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CollectionsChurch burial records

COLLECTION 004 · SGC-CH-004

Church burial & death records

New Haven & West Haven, Connecticut

Follow a name through church registers, annual death lists and historical inscriptions. Read the surviving text, open the original pages and find the next volume to request.

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PARISHES & PEOPLEThe church
record roomRegisters · Death lists · Inscriptions
CENTER CHURCH ORGANIZED1639
PRESENT CENTER CHURCH BUILDING1812–1814

This collection covers several congregations and has no single opening date. These dates refer to Center Church on the Green; register dates are identified separately.

633church reference rows
1,441searchable source pages
9volumes with full OCR text
14register catalog leads
Coverage · September 8, 2026. Includes the supplied 605-row Catholic table, 27 newly transcribed Center Church deaths and one death-list correction. Full OCR text and selected scans are included; complete volume scans are linked to their repositories. West Haven’s death and funeral register scans have not been obtained. This is a growing research collection, with incomplete coverage of both cities.
Read the full history

EXECUTIVE HISTORY

Church records connect people, places and generations.

This collection brings together several congregations, so it has no single institutional opening date. Center Church traces its organization to 1639. Its present meeting house was built in 1812–1814 over part of the old town burial ground, preserving graves beneath the sanctuary. Center Church history.

The New Haven and West Haven sources include early Catholic burials, printed church death lists, historical gravestone inscriptions and catalogs of surviving manuscript registers. They were created for different purposes: a death list may identify a congregation member without naming a cemetery, while a gravestone transcription may describe a monument that was later moved.

For West Haven, the First Congregational Church catalog identifies death and funeral subseries beginning in 1774 and 1863, alongside a volume of deaths for 1881. Those are record-series dates, not the congregation’s founding date. The collection retains their access leads while manuscript scans are still being sought. Read the register catalog.

THE ILLUSTRATED ARCHIVE

The places behind the parish records

Center Church, documented in 1967

June 1967

Center Church, documented in 1967

The congregation was organized in 1639. Its fourth meeting house, built in 1812–1814, enclosed part of the town burial ground beneath the sanctuary. This later architectural photograph provides context for the Center Church records in the archive.

Robert Fulton III, Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress. Public domain. · Reuse termsRead the source
An older burial ground beneath the sanctuary

12 October 2025

An older burial ground beneath the sanctuary

When Center Church was built in 1812–1814, the graves beneath its footprint remained in place. The church reports 137 surviving gravestones. The brick floor visible in this modern photograph replaced a concrete floor in 1990 as part of efforts to manage moisture around the stones.

Marty Aligata / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display. · Reuse termsRead the source
The third sanctuary on West Haven Green

13 October 2013

The third sanctuary on West Haven Green

First Church began in 1719 after local farmers petitioned for a place to worship closer to home. Their original meeting house was replaced in 1851; after that building burned in 1857, the congregation built the present sanctuary in 1859. This photograph shows the later building, not the sanctuary used when the earliest church records were created.

Paperchaser 29 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display. · Reuse termsRead the source
From a congregation’s list to a person’s history

Church records were created for particular communities and purposes. A funeral entry, a death list and a monument transcription may refer to the same person while recording different events. Their dates and terms need to be read in that context. A death among congregation members does not automatically establish burial in a particular cemetery, and a moved inscription may no longer occupy its original location.

Center Church’s 1639 organization and the 1812–1814 construction of its present meeting house illustrate the difference between a congregation and a building. Graves beneath the sanctuary preserve an earlier burial landscape within a later structure. Photographs of the crypt, exterior or inscriptions can help explain that layered history, provided each image’s subject and date remain explicit.

The West Haven register leads identify death and funeral subseries with their own date ranges. They are a route toward original manuscript evidence, not a claim that every page has already been copied. The archive’s searchable text makes scattered references easier to discover, but OCR can misread names and numbers. Returning to the scan is part of the historical method: discovery produces a candidate match, and comparison of original records determines whether it belongs to the person being researched.

Center Church’s printed 1869 death list, beginning at the bottom of page 22

NEW TRANSCRIPTIONS · 1869–1870

Center Church annual death lists

27 dated deaths and an earlier correction, with original page images.

Read a record

WEST HAVEN · LOCATED HOLDINGS

Three death and funeral subseries

First Congregational Church’s catalog identifies these volumes:

  • Volume 8: deaths, 1774–1843
  • Volume 10: funerals, 1863–1916
  • Volume 11: deaths, 1881

Film 6269 · Digital image group 8615152
Originals: Connecticut State Library

Read the catalog and access notes

THE SEARCHABLE CATALOG

Find a person or a source

Search the complete OCR text of nine downloaded historical volumes and one supplemental grave-reference page. Results are pages, not verified individual burials. OCR can misread names, dates and columns; use the original scan to confirm a match.

