Uncategorized – Page 2 – Connecticut Roots by Charter Oak Genealogy

Tax list or grand list?

Tax lists of all kinds can provide a valuable resource for documenting residency, particularly in colonial or early American Connecticut. Because Connecticut collects property taxes on the town level, finding someone in the tax lists is a good indication that they lived or at minimum owned property in that area. Yet, it’s important to realizeContinue reading “Tax list or grand list?”

Did Connecticut require vital records for those held in slavery?

As early as 1702, the requirement to register births and deaths included “masters” in addition to parents. Recording was inconsistent: although there was a penalty for failure to register, it’s unclear if it was ever enforced. In short, while there are only a small number of records for those held in slavery, it’s important toContinue reading “Did Connecticut require vital records for those held in slavery?”

Are there multiple versions of the Barbour Collection?

The Barbour Collection is an index and abstract of pre-1850 Connecticut vital records created in the early 1900s. For a history of the collection, see the “LibGuide” on the Connecticut State Library website. It’s a commonly used resource for Connecticut research, and, as it’s considered to be generally reliable, is accepted as “proof” by manyContinue reading “Are there multiple versions of the Barbour Collection?”

The Hale Collection: A Resource for Cemetery Inscriptions

An outgrowth of a project to document veteran’s graves, the Hale Collection was largely compiled between 1932 and 1935. To create the collection, staffers visited the town, attempted to locate all relevant cemeteries, and transcribe the headstones. Those transcriptions were then organized into volumes by town and then by cemetery. The volumes are available onContinue reading “The Hale Collection: A Resource for Cemetery Inscriptions”

How do I find the district probate court that holds my Connecticut ancestor’s records?

Since 1719, Connecticut has used district – rather than county – probate courts. The boundaries of the districts have changed periodically, but the records do not move with district changes. To identify the probate court that would have served your ancestor, you need to know in which district their town of residence was located atContinue reading “How do I find the district probate court that holds my Connecticut ancestor’s records?”