Selected Church and Religious Genealogical Resources
This bibliography contains broad, general resources (international, national, or statewide) for locating and using church or religious records. Some general sources on the history of various faiths are also included as background information. All of the books and CD-ROMs listed below are available in the Genealogy Division unless otherwise stated; microfilm and microfiche materials are all located on the second floor of the Indiana State Library. Items that begin with "p.f." are located in file cabinets within the Genealogy Division. The Genealogy Division collection also contains thousands of church or religious records from specific churches, parishes, counties, towns, etc., which are too numerous to list here, but which may be found by using the online catalog.
| Amish/Mennonite | Baptist | Episcopal/Anglican |
| Huguenot | Jewish | Latter-Day Saints / Mormon |
| Lutheran | Methodist | Presbyterian |
| Quaker | Roman Catholic |
Print Sources
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 929.102 M547d |
Davis, Richard Warren. Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners: (An Aid to Mennonite Family Research). Provo, UT: R.W. Davis, 1995. This three volume set contains predominantly Swiss and German Mennonite genealogies. |
| 929.102 A516g |
Gingerich, Hugh F., and Kreider, Rachel W. Amish and Amish Mennonite Genealogies. Gordonville, PA: Pequea Publishers, 1986. This title concentrates on families after their immigration to the United States. |
| 929.13 P163pa |
Guth, Hermann, Guth, Gertrud, Lemar, J., and Mast, Lois Ann. Palatine Mennonite Census Lists, 1664-1793. Elverson, PA: Mennonite Family History, 1987. |
| 929.102 M547ha |
Haury, David A. Index to Mennonite Immigrants on United States Passenger Lists, 1872-1904. North Newton, KS: Mennonite Library and Archives, 1986. |
| 929.102 M547mf (Periodical) |
Mennonite Family History. Elverson, PA: Mennonite Family History, 1982-present. This is a quarterly magazine. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyndi's List, Mennonite and Amish Genealogy and Records | This web site contains approximately 100 links related to Amish and Mennonite genealogy. |
| Menno-Hof | Menno-Hof is a non-profit information center in Shipshewana, IN, that teaches visitors about the faith and life of Amish and Mennonites. |
| Mennonite Church Archives | This website contains links to Mennonite archives at Goshen College (IN) and Bethel College (KS), the Mennonite Historical Bulletin, and Mennonite obituaries. |
| Mennonite Historian | This is the website for the magazine Mennonite Historian, published in Canada. A genealogy column appears in each issue. All back issues are available online. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Baptist Collections and Depositories | Links to libraries and institutions nationwide with collections of Baptist materials. |
| Baptist Roots | Home page for Baptist Church genealogical and history sources, including approximately 40 links to email lists, depositories and collections, online records and archives, Baptist history, research outlines, publications and periodicals. |
| Cyndi's List, Baptist Records and Genealogy | This web site contains approximately 70 links related to Baptist genealogy. |
| Southern Baptist Historical Society and Archives | The Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives in Nashville, TN is a worldwide center for the study of Baptist history. Church records are included in its collection. |
Print Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 16.92912 S813n 1976 |
Steel, D.J. National Index of Parish Registers. London: Phillimore. Volume I is entitled General Sources of Births, Marriages, and Deaths Before 1837 (1976). Volume II is entitled Sources for Nonconformist Genealogy and Family History, concerning Protestant Nonconformists (1973). Volume V is entitled South Midlands and Welsh Border, comprising Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire (1966). Volume XII is entitled Sources for Scottish Genealogy and Family History (1970). |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Archives of the Episcopal Church (USA) | This web site describes genealogical research in records of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. |
| FamilyRecords.gov.uk | Official government web site for locating family records in the United Kingdom. |
| Lambeth Palace Library (UK) | The Lambeth Palace Library in London holds available colonial-era Church of England (Anglican) records through 1789. |
| Parish Finder | Searchable database of Episcopal parishes worldwide. |
Print Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 929.141 B163h 1973 |
Baird, Charles Washington. History of the Huguenot Emigration to America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1973. |
| 929.141 B447sc |
Bellon, Eugen. Scattered to All the Winds (1685-1720): Migrations of the Dauphine French Huguenots into Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. West Lafayette, IN: Belle Publications, 1983. |
| 929.141 F514r |
