Churches & Parish Records
Anglican parishes and later congregations left some of the richest pre-vital-registration evidence.
Before statewide vital registration, baptisms, marriages, and burials often lived in parish and congregational books. Charleston’s early Anglican parishes and later Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Catholic, and African American congregations each have distinct archival paths.
Always note the denomination, congregation name, and date range of a register. Many abstracts appear in published volumes; originals may be at SCDAH, denominational archives, or still held by the church.