GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From: "charles brack" <>
Subject: Church--Letters of Good Standing?
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 07:47:19 -0400

I'm interested in Church practices and records--1700s and 1800s.

The Church denominations that I'm familiar with won't marry people that they aren't familiar with. There were some people from other countries or other areas who immigrated and left families in the old country, and started over anew.

My ancestor was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church and there is a copy of a letter of good Church standing issued by him and signed by him that is in the book "Scotch-Irish Pioneers." That letter was written prior to 1718. The author never stated where he got the letter.

I'm interested in whether the Presbyterian, Catholic Churches and other denominations in the Boston area asked for letters from the home parishes, and if so, were they entered in Church records?

To summarize, if you were burning bridges and starting a new life, the Church wouldn't help, you'd have to have a civil ceremony.

thanks, Charles

This thread:

• Church--Letters of Good Standing? by "charles brack" <>