Merrimack County, New Hampshire Genealogy

Guide to Merrimack County, New Hampshire ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Merrimack County is located in the south central region of the state. The county was named for the Merrimack River.

County Courthouse
Merrimack County Courthouse 5 Court Street Concord, NH 03301 Phone: 855-212-1234 Merrimack County Website County Clerk has divorce records from 1840 and court records from 1823. Town or City Clerks have birth, marriage, death, burial records. Probate Judge has probate records from 1823. Register of Deeds has land records from 1823.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cemeteries

 * Conway Public Library

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Before 1823: Grafton, Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties
 * 1840-1867 at FamilySearch Catalog(*)
 * 1840-1875 at FamilySearch Catalog(*)
 * 1876-1900 at FamilySearch Catalog(*)

Directories
The Family History Library has many city directories on microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog and look up the city or town - Directories. For example Concord, New Hampshire city directories are available on microfilms and/or microfiche for 1830 to 1935 with gaps for some years. Those directories also often include the names of persons living in other towns in the county. Many directories are also available on the internet at www.ancestry.com. Go to Ancestry's card catalog, and under Search Titles, then type New Hampshire City Directories. Then you can select the city and see for which years ancestry has digital images of the city directories.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1823-1900 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1823-1919 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Local Histories
There are town histories for most of the towns in Merrimack County, and there is often a genealogical section with a great deal of family history information. The Family History Library has microfilmed many of those books, and some are on the internet. For the following towns the Family History Library has town histories or genealogical collections which include a good deal of genealogical information: Andover, Boscawen. Bow, Bradford, Canterbury, Concord, Dunbarton, Epsom, Henniker, Hopkinton, Loudon, New London, Northfield, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Salisbury, Sutton, and Webster. For the other towns, Allenstown, Chichester, Danbury, Franklin, Hill, Hookset, Loudon, Newbury, Warner, and Wilmot the Family History Library usually has microfilms of births, marriages, and deaths, and often cemetery records. The New Hampshire State Library in Concord, New Hampshire has a vast collection of books about New Hampshire towns and counties. Check their internet catalog for a town of interest. The also in Concord has a very large collection of local history books and other publications.

If your ancestor lived in the area that is Merrimack County, before 1823, you will need to determine if the town where your ancestor lived was in Hillsborough, Grafton, or Rockingham counties. Ancestry's Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources, 3rd ed., Provo, Ut., 2004 (FHL book 973 D27) has a map of New Hampshire on page 437, and after the map there is a list of towns telling to which county the town belongs now, and to which county it belonged before 1823.

The eastern half of Merrimack County including the towns from Hookset, up to Concord, and up to and including Franklin was taken from Rockinginham County in 1823. The nothern two towns of Danbury and Hill were taken from Grafton County in 1823. The western towns of Merrimack County in the line of Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Boscowen, Salisbury, to Andover and westwards were taken from Hillsborough County in 1823.

Maps and Gazetteers
There are two very good early atlases that show the county and town boundary lines. One was published in 1822 by H. C. Carey and I. Lea, ''A Complete, Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas:. .''. Philadelphia: H. C. Carey and I. Lea, 1822 (FHL film 02083 item 6). The second very useful early atlas was published in 1838 by T. G. Bradford, An Illustrated Atlas, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical, of the United States, and Adjacent Countries. Boston: Weeks, Jordan and Company, 1838 (FHL film 02083 item 7).
 * The Town and City Atlas of the State of New Hampshire (click to see digital images), published in Boston in 1892 by the D. H. Hurd Company. The maps show the locations of homes, and the map gives the name of the person living in the home. The above web site is from the University of New Hampshire Library.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War The most complete listing of New Hampshire Revolutionary War soldiers is found in volumes 14-17 of the New Hampshire State Papers. You can go to google.com, and look for New Hampshire State Papers with the link to ancestry.com. There you will find a name index to volumes 14-17, then you can go to the needed volume and page for information on the soldier. Often the place of residence is given. For a military history of New Hampshire, see: Potter, Chandler Eastman, The Military History of the State of New Hampshire. Concord, N.H.: McFarland and Jenks, 1866. (Family History Library film 1033664; fiche 6046858.) You can search this book on-line by going to google.com. Look for ancestry.com as the internet way to search this book. This history comprises events from the first settlements in New Hampshire to the rebellion in 1861. It includes biographical notices of many of the officers and explanatory notes.
 * 1675-1835 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Civil War Online Civil War Indexes and Records
 * 1861-1866 You can go to ancestry.com and search for names in The Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, by Augustus D. Ayling. This book gives the age, residence, and service information about approximately 32,000 New Hampshire Civil War veterans.
 * History of Chichester, Merrimack County, New Hampshire - Citizens of the town who enlisted and were mustered into the service of the United States during the Rebellion
 * History of Hill, Merrimack County, New Hampshire - Volunteer soldiers from the town of Hill.
 * History of Wilmot, Merrimack County, New Hampshire - Some Wilmot residents who participated in the Civil War.
 * 1861-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images;  Also at: Ancestry ($)

