Thursday, August 16, 2012

CHURCH RECORDS

Never under estimate the value of church records.  Don't be afraid to go looking for them.

The Archdiocese of Boston has a wonderful archive.  They are very helpful.  Twice now I have emailed them and they have very quickly responded with the information.  It does help to have as much information as possible.  You should be able to provide them with the date of marriage, the town, and the priest.  All of this information is in the town records.  This will help them to locate the church they were married in.  Here is the link to their website:

I had been researching a Carroll family in Iowa for the longest time.  I suspected that they were the long lost relatives I had been seeking but I couldn't prove it.  I emailed the church and they very graciously provided me with the little amount of information they had.  It was not a lot but it was enough to prove they were the relatives I was looking for.  The Godfather on the only baptismal record they could find was that of my grandmother's sisters husband.  The link I was looking for.

Baptismal sponsors and marriage witnesses can be relatives you didn't even know that you had!