Warren United Church c1839
Church records are probably one of the most under-utilized sources by Vermont historians and genealogists. (Court records would also be in contention for the title of most under-utilized, but that’s a topic for another day.) The relative inaccessibility of Vermont church records, as compared to church records in some other states, contributes to this. The last state-wide inventory of Vermont church records was completed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, and has not been updated.
Most early church records seem to remain with their Vermont congregations. The Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society has done an amazing job transcribing Catholic records into repertoires, thus making them accessible to researchers. Records of other denominations are less accessible. I’ve discovered that some current pastors do not know what became of the records that were in possession of their congregation during the 1930s, and have asked me to get back in touch with them if I discovered their current location. Some records have been donated to the Vermont Historical Society, local historical societies, or the Special Collections Department of the Bailey-Howe Library at the University of Vermont. Many researchers are not aware that the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) has a sizable collection of church records on microfilm.
In order to make the titles in VSARA collection more easily searchable for myself and other researchers, I transcribed the church record films in their card catalog into the following table. The titles of the films are not necessarily as descriptive as I’d like them to be. For example, the card catalog says that the records for the First Congregational Church in Jericho begin in 1793. This is because it includes a list of pastors that begins that year. As I recall from using this film some time ago, the baptisms and marriages do not begin until about the turn of the 20th century. Some other cards are a bit cryptic. For example, one of the cards for Middletown Springs, in Rutland County, shows the “Secretary’s Book of the Y.P.S.C.E., Nathan Record.” A google search tells me that the initials stand for the “Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor.” I’m still not sure what the reference to “Nathan Record” means. Someday I’d like to look at all of these films and annotate this list. In the meantime, I hope it helps someone find their Vermont ancestor. If you have used some Vermont church records in your research, post a comment to let me know where you found them!
Vermont Church Records Available on Microfilm at the Vermont Archives and Records Administration, Middlesex
| Town | County | Church | Vol. | Dates | Film # | Comments |
| Ferrisburg / Ferrisburgh | Addison | Quaker, Society of Friends, including vital records | 1-2 | 1801-1881 | F-1893 | Not indexed |
| Goshen | Addison | Old Goshen Church, formerly Baptist Society | 1, 3 | 1805-1989 | F-36980 | |
| Hancock | Addison | Hancock Church Records | 1880-1922 | F-7265 | ||
| Vergennes | Addison | Vergennes Church 9 assorted pamphlets | 1814-1976 | F-7851 | ||
| Vergennes | Addison | First Congregational Society Ledger | 1 | 1841-1852 | F-7851 | |
| Vergennes | Addison | First Congregational Society Records | 1-3 | 1807-1902 | F-7851 | |
| Vergennes | Addison | Congregational Church Records | 1-3 | 1793-1892 | F-7851 | |
| Shaftsbury | Bennington | South Shaftsbury Universalist Society | 1840-1876 | F-7248 | ||
| Barnet | Caledonia | McIndoe Falls Church | 1-4 | 1829-1956 | F-7055 | |
| Danville | Caledonia | Danville Baptist Church | 1792-1842 | S-27967 VHS | ||
| Peacham | Caledonia | Congregational Church | 1794-1956 | F-581 | ||
| St. Johnsbury | Caledonia | St. Johnsbury Church Records | 4 vols. | 1809-1903 | F-7102 | |
| Jericho | Chittenden | First Congregational Church | 1793-1943 | F-2926 | ||
| Jericho | Chittenden | 2nd Congregational Church | 1834-1960 | F-2926 | ||
| Richmond | Chittenden | Universalist Church warranty deeds to pews | 1 | 1880 | F-1643 | |
| Franklin | Franklin | First Congregational Society | 1-2 | 1863-1905 | F-7118 | |
| Franklin | Franklin | First Congregational Society | 2 | 1851-1900 | F-7118 | |
| Georgia | Franklin | Georgia Church Records | 1 | 1812-1827 | F-1605 | |
| Bradford | Orange | Bradford Church Marriage Records | 1810-1875 | F-2102 | ||
| Bradford | Orange | Baptist Society | 1863-1913 | F-2102 | ||
| Randolph | Orange | Congregational Church | 1-5 | 1786-1919 | F-7383 | |
| Randolph | Orange | Congregational Church Misc. Papers | 1791-1961 | F-7384 | ||
| Tunbridge | Orange | Tunbridge Church Records | 1 | 1792-1864 | F-2365 | Not indexed |
| Albany | Orleans | First Methodist Episcopal | 1 | 1818-1917 | F-7028 | |
| Brownington | Orleans | First Congregational Church | 1-2 | 1809-1869 | F-7161 | |
| Coventry | Orleans | Coventry Church Records | 1, 2, 1 | 1874-1931 | F-2960 | |
| Greensboro | Orleans | Greensboro Church Records | 1804-1910 | F-1960 | ||
| Greensboro | Orleans | Congregational Church | 1-3 | 1804-1976 | F-7852 | |