Finnell, Arthur Louis. Register of Qualified Huguenot Ancestors of the National Huguenot Society. 4th ed. Bloomington, MN: National Huguenot Society, 1995. |
| 929.141 F831h |
Franklin, Charles M. Huguenot Genealogical Research. [Indianapolis, Ind.?]: C.M. Franklin, 1985. |
| 929.141 H896 |
Gannon, Peter Steven. Huguenot Refugees in the Settling of Colonial America. New York: The Huguenot Society of America, 1985. |
| 975.5 H897 Index |
Goree, Langston James, and Janice Curtis Pampell. Master Index to the Huguenot (the Biennial Publications of the Huguenot Society, Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia), and Index to Vestry Book of King William Parish, Virginia, 1707-1750. Bryan, TX: Family History Foundation, 1986. |
| 929.141 L335h 1973 |
Lart, Charles Edmund. Huguenot Pedigrees. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1973. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyndi's List, Huguenot Genealogy and Records | This web site contains over 100 links related to Huguenot genealogy. |
| GenealogyForum.com, Huguenot Bibliography | Extensive Huguenot reading list. |
| Huguenot Genealogical Publications | A selected list of publications of the National Society for Huguenot Genealogical Research. |
| Huguenot History | Extensive bibliography on Huguenot history, sponsored by the National Huguenot Society. |
| Qualified Huguenot Ancestors | List of ancestors recognized by the National Huguenot Society. |
Family Tree Maker CD-ROM:
| Disc Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 600 | Immigrant Histories: Huguenot Settlers in North America and Europe, 1600s-1900s This CD-ROM contains the full text of 16 Huguenot reference books published by the Genealogical Publishing Co. A list of its contents may be viewed by clicking here. |
Print/Microform Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| E184.35 .D55 2004 |
Diner, Hasia R. The Jews of the United States, 1645-2000. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004. Please see a librarian to request this title. |
| 929.102 J59e |
Kurzweiil, Arthur, and Weiner, Miriam. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy. Volume I: Sources in the United States and Canada. Northvale, NJ: J. Aronson, 1991. A directory of secular and religious sources for Jewish genealogy research. |
| Microfiche LH13508 |
Levinger, Lee J. A History of the Jews in the United States [microform]. Cincinnati, OH: Dept. of Synagogue and School Extension of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1931. |
| 929.102 J59b |
Benjamin and Vladka Meed Registry of Jewish Holocaust Survivors 2000. Washington, DC: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2000. This four volume set contains listings of Holocaust survivors alphabetically by name, listed by place of birth and town before the war, and listed by location during the Holocaust. |
| 929 S839a 1972 |
Stern, Malcolm H. Americans of Jewish Descent: Sources of Information for Tracing Their Genealogy. Washington, DC: National Genealogical Society, 1958. This 10-page booklet briefly summarizes the history of the Jewish people, primarily from medieval Europe to the 20th century United States. |
| 929 S839t |
Stern, Malcolm H. Tracing Your Jewish Roots. Cincinnati, OH: American Jewish Archives, 1977. A brief (15 page) introductory "how-to" guide to Jewish genealogy research. |
| 929.11 S839f 1991 |
Stern, Malcolm H. First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1988. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Ottenheimer Publishers, 1991. See also the link to First American Jewish Families below. |
| Microfiche LH13675 |
Wiernik, Peter. History of the Jews in America [microform]: From the Period of the Discovery of the New World to the Present Time. New York: Jewish Press Publishing Co., 1912. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| American Jewish Archives, Genealogy | The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives is located on the Cincinnati (Ohio) campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. It includes materials of genealogical interest, accepts genealogical queries, and has an online catalog. |
| American Jewish Historical Society, Genealogy | This web site lists some of the genealogical holdings of the American Jewish Historical Society in New York, NY. |
| Center for Jewish History, Family History & Genealogy Institute | The Center for Jewish History Family History & Genealogy Institute in New York, NY includes a research library, fact sheets and research guides, online databases, reference services, and workshops. |
| Cyndi's List, Jewish Records and Genealogy | This web site contains over 100 links related to Jewish genealogy. |
| First American Jewish Families | A searchable digital version of the 1991 third revised edition of Malcolm Stern's First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1988 is available online through the American Jewish Archives. |
| International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies | The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies is an umbrella organization coordinating the activities of over 75 national and local Jewish genealogical societies worldwide. |
| JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy | An affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, JewishGen hosts the JewishGen Discussion Group, the JewishGen Family Finder (a database of 390,000 surnames and towns), the comprehensive directory of InfoFiles, ShtetLinks for over 200 communities, Yizkor Book translations, and databases such as the ShtetlSeeker and All Country Databases. JewishGen's Family Tree of the Jewish People contains data on more than three million people |
| Jewish Genealogy Toolkit | Sponsored by Family Tree magazine, this web site contains links to research tips, organizations, web sites, and resources pertaining to Jewish genealogy. |
Family Tree Maker CD-ROM:
| Disc Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 360 | Russians to America, 1850-1896, Passenger and Immigration Lists This CD-ROM contains passenger list information for approximately 430,000 individuals from Russia, largely those of Jewish heritage. |
Latter-Day Saints/Mormon Resources
Print/Microform Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 929 C561cf |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. From You to Your Ancestors: A Basic Course in Family Exaltation. Salt Lake City, UT: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1978. This "how to" guide is designed for LDS Church members. It may also be of interest to individuals wishing to learn more about the significance of genealogy in the LDS Church, and about its various temple ordinances (endowment, sealing to parents, temple marriage/sealing to spouse, and baptism for the dead). |
| p.f. 929 G326w |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Genealogical Society. Why Genealogy. Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, 1977. This booklet explains the beliefs of LDS Church members as they relate to genealogy. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Family Search | This is the official genealogy web site of the LDS Church. It includes the ability to search the International Genealogical Index, the Ancestral File, the Pedigree Resource File, the Social Security Death Index, the 1880 U.S. Census, the 1881 British Census, the 1881 Canadian census, and user-submitted web sites. It also hosts the Family History Library Catalog, user mailing lists, a Family History Center locator, and allows researchers to upload and share their own research online. |
Lutheran Resources
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | The most commonly used resources are clergy files; microfilm of congregational records, mainly Norwegian, some Swedish, Danish and Midwestern German; and congregational histories. Microfilm may be borrowed (for a fee) by individuals. However, fewer than 10% of congregational records are available on microfilm. |
| Cyndi's List, Lutheran Records and Genealogy | This web site contains over 100 links related to Lutheran genealogy. |
| Lutherans Online Genealogy Exchange | This web site, sponsored by Thrivent Financial, offers a message board and searchable family registry service for those researching their Lutheran ancestors. |
Family Tree Maker CD-ROM:
| Disc Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 130 | Pennsylvania German Church Records, 1729-1870 This data set contains indexed vital and ceremonial records from 12 churches (mostly Lutheran and Reformed) and one cemetery in Pennsylvania German ("Pennsylvania Dutch") country, including Bucks, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and York counties. 91,000 individuals are represented. |
Print/Microform Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 977.2 A673 |
Cammack, Eleanore. Indiana Methodism: A Bibliography of Printed and Archival Holdings in the Archives of DePauw University and Indiana Methodism. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University and the Conferences of Indiana Methodism, 1964. |
| 287.6 W527 (Microfilm) |
Western Christian Advocate. Cincinnati, OH. Holdings: May 2, 1834-December 26, 1900. This weekly newspaper is available on microfilm on the second floor of the Indiana State Library. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyndi's List, Methodist Records and Genealogy | This web site contains over 100 links related to Methodist genealogy. |
| DePauw University, Indiana United Methodist Collection | An online inventory to the contents of the Indiana Methodist Collection at DePauw University. This collection is available on microfilm on the second floor of the Indiana State Library. |
| Researching Your United Methodist Ancestors | Explains what Methodist records may be available from the General Commission on Archives and History. |
Presbyterian Resources Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyndi's List, Presbyterian Genealogy and Records | This web site contains over 50 links related to Presbyterian genealogy. |
