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From the Ancestry
Daily News Archive 09/1/2002 -  New
England Genealogy Research
Research in New
England
– Alice
Eichholz, Ph.D., CG
When our ancestors
arrived on the shores of New England over three hundred years ago, they
brought with them advanced thinking about government, which was to become
the foundation of democratic ideals of the United States.
Unlike their
"cousins" who settled the south in aristocratic fashion, New
Englanders devised the concept of town in uniquely historic ways. The town
or proprietors’ meeting, originally prominent in every New England
state, still remains the major governmental unit in Vermont. But vestiges
of town government can be found in various forms in all of the New England
states and even in New York.
Genealogical
researchers in the south, midwest, and west, where county, city, and
township divisions are the major units of government, often find it hard
to adapt their research skills to New England research where the town and
its abundant primary source material is the focus for research. Once you
become familiar with the way records were kept in each of New England’s
states and the type of records and their location, it will be easier to
locate New England ancestors.
Since the colonial
period, the six New England states have undergone several changes with
regard to the way primary sources–vital records, probate, and land
records–are recorded. How those records were maintained originally may
be quite different today. For that reason, a very brief description of
each state’s primary source material in vital, land, and probate records
follows, along with where to locate the records in the major research
facilities in each state.
Maps are essential
for New England research, particularly a map of each state’s town
structure. The geographic boundaries of towns along with roads and rivers
can help you place your ancestors’ lives in the context of the places
they lived. There are a number of sources for good town maps. Two
published sources include Ancestry’s
Red Book edited by Alice Eichholz (Ancestry, 1992) and the Genealogist’s
Handbook for New England Research by Marcia D. Melnyk (New England
Historic Genealogical Society, 1999). The maps in Ancestry’s Red Book
overlay the geography of rivers and other bodies of water on the town
boundaries. In addition, DeLorme Printing publishes present day detailed
maps for all six New England states, indicating town outlines, present day
roads and other geographical features.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts originally recorded vital records only at the town level,
although many church records include vital events from the beginning of
settlement. Recording events at the town clerk’s office was optional
before 1841, when it became mandatory. It is suspected, however, that a
majority of vital events were recorded in Massachusetts before statewide
recording began in 1841. When a town became incorporated as a city, the
city clerk’s office became the place of recording. Once recording became
mandatory, town and city clerks were required to send a copy of the record
to the state’s Registry of Vital Records.
Therefore, after
1841, there are usually two copies of vital events–one in the town or
city clerk’s office and one at the state Registrar. For records before
1841, the researcher needs to contact the town where the event took place.
The Massachusetts State Archives holds the official state copies of vital
events from 1841 to 1910. After 1911, records are obtained from the state’s
Registry of Vital Records. All of the Massachusetts vital records are
considered "public records." There are no restrictions to their
access unless they are sealed records, such as adoptions.
In addition to the
official copies, about two-thirds of Massachusetts’ towns have vital
records published up to 1850 and are widely available at large research
libraries including the Family History Library. Other sources in addition
to town vital records, such as cemetery and church records, are often
included in these published town series.
Unlike vital
records, probate and land records for Massachusetts were recorded at
county offices, not the town. Probates are indexed by name of deceased,
and land records are usually indexed by both grantor and grantee. Because
there have been changes in county boundaries since colonial times and some
counties have more than one registry office for deeds, it is important to
be specific about the location and time period of the search.
In western
Massachusetts’ Berkshire County, for example, there are three Registry
of Deed offices, which roughly divide the county in thirds, but the middle
one was the first to be established, and it was later divided into three–creating
new ones on the south and north. Consequently, a person’s town of
residence and county might not have changed, but the place of recording
land and probate could have. Each registry has its own indexes for the
deeds it holds. Sometimes the index identifies the town location for the
land, and sometimes it indicates that a land transaction was part of the
county court or probate proceedings. See either Ancestry’s Red Book or
The Genealogists Handbook for New England Research to determine the
appropriate probate and deed registry associated with each town.
Maine
Until 1820, Maine was a part of Massachusetts–a fact that researchers
may forget when they are trying to trace New England ancestry. After Maine
became a state, vital records for its more than 400 towns continued to be
recorded in town or city clerk’s offices until 1892 when statewide
recording became mandatory. The towns continue to maintain the original
records, but after that date the town sent copies of the record to the
State Bureau of Vital Statistics in Augusta where they are indexed
statewide. Unfortunately, some of Maine’s vital records in towns are no
longer in existence, and it is not always easy to get a town clerk to
respond to inquiries in smaller or understaffed towns.
