Each baptismal entry in the database contains information on the name(s), birth date, gender, parentage, and sponsors of the baptized individual, as well as the name of their enslaver(s) and the enslaver(s) of their parents and sponsors at the time of the baptism. In addition, each christening record includes the church’s name, location (county), the officiating priest, and whether the person baptized was enslaved by an agent of the church.

Handwritten changes, additions, and notations made by transcribers have been preserved within the church record transcripts.

Agent of the Church

One who is authorized to act as a representative for the church, such as a priest or deacon.

Alternate and Presumed Names

Enslaved people were often known by multiple names over a lifetime, as it was common for enslavers to rename the enslaved people they had acquired. Alternate and presumed names frequently reflect the surname of the enslaver or previous enslaver of a person or their parents. The private names the enslaved used among themselves were largely unrecorded in official records, which were mainly created by and for slaveholders.

Alternate First/Last Name

See Alternate and Presumed Names

Child’s Name

The Christian name of the person being baptized, usually an infant in Catholic baptisms.

Page #

The page number where the record can be found in the original document

Presumed Last Name

See Alternate and Presumed Names

Servant of

Enslaved by

Sponsor

Godparent, witness