Church Records in Maryland
presented by E. Jane Thursby
Why are you using church records?
What secular records are available
 What information can be found in church records
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Religious History of Maryland
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William Claiborne establishes the fur trading factory on Kent Island near Bloody Point in 1631
and Anglican services began in 1633
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The Ark and Dove arrives at the mouth of the Potomac River in March 1634 where Catholic
Jesuits take possession of an Indian cabin making it the first church building in Maryland
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In 1639 the first statute was passed proclaiming that “Holy Church with in this Province shall
have all her rights and liberties”
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In 1662 the Provincial Court clarify the 1639 statute as meaning “every church, professing to
believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, is accounted Holy Church here.”
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Several hundred Puritan, Presbyterians or Independents move from Virginia where they found
harsh treatment to Maryland. They start a county named Anne Arundel.
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In 1649, the Provincial Assembly pass the famous “Act concerning religion” which safeguarded
the Protestants; consequently, no person professing to “believe in Jesus Christ shall
henceforth be any ways troubled, molested, or discountenanced for his religion, or free
exercise, thereof.”
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In 1654, the Puritans were dominate and substituted for the Toleration Act a restraint upon the
exercise of religion by those who “professed the Popish religion,” or “those who favored
prelacy.”
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The Proprietary was restored in 1658.
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St. George’s Popular Grove Parish in St. Mary’s County has a strong claim to being the oldest
Protestant Church in Maryland.
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Dating from 1658 to 1662, Presbyterians on the Patuxent—a congregation also claims to be
the oldest Protestant one in the State in continuous existence (after several moves now resides
in Hyattsville). Charles County appears to be the beginning of Presbyterianism in Maryland
and the United States.
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In 1672, the Quaker Maryland Yearly Meeting was organized as the second in America.
Quakers had arrived in Maryland in 1659.
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In 1684, the Quaker’s Third Haven Meeting House was erected in Talbot County and is still in
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existence. The Quakers on West River (Anne Arundel) were strong until the middle of the 18
century.
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In 1691, when Maryland became a royal colony one of the first acts of its legislature was to
pass a law establishing the Church of England and persecuting the Catholics and to some
extent the Puritans.
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The Catholics constitute only one twelfth of the population.
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The Anglican Church divide Maryland 30 parishes
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In 1704 Col. Ninian Beall deed land to the Presbytery of Washington that had beginnings in
1690.
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In 1704, the baptism of children and the saying of mass by a “Popish priest” was made a crime.
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In 1714, the Quakers built a Meeting House at Darley Hall where their graveyard is now on
Harford Road. Because the first St. Paul’s Anglican Church was built on Colgate’s Creek, just
outside the present boundaries of Baltimore, this Meeting House appears to have been the first
religious building within the City’s limits.
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In 1718, Catholics loss their right to vote
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About 1730, German (by language) immigrants began arriving in Maryland for the most part
along the valleys near the Blue Ridge after arriving in Philadelphia; mostly Lutheran but also
Mennonites a congregation near Thurmond of Moravian, some Dunkers and some Catholics.
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In 1733, a Reformed congregation built a church near Creagerstown.
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In 1742, the first Baptist Church in Maryland was organized at Chestnut Ridge.
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In 1747, the first Lutheran Church was organized near by.
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In 1756, the first Reformed Church was organized in Baltimore.
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In 1761, the Presbyterians in Baltimore town tried to raise money for a church but it was
several years before the First Presbyterian Church began.
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In 1763, Methodism arrives in America in Maryland.
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In 1776, the Anglican Church is disestablished
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In 1779, the Vestry act conferred the property of the former State Church to the church
members
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In 1782, the Anglican Church becomes the Protestant Episcopal denomination.
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By 1783, Maryland had 16,000 Catholics, New York has 1500, Pennsylvania 700 and less than
500 in all other states.
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In 1784, the American Methodist Church officially separated from the Anglican Church
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In 1785, the first Baptist Church in Baltimore was organized.
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In 1786, the second Reformed Church was formed and its building is still in existence.
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In 1791, St Mary’s Seminary was founded in Baltimore as the first Catholic Theological
Seminary in English America
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Near the end of the 18 century, New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian) was founded in
Baltimore
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In 1800, the United Brethren in Christ church was formed in Frederick.
