Forum | PolishOrigins :: View topic - Church / parish records

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James
PolishOrigins Team

Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Replies: 226
Location: WEST VIRGINIA , USA
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:28 pm Post subject: Church / parish records

I have been researching my family for many years now, and 99 % of my searching has been through the Polish State Archives.
I use to mail a hand written letter to an archive asking them to research for me, and for the last couple of years I've been able to e-mail an archive with a request.

Once a friend did some research for me, in Poland, at a church / parish archive, and found some records of my family for me.

Could someone enlighten me ?

* Do the state archives and church / parish archives have the same information on their records ?
example; a marriage record from a state archive would have the exact information as the marriage record from the parish archive.

* Do church / parish archives perform records research through requests by letter or email correspondence ?
* Do church / parish archives only perform archive research with the person being present at the archive location ?
* Can a person go to a church / parish archive and research on their own ?

Dziekuje bardzo for any help,

James

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1532
Location: Poland
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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:58 am Post subject:

Hi James,

James wrote:

* Do the state archives and church / parish archives have the same information on their records ?
example; a marriage record from a state archive would have the exact information as the marriage record from the parish archive.

The Roman Catholic vital records in 19th have always been created in duplicate (in Polish then called "wtóropis"). Original was kept in parish and duplicate was taken outside (by church or by state authorities). The two copies were supposed to be identical, or at least to include identical information.

James wrote:

* Do church / parish archives perform records research through requests by letter or email correspondence ?
* Do church / parish archives only perform archive research with the person being present at the archive location ?

Diocese (Church) Archives only give you opportunity to perform research by yourself in the archives seat. They do not offer research services.

James wrote:

* Can a person go to a church / parish archive and research on their own ?

Well, if we are talking about parish, not Diocese Archives, it is not always possible. Priests in Catholic parishes are not obliged to give you access to the parish books. They often send you to Diocese archives or just refuse cooperation. However, there are still many helpful priests who not only allow you to do the search but help you in looking through the books.

James wrote:

Dziekuje bardzo

Prosze bardzo Very Happy

smithcjes

Joined: 03 Apr 2010
Replies: 8

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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:38 pm Post subject:

You can also research many of these parish records at your local LDS Family History Library by ordering the film (cost $6.00 for 30 days) from Salt Lake. You can make printed copies or copy to a thumb drive. Church records are in Latin.

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