Methodist Family History
If you are searching for your Methodist family history, here are some helpful links and information.
Researching records of early Irish Methodists is a particularly complex process due to the fact that Methodism began as a religious movement rather than a church. In those early days, most members attended other denominations. This changed in 1816 and the first baptisms began to be recorded. Marriages did not occur in Methodist chapels in Ireland until 1842. Methodist buildings themselves would not have held marriage register books until 1863.
Methodist Historical Society of Ireland
The Methodist Historical Society of Ireland contains a large and growing collection of baptismal and marriage registers from Methodist churches throughout Ireland. It also maintains a complete listing of Irish Methodist ministers and their ‘stations’.
Baptismal & Marriage Records
Formal baptismal records began in 1816 though not all societies conducted baptisms.
Methodist chapels were not licenced for marriage until after August 1863 and until then the District Registrar retained the formal record. After 1863 records were held by the local Methodist church.
Irish Methodist Church
Another way to search for historical records is to contact the local church.