| Joseph Wood Evans Special Collections and Archive Center, Hanover College | This special collection and archives, located in Duggan Library of Hanover College, contains local and regional church records and other historical books, manuscripts, and photographs that may be of interest to genealogists. |
Quaker (Society of Friends) Resources
Print Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 929.102 F911be |
Berry, Ellen T. Our Quaker Ancestors: Finding Them in Quaker Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987. A general guide to early American Quaker genealogical research, this book describes the establishment and history of the Religious Society of Friends, patterns of migration and expansion, and how to locate and use Meeting records. |
| 929.102 F911he 1961 |
Heiss, Willard C. A List of All the Friends Meetings That Exist or Ever Have Existed in Indiana, 1807-1955. Indianapolis, IN, 1961. |
| p.f. 929.102 F911 no. 3 |
Heiss, Willard C. "Guide to Research in Quaker Records in the Midwest." Indiana History Bulletin, 39:51-68. Indianapolis, IN. March 1962. This concise guide to structure and practices of Friends Meetings in the Midwest is a valuable introduction for non-Quakers who are researching their Quaker ancestors. |
| 929.102 F911h v. 7 |
Heiss, Willard C. Abstracts of the Records of the Society of Friends in Indiana. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Historical Society, 1970. This six part set contains abstracted Quaker records organized by Meeting, and alphabetically by surname within each Meeting. |
| 16.929102 H473qu |
Heiss, Willard C. Quaker Genealogies: A Selected List of Books. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1985. This bibliography lists over 900 books containing genealogies of Quaker families, organized alphabetically by surname. |
| 929.102 F911hi 1997 |
Hill, Thomas C. Monthly Meetings in North America: A Quaker Index. 4th ed. Cincinnati, OH: Thomas C. Hill, 1997. This index of both active and inactive Meetings provides the current location of records for Meetings that are no longer active. |
| 929.102 F911h 1969 |
Hinshaw, William Wade. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969. This 6 volume set was originally published from 1936 to 1950. Each volume contains a separate surname (only) index. |
| 929.102 F911h Index |
Hinshaw, William Wade. Index to Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999. This is a master every-name index to the entire 6 volume Encyclopedia of American Quaker genealogy. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Ancestry.com, Quaker Records | This article is part of a series that appeared in the March/April 2001 issue of Ancestry Magazine, "Religious Records: A Closer Look." |
| BBC Religion & Ethics, Quakers | This website, sponsored by the British Broadcasting Company, contains information about the Quaker faith, including an introduction, beliefs, worship, history, holy days, and ethics. |
| Cyndi's List, Quaker Records and Genealogy | This web site contains over 100 links related to Quaker genealogy. |
| Glossary of Quaker Terms | A comprehensive list of abbreviations used in Quaker records. |
| Friends Collection and Earlham College Archives | The Friends Collection at Earlham College (Richmond, IN) is one of the largest in the world, containing over 12,000 books and almost as many pamphlets. |
| Index of Indiana Yearly and Western Quarterly Meetings | Lists the information available in the Earlham College Friends Collection pertaining to Indiana Yearly Meetings and Western Yearly Meetings. |
| Quaker Corner | Home page for the Quaker Corner, a repository of Quaker genealogy resources, including the QUAKER-ROOTS email list. |
Family Tree Maker CD-ROM:
| Disc Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 192 | Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, 1740-1930 This CD-ROM contains information on 455,000 individuals from Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, e.g., marriages, deaths, etc., as a single alphabetized list. |
Print Sources:
| Call Number | Title |
|---|---|
| 929 D754g |
Doyle, John Joseph. Genealogical Use of Catholic Records in North America. Genealogical Research in Protestant and Catholic Church Records in Ireland by Donna Hotaling. A List of References for Catholic Research by P. William Filby. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1978. These three articles appear together in a single booklet. |
| 929.11 H924u |
Humling, Virginia. U.S. Catholic Sources: A Diocesan Research Guide. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1995. This valuable guide provides information about each diocese or archdiocese, including its address and telephone number, areas included in the diocese, diocesan histories and newspaper information, and information regarding sacramental records. Many diocesan records have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available through LDS Family History Centers. |
Internet Links:
| Link/Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyndi's List, Catholic Records and Genealogy | This web site contains over 100 links related to Roman Catholic genealogy |
GEN DB 8-30-2013
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