Records before 1892
need to be located at the appropriate town, although many were microfilmed
and available through major research facilities, including the Maine State
Archives and the Family History Library and its branches. Records for
events between 1892 and 1922 can be found at the town and on microfilm at
the Maine State Archives. Vital records created after 1922 can be obtained
from the Office of Vital Statistics.
Maine followed
Massachusetts’ pattern for probate and land records, centralizing them
in the county seats. All of Maine was a Massachusetts county called York
until 1760. Published versions of the early deeds (to 1737) and wills (to
1760) can be found in large research libraries. After those dates, the
county seat’s index needs to be consulted.
New
Hampshire
The pattern of recording vital, land, and probate records in New Hampshire
is similar to that of Massachusetts and Maine. A law was passed in 1866
that required the secretary of state to make a report of all vital events,
but compliance with this law was very irregular until a later law was
enacted and more towns began sending their vital records to the state in
the 1880s. By 1901, the Bureau of Vital Records was established and
regular statewide recording became a reality. Each town still records
vital events, sending copies to the state and publishing them annually in
town reports.
All recorded births
before 1901 and deaths, marriages, and divorces before 1938 were gathered
and are additionally recorded and indexed statewide at the Bureau of Vital
Records and Health Statistics. These records are on microfilm at the
Family History Library as well. The indexing is a bit different than most
indexes. The cards with copies of the vital records are organized in time
periods and then in an elaborate grid of matching the first and third
letter of the last name with the first letter of the first name. In this
way, you can locate the appropriate file drawer or microfilm with the
surname in the appropriate time period.
New Hampshire vital
records are not open to the public, but available only to those who can
demonstrate a direct and tangible interest. However, older records–births
before 1901, and marriages, deaths, and divorces before 1938–are
available for research to anyone.
Probate and land
records were recorded at the county seat where they are indexed by name of
deceased or by grantor/grantee, respectively. During the time the state
had a provincial government (before 1771), probate and land records were
centrally kept. Abstracts of probate records were published for that time
period. The New Hampshire Division of Records Management and Archives
holds all the original provincial probate and deed records for the towns
before 1771 and their indexes. Some, but not all, counties have indexes to
their deeds after 1771, but all original land records are located at the
county seat. Some have been microfilmed and can be found at the New
Hampshire Division of Records Management and Archives collection or
through the Family History Library and its branches.
An extensive
statewide index located at the New Hampshire State Library and on
microfilm, distributed by Family History Library and its branches,
provides unusual access to all of New Hampshire’s town records to about
1800. The index includes vital records, town meeting records, and some
land distribution all recorded in town records.
Rhode
Island
Rhode Island holds the distinction of being the New England state with
only one jurisdictional location–town or city hall–for recording all
of its vital, land, and probate records. Counties have little genealogical
significance in Rhode Island except for locating census enumerations.
Many available
vital records before 1850 have been published and distributed widely
either in print or on microfilm. After 1853, statewide recording of
births, deaths, and marriages became mandatory through the Department of
Health’s Office of Vital Statistics. That leaves the years 1850—52 not
covered by either publication or statewide indexing. Records for those
years would have to be located at the town or city hall. While copies of
all records after 1853 were also sent to the state office, you are more
likely to quickly receive them from the town or city clerk.
Since Rhode Island
vital records are confidential, copies of only those births and marriages
more than 100 years old or deaths more than fifty years old are available
to the public. Later records require the researcher to have a "direct
and tangible interest." Computerized indexes for marriages and deaths
before 1900 are available at the Rhode Island Historical Society.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s pattern for recording vital, land, and probate records
differs from Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, but is similar to
Vermont’s. Vital records are still kept today by Connecticut’s town
offices, but after 1897 they were also recorded at the State Department of
Health. For vital events before 1850, a researcher can use the Barbour
Collection located at the Connecticut State Library or on microfilm
through the Family History Library and other research facilities. That
collection is arranged alphabetically by surname for all towns in the
state. A recent microfilming project now makes it possible to look at all
of Connecticut’s town records (including vital records) to about 1897.
There is no statewide index for 1850—97 like the Barbour Collection.
However, after 1897 the State Department of Health has a statewide index
to the present.
Connecticut’s
land records were also recorded at the town clerk’s office, not the
county. Microfilm copies of town land records and their grantor/grantee
indexes up to the late 1800s can be found at the Connecticut State
Library, but there is no statewide index. They need to be searched
town-by-town.
