Holiday Gifts for a Connecticut Genealogist

Is there a Connecticut genealogist in your life starting their holiday wish list?


These are a few of my favorite options:

  • Membership to the historical society where your ancestors lived: Because Connecticut historical societies typically don’t hold governmental records, they’re sometimes skipped by genealogists. Yet, they’re the favorite repository for genealogists to retire their papers. Membership may bring you some wonderful hints.
  • Membership to an authorized Connecticut genealogy society: This is a must for anyone planning to do onsite research in Connecticut. Members of authorized societies have an ability to review vital records onsite with restrictions.
  • Connecticut books: If you’re researching Revolutionary War Connecticut, Jolene Mullen’s Connecticut Town Meeting Records is an excellent resource.
  • Hire a professional genealogist: Is there a record you haven’t been able to access? A professional genealogist may be able to retrieve it for you.

Don’t have a Connecticut State Library card? Here’s why you should…

If you’re a Connecticut resident, you’re eligible for a Connecticut State Library card. (It can be applied for here.) The State Library is separate from your local public library. The State Library houses the state archives of Connecticut but also functions as the state’s library – which means that it has books and database access. For Connecticut based genealogists, it can offer access to resources your local library does not hold.

While books need to be used onsite or interlibrary loaned to your local library, some databases can be accessed from home. Genealogists will value remote access to Fold3, historic versions of the Hartford Courant, JSTOR, and more.

There are numerous resources on the State Library site that don’t require a library card. For Connecticut residents, though, the application process is well worth the time.

I can’t locate a Connecticut birth certificate. Now where do I look?

While Connecticut required birth records as early as 1641, not everyone had one. If you can’t find a birth record for your ancestor, where else might you find their birth date and place recorded?

  • Church records: Some churches will baptize a child at birth and keep records accordingly. Keep in mind that many colonial Connecticut families were Congregational. The Congregational Church did not require infant baptism, so their baptismal records do not always correlate to the child’s birth.
  • Gravestones: Not every gravestone lists an age, but many do – and can provide enough to help you calculate a birth date.
  • Death and marriage record: Some records provide birth dates or at least ages.
  • Military draft and census records: Many drafts include a birth date and sometimes a place.
  • Obituary: Some list date and place of birth and even parents’ names.

What’s a proprietor? (and why does it matter?)

When Connecticut gave land to colonial settlers, it did not do so – as other colonies did – by issuing patents to individuals. Instead, it gave a group permission to settle on a certain area of land. These individuals, referred to as “proprietors” were responsible for establishing town governance and dividing the land among themselves (and deciding whether to hold it or to sell it to others).

To find the list of proprietors for a certain town, look for the proprietors’ records held by the town clerk (often their own book or the first section of the land records) or review the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut.

I can’t find a Connecticut birth record. Where do I look next?

Connecticut required vital records beginning in the 1640s on the town level and on the state level beginning on 1 July 1897. Yet, for some families, you may not find birth records until the 1910s. Where do you look next?

Church records.

Connecticut had a state church until 1818, so many colonial families were Congregational by default. The Church Record Abstract Collection can help you pinpoint the correct church. Not every church was included in the collection, as it covers only about 25% of what was received by the State Library. The records of other churches that were received by the State Library have been digitized by FamilySearch and can be accessed by searching the relevant town in the catalog. For a list of those churches, see https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/108575-list-of-church-records-in-the-connecticut-state-library. (If your ancestor’s church is not included, the records may be still held locally.)

By about 1750, Episcopal and Baptist churches had a presence in the state. Some records are held by the State Library. The remainder are likely still at the churches. The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut has an archives, which may be able to assist with questions.

The Catholic Church becomes active in the 1840s. Access policies will depend on the diocese. (More to follow…)

Resources for researching a French-Canadian family from Connecticut

The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought French Canadian families from Quebec, often to work in Connecticut’s factories. If your ancestors were part of that migration, what resources exist to help you trace them?

