Connecticut Historical Societies with Genealogists’ Files

When researching your family history, it can be helpful not to reinvent the wheel! Professional genealogists have been tracing Connecticut families for decades. Some of their findings may be published in publications such as the Register, the Nutmegger, and more or in books. Even if they never got around to publishing a finding, their work may still provide valuable hints. But how do you access it?

In some cases, genealogists’ notes have made their way to the collections of the local historical society. Examples include the Starr Files at the Middlesex County Historical Society, covering Middletown’s white colonial families; a large collection of genealogical notebooks at the New London County Historical Society; records held by the Lyme Public Hall Archives; and more. Smaller historical societies may not have a large enough website to fully explain their collection, so be sure to ask!

These genealogists’ notes are notes and not conclusions. Plan to try to take their work back to the original sources. But their findings may point you to the right volume and page.

Need help to better understand the sources used in Connecticut genealogy?

Finding the sources that discuss your ancestor is only part of the puzzle. To use them effectively, you need to understand how the source was created and why so that you understand what was put, in what was left out, and more. Four websites can be especially helpful for developing context.

  1. ConnecticutHistory.org: A product of Connecticut Humanities, this website offers articles on topics in Connecticut history designed for the general public. Covered topics include places, people, and more. For example, a study of Eli Whitney can be viewed here.
  2. Connecticut State Library History and Genealogy Unit: The portion of the State Library that focuses on records retention and access, the History and Genealogy Unit offers finding aids and resources on probate records, cemetery collections, and more.
  3. The town historical society: Okay, so that’s not a specific website. But still, town historical societies can be an amazing resource! The Fairfield Museum and History Center, for example, has a research section on their website.
  4. and don’t forget the public library: James Blackstone Library in Branford actually has a “Local History and Archives” section on their website.

Is treating Connecticut genealogy as “New England genealogy” really the best approach?

Regional genealogy is becoming increasingly popular in professional genealogy, both as a way to establish professional expertise and to teach. While not a new concept, the idea has begun to supplant a state centered focus over the last decade or so. Instead of focusing on Connecticut, the genealogist using regional genealogy focuses on New England genealogy. While this approach has some benefits, it can also potentially be problematic.

A regional approach is based on the idea that a region has some common trends. Typically, these include a shared history (in the case of New England, that’s a Massachusetts based initial settlement and a religious history tied to the Congregational Church); similar record sets; and overlapping migration patterns. A focus on the shared aspects, in theory, allows the genealogist to learn more ground. That would make a professional able to serve more clients and potentially be able to teach more expansive courses.

Yet, a regional approach makes it almost impossible to learn nuance for each of the locations in the region. In reality, genealogists often become very strong in one state and are less so in the others. That can become problematic, as key records can be missed or misinterpreted. For example, Connecticut had an establishment church until 1818, but legal rights for Christians beginning in 1784. The legislation may impact where a family’s church records are held. There is a tracking system for determining which early probate records were turned over to the state archives, but the collection is little known outside of the state. When the professional genealogist claims to be able to work in all of the region, it can be hard for the client to tell where they are most effective.

A regional focused approach is typically going to be most effective for things that are common between the regions. A nuanced or challenging issue will still benefit from a state level specialist. Understanding the difference between the two situations is going to be key to a successful outcome.

5 Tips for Using FamilySearch for Researching Connecticut Ancestors

I hear often from researchers that they’ve started researching their Connecticut family on specific genealogy websites and skipped FamilySearch because it feels hard to use. They’ve accidentally missed one of the best resources for digitized Connecticut genealogy records (and more). While FamilySearch is a challenging to navigate website, learning how to use it can make a huge difference in being able to trace your Connecticut ancestors.

Here are my top five tips for researching Connecticut ancestors on FamilySearch:

  1. Skip the “Records Search”: People often start by using the records search option because that’s how other genealogy sites allow you to search their records. FamilySearch never fully linked its records databases to the search, so searches tend to return very little information. Instead, use the catalog to see the records available for where your ancestor lived. A good percentage of probate, land, church and vital records for the period before 1900 have been digitized.
  2. Be aware of records restrictions: Depending on their contracts with the record owner, FamilySearch has multiple different types of records access. Connecticut records fall mostly into two categories: available from home or available from an affiliate library. Read more about access issues here. Some records might be restricted because the original microfilm reel contains vital records currently restricted under Connecticut law. To learn more about access, visit here.
  3. Pay attention to records storage location: FamilySearch files records by the creator. That means land records will be filed in the town in which the transaction occurred (even if the property is now in a different town). This can have a major impact with probate records, as probate records are filed under the district seat. (To learn more about districts, visit here.)
  4. If possible, learn more about Connecticut records and what might and might not be digitized. At least try to explore! Connecticut’s church records matter. There was a “state church” until 1818, so it was often a defacto second recorder for birth, marriages, and deaths. Some church records are digitized, and some aren’t. If you don’t have time to learn, reading through the extra entries on the catalog can give you ideas.
  5. Try “Full Text“ search – but remember, it doesn’t include everything! The AI driven “full text” search can be invaluable for locating references to your ancestor in land and probate records that you might otherwise miss. But remember, it doesn’t include everything! Records searches will be restricted by the same contracts as the records themselves. (You’ll often get more access in an affiliate.) There are also collections that were never linked. This is a great add on to your research, but it’s not a replacement.

My French-Canadian ancestor isn’t recorded in Connecticut vital records. How do I document their birth, marriage, or death?

Connecticut’s statewide “compliance date” for birth, death, and marriage records is 1 July 1897. Yet, it’s not unheard of to have a hard time finding vital records after that time period for an immigrant ancestor and can be very hard before, even though records were technically required. Why?

