Hartford County, Connecticut
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

See Also Connecticut Land Records, Marriage Records, Court, Tax & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

NOTE: Counties were abolished officially in 1959 though their purpose had been chiefly to define county court districts. For genealogical research purposes, counties become necessary when using the federal census returns, since they are all cataloged by county.

All deeds, vital records, and probate records for all Connecticut towns are available to 1900 on microfilm at the Connecticut State Library or through the FHL. See Towns Page for address and Phone Numbers of Towns. See also Connecticut Towns and Their Establishment

Taxes were levied for personal property and land through most of Connecticut's history. The town assessor (or lister) made annual lists or rates of all taxables. This generated a considerable number of tax lists across time, but the Connecticut State Library has a list of various tax records still at the town clerk's offices. The Connecticut Historical Society and the genealogical collections throughout the state have some records.

Those matters not in the realm of the superior court were heard by the county courts (initially called prerogative or common pleas). The county court, begun in 1666, was abolished in 1955, and its functions were divided between justice courts and superior courts. Most of the county records, to its abolition date, are at the Conneticut State Library.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Hartford County, Connecticut Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

See Also Vital Records in Connecticut

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

The Vital Records Office at the Connecticut Department of Public Health maintains a statewide registry of all births, marriages, civil unions, deaths and fetal deaths which have occurred in CT since July 1, 1897.  For vital records prior to that date, you must contact the town where the vital event occurred (see the Connecticut Town Clerk and Registrar Directory). You may also contact the CSL History and Genealogy Unit or by telephone at (860) 757-6580. The State Library's Barbour Collection includes most CT vital records to about 1850.

• Birth Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains birth records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present. Connecticut birth records that are less than 100 years old are not open to the general public.  To be eligible to receive a copy of a birth certificate, you must be able to document that you are related to the registrant.
  • Cost: $15.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail.
  • Processing Time: Pprocessing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Order Online.
• Death Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains death records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present.
  • Cost: $10.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail.
  • Processing Time: Pprocessing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Order Online.
• Marriage Certificates: The Vital Records Office maintains marriage records that occur in Connecticut since July 1897 to the present.
  • Cost: $10.00, Make your bank check or money order payable to "Treasurer, State of Connecticut". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send Personal Checks or cash in the mail.
  • Processing Time: Processing time could be up to 6 months. when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Order Online.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Connecticut newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Hartford County, Connecticut Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Connecticut

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Hartford County, Connecticut are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Hartford County, Connecticut are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Hartford County, Connecticut Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

See Also Statewide Maps that exist for Connecticut

Maps are an excellent source for beginning your research, because they provide much useful information at a glance. Many historic maps show individual buildings and are especially useful because they also record owners' names and features in the surrounding community. More detailed maps reveal property acreage and estate names. By examining a series of maps, you will be able to date changes in your property over time.

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Connecticut showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You canview rotating animated maps for Connecticut showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at County Maps

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Maps. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: Connecticut Maps
• Historical Maps of Connecticut - Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Map of Connecticut Territory
• American Memory Map Collection: 1500-2004 - extensive selection from the Library of Congress Map Collections, focusing on Americana and cartographic treasures.
• Hartford County, Connecticut Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

See Also Military Records in Connecticut

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Connecticut Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Connecticut Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• The Revolutionary War Prize Cases: Connecticut Records of the Court of Appeal in Cases of Capture, 1776-1787 (The National Archives): NARA M162. Records of prize cases heard on appeal from Colonial and state courts by the Continental Congress and the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Connecticut (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War from the State of Connecticut (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Connecticut (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Connecticut (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Hartford County, Connecticut Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

See Also Other Connecticut Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Hartford Genealogical Society, Hartford Public Library, 500 North Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103
• National Archives - Northeast Region, Boston, Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center, 380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02452-6399; Phone: (781) 663-0130, Fax: (781) 663-0154, E-mail: waltham.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.)
• Connecticut State Library, History and Genealogy Unit, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford 06106; (203) 566-3690 or 3692
• Connecticut State Archives, 231 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106 , Tel: 860-757-6595, Fax: 860-757-6542; Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.
• Connecticut Historical Society, One Elizabeth Street at Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105; Tel: (860) 236-5621 Fax: (860) 236-2664; Email: ask_us@chs.org
• Connecticut Society of Genealogists, P.O. Box 435, Glastonbury 06033; ph 860-569-0002; FAX 860-569-0339; csg@csginc.org
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Connecticut Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Connecticut

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Hartford County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Hartford County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Early Connecticut settlers established the Congregational church as the tax-supported state church until 1818 when the state constitution was accepted abolishing the connection between church and state. Sometimes, if one parish was getting too large, a second was formed that became a precursor to a new town with the permission of the general assembly. Other denominations followed eventually, particularly the Baptists and Episcopalians from Rhode Island on the eastern border with Connecticut. Information in Connecticut's church records has often been found to be more informative, complete, or accurate than the town vital records.

Centralization is the norm for Connecticut's cemetery records. The Connecticut State Library holds the Hale Collection containing over one million gravestone inscriptions. The project to collect these began in 1916 by Charles R. Hale but was continued by act of the General Assembly and the WPA through the 1930s. While clearly many stones had been lost or destroyed by that time, over 2,000 cemeteries were located state-wide and included in the collection. Each town's inscriptions are bound in separate volumes, but an alphabetical index across towns is available. Both have been microfilmed and are available through the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Connecticut obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Connecticut newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
• Hartford County, Connecticut Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Hartford County, Connecticut Church Books at Amazon.com

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Hartford County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Hartford County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Hartford County ] [ Connecticut ] [ Main Page ]
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• The Connecticut Family Group Sheet Project
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Hartford County, Connecticut Family Books at Amazon.com

Hartford County, north-central Connecticut, U.S. It is bordered to the north by Massachusetts and traversed (north-south) by the Connecticut River. Other waterways are the Farmington, Pequabuck, and Quinnipiac rivers and the Barkhamsted and Nepaug reservoirs. The terrain mostly consists of an Appalachian oak forest region featuring broad lowlands broken by traprock ridges. Parklands include Tunxis and Massacoe state forest reserves and Penwood and Talcott Mountain state parks.

In the 1630s English pioneers arrived in the Connecticut River valley, settling beside such Indian tribes as the Podunk, Wangunk, and Saukiog. Established in May 1666 and named for Hertford, Eng., the county government was abolished on Oct. 1, 1960. The city of Hartford, the state capital, contains Trinity College (founded 1823), Wadsworth Atheneum (opened 1844), and the houses of writers Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. West Hartford, the birthplace of lexicographer Noah Webster, is the seat of the American School for the Deaf (founded 1817), St. Joseph College (1932), and the University of Hartford (founded 1877). New Britain, the seat of Central Connecticut State University (founded 1849), is known as the Hardware City because its primary products are consumer hardware and industrial tools. From 1790 Bristol was known as an important producer of clocks. The world's first ax factory was founded in Collinsville in 1826.