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Church Records Index

The Connecticut State Library holds original or copies of the records of over 600 Connecticut churches, many of them dating back to the 17th century.

The Church Records Index covers, at best, only about one-quarter of the church records held by the Connecticut State Library, mostly Congregational. For information on what church records were abstracted, check the Guide to Church Records in the Connecticut State Library (looking for entries that have been annotated "SLI"). There is no specific cutoff date for the index; most entries date before 1850, but there are some to the early 1900s.

The slips are arranged alphabetically by name of individual and within that chronologically. Each slip gives a complete abstract of an event, e.g., a baptism, marriage, or burial. A list of abbreviations used is posted at the end of the index drawers and in the bound Church Records Index volumes. At the bottom of the slip is a citation to the original record from which the fact was taken, including town, church, volume, and page. Although there is normally no more information in the original record than what appears in the abstract on the slip, researchers desiring to see the original context or verify the accuracy of the transcription may consult most of the State Library's church records on microfilm, which were produced by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available through LDS Family History Centers.

Records which have not been microfilmed are available for use in-house through the State Archives. See the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections Materials.

As with the Barbour Collection, alphabetized volumes were created for most (but not all) churches covered in the Church Records Index. These volumes contain the same information as the slip files, including volume and page references to the original records, but are grouped first by church and then by name.

Prepared by the History and Genealogy Unit, Connecticut State Library.