genealogy2007

Researching Your Genealogy

Each person has a unique and fascinating story to tell – a story of ancestors and a legacy of family tradition. Clues to this family history can be found at the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center.

The sacramental registers are considered confidential and are not open to the public for research. All research must be conducted by a staff member.

The fee is $25 for the initial hour of research and correspondence, and $15 for each additional hour.

Most searches can be completed within 1 – 3 hours. Please indicate how many hours of research you approve and we can bill you for any remaining balance.

Please read the Genealogy Request letter. Then complete the Genealogical Research Request Form which is appropriate for you research, and return with your payment to PAHRC.

Genealogy Request Letter

Baptismal Record Request Form

Marriage Record Request Form

SACRAMENTAL REGISTERS:

What We Have

PAHRC holds baptismal and marriage records before the year 1920 for parishes presently within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which includes the city of Philadelphia, and the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery. Sacramental records are arranged by individual parish, so it is first necessary to establish the family's correct parish, either from a street address or section of the city where the family lived. The records are all arranged by individual parish. Records after 1920 should be obtained from the individual parish. Since the city of Philadelphia did not record vital statistics until 1860, in many cases the local church is the only source of information for records of births and marriages.

Baptismal records include the following information: child's name, birth date, baptismal date, names of parents, sponsors, and priest performing the baptism. In some cases, the parents' place of origin may also be listed, but this is more common in records for the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century. A notation of the person's marriage may also be contained in the baptismal register, but again, this is not the norm in early records.

Marriage records include the following information: names of the contracting parties, witnesses and the presiding priest, and the date of marriage. In some cases, names of the parents may be listed, or the ages of the contracting parties, or the place of origin or baptism, but there is no guarantee. Where they exist, the place names of origins tend to be vague; for example, "Hibernia" is often listed for a native of Ireland. It is rare for records to name specific parishes or towns. German national parishes tended to be more specific about place of origin, and the German records typically provide more detail.

Sacramental registers from some of the oldest parishes have been published in the journal of the Records of the American Catholic Historical Society. These include:

Old St. Joseph: Baptisms 1758-1810, except 1787-1790

Marriages 1758-1836, except 1787-1799

St. Augustine: Baptisms 1801-1810

Marriages 1801-1830

St. Augustine Marriages 1801-1838 & Baptisms 1801-1839

Holy Trinity: Baptisms 1790-1806

Marriages 1791-1806

Holy Trinity Marriages 1796-1803 & Baptisms 1803-1806

Please refer to the Index to the Records of the ACHS Volumes 1-31 (1886-1920) for correct volume and page numbers. This periodical may be found at: PAHRC, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, as well as many Catholic university libraries. In addition, the pre-1800 records of Old St. Joseph have been published in alphabetical form in Catholic Trails West Volume I by Edmund Adams and Barbara Brady O’Keefe, Genealogical Publishing Company; Baltimore, 1988.

Complete Alphabetical Parish Listing Includes foundation dates

List of Closed Parishes and where the records are now

Records for parishes that were once part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are now held by their respective dioceses.

Addresses for Archives/Chancery Offices for Dioceses in PA, Camden & Trenton NJ, & Delaware

What We Do Not Have

Death or Burial Records (with two exceptions):

Parish cemeteries are maintained by individual parishes.

List of Parish Cemeteries

Records from diocesan cemeteries are maintained by:

Catholic Cemeteries Office

111 South 38th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 895-3450

cemetery@adphila.org

List of Diocesan Cemeteries

PAHRC does have death records for Holy Trinity & Old St. Mary’s accordingly:

Holy Trinity

Death Registers: 1790-1872.

Old St. Mary’s

Burial Registers: 1823-1878

Funeral Registers: 1856-1874

Death Registers: 1837-1856 (Lists cause of death)

Inscriptions of tombstones from Old St. Mary’s at 11^th and Moore Streets (Handwritten Copybook and Computer File)

Published Sources:

“St. Mary’s Graveyard, 4^th & Spruce Sts., Philadelphia, Records & Extracts from Inscriptions on Tombstones” in Records of the American Catholic Historical Society, Vol. III.

"Burials in Old St. Mary’s Cemetery, 1788-1800" in Records of the American Catholic Historical Society, Vol. V.

A Brief History of Philadelphia's Early Parish Cemeteries

Confirmation Records:

Some of the early baptismal registers contain an alphabetical list of those who received Confirmation that year, but these are scattered throughout the register. Usually, the alphabetical list is the only information.

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS, PARISH HISTORIES, AND DIRECTORIES:

In addition to sacramental registers, the family researcher may be interested in viewing our collection of city directories, parish histories, and 19th century newspapers for clues to their family history.

The PAHRC has a large collection of 19th-century Philadelphia-area Catholic newspapers. Although obituaries are normally printed in secular newspapers, diocesan newspapers do contain a limited number. (The Free Library of Philadelphia and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania have a number of secular newspapers in their collections.)

There were several forerunners to today's Catholic Standard & Times which include:

The Catholic Herald published from 1833-1857 merged with The Catholic Visitor in 1857 to become The Catholic Herald and Visitor.

The Universe (the successor to The Catholic Herald and Visitor) was published from 1864-1867.

The Catholic Standard 1866-1895

The Catholic Times 1892-1895

The Catholic Standard and The Catholic Times merged in 1895 to form The Catholic Standard & Times.

Another useful source for discovering the flavor of the world our ancestors lived in is our extensive collection of parish histories. Often written by parishioners to commemorate a parish jubilee, these works offer much to the person attempting to paint a fuller picture of their 18th and 19th century forebears. Please note that parish histories do not include a listing of parishioners, but occasionally they do contain lists of contributors to various campaigns.

We also have many images, (postcards, photos, lithographs, etc) of churches in Philadelphia, and around the world. If you are looking for an image of a particular church please check our Church Image Catalogue.

Church Image Catalogue

The PAHRC has Philadelphia city directories from 1822-1916 with some gaps mostly in the early years. These are useful in establishing a family's residence, and thus their correct parish church. Each directory lists the resident’s name, address, and occupation. A complete run of city directories from 1785-1930 can be found at: the Philadelphia City Archives, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA:

Philadelphia City Archives (Birth & Death Records 1860-1915; Marriage Records 1860-1885)

3001 Market St., Suite 50

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Email: archives@phila.gov

Website: http://www.phila.gov/records/archives/archives.html

Free Library of Philadelphia

1901 Vine Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Website: http://www.freelibrary.org/index.htm

Click here for: Genealogy Research Guides

Marriage Record Office (Marriage Records after 1885)