View source for New Hampshire Church Records

{{NH-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
| link2=[[United States Church Records|U.S. Church Records]]
| link3=[[New Hampshire, United States Genealogy|New Hampshire]]
| link4=
| link5=[[New Hampshire Church Records|Church Records]]
}}

Church records, and the information they provide, vary greatly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation such as age, date of baptism, christening or birth, marriage information and maiden name, death date and burial, and admissions and removals. Since your ancestors may have changed their religious affiliations during the years, several denomination records may need to be searched. 

[http://dunhamwilcox.net/ Dunham-Wilcox-Trott-Kirk] indexes church, cemetery, probate and other early New England, New York and New Jersey records with links to abstracts of the records.

Before 1900 the largest religious denominations in [[New Hampshire Genealogy|New Hampshire]] were the Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches. In early New Hampshire, the Congregational church predominated. 

*Lawrence, Robert F. ''The New Hampshire Churches''. N.p.: Claremont Manufacturing, 1856. ({{FHL|289862|title-id|disp=Family History Library book 974.2 K2L; fiche 6046841}}.) This source comprises histories of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in the state, with notices of other denominations. Included are names of ministers and dates of service. It also contains many interesting incidents connected with the first settlement of towns. The records are arranged by county and then towns within a county. 
*Carter, Nathan Franklin. ''The Native Ministry of New Hampshire''. Concord, N.H.: Rumford Printing, 1906. ({{FHL|160894|title-id|disp=Family History Library book 974.2 D3c}}.) This book contains biographies of native-born clergy of the Protestant denominations. It often mentions the minister’s name as well as the names of his parents and spouse. It is well indexed. <br> 
*Copeley, William. “Church Records at the New Hampshire Historical Society,” ''Historical New Hampshire'' 39 (Fall/Winter 1984): 151–59. ({{FHL|1258121|title-id|disp=Family History Library book 974.2 H25h}}.) This periodical contains articles of historical interest as well as articles about the families.

Over 160 individual congregations of Congregational, Baptist, Freewill Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Universalist, and other churches have sent their church records, 1700s through the 1900s, to the New Hampshire Historical Society. The [http://nhhistory.library.net/ Historical Society's catalog] is available online. To see which church records, or books about the churches, are available, type in the name of the town or city, plus the word church. 

You may also contact the following repositories to locate church records: 

=== Baptist  ===

<br>[http://abcvnh.org/ American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire ]<br>P.O. Box 1206 <br>Lebanon, NH 03766 <br>Phone: (603) 643-4201 <br>Fax: (603) 228-6129 

They have a quarterly newsletter of the Baptist churches in New Hampshire 

[http://www.abhsarchives.org/ American Baptist Historical Society ]<br>3001 Mercer University Dr. <br>Atlanta, GA 30341 <br>Phone: (678) 547-6680 

This society has some Baptist church records from New Hampshire. 

For a history of the Baptist Church, see: 

Hurlin, William. ''The Baptists of New Hampshire''. Manchester, N.H.: New Hampshire Baptist Convention, 1902. ({{FHL|291111|title-id|disp=FHL film 1697589 item 8}}.) 

=== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)  ===

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for&nbsp;New Hampshire&nbsp;Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog FamilySearch Catalog] . Or by referring to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. {{FHL|129780|item|disp=FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507}}. These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films. 

=== Congregational  ===

[http://www.14beacon.org/ United Church of Christ, New Hampshire Conference]<br>314 S. Main St.<br>Concord, NH 03301<br>Phone: (603) 225-6647 

Many older Congregational church records of congregations no longer active are at the New Hampshire Historical Society. 

=== Episcopal  ===

[http://www.nhepiscopal.org/ The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire]<br>63 Green St.<br>Concord, NH 03301<br>Phone: (603) 224-1914 

The diocesan archives at the above address has records of churches that have closed. It also contains bishops’ official acts, such as confirmation records. The New Hampshire Historical Society has the church records of several New Hampshire Episcopalian congregations, which are held in the archives. 

=== Methodist  ===

[http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1353935/k.4713/Our_mission_is_to_make_disciples_of_Jesus_Christ_for_the_transformation_of_the_world.htm United Methodist Church], Conference Office<br>62 Government Street<br>Kittery, ME 03904-1563<br>Phone: (207) 439-9686<br>Email: [mailto:stmarks.me@compuserve.com stmarks.me@compuserve.com] 

Some of the records of the older Methodist congregations have been deposited at: 

[http://www.bu.edu/academics/sth/school-of-theology-resources/ School of Theology Library]<br>745 Commonwealth Ave.<br>Boston, MA 02215<br>Telephone: (617) 353-3034<br>Fax: (617) 353-3061 

=== Presbyterian  ===

[http://www.history.pcusa.org/ Presbyterian Historical Society]<br>425 Lombard St.<br>Philadelphia, PA 19147<br>Phone: (215) 627-1852 

The New Hampshire Historical Society has Presbyterian records for Antrim, Bedford, Chester, Derry, Hampton, Londonderry, Pembroke, and Seabrook. 

=== Roman Catholic  ===

[http://www.catholicnh.org/search-results/?q= Diocese of Manchester]<br>153 Ash Street<br>P.O. Box 310<br>Manchester, NH 03105<br>Phone: (603) 669-3100<br>Fax: (603) 669-0377 

Many Catholic marriage and baptismal records have been published, particularly for larger parishes. The New Hampshire Historical Society and the American-Canadian Genealogical Society have the best collections. 

For help in locating records of the Roman Catholic church that existed in 1938, see: 

Historical Records Survey. ''Inventory of the Roman Catholic Church Records in New Hampshire''. Manchester, New Hampshire: Diocese of Manchester, 1938. ({{FHL|289971|title-id|disp=Family History Librarybook 974.2 K2hs}}.) 

The diocese includes the counties of: [[Belknap County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Belknap]], [[Carroll County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Carroll]], [[Cheshire County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Cheshire]], [[Coos County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Coös]], [[Grafton County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Grafton]], [[Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Hillsborough]], [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Merrimack]], [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Rockingham]], [[Strafford County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Strafford]] and [[Sullivan County, New Hampshire Genealogy|Sullivan]]

=== Society of Friends (Quakers)  ===

[http://www.rihs.org/ Rhode Island Historical Society Library]<br>121 Hope St.<br>Providence, RI 02906<br>Phone: (401) 331-8575<br> 

'''Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:''' 

*[[New Hampshire Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)]] 
*[[New Hampshire Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]<br>

{{New_Hampshire|New_Hampshire}}{{USChurch}}[[Category:New Hampshire, United States|Church]] [[Category:U_S_States_Church_records]]