Lunenburg, Essex County, Vermont Genealogy

Description
Lunenburg, Vermont at Wikipedia

On July 5, 1763, Benning Wentworth, the royal governor of New Hampshire, granted to David Page and sixty-eight others the charter of the town of "Luninbourg." The claim of New Hampshire to land west of the Connecticut River was disputed by New York and in 1764 the latter state decreed that the area of Lunenburg was part of Gloucester County, New York. In 1777 Vermont declared its independence and Lunenburg was then included in Cumberland County. As the Vermont counties divided, the town was successively part of Orange County and Caledonia County. In 1798 the present Essex County was incorporated.

The first town meeting was held on September 5, 1781 in the cabin of Rueben Howe, and the town officers were elected. On December 18, 1781, another town meeting was held and the town was organized.

Lunenburg is approximately fourty-six miles square, surrounded by the towns of Concord, Victory, Granby, and Guildhall, and by the Connecticut River, which forms the border with New Hampshire.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Lunenburg Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office.

The recording by town clerks of all marriages, births, and deaths was enacted into Vermont law in 1779. In 1857, the Vermont Legislature enacted legislation requiring town clerks to file copies of vital events recorded in their towns with the State. Those conducting research for a family that resided in one particular town, should also contact the town clerk of the town where the vital event took place.

Lunenburg Town Clerk Patricia Scott, Clerk-Treasurer Mailing Address: P.O. Box 54, Lunenberg, VT 05906 Physical Address: 9 West Main Street, Lunenburg, VT 05906 TEL: (802) 892-5959 FAX: (802) 892-5100 lunenburg01@live.com HRS: M-F 8:30-3

Vital Records
All of the vital records in the state registry are available online. There are no restrictions on public access to Vermont vital records.


 * Vermont birth, marriage, and death records in Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-1954 and Vermont, Vital Records, 1760-2003 are available through FamilySearch.org.
 * Vermont birth, marriage, and death records from 1760-2008 are available through Ancestry.com $
 * Vital records of Lunenburg, Vermont, 1857-June 2001; indexes, 1782-1991 are available on 7 microfilm reels from the Family History Library. Images from the microfilm can also be viewed online. To view the images, scroll down the page to "Film Notes" and click on the camera icon on the far right under "Format."
 * Requests for informational copies may be submitted to the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration via U.S. mail or emailed to vitals@sec.state.vt.us. Researchers may submit up to two requests at a time.

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Baptist Hill Cemetery (Find A Grave)
 * Clark - Eaton Family Cemetery (Find A Grave)
 * Lunenburg Corner Cemetery (Find A Grave)
 * Powers Cemetery (Find A Grave)
 * Riverside Cemetery (Find A Grave)
 * Spaulding Family Cemetery
 * Stuart Cemetery


 * Lunenburg Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Essex County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Vermont were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Vermont denominations, view the New Hampshire Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Lunenburg, visit. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Lunenburg:

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date.

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Vermