Congregational Church, Richmond Hill, Long Island

The Vosburgh Collection of Congregational Church Records

A large collection of church records for New York was commissioned by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and is known by the name of its editor, Royden Woodward Vosburgh. Its 101 volumes cover mostly Dutch, German-Lutheran, and Presbyterian records, but not all are indexed. Besides the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, these volumes are available at the Connecticut State Library and on microfilm at the New York Public Library, the Family History Library, and in other libraries. 1)See “The Vosburgh Collection of New York Church Records,” The NYG&B Newsletter 9 [1998]: 53-55. Arthur C. M. Kelly and Jean D. Worden have published abstracted church records including some that were also done by Vosburgh. 2)Source: Roger D. Joslyn, CG, FUGA, FGBS, FASG. Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Some of them have now been published online by FamilySearch. They are listed below with a link to the search the specific record.

While it is true that the records of some of the churches in this collection were published elsewhere (with indexes), researchers are urged to consult the Vosburgh collection as well.  Most of the published sources transcribe only the vital records; as the description above suggests, Vosburgh includes much additional information.  He carefully describes his sources and includes many notes, such as the following: “Note. three blank pages follow in the original record, after which comes the page inscribed: “RECORD OF BAPTISMS CONTINUED by Jno. J. Wack.” 3)Vosburgh Collection, reel 12, item #1, p. 141.  The following extract from the introduction to his “Abstracts from the minutes of the consistory” gives some idea of how extensive this additional material can be.

Taken as a whole, this abstract with the notes, gives every fact worthy of note, concerning the history of this church for three score years.  It contains all the documentary data relating to the building of, and the repairs made, to the present church edifice; the consecration of the church, its admission to the Classis 4)Classis: “In certain Presbyterian churches; an inferior judicatory consisting of the elders or pastors of the parishes or church of a district; a presbytery.  Used in England under the Commonwealth; and subsequently in certain Reformed churches of the continent, and America.  A district formed by the parishes so united.”  Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, prepared by J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner, Clarendon Press, Oxford. of Albany; and presents authoritatively for the first time, the facts concerning the suspension and deposition of the Rev. John J. Wack. [Rev. Wack was accused of repeated drunkenness and profanity.]  This latter phase of the church history is in itself a most interesting study, and it shows that the members of the Classis of Montgomery, by whose acts the Stone Arabia Church became independent for about ten years, were the same band of malcontents who finally organized the True Reformed Dutch Church.  In short, what follows presents the primary sources of information from which the history of the church must be written. 5)Vosburgh Collection, reel 12, item #1, p. 153. , 6)Henry, Marian S. The Vosburgh Collection of Congregational Church Records. New England Genealogical and Historical Society. 2003.

The information below will provide you with a general idea of which churches are available and the years of the records transcribed. You can find the specifics for each church as to which type of records and specific years covered for those records at the Connecticut State Library online catalog or directly by clicking on any linked town below. If the town is not yet linked then we have not gathered the specifics for that town yet but the Connecticut State Library has.