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In 1817, the First Independent Christ’s Church was organized and now bears the name of the
First Unitarian Church
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In 1825, Jews and Unitarians gain full political rights in Maryland
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In 1828, the General Eldership of the Church of God, also known as the Winebrennarians, was
formed.
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In 1829, the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation was organized.
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In 1829, Methodist Protestant broke off from the Methodist Episcopal
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In 1830, the Associate Reform Church formed as an independent of the Presbyterian
Congregation. Changed its name to Associate Congregational Church in 1900 when it aligned
with the First Congregational Church.
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In 1845, the Baptist congregations of Maryland became part of the Southern Baptist
Convention and remain there today.
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In 1861, some of the Methodist churches became Southern Methodist.
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In 1865, the First Congregational Church was founded in the State.
Governmental Vital Records Recap:
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Vital records typically include birth, marriage, divorce, and death records.
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Colonial Maryland Marriage Laws and Records
From 1640 to 1776 the General Assembly enacted over a dozen laws regulating marriages and
the recording of them. These acts concerned the freedom of the individual to contract marriage,
the publication of intention to wed, and the identity of the person performing the ceremony. Also
governed by law were the liturgy used in the ceremony, race and relationship of the parties, and
recording of the ceremony.
Beginning in 1640, the province of Maryland required the bride and groom to take an oath
before the county court that they were not apprenticed or under the governance of a parent or
guardian. A 1664 law prohibited marriage between white women and black men. This act
remained in effect for over 300 years, finally being repealed in 1967.
Beginning in 1666, the traditional marriage vows of the Anglican church were required by law.
This law prescribed proper notice of intention to wed before the ceremony could occur. The
county court issued certificates stating that the required notice had been heard or posted, usually
three weeks before the wedding. The Governor and Council could make special dispensation
rescinding the waiting period.
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In State of Maryland, the first vital records were marriage and divorce.
Marriage
o The General Assembly in 1777 required marriage licenses to be obtained from
the clerk of the county court and required marriage by Christian clergy.
o Civil marriages were not permitted until 1963.
o The 1777 law applied only to the marriage of white citizens.
o Not until 1867 did the marriage laws apply to blacks.
o In addition, the publication of banns on three Sundays in the county where the
female resided could be used in lieu of a license.
o An 1890 law provided for the recordation of these marriages by requiring the
ministers to file a certificate with the court clerk who would record the information.
o The provisions for marriage by banns were repealed in 1941 and replaced with a
requirement that all individuals obtain licenses.
o Quakers could marry without a license in accordance with their practices.
Divorce:
o There were no legal divorces in Maryland during the colonial period
o After the Revolutionary War, the power was not conferred upon any of the courts
of justice. Consequently, the General Assembly assumed the role, although there
was no constitutional basis for legislative divorces.
o The legislature continued to grant divorces until prohibition by the Maryland
Constitution of 1851.
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Death Records began in Baltimore City in 1875 to record and tabulate causes of
death and places of burial and in 1898 for the rest of the state and quickly become
implemented
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Modern birth certificates begin in 1875 in Baltimore City and in 1898 for the rest
of the state but remained spotty for all jurisdictions until 1915
Only a few records, available at the Maryland State Archives, are existing
today:
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CHARLES COUNTY COURT (Births, Deaths and Marriages) 1654-1706
KENT COUNTY COURT (Proceedings) 1675-1707
KENT COUNTY COURT (Land Records) 1675-1707
SOMERSET COUNTY COURT (Births, Deaths, and Marriages) 1649-1720
TALBOT COUNTY COURT (Births, Deaths, and Marriages) 1657-1691
Protestant
56%
Baptist
Methodist
Lutheran
Other
Protestant
18%
11%
5%
Christian
Roman
23%
Catholic
Other
Christian
3%
Jewish
Other
Other
3%
Religions
1%
Religions in Maryland
21%
Where to find Church Records:
Types of Records
There are five basic types of religious records which are preserved. Exact titles of these records
will vary, but they basically consist of:
 Administrative Records. These often include minutes of the Board of Trustees, session
minutes, official board minutes, and vestry minutes.
 Vital Records. Usually membership records, registers of births, marriages, deaths, etc. In some
denominations, such information is recorded in the administrative records.
 Financial Records. Usually treasurer's records, account books, and steward's records.
 Miscellaneous Records. Those records unique to a particular denomination, such as Bar
Mitzvah and Bas Mitzvah records, class books, missionary records, or cemetery records.
