Barbados, Church Records, 1637-1930

What is in This Collection?

This collection of church records covers the years 1637-1887. It includes baptisms, marriages, and deaths for the Anglican Church during the years 1637-1850. Baptism, marriage, and death records for other denominations span from 1660-1887. The exact coverage will vary from one denomination to another.

Church records of Barbados are a reliable source for early genealogical research in Barbados. Civil registration through the government began in 1890 (for births and marriages) and 1925 (for deaths). For events after these years, you should search both civil and church records and compare the information.

The Anglican Church, originally referred to as the Church of England, was the first official religion in Barbados. The original Diocese of Barbados and the Leeward and Windward Islands established in 1824 was subsequently divided into different dioceses:

• Guyana in 1842
• Antigua in 1842
• Trinidad in 1872
• Windward Islands in 1879 (which continued to be administered to by the Bishop of Barbados until 1930)

Together with the Dioceses of Jamaica (created in 1824), Nassau and the Bahamas (created in 1861), and Belize (formerly British Honduras, created in 1891), these congregations make up the Anglican Province of the West Indies.

Nonconformist churches such as Moravian, Baptist, and Methodist churches began to be established in the 1780s and may also be a useful source of family records. Other religions in Barbados include Wesleyan, Catholic, Jewish, and miscellaneous non-Anglican congregations.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The information in these records usually include the following:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Baptism 1847

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  Marriage 1828

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  Burial 1827

Coverage Table

The following table gives the number of records by event type for each place in this collection.