Maryland Church Records
Welcome to the latest addition to my genealogical website at bobfoutgenealogy.com
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for collecting images of original Frederick County, Maryland church documents. In particular, birth/baptism, marriage as well as death/burial records. I’ve utilized these records in the pursuit of my own family history as well as in the research that I conduct for my clients. I can’t accurately describe how exciting it is for me to actually touch Frederick County church registers, some of which date to 1743. This moment in time pre-dates the founding of Frederick-Town in 1745 and Frederick County in 1748.
My goal is not to reproduce the excellent publications of existing church records by organizations such as the Historical Society of Carroll County, Maryland, and the National Genealogical Society, or by individuals such as Patricia A. Fogle or the late local expert genealogist Miss Margaret E. Myers. Rather, my intent is to add to their efforts, documenting the records of our local churches up to modern times.
Most of the church records in my digital library have never been seen before by the general public. I personally feel that I have a moral responsibility to freely share these wonderful documents with the genealogical community. With the blessing of many local churches, I’ve been given the opportunity to photograph their genealogical records in color using a digital camera. I then use photo-enhancing software to alter each image to look more like a black and white photocopy. Next, I convert each image to a pdf file and finally, chronologically connect each single file into one continuous pdf file, suitable for viewing and printing selected pages, using Adobe Reader.
My collection of Frederick County church records continues to grow and as time passes, I plan to make further additions to this website. For your viewing, my church records have been separated first by church name, then by type of record. Please be advised that in my quest, I’ve discovered gaps in time among the records of most churches. The reasons, as I’ve been told, range from records and ledgers lost in church fires, misplaced accidentally over time, or, destroyed because they were old and deemed of no real value. However, I feel that one can not dwell on that which is lost; it is better to be thankful for what has survived until today.
Any comments or requests for additonal records are greatly appreciated.
To begin, simply click on the specific church whose records you wish to view.
Enjoy.