Early Baptisms of the Church of Christ of Bristol in the Province of Massachusetts Bay (now part of Rhode Island)
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Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Bristol Rhode Island
The baptismal record of the First Church of Christ at Bristol, Rhode Island is apparently lost. A couple of transcriptions have been made.
As of June 2022 when this page was created, these transcribed records are not indexed in the systems at FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.
The best transcription of the early records comes from Ruth Wilder Sherman and Robert Sherman, who state that "several years" before publication of their transcription began in 1991, they came across a small leather volume in the vault of the Bristol town clerk, which they photocopied. The volume was gone when they went back to compare certain entries in February 1991. Their transcription is in many parts in The American Genealogist:
The first published transcription of these same records appeared in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register in 1880 in two parts, but it is imperfect, excluding many details of the above transcription.
Arnold's multi-volume Vital Record of Rhode Island includes abstracts of town records, church registers, and newspapers from around Rhode Island, making it probably the most widely cited resource for people researching Rhode Island family histories before 1850. Volume 8 includes abstracts from Congregational (a.k.a. Church of Christ) and Episcopal church registers. For the Congregational Church at Bristol (a.k.a. the First Church of Christ), Arnold includes first a list of church members covering the years 1682–1872. This list was apparently copied from the Manual of the First Congregational Church, Bristol, R.I., as Arnold uses the same shorthand for indicating how members were accepted or removed from the church, but without explaining it.
Then Arnold includes "Rev. Henry Wight's Record", which includes John Burt's baptismal register starting in the early 1740s. But for some reason, Arnold did not include the earlier baptisms copied below.
A follow-up transcription of the baptismal register of John Burt that lasted from 1741 to 1775 appeared in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register in 1883.
1687
May 8.
- Elizabeth, dau. of Maj. John Walley.
- Benjamin, son of Nathaniel Reynolds.
June 5.
- Charles, son of Benjamin Church.
- Nathaniel, son of Benjamin Church.
- Elizabeth, dau. of (William) Troop.
- Lydia, dau. of (Wiliam) Troop.
June 19.
- John Martin and Mary his wife
July 10.
- Ebenezer, son of (Nicholas) Mead.
- Katherine, dau. of (Nicholas) Mead.
- John, son of Thomas Walker.
July 17.
- Josiah, son of John Cary.
- Abigail, dau. of John Cary.
- James, son of Anthony Fry.
- Mary, dau. of Anthony Fry.
Augt. 21.
- Thomas, son of John and Mary Martin.
- John, son of John and Mary Martin.
- Joseph, son of John and Mary Martin.
- Benjamin, son of John and Mary Martin.
- Mary, dau. of John and Mary Martin.
- Abigail, dau. of John and Mary Martin.
Sept. 4.
- William, son of Thomas Walker.
Sept. 18.
- Joshua, son of John Gladding, Jr.
1688
Mar. 25.
- Samuel, son of Samuel Penfield.
- Isaack, son of Samuel Penfield.
- Mary, dau. of Samuel Penfield.
- Sarah, dau. of Samuel Penfield.
- Hannah, dau. of Samuel Penfield.
Apl. 22.
- Ebenezer, son of Ebenezer Brinton.
Apl. 29
- Samuel, son of Chr. Clark.
- Daniel, son of Thomas Gladwin.
May 13.
- John, son of Mr. Mead.
- John, son of Peter Papillion.
- Peter, son of Peter Papillion.
- Ebenezer, son of Peter Papillion.
- Mary, dau. of Peter Papillion.
To Be Continued.
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