 Loose Papers or Documents. May be composed of letters, plats, deeds, loose minutes,
receipts, etc.
At the Maryland State Archives:
The Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions draws upon the WPA survey of churches, modern
directories and records already in the custody of the Maryland State Archives to create a
compilation of known churches in Maryland. The current edition of the guide is a prototype for
further revision and new churches are added as found. Information includes the name of the
church, address, denomination, and phone number as available. For church records in the
custody of the Archives, primary access to the collections is through microfilm.
Anglican-Episcopal Parish Records:
All Hallows, Anne Arundel County, 1686-1857
St. James, Anne Arundel County, 1693-1856
All Saints, Calvert County, 1859-1958
St. Paul's, Calvert County, 1841-1846, 1850, 1852-1899, 1901-1937
Christ Church, Calvert County, 1795-1868, 1879-1901
Christ Church, St. Mary's Whitechapel, Caroline County, 1877-1950
Trinity, Cecil County, 1835-1903
Trinity, Charles County, 1830-1850
Great Choptank, Dorchester County, 1790-1829, 1838-1921
Shrewsbury, Kent County, 1699-1909
St. Luke's, Queen Anne's County, 1722, 1729-1759, 1790-1796, 1816-1817, 1820, 1824, 1830,
1845-1846
St. Michael's, Talbot County, 1825-1826, 1831-1885
Other:
Calvary United Methodist Church, Anne Arundel County, 1852-1872, 1892-1916
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Baltimore City, 1882-1908, 1918-1923
St. John's Lutheran Church, Washington County, 1770, 1906-1916, 1920-1922
At the Maryland Historical Society:
Search of their catalog, shows over 100 listing in their Special Collection of churches’ records and
ministers’ records.
NOTE: Local County Libraries, Historical Societies and Genealogical Societies can contain
church records.
RELIGION SPECIFIC SOURCES:
Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archives
Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware, Baptist History Center Library
Carmelite Monastery, Library and Archives
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, College Park Institute of Religion
Columbia Union College, Theofield G. Weis Library
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Saint Joseph's Provincial House Archives
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Archives (Maryland Diocesan Archives)
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Archives
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Rebok Memorial Library
Jewish Museum of Maryland
Mount St. Mary's Seminary and College, Hugh J. Phillips Library, Special Collections and
Archives
Oblate Sisters of Providence
Review and Herald Library
Saint Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart, Josephite Archives
Saint Mary's Seminary and University, Knott Library
Saint Mary's Seminary and University, Associated Archives
United Methodist Historical Society of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Lovely Lane
Museum and Archives
At Your Particular Religion’s-Church’s Location:
If you DO know the name and location of your ancestors' church AND the
church still exists:
A friendly and precise request, for baptism, marriage, or funeral records, sent to the church office,
may provide you with the desired records.
Your letter should include details of your ancestor, such as name, birth date, marriage date, etc.
(If dates are unknown, try to give a close estimate of the dates.)
Please keep in mind that the work of the Church is ongoing, Churches may vary greatly in their
staffing, and records may or may not be indexed by surname, therefore it is advisable to limit your
request to two or three specific records.
If you DO know the name and location of your ancestors' church BUT the
church NO LONGER exists:
Contact the archdiocese, the diocese, the convention, the conference or the archives for the
religion to find out how records for a church that no longer exists are handled. Find out if the
church merged or joined with another church, the records may have moved to the new merged
church. If the church closes, where do the records go?
If you DO NOT know the name and location of your ancestors' church BUT
you do know the religion:
YOU WILL NEED TO DETERMINE THE CHURCH TO WHICH YOUR ANCESTOR BELONGED
and this may involve some HISTORICAL DETECTIVE work on your part.
Their church will likely be the local church nearest their home (geographically). However, as time
passed, and the population of an area grew (or diminished), there was often a need to build new
churches, and/or establish new dioceses and parishes. Therefore, your research may require
combining church HISTORY with GENEALOGY.
Example: You would like a copy of your great grandmother's 1890 baptism record, and a phone
directory shows there is a St. Mary's Catholic Church near her childhood residence, however, you
were informed her baptism record was not found at that parish.
A bit of HISTORICAL DETECTIVE work may show that St. Mary's was not established until 1970,
so your next step may be to try to determine which parishes existed in the area in 1890.
Resources for this may include Diocese, Church and Parish histories, City Directories, Atlases (of
the necessary era), local county and town histories, 1890s newspapers, etc.