Probates are
recorded at one of over 130 local probate district offices, with one or
more towns in each district. The development of these offices from the
original county courts is a somewhat complicated history. In addition to Genealogist’s
Handbook for New England Research and Ancestry’s
Red Book cited above, Thomas Kemp’s Connecticut
Researcher’s Handbook (Gale Publishing Co., 1982) will help you
through the maze of probate courts. A statewide index to estate papers up
to about 1900 and the probate books to about 1915 are located at the
Connecticut State Library and on microfilm and available through the
Family History Library. Some estate papers at the state library remain
unindexed.
Vermont
Like Connecticut, Vermont uses the town system of government for recording
vital records and deeds, but probate records are recorded in probate
districts. In Vermont, probate districts and their offices tend to conform
geographically to county boundaries either wholly or with two districts
for some counties. Counties themselves have little meaning for Vermont
research besides census enumeration.
Recording vital
records became mandatory in 1857, although many were recorded before this
date at the town clerk’s office, which still maintains all the original
records. The Division of Public Records, Reference Research Section
maintains the state’s copies of vital events recorded in the 251 towns
and municipalities, along with a statewide index. These are all public
records, available for research by anyone.
The statewide index
includes all events–births, marriages, deaths–organized by
chronological groupings–1760—1870, 1871—1908, 1909—41, 1942—54,
1955—79. After these dates they are indexed by individual years and type
of event.
Land and probate
records are still kept by the town (for land) and district (for probate)
where each have appropriate indexes. Microfilm copies of land and probate
records for the entire state up to at least 1850 are found at the
Reference Research Section in Vermont and through the Family History
Library and its branches, which also provide microfilm access to the vital
records to at least 1909.
Original vs
Indexed Information
Solid genealogical research requires the use of original documents, which
means not relying on indexes. While all of New England states will issue
certified copies of vital records based on the statewide index, the
thorough researcher will not be satisfied with this certified
"index" copy for several reasons. First, it was not uncommon in
early New England for entire families to be recorded in one group. Relying
on the index misses these family connections. Second, there may be more
information on the original source than is on the certified copy.
Below is an example
of what can happen when only the official index card is used as the source
for vital records.
Jonas Cutting Jr.
was born 6 December 1790 and recorded in Weathersfield, Vermont. However,
if we locate this record on page 101, Volume 2 of the Weathersfield
records, we find considerably more information. All of this family’s
births were recorded in Weathersfield, Vermont, on 3 March 1806, but they
did not all occur in Weathersfield. In addition to the original record
naming Jonas’ siblings, their places of birth illuminate the family’s
migration trail from Berlin, Massachusetts, to Vermont. Brother Sewel
Cutting was born at Berlin, Massachusetts in 1785; brother Nathaniel
Billings was born at Worcester, Massachusetts in 1787. By 1789, when
Joseph Hubbard Cutting was born, the family had moved to Weathersfield. In
addition, the middle names of two siblings provide a possible clue as to
Jonas Jr.’s mother’s name and surnames in earlier generations on
either side of the family.
Town Records
In addition to the vital, probate, and land records in New England states,
towns collected an amazing array of information about their residents over
time. Since the town form of government was the essential unit in New
England, each town recorded its yearly governmental proceedings (which
occur in March every year in Vermont) in what are called either the
Proprietors’ or Town Meeting Records. The title depends on state, the
purpose of the meeting, and the time period. They usually contain many
interesting aspects of ancestors’ lives as well as good genealogical
problem-solving clues. Tax records, elections of town officials and other
governmental sources, lists of school-aged children, warnings out to poor
families, church disputes, even ear marks for cows or pigs may be found in
some town records in New England.
Aside from New
Hampshire’s limited index to these town records mentioned earlier and
some earlier published ones for Rhode Island and Massachusetts, most of
them have to be read thoroughly (either in the town office or on microfilm
in central locations in each state) to unearth their marvelous sense of
the quality of life recorded within them.
Even if you can’t
take a trip to New England to see these records, microfilm collections of
many of them are in the holdings of the Family History Library in Salt
Lake City and through its network of local branch libraries. Microfiche
editions for some New England town records are available as well.
Certainly while the
principle of working in the locale of your ancestor’s former places of
residence holds true for any geographic area, details of the lives of New
Englanders are probably more open, available, and informative than most
areas in the United States.
Alice Eichholz,
Ph.D., CG is the director of Lifelong Learning at Union Institute &
University/Vermont College, which sponsors the "Learn Family History
Online" program and the editor of Ancestry’s Red Book: American
State, County, and Town Sources (Ancestry, 1992).
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