VolumeTownChurch DescriptionDatesFilm #Search
1-2AlbanyFirst Lutheran Church1774-190117441
3AlbanyFirst Presbyterian Church1785-187017442
4-5BerneSt. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church1790-187517443
6BerneReformed Dutch Church of the Beaver Dam Berne, First Reformed Dutch Church1835-185917443
7New ScotlandPresbyterian Church1787-187317444Search
8FlemingReformed Dutch Church at the Owasco Outlet1807-188617445
8OwascoReformed Dutch Church1799-185017445
9CanaanCongregational Church of New Canaan1740-188417446
10CanaanFirst Presbyterian Church at Canaan Center1830-185417447
10SpringfieldFirst Baptist Church1787-185217447
11-12ClaverackSt. Thomas's Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Village of Churchtown1705-190517448
13GermantownChrist's Evangelical Lutheran Church1746-187717449
14-15GhentChrist's Evangelical Lutheran Church1801-190117450
14-15GhentReformed Dutch Church called Christ Church1775-191917450
14-15ChathamCongregational Church of New Concord1781-185417450
16-18KinderhookReformed Dutch Church1716-186417451
19LivingstonSt. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Village of Manorton1765-184817452
20HarpersfieldPresbyterian Congregation1787-183517453
20StamfordFirst Presbyterian Church, formerly Presbyterian Church of the Head of the Delaware1834-190317453
21StamfordSt. Peter's Episcopal Church, Village of Hobart1794-190717454
22Pine PlainsRound Top Lutheran Church1760-178817455
22KirklandSociety of Clinton, Congregational Church in the Village of Clinton1788-184617455
22CharltonUnited Presbyterian Church at West Charlton1794-185817455
23-24JohnstownPresbyterian Church1782-187017456
23-24JohnstownSt. John's Episcopal Church1815-186217456
23-24FloridaUnited Presbyterian Church1743-186117456
25MayfieldReformed Dutch Church, now Central Presbyterian Church1792-182117457
25BroadalbinFirst Presbyterian Church1799-189517457
25PerthUnited Presbyterian Church of Broadalbin1821-191817457
26PerthFirst Presbyterian Church of West Galwey, originally the First Presbyterian Church of Galloway1793-191317458
27-28CatskillReformed Dutch Church1732-183317459
27-28CatskillProtestant Reformed Dutch Church at Leeds1833-188817459
27-28CatskillReformed Dutch Church of Kiskatom1842-185017459
29-31CoxsackieFirst Reformed Dutch Church1738-191817460
32-33DurhamFirst Presbyterian Church1792-185717461
32-33DurhamSecond Presbyterian Church in Village of West Durham1816-187217461
32-33DurhamReformed Dutch Church in Oak Hill1794-183217461
34GreenvillePresbyterian Church1789-185517462
35PrattsvilleReformed Dutch Church, formerly Schoharie Hill then Windham1792-189617463
35RoxburyReformed Dutch Church in Moresville, now Grand Gorge1836-188917463
35South GilboaReformed Dutch Church1848-188817463
35BlenheimOld Congregation1798-185717463
36-37German FlatsReformed Protestant Dutch Church1753-184817464
38-40HerkimerReformed Protestant Dutch Church1801-184817465
41FloridaReformed Dutch Church1808-191817466
41DuanesburghReformed Dutch Church1798-180417466
42-44FondaReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Caughnawaga, now the Reformed Church of Fonda1758-185817467
45GlenFirst Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, formerly the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church at Charleston1794-188217468
46MindenReformed Dutch Church at Fort Plain, formerly the Reformed Calvinist Church of Canojoharie1788-185117469
47MindenLutheran St. Paul's Church, otherwise known as the Geisenberg Church, formerly at Hallsville1793-183617470
48-51PalatineLutheran Trinity Church of Stone Arabia1751-186617471
52-54PalatineReformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia1739-191117472
55-56St. JohnsvilleDutch Reformed Saint John's Church1788-187817473
57-59New YorkAll Saints' Church1824-186217474
57-59New YorkChrist Protestant Episcopal Church1793-184817474
60-63New YorkMadison Avenue Reformed Church1808-185017475Search
60-63New YorkReformed Church of Fordham, Borough of Bronx, formerly Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Fordham, town of West Farms, Westchester County1793-192117475Search
60-63New YorkReformed Dutch Church at Greenwich1804-185917475Search
60-63New YorkSouth Reformed Dutch Church in Garden Street1812-185317475Search
64New HartfordPresbyterian Church, formerly First Religious Society in Whitestown1791-188717476
65ParisParis Religious Society, Congregational1791-185517477
66UticaFirst Presbyterian Church1813-185217478
67WhitestownFirst Presbyterian Church of Whitesboro1795-189817479
68OswegoFirst Presbyterian Church1832-187017480
69Cherry ValleyPresbyterian Church1799-189817481
70CooperstownPresbyterian Church1800-186917482
71-72BrunswickGilead Evangelical Lutheran Church at Center Brunswick1777-185917483
73-74East GreenbushReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Greenbush1787-191017484
75NassauReformed Protestant Dutch Church1804-188017485
76North GreenbushReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Wynantskill1794-188917486
77SchodackReformed Dutch Church at Muitzeskill1770-184617487
78-79TroyFirst Presbyterian Church1793-186417488
78-79TroyFirst Presbyterian Church of Lansingburgh1804-187417488
80TroySecond Street Presbyterian Church in the City of Troy1834-191117489
81West Sand LakeZion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rensselaerwyck and Greenbush, now the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in West Sand Lake1785-186817490
82BallstonFirst Presbyterian Church at Ballston Center1783-187717491
83-85Charlton(Freehold) Presbyterian Church1800-186117492
83-85Charlton(Freehold) Presbyterian Church1800-186117492
83-85SchuylervilleReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Saratoga1790-185717492
83-85StillwaterFirst Congregational Church1752-185217492
83-85StillwaterFirst Presbyterian Church1793-190417492
86NishayunaProtestant Reformed Dutch Church1783-186117493
86Clifton ParkReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Amity1802-185617493
87CobleskillGerman Reformed Church in New Rhinebeck, near Dorlach (or Sharon), now the Reformed Church of Lawyersville1790-187617494
87CobleskillUnion Reformed Dutch Church1827-184817494
88CobleskillZion's Evangelical Lutheran Church1794-189817495
89GilboaReformed Church in the Village of Gilboa, formerly the Reformed Dutch Church in Dyse's Manor, in the Town of Broome1801-188517496
89BlenheimReformed Dutch Church in the old Village of Blenheim, now in the Village of South Gilboa in the Town of Gilboa1797-183917496
90MiddleburghReformed Dutch Church1795-186517497
91-93SchoharieReformed Church1728-189217498
94-96SchoharieSt. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church1728-188217499
97-98CambridgeProtestant Presbyterian Congregation of Cambridge, now the United Presbyterian Church1791-188617500
97-98CambridgeFirst United Presbyterian Congregation in Cambridge, in connection with the Presbyterian Church in the United States1795-187417500
97-98Sandgate (Vermont)Congregational Church1782-183517500
99EastonReformed Protestant Dutch Church1803-190917501
99GreenwichReformed Dutch Church, formerly the Reformed Dutch Church of Union Village1809-187917501

Footnotes:

Footnotes:
1See “The Vosburgh Collection of New York Church Records,” The NYG&B Newsletter 9 [1998]: 53-55
2Source: Roger D. Joslyn, CG, FUGA, FGBS, FASG. Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
3Vosburgh Collection, reel 12, item #1, p. 141.
4Classis: “In certain Presbyterian churches; an inferior judicatory consisting of the elders or pastors of the parishes or church of a district; a presbytery.  Used in England under the Commonwealth; and subsequently in certain Reformed churches of the continent, and America.  A district formed by the parishes so united.”  Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, prepared by J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner, Clarendon Press, Oxford.
5Vosburgh Collection, reel 12, item #1, p. 153.
6Henry, Marian S. The Vosburgh Collection of Congregational Church Records. New England Genealogical and Historical Society. 2003.

1 thought on “The Vosburgh Collection of Congregational Church Records”

  1. DOLORES lATRAVERSE

    searching for name change Connerow1755 to1820 to Conrow1790 to1880 are they the same JUST shorten,

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