''Regiments.' Civil War service men from Merrimack County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are many companies or regiments that were formed from men of Merrimack County.
 * - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry, Troops A, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, and M.
 * - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, Companies A, B, C, E, and L.
 * - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D and F.
 * - 2nd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies B, C, E, and H.
 * - 3rd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies B and E.
 * - 4th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and I.
 * - 5th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, E, F, and I.
 * - 6th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company I.
 * - 8th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company H.
 * - 9th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, B, and I.
 * - 10th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 11th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and F.
 * - 12th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies C, D and F.
 * - 13th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies C and E.
 * - 14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies H and K.
 * - 15th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, F, and G.
 * - 16th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and H.
 * - 17th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A and B.
 * - 18th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
 * - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 1st Company E.
 * - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 2nd Companies F and G.
 * - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 3rd Company.

World War I
 * 1917-1918: A very helpful source for World War I is an index at www.ancestry.com of World War I draft registration records, 1917-1918. All men between ages eighteen and forty-five were required to register. Their birth date and place, address, and sometimes the name of nearest kin, are listed on the card. Many of these men served in the war.

World War II
 * 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1993 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers
Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Portsmouth, NH newspapers from the late 1700's covering local news that included residents from Merrimack County communities. Another internet source is genealogybank.com. This site has Concord, New Hampshire newspapers from 1790 to 1891.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1635-1753: New Hampshire Probate Records 1635-1753 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1643-1982: New Hampshire Wills and Probate Records 1643-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1823-1972 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1823-1973 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records Many town tax records have been preserved by town clerks and town tax officials. Town tax records were generally taken each year. The Family History Library has many town records on microfilms. For microfilm numbers see the FamilySearch Catalog under New Hampshire - Merrimack County - [name of town] - Town Records. You may wish to contact the Town Clerk's Office to see if they have addtional tax records.

Town Records

 * 1636-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Vital Records
In 1905, when the state created the Bureau of Vital Records and Health, printed cards were distributed to the local town clerks and earlier vital records were transcribed onto the cards and submitted to the state. Certified copies of of birth, death, and marriage records are also available from the State Division of Archives and Records Management or from the local city and town clerk where the event took place. Original records are kept by the city or town clerk and copies are sent to the state.

Birth

 * Early-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1901-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Marriage

 * 1637-1964 New Hampshire, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1637-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1948-1959 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Death

 * 1654-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Family History Centers

 * Concord New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Exeter New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Lebanon New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Wolfeboro New Hampshire Family History Center
 * American Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Derry Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Griffin Free Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Merrimack Historical Societies as listed by CountyOffice.orgWebsite
 * Merrimack Historical Society P.O. Box 1525 Merrimack NH 03054 (603) 880-4343 or (603) 424-5084(winter) E-mail: [mailto:merrimackhistory@gmail.com merrimackhistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Merrimack County NHGenWeb Project, an member of The NHGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Merrimack County
 * Merrimack County, New Hampshire Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium).
 * Merrimack County Genealogy (New Hampshire Genealogy)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.