Daily AncestorSister
Sister in old records could mean a fellow woman member of a church, as well as a daughter of the same parents.
Sister usually means a female sibling, including a half-sister. In church records, though, women members were addressed as sister, just as men were called brother.
Sister Mary in a congregation's minutes may be no relation at all. Check whether the surname and family fit before assuming a sibling.
As seen in a recordChurch minutes, 1800s
Sister Ann Clark dismissed by letter to join the church at Lebanon.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Sister." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/sister. Last checked 2026-10-01.