FindMyPast UK Has Pennsylvania Collections

FindMyPast UK offers nearly half a million new records to explore that are connected to Pennsylvania’s past. This collection is for people in the UK who have traced an ancestor leaving for the US, but hit a dead end, It is also for people in the UK who know of their heritage in the New World but are struggling to continue the journey.

Pennsylvania, List of British Prisoners in the War of Revolution: During the American War of Independence, thousands of prisoners were taken on both sides of the conflict. Within this collection, you’ll find British and German soldiers who were captured during the war, giving you an insight into their military experience.

Information you may find alongside an ancestor’s name includes their ship or unit, where and when they were captured, and occasionally extra remarks such as whether or not they were being considered for a military exchange. 

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Births and Baptisms: If you’re looking into more recent US history, then you’re in luck. This collection contains over 117,000 Episcopalian births and baptisms from the late 1600s to the mid 1990s.

The Episcopalian Church were of Protestant faith, and though they were governed separately, were considered to work in full cooperation with the Church of England. It is also possible that you may find those born outside of the US in parish records across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The information in this collection varies record to record, but will include a combination of the event year (birth or baptism), full name, parents’ names and parish, meaning you could discover more than one generation to add to your family tree.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Marriages: If you’ve found an ancestor in the previous collection, there’s a high chance you’ll trace them through FindMyPast UK’s Episcopalian marriages, comprising an immense 153,000 records. These records will give you date of marriage, spouse’s name, any witnesses to the marriage and often the person who officiated the ceremony.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Deaths and Burials: If you’ve traced your Episcopalian ancestors this far, don’t stop now. Close their journey with a death or burial record. There are over 135,000 records in this collection, and you could find information ranging from place, parish, and death or burial year.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Congregational Records: You’ve discovered entire lifetimes in FindMyPast UK’s Episcopalian records, but what about their activity within the church? Have a browse through these congregational records to see what you can discover.

The original Anglican congregations in Pennsylvania included Christ Church, Philadelphia (est. 1695), Trinity Church, Oxford (est. 1698), St. David’s, Randor (est. 1700), and St. Thomas, Whitemarsh (est. 1702). Originally, there was only one diocese throughout the entirety of Pennsylvania, but in 1865, the Diocese of Pittsburgh was established to encompass every parish west of the Allegheny Mountains. By 1910, there were several diocese spanning across the state, and by the 1920’s these dioceses saw a vastly increasing growth in population.

The type of records will differ per collection, but you may be able to find registers of communion, vestry minutes, membership lists, and administrative records.

Related Articles on FamilyTree:

Genealogy Resources At Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanian Civil Marriages 1677-1950

Pennsylvania And The Civil War

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