There are two common reasons for missing records.

  1. The record is filed under an unexpected spelling. A clerk who spoke only English could easily mistranscribe a French name; a family may decide an English variant was easier to read. Information on the process can be found here. Spend some time with the indices looking for likely alternate spellings.
  2. The record wasn’t filed. In Quebec, the Catholic Church was the recorder for much of its history. See https://genealogyensemble.com/2017/04/02/church-registers-a-wonderful-resource-for-researching-quebec-ancestors/ for details. A highly migratory but religious family may have completed the Church ceremony but not the civil forms. The parish may be able to assist with issuing certified sacramental records if needed for dual citizenship.

Stuck on a Connecticut research problem? Here are five places you can go for help.

  1. FamilySearch: The FamilySearch Wiki hosts how to information on Connecticut genealogy.
  2. Connecticut State Library: Genealogists love the Connecticut State Library and for good reason! From resources guides to helpful library staff, CSL should be familiar to every genealogist.
  3. Genealogical societies in state: Connecticut genealogical societies offer journals, research help, classes, and more. For a starting point in finding societies, visit https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/researcher/gensocieties.
  4. Professional genealogists: Key for accessing onsite records, professionals can be an invaluable resource for both locating the records you need and answering questions. For Connecticut professionals, consider the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council.
  5. Our resource guides: To learn more about land records and more, visit our website.

Have a specific question? Feel free to contact us!

5 Websites to Try for Researching Connecticut Genealogy

When you’re getting started researching ancestors living in a new area, it can be easy to stick to familiar websites and databases. That may serve you well in some cases. In others, it may result in missing out on valuable educational opportunities and family records. Here are five new websites to try for researching Connecticut ancestors.

  1. The History and Genealogy Division of the Connecticut State Library: The CSL History and Genealogy Division is a fantastic educational resource for Connecticut genealogy. How to guides cover probate records, newspapers, and much, much more.
  2. The Connecticut Genealogy Index: Made available through Reclaim the Records, the Connecticut Genealogy Index is the most extensive index available for birth, death, and marriage records on the state level.
  3. Chronicling America: Hosted through the Library of Congress, Chronicling America offers digitized images of many smaller Connecticut newspapers.
  4. Connecticut Digital Archive: An online repository for many Connecticut institutions, the Digital Archives holds images of photos, historic maps, and more.
  5. HathiTrust: A digital library, HathiTrust links to digitized copies of many Connecticut state publications, including Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut.

Connecticut Statutes: Resources for Genealogy

Understanding the law that lead to the creation of genealogical records can be crucial in understanding the record. The law can help explain who was named in a record, why, and how. It can explain who was left out. It can also point us to records we may not have seen yet.

So how do we start?

The Connecticut State Library has an index to revisions of the General Statutes. It doesn’t cover every statute, but the revisions do include coverage of many topics referenced in genealogy research. Probate laws are included.

If you’re looking for more specific coverage, volumes of laws passed in a specific year are available. These volumes appear to be divided by type of act. Some years are covered on HathiTrust. Historical studies of a specific topic or time period can help point to the correct law.

Have reference questions or need help finding a law? The State Library has a Law and Legislation division.

How do I find my Connecticut ancestor’s obituary?

An obituary can be a valuable resource for genealogical research. Obituaries often list information on major life events, family relationships, and more. How do you find one for your Connecticut ancestor?

Obituaries as we think of them today begin in the late 19th century. Prior to that, Connecticut newspapers tended to provide what are called death notices. Occasionally, they may list a family relationship. Most often they’ll just include the individual’s name, date of death, place of death, and sometimes age.

Obituaries could appear in any paper that served the area. Larger papers did exist covering several towns, but those papers had the most thorough coverage of deaths in the large city. The Hartford Courant, for example, had more obituaries for Hartford. Smaller papers will often have better coverage of smaller towns. To find an appropriate newspaper, consider using the State Library’s newspaper finder.

If you’re unable to access the listed paper or are having trouble finding the appropriate record, consider contacting the public library in the town where your ancestor resided at the time of their death.

Connecticut County Records: What do genealogists need to know?

Connecticut’s county system was abolished 1 October 1960, meaning that no functions are currently managed by the county within the state.

In a 1998 memo, Judy A. Watson listed 9 functions of the county government system at its peak:

  • operate homes for neglected and abandoned children,
  • administer widow’s aid,
  • grant liquor licenses and collect fees,
  • build bridges over waterways separating towns,
  • construct and maintain roads located within the county,
  • supervise bicycle paths,
  • provide Connecticut Bar Association law library quarters,
  • contribute agricultural extension services funds,
  • oversee county court operations.

Genealogists will most likely run into county records when researching ancestors who a) interacted with the county children’s homes and b) who interacted with the county courts. Keep in mind that probate courts were not included in the jurisdiction of county courts. Connecticut county court records most often related to criminal matters; criminal matters such as debt; and divorces.

Genealogists Christopher and Cheryl Klemmer have done extensive research on the homes, the records of which are held by the Connecticut State Library. See, for example, https://cslarchives.ctstatelibrary.org/agents/corporate_entities/4589. Their discussion of the topic can be found here: https://vernonhistoricalsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Researching-Residents-of-CT-County-Homes.pdf.

Many of the county court records have also found their way to the State Library, a finding aid for which can be found at https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/courtrecords. Others remain in local historical societies and private hands, or are missing entirely.

When researching an ancestor in county court records, it’s important to note that Connecticut county boundaries did change. The Newberry Library lists some of the changes here:https://publications.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CT_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#FAIRFIELD. Check in which county your ancestor resided at the time they lived there before looking for county records.