Mobile Church Registers

Religion played an important role in the lives of antebellum African Americans. Their activities are documented in sacramental registers. In addition to the child’s name, baptismal records, for instance, may contain the names of parents, sponsors, dates of birth and baptism, and in the case of slaves, the name of the owner. As early as 1781 Catholic priests in the Mobile area maintained separate registers for the races. Researchers are urged to check both “black” and “white” registers as some nonwhites appear in the “white” registers.

I have posted a file (on this site) containing some Chastang family Catholic baptismal records. (I have over 3,000 records in my church database dealing with slaves and free persons of color for Mobile.) I did not include references to the names of sponsors for this file, for instance, although I have that information in my original database. Most, if not all, the information came from the following records that I cited in my dissertation (found elsewhere on this site).  I examined most of the following records at the Archdiocese of Mobile Church Archives at the Catholic Center, going page by page through the registers. I am indebted to the Most Reverend Oscar Lipscomb for allowing me access to these records which are now available on microfilm from the Family History Library.

                        Baptisma Nigrorum, 1781‑1805.

                        Baptisma Nigrorum, 1806‑1828.

                        Baptismal Records, Book 2, 1781‑1828.

                        Baptismal Register, 1828‑1846. 

                        Baptisms Register of the Church of Mobile For Coloured People, March 30, 1828 to July 30, 1855.

                         Register of Baptisms For Colored People, August 19, 1855 to June 13, 1863.