Societies:

https://www.fcgsc.org/: French Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut “is dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating genealogical and historical information about our ancestors who settled in Quebec and Acadia and their descendants.“

The local historical society: Because so many families were involved in the textile mills, the historical society might have records of employment, photos, and more.

Other resources:

https://francoamericandigitalarchives.org/overview: The Franco-American Digital Archives “addresses the need for online access to Franco-American cultural history by: locating and identifying archival materials that concern French-Canadian, Québécois(e), and Acadian diaspora communities in the US Northeast–wherever these materials have been collected around the world; bringing together information about these collections and their contents in an organized, searchable, and culturally conscientious way; and making accessible these collections and their contents by directing the public toward their digital presence and the institutions that collect and preserve them.”

Connecticut Digital Archive: The CDA hosts a number of related records, including oral history interviews.

Key records:

Catholic churches: Most of the French-Canadian families were Catholic, so church records can provide a valuable resource in tracing families that were often very mobile.

Resources for researching Polish immigrants to Connecticut

Polish immigrants had a presence in Connecticut beginning in the late 19th century. Poland has been part of multiple political jurisdictions over the centuries, which can make it challenging to research. Are there are resources that can help you trace your Polish-American ancestors back to Poland?

  1. The Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut & the Northeast is my go to referral for those researching Polish ancestry. The society focuses specifically on Polish genealogy in this region, and as such, is well suited to offer resources to help.
  2. In your ancestor’s hometown, reach out to:
    • The ethnic Catholic church: The Polish community tended develop deep ties to a specific Catholic church. That church may be able to share more about an ancestor’s history or connect you to historians in the church.
    • The historical society: Many local historical societies keep records of ethnic settlement patterns in the region and may have material on your family.

Fact or Myth: Connecticut’s Historical Government Records are Held by the Connecticut Historical Society?

Myth…

This one is actually based on a misconception. In some states, the state historical society is the official repository for the state’s governmental records. In Connecticut, that repository is the Connecticut State Archives, which is housed in the Connecticut State Library.

The Connecticut Historical Society, recently rebranded as the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, may have some governmental records, but those records would have been received through private donation.

We don’t get that many genealogy questions. Should we still expend resources?

I hear this comment and/or question often when talking to Connecticut libraries, historical societies, senior centers and community centers. They’re trying to figure out how to expend limited resources based on what questions have come to them. Unfortunately, the starting point is probably flawed.

As a professional genealogist, I actually use my library’s resources (specifically their FamilySearch affiliate status) regularly. However, FamilySearch doesn’t keep access statistics. Since I use their WiFi connection and don’t ask the reference staff questions, there’s no way for the library to tell that the resource is being used.

In speaking to researchers, most research questions are not making it to the local library’s reference desk. The more tech savvy are starting with Google or the FamilySearch Wiki. The less tech savvy are contacting the local historical society where their ancestors lived, much to the chagrin of those of us who are more advanced. (Please don’t default to using Ancestry when everyone contacts you!) Yet, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a need.

How do you find out what’s needed? Ask! Ask your patrons. Or ask local professional genealogists in your area. People do call us with questions.

Here’s what I explain the most often (in response to questions):

  • How to access resources at the State Library
  • How to use FamilySearch
  • How to find a FamilySearch affiliate. (If your organization isn’t one, and you have public computers, it’s a great option!)
  • What Connecticut records are stored where
  • Questions about ethnic and regional resources
  • How to find a professional genealogist

If you aren’t sure if your organization can support a program, consider bringing several organizations together to host.

Truth or Myth: The older birth certificates were transferred from my ancestor’s Connecticut town to the State Library

Myth. 100% myth.

Originals of the birth records are held in the town hall or the town vital records office. They have not been transferred to the State Library. Some records still in the towns have been microfilmed (and digitized) by FamilySearch, and that’s what you’d be reviewing at the State Library.

If you are told you cannot access a post-1900 vital record, let me know. I’ll be glad to try to direct you as to next steps.

See instructions on how to best access birth records here.