933 matching pagesPage 32 of 47

New Haven · CH-P004-0119

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 119

…was a similar irregularity and wrong. The ratification of these proceedings by the annual Church meeting may justly be regarded as an additional grievance. Fifth. The brethren who had received letters of dismis- sion, but who, in a formal communication to the Church, had …

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0121

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 121

…he other Churches here, are bet- ter acquainted than this Council can be. Yet we cannot refrain from saying that, for the sake of patriotism and of pure and undefiled religion, there ought to be among the growing population of that quarter a truly Congregational Church, …

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0122

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 122

… justice, that "Caq facts in thft case be stated and published through the same channels. As this Council has seen fit to vindicate its decision to the public, however degrading to a Church judicatory we feel such an appeal to be, we are compelled to suffer in silence…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0123

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 123

… regard to voting; and whereas, said vote was taken bj- ballot, with no official announcement or knowledge as to the vote of any member ; therefore, voted, that the former Clerk of this Church, John NicoU, M.D., is guilty of tampering with the records, and is hereby …

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0124

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 124

…mity with a reasonable and long estab- lished usage of the New England Churchc.?, cannot be disputed." The evidence furnished to substantiate this claim, is thvee-fold : {a) an assertion of it : " Result of the Council called hi/ 'the Majority of the Brethren:^ " {b) a…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0125

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 125

…nformity with a reasonable and long established usage of the New England Churches, cannot be disputed." We do not dispute it. But when called upon by others to advise them, (which advice was conveyed in a single sentence,) we do deny that it was either necessary or ri…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0129

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 129

…members of tlie Church, and in Church meetings, by that official title, and being announced frequently to the public as Pastor of the Church." If the charge is, that Mr. Carroll assumed the title and authority of installed Pastor, we deny it. — We have called him Pastor…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0131

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 131

…emselves with nor well defined. Very often Church meetings were called by a simple announcement from the pulpit, without the intervention of the Clerk at all. There is now a recorded Rule, adopted at the annual meeting of the Church, Nov. 24, 1S63, as follows: " Voted,…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0133

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 133

…ently been recognized and ratified by the formal action of our Church at its last annual meeting. It was decided in the case of George S. Minor,* claiming this right for the first time in our history, * Note Br the Author of South Church History. — That he intendod t…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0135

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 135

… of the Church, to which he returned his certificate of dismission. " IX. At the annual meeting of the Church, held in the evening of Nov. 24, '63, Mr. Carroll, acting as moderator, denied to the members above mentioned the right of voting, or of speaking in defense…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0137

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 137

…d in private conversation he has characterized the action of the Government as tj^rannical and unjust, and has implied that the attempt of the Government to maintain itself by force against the rebellion, is criminal ; and when members of the church have cour- teously in…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0138

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 138

…ances and in his case, that Mr. Carroll said the action of the Government was "tyrannical and unjust," and "in the pulpit " prayed for his speedy deliverance and return. And when he did return, 7ic prayed what Mr. Carroll had said, a?id more; that they might be put o…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0139

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 139

…- munion of churches, and a violation of the rights of the complainants." The last Annual Report of the General Association of Connecticut, m its tabular statements, p. 83, has the fol- lowing entry opposite South Church : "J. Halsted Carroll, (A. p.)" Acting Pastor. If, …

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0141

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 141

…he other Churches here, are better acquainted than this Coun- cil can be. Yet we cannot refrain from saying, that for the sake of patriotism and of pure and undefiled religion, there ought to be among the growing population of that quarter a truly Congregational Charch…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0145

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 145

…r the Church had been sufficiently discussed at a recent Church meeting, and "the annual meeting must be held in the ensuing montli of November,'" when the whole matter could be rediscussed and redecided. In reply the petitioners would state that Rev. Mr. Carroll is se…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0153

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 153

…ng to their own showing, after correcting a single blunder as above, (which they cannot and will not deny to bo such,) they have not a majority of the brethren, and do not even repkese.nt a majority. Observe further, that among the signers and sympathisers are include…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0155

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 155

… of February last, when there were 51 votes in his favor, and 22 against him, as announced at the time by the chairman, Dea. Minor. The way to test the truth of the «' three-fourths " statement, is, to get such a majority, or any majority at all. There is no chanc…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0164

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 164

…rly, 43. The number mig/it have been 47, or even greater, speaking after the manner of men, but for the fact that at the most interesting period of the revival, our then minister was absent from bis charge for nearly a month, on a preach- ing expedition to the W…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0166

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 166

…. Unless I sadly mis- take, yours is a model Congregational Church. I admire your manner of duing things. J i)ity the Ex-parle Council. Of course they will nut confess it, but they must be ashamed of their ofTiciousness as respects your alTairs. Since writing the above,…

Membership and death references · OCR text

New Haven · CH-P004-0168

South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 168

158 THE EX-PARTE COUNCIL. "I. THEIR COMING INTO BEING." " Councils cannot come into being except a Churcii be directly concerned in the matter for consideration. Indi- viduals cannot, for their own matters, summon a Council ; a Church must be a party in inviting,…

Membership and death references · OCR text

READING THE EVIDENCE

Keep the churches and record types distinct.

Christ’s Church / St. John’s: the supplied table concerns New Haven’s early Catholic congregation. It is distinct from the Episcopal Christ Church parishes in New Haven and West Haven. Memorial transfers to Saint Bernard do not by themselves establish reinterment.

Death, membership and burial: a church death list records a member’s death; a membership catalogue may contain admissions, removals and death annotations. Neither necessarily identifies the grave. Dexter’s inscription volumes describe historical stones, including some moved from the Green. Typographic distinctions and original locations require the scans.

Work still needed: West Haven’s First Congregational register images; Episcopal Christ Church and Trinity burial subseries; other Catholic, Protestant and independent parish registers; later and undigitized volumes. No complete census of every congregation’s surviving records has been established. Sign-in, reading-room access or permission may be required by a custodian.

Using the download: extract the ZIP and open START_HERE.html to search without an account or an internet connection. It includes the supplied PDF, selected historical pages, all acquired OCR text, source notes, JSON data and a searchable SQLite database. Repository links need internet access.

Download the collectionRead selected scans PDFResearch guide