism. Churches were also required to record the burial and marriage dates of the members of the local congregation. Only some churches performed confirmations and were required to record the names of those that were confirmed members of the church.

Known Issues with This Collection
Problem: Why isn't Oak Harbor (St. Boniface Parish) listed in Ottawa County with other City/Town/Village?

Answer: Oak Harbor and subsequently St. Boniface Parish is listed in Toledo under City/Town/Village of Ottawa County. This is a known issue and will be corrected in a future rework of this collection.

Related Web Sites
Catholic Diocese of Toledo

Related Wiki Articles
More information about church records can be found at:


 * Ohio Church Records
 * United States Church Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
"Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004." index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 29 April 2011). entry for Mary Mullen, died Oct 11, 1926; citing Church Records, Henry, Napoleon, St. Augustine, 1926-2001 Deaths, image 1, number 1: Catholic diocese of Teledo, Toledo, Ohio.

Sources of Information for this Collection
"Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004", images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from Catholic Diocese of Toledo, Toledo. FHL Microfilm, 228 rolls, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.