York County, Pennsylvania Church Records to 1800

Blymir's (St. John) Union Church, York, 1766-98

Canadochly Lutheran Church, Lower Windsor, 1754-1800

Emanuel Reformed Church, Hanover, 1770-1800

Fissel's (Jerusalem) Union Church, Shrewsbury, 1780-94

Saddler's (St. John's) Lutheran Church, Hopewell, 1791-1800

St. John's (St. John the Baptist's) Episcopal Church, York, 1784-1800

Wolf's (St. Paul's) Reformed and Lutheran Church, West Manchester, 1764-1800

For researchers of this Pennsylvania county, this will be a helpful database.

Located in York Township near Dallastown, Pennsylvania, Blymir's Union Church, now St. John's Church, was organized in the 1760s. Both the Lutheran and Reformed congregations met in the building, and the register dates from 1766. The records in this database span the years 1766-98 and include the names of more than 1,300 church members.

Located in Lower Windsor Township, Canadochly Lutheran Church began keeping a few records in 1739. The bulk of its records date from 1755. The records in this database span the years 1755-1800 and include the names of more than 16,500 church members.

Located in Hanover Township, Emanuel's Reformed Church began keeping records in 1770. The records in this database span the years 1770-1800 and include the names of more than 2,700 individuals.

Located in Hopewell Township, Saddler's (St. John's) Lutheran Church was organized in 1771. Registers for the congregation date from 1791. The records in this database span the years 1791-1800 and include the names of about 660 individuals.

Located in the City of York, St. John's Episcopal Church, also called St. John the Baptist's Church, was organized in 1755. The records in this database span the years 1784-1800 and include the names of 263 individuals.

Located in West Manchester Township, Wolf's Reformed and Lutheran Church, later St. Paul's Church, was organized in 1763. Both Lutheran and Reformed congregations met in the building, and the register dates from 1764. The records in this database span the years 1764-1800 and include the names of more than 2,300 church members.

Church records rank among the very best genealogical records available worldwide, but they are one of the most under-used sources in American genealogy. Until the advent of vital statistics in the United States—a very late development in most states—church records were the primary source of birth, marriage, and death information. The sheer number of denominations and affiliate churches has made identifying and locating each one's records a time-consuming ordeal for most genealogists. Church records vary a great deal in content and emphasis according to the basic theology of the religious group that created them.

Early immigrants from England, Scotland, and other European countries brought their religious beliefs, institutions and customs, with them, including the keeping of church books in which to record births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, communion lists, deaths, and burials. Lutheran and Reformed Church records in Pennsylvania rank among the very best church records available.