Boscawen, NH: Records of the First Congregational Church, 1790-1970

Wedding at the First Congregational Church in Boscawen, NH (photo from Ron Reed)

Today we’re announcing a new database, Boscawen, NH: Records of the First Congregational Church, 1790-1970. This database provides over 24,300 records and 24,500 names to search.

When the town of Boscawen was first settled in 1733, one of the first orders of business by the proprietors was to call a suitable person to preach. After a couple of years of interim preaching, the Rev Phineas Stevens settled in town and in 1740 the First Congregational Church in Boscawen was formed. Rev. Dr. Samuel Wood served as minister for over 50 years, and prepared many young adults for college, including the famed statesmen Daniel Webster and his brother Ezekiel Webster who were members of the church.

These church records provide useful vital record information for this area, and potentially some lifestyle information, such as involvement in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and Sunday School attendance.

This database contains the general record books for the church from 1781-1982 which contain births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, church admissions, church dismissals, and other information.

Baptisms are only presented on our site up to 1920. Other church records are only presented on our site up to 1970.

This database also presents Sunday School record books and Women’s Christian Temperance Union record books, offering further information about the lives of the congregants.

This database is made possible thanks to our collaboration with the First Congregational Church and Ron Reed, the Church Historian.

Many thanks to our volunteers who helped create this database including: Maureen McCarthy, Erin Canzano, Katherine Marshall-Mayer, Judy Welna, Jane Himmel, Loretta Brown-Aldrich, Rick Lageux, Patty Ryburn, Toni Lattimer, Sandy Caldwell, Matt Murphy, Marie Wells, Mary Alice Yost, Carolyn Jack, Alicia Svenson, Arlys LaFehr, Eldon Gay, Max Agigian, Eileen McCarthy, Ross Weaver, Angela Napolitano, and Francis Alix.

The Boscawen First Congregational Church congregation (photo from Ron Reed)

Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.