| Greensboro | Orleans | Congregational Church Session Records | 1845-1958 | F-7852 | ||
| Greensboro | Orleans | Congregational Society Records | 1817-1905 | F-7852 | ||
| Greensboro | Orleans | Book of Records of the Associate Congregation | 1844-1947 | F-7852 | ||
| Greensboro | Orleans | Records of Meetings of Church of Christ | 1947-1966 | F-7852 | ||
| Greensboro | Orleans | Letters of Dismissals & Recommendations | 1943-1967 | F-7852 | ||
| Lowell | Orleans | Lowell Church Records (Kelleyvale) | 1 | 1816-1850 | F-1543 | |
| Lowell | Orleans | Lowell Church Records | 2 | 1816-1880 | F-1543 | |
| Ira | Rutland | Ira Church Records | 1 | 1862-1927 | F-7076 | |
| Middletown Springs | Rutland | Trinitarian Congregational Society | 1834-1908 | F-7187 | ||
| Middletown Springs | Rutland | Secretary’s Book of the YPSCE, Nathan Record | 1802-1869 | F-28336 | ||
| Middletown Springs | Rutland | Cummunity Church Board of Fellowship, Middletown Park Assoc. | 1802-1869 | F-28337 | ||
| Pawlet | Rutland | Methodist Church | 1-4 | 1804-1901 | F-7126 | |
| Pawlet | Rutland | Congregational Church | 1-5 | 1781-1900 | F-7126 | |
| Rutland (Old Town) | Rutland | Rutland Religious Society | 25 | 1860-1900 | F-7593 | |
| Rutland (Old Town) | Rutland | Rutland Religious Society | 57 | 1885-1890 | F-7594 | |
| Rutland City | Rutland | Grace Congregational United Church of Christ, Church Council Book, Annual Meetings | 1901-1951 | S-16872 | ||
| Rutland City | Rutland | Grace Congregational United Church of Christ, Books D, E, & H/B, D, & M | 1913-1957 | S-16872 | ||
| Sherburne | Rutland | Christian Church | 1 | 1829-1862 | F-7070 | |
| Sherburne | Rutland | Sherburne Union Society | 2 | 1838-1889 | F-7071 | |
| Sherburne | Rutland | United Church of Christ | 3 | 1838-1972 | F-7072 | |
| Shrewsbury | Rutland | Shrewsbury Church Records | 1797-1958 | F-7184 | ||
| Tinmouth | Rutland | Congregational Church | 1804-1866 | F-2587 | At end of reel of vital recs. | |
| Wells | Rutland | St. Paul’s | ? | F-7354 | ||
| Wells | Rutland | Wells and East Wells Methodist Episcopal | ? | F-7355 | ||
| Wells | Rutland | Universalist Church | ? | F-7356 | ||
| Duxbury | Washington | Union Society of South Duxbury | 1 bk, pt. II | 1854-1872 | F-7156 | |
| Montpelier | Washington | Bethany Congregational Church | 1808-1959 | 38942 VHS | ||
| Montpelier | Washington | Bethany Congregational Female Mission Society | 1812-1816 | 38942 VHS | ||
| Montpelier | Washington | Bethany Congregational Montpelier Aux. Tract Soc. | 1828-1834 | 38942 VHS | ||
| Montpelier | Washington | Bethany Congregational Church | 1808-1959 | F38942 to F-38947 | ||
| Northfield | Washington | Congregational Church | 1822-1879 | F-7146 | ||
| Waitsfield | Washington | Waitsfield Church Records | 1 | 1796-1855 | F-1731 | Not indexed |
| Granville, NY | Washington (NY) | Quaker, Society of Friends | 1469 | 1795-1876 | F-2818 | Formed in 1795 from Easton, NY |
| Brookline | Windham | Brookline Baptist Church | 4 | 1891-1973 | F-7122 | Some 1802 records included. |
| Wardsboro | Windham | Congregational Church | 1 | 1793-1844 | F-7472 | |
| Wardsboro | Windham | Congregational Church | 2 | 1844-1859 | F-7473 | |
| Barnard | Windsor | E. Barnard Methodist Episcopal | 1867-1898 | F-7297 | ||
| Barnard | Windsor | Broad Brook Union Society – E. Barnard Church | 1833-1968 | F-7297 | ||
| Bethel | Windsor | Church of Christ | 1 | 1821-1860 | F-7192 | |
| Bethel | Windsor | Church of Christ | 2 | 1860-1924 | F-7192 | |
| Bethel | Windsor | Church of Christ Parish Register | 1847-1947 | F-7192 | ||
| Cavendish | Windsor | First Universalist Church | 1848-1965 | F-7135 | ||
| Cavendish | Windsor | Baptist Church | 1866-1966 | F-7135 | ||
| Norwich | Windsor | Windsor Church Records | 1-2 | 1804-1846 | F-2342 | Not indexed |
| West Windsor | Windsor | West Parish Meetings | 1791-1849 | F-7183 | ||
| Windsor | Windsor | Congregational Church | 1-5 | 1779-1913 | F-8104 |
I really appreciate the work you have done on Vermont Church Records. Having searched for church records in both Pennsylvania and Texas and found that they are not being well kept, nor are the pastor’s aware of them I appreciate your work all the more. It is certainly a contribution to those researching in Vermont.
Charlene Sokal
Thank you, Charlene. It will come in handy in my work as well.
I should have also mentioned that the film numbers that say “VHS” are ones that were at the Vermont Archives at one time, but now may be located at the Vermont Historical Society in Barre.
Hi, what about records from the Congregational / Pres..churches that were connected from New York…Essex & Clinton Co NY???
Hello Helen,
Great question! I imagine those records, if they survived, are located in New York somewhere. The list on this blog post includes all the church records on microfilm at the Vermont State Archives in Middlesex, Vermont. The Vermont Historical Society in Barre has some additional church records. The Vermont Genealogy Library in Colchester has many Catholic records. Good luck with your search. If you find the records you are looking for, I’d love to hear where they are.