Sunday, August 02, 2009

Church Record Sunday: Your Early American Ancestor

Do you have ancestors that lived in America during the colonial period or later in the 19th century? There's no doubt that church records can provide lots of great information about your ancestor's life. How do you find out more about the religion that your ancestor was a part of? Learning about the religion can provide you with a better understanding of how your ancestor lived and believed. By taking time to learn about your ancestor's religious life, you will be better able to find the corresponding church records.

This great website by professional genealogist Beverly Whitaker, Genealogy Tutor, includes everything from links to information about religious groups that existed in Colonial times through 19th and 20th century America.

Beverly provides everything from links to church websites, to histories of various religions, to essays. And she provides information about Christian and non-Christian groups. Use this great website as a starting place to learn more about your ancestor's religious life and then look for records in the Family History Library Catalog (do a keyword search for your ancestor's religion), church archives, local denominations and university libraries.

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