New Hampshire researchers are fortunate to have an abundance of town
histories and genealogies covering families who lived in the state at
their disposal. This article will focus on research aids, library
materials, and exemplary works to assist in the search for New Hampshire
ancestors. The next installment in this series will show which New
Hampshire towns have published histories, identify those histories which
include genealogies, and indicate those that are currently available
for sale (with purchase information and cost). It will also be noted if
the histories are available to NEHGS members via the Society’s
circulating and research libraries.
William Copeley, head librarian at the New Hampshire Historical
Society’s Tuck Library, said it well in the introduction to his recent
work on genealogies in New Hampshire town histories (see below): “Town
histories are undoubtedly the single most useful, widely available
source for research on New Hampshire families. Among all the states of
the Union, New Hampshire is almost uniquely well represented by detailed
town histories. In the absence of annotated bibliographies of the
history of each state, it is impossible to prove this statement
scientifically, but most genealogists and historians who have had an
opportunity to compare printed New Hampshire sources with those of other
states would probably agree.” It is prudent to check these sources
before heading off to reinvent the wheel (or chart as the case may be).
If you are one of the many fortunate descendants of a New Hampshire
family who has been covered in these resources you will want to see what
other researchers have found before setting off in the rough world of
primary sources. Ask a librarian at one of the repositories listed below
for information regarding the reliability of the history or genealogy.
Armed with these important finds you will then want to go to primary
sources to check the validity of unsourced data.
- Tuck
Library , located on 30 Park St. in Concord, is acknowledged as
holding the largest collection of New Hampshire town histories anywhere.
Their brochure boasts about 2,000 state, county, and town histories. In
addition they have about 5,000 family genealogies, many of which are
unpublished.
- The
New Hampshire State Library , on the next block at 20 Park St., also
has an impressive town history collection. They have approximately
2,400 published family histories, some of which are not found in the
Tuck Library collection.
- The
Manchester City Library’s large town and county history collection
is kept in its New Hampshire Room. Newspaper clippings for each town
supplement these histories. The library is located on 405 Pine Street in
Manchester.
- Baker Library at Dartmouth College in Hanover has a considerable
history collection covering the towns surrounding Hanover and beyond.
- The New England Historic and Genealogical Society Library in Boston
is another excellent place to find both New Hampshire town histories and
genealogies of families that lived in the state.
Many other libraries across the state have collections of varying
degrees.
The better part of New Hampshire town histories were written between
the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth
century. Many included family histories, and others provided family
tables or early vital records to assist in tracing the families who
resided in the town. Bill Copeley states in the index cited below that
he consulted 348 histories from 202 towns published through 1999, all
found at Tuck Library. He found that only 32 towns, predominantly those
with very small populations, did not have a town history.
Some of the towns that did not have their records preserved and
printed in the earlier years have had various historians and
genealogists complete works in more contemporary times. The bicentennial
of our nation in 1976 inspired a new crop of histories. With the new
millennium there appears to be yet another resurgence of genealogical
works in print. A few examples of more recent works in the town history
and town-wide genealogy arena are:
- Two hundred plus, Bradford, New Hampshire in retrospect, by
the History Committee and Bicentennial Committee (Phoenix Publishing,
1976)
- Hollis Family Album by Joan Child Tinklepaugh (Penobscot
Press, 1997)
- Early Families of Unity, N.H., and Cemeteries of Unity, N.H.
by Kathleen C. Beals (the author, Albany, CA, 1997).
Genealogies of many New Hampshire families have been produced over
the years and continue to be today. The four-volume set by historian and
genealogist Ezra S. Sterns, Genealogical and Family History of the
State of New Hampshire (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), covers New
Hampshire’s noted families. Although most of these early works did not
include source information, today’s published genealogies are much more
likely to include citations, allowing the researcher to better evaluate
the information contained. A few standouts among recent New Hampshire
genealogies are listed below:
- Ann Theopold Chaplin, The Babson Genealogy (Gateway Press,
1997).
- David Watson Kruger, Jonathan Watson (1650?-1714) of Dover, New
Hampshire: who settled there by 1672 (Newbury Street Press, 1998).
- Dean Crawford Smith, ed. by Melinde Lutz Sanborn, The Ancestry
of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844–1916 (New England Historic
Genealogical Society, 1990).
There are several aids to help the researcher locate family records
in town histories and/or printed genealogies. The earliest are the
companion volumes: Munsell’s American Genealogist (fifth edition,
Joel Munsell, Albany, NY, 1900) and Munsell’s Genealogical Index
(fifth edition, Joel Munsell, Albany, NY, 1900). The first work gives
the genealogies in print on each family arranged alphabetically under
the surname. The second work is arranged the same way and lists all
publications containing family histories of at least three generations.
These volumes give sources beyond the state of New Hampshire, but also
include New Hampshire town histories. The former is available in the Dimond Library at
the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The latter is available at
the New
Hampshire State Library in Concord and the NEHGS Library in Boston.
Though these volumes were written at an early date, many of the works
cited are those we use today in tracing New Hampshire family roots.
Another helpful volume is Hammond’s Check List of New Hampshire
History (New Hampshire Historical Society, 1925; reprinted New
Hampshire Publishing Co, 1971). It includes all historical works for
each town including books, articles, and pamphlets. The town names are
arranged alphabetically. Although this book does not identify which
materials contain genealogical information, it is a valuable research
tool when used in conjunction with the other works cited in this
article. This book is available at Tuck Library, New Hampshire State
Library and the NEHGS Library. Topic areas covered in Hammond’s Check
List include:
- Biography
- Boundaries
- Constitution
- Counties
- General
- Military
- Regimental
- New Hampshire grants – Now Vermont
- Religious
- White Mountains
Elmer M. Hunt published Families’ Names in New Hampshire Town
Histories in the Historical New Hampshire magazine (New
Hampshire Historical Society, Dec 1946). This served as a general
surname index to New Hampshire town histories for many years. As the
publication has been out of print for some time, New Hampshire
researchers can now turn to William Copeley’s Index to Genealogies
in New Hampshire Town Histories (New Hampshire Historical Society,
1988, with a revised and enlarged edition released in 2000). He used a
minimum of three generations through a male or female line as a guide to
determine which names were included. The names are listed
alphabetically by surname, much in the same format as the predecessor.
Following each surname is a list of New Hampshire town names, referring
to the town history of that name which holds the genealogical record for
the family.
A list of top New Hampshire town histories and genealogies is
currently being developed through an informal polling of top
genealogists and historians in the state and beyond. The results will be
included in the second part of this article.