Since this is the official blog of the Mississippi Genealogy Society, I thought I’d start posting some search hints and tricks that are specific to Mississippi. I also thought I’d start by promoting collections available at my day job.

Many of you know I am the College Librarian at Millsaps College. What many of you might not know is that Millsaps College is the home of the J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism. We are the official repository for the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church and some of its antecedents here in Mississippi [1]. 

The archives is a great resource for those of you searching for your Methodist ancestors. My suggestion is to start by visiting our research guide located here. This research guide is a great place to find information regarding the collections found at the J. B. Cain archives but will also guide you to online access of the New Orleans Christian Advocate, the Mississippi Advocate, and more [3].

Recently, during our Winter Virtual Seminar, researcher J. Mark Lowe was impressed by the name index of Mississippians mentioned in the New Orleans Christian Advocate. The index was created by J. B. Cain, a prominent Methodist church historian whose work resulted in the creation of the archive.

However, the Christian newspapers aren’t the only noteworthy collections. If you peruse the various tabs and hyperlinks on the page, you will find lists of memoirs and obituaries of notable Methodist ministers, a list of church registers residing in the collection, and finding aids for the United Methodist Women’s Society and the Manuscript Collections of notable Mississippi Methodists[4].

If you’re looking specifically for a name of a family member who belonged to a particular church, you’d go to the church registers and records tab, scroll to the hyperlink that says Church Registers and Records, and voila! [5] A document providing the list of church registers in the collection will open. Then you can check to see if the church your ancestor attended is on the list. Once you've found the church you're looking for be sure to schedule an appointment with us to scroll through the church register in person.

The library and archive staff are willing to answer any questions you might have about the process. Please understand that the J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism is currently open by appointment only. If you want to schedule a visit, please email librarian@millsaps.edu.

Also, it's best to know that there are other genealogical resources housed in the Millsaps-Wilson Library. I just wanted to highlight some of the most used items from the J. B. Cain Archives today.

Other than that, I do hope this information is helpful to your search. Have a good week and I hope to get you more useful tips soon. 

P.S. Here's a classic view of the old archives reading room [6].

[1] Millsaps-Wilson Library. “The Archives.” Millsaps College, 2024. https://millsaps.edu/academics/millsaps-wilson-library/the-archives/

[2] Millsaps-Wilson Library. "J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism: Overview." Millsaps College. Hyperlink to an Overview of the resources found in the J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism is provided. Accessed 22 April 2025. https://libguides.millsaps.edu/methodist/overview

[3] Millsaps-Wilson Library. “J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism: Finding Aids.” Millsaps College. New Orleans Christian Advocate hyperlink is provided in blue lettering at the top of the page. Accessed 21 April 2025. https://libguides.millsaps.edu/methodist/indexes

[4] Millsaps-Wilson Library. “J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism: Finding Aids.” Millsaps College. The memoirs and obituaries and United Methodist Women’s Society hyperlinks are provided in blue lettering at the top of the page. Accessed 21 April 2025. https://libguides.millsaps.edu/methodist/indexes

[5] Millsaps-Wilson Library. “J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism: Church Registers and Records” Millsaps College. Accessed 21 April 2025. https://libguides.millsaps.edu/methodist/churches

[6] Millsaps-Wilson Library. "Reading Room at the J. B. Cain Archives of Mississippi Methodism." Photograph. 2017. Millsaps College Archives, Jackson, Mississippi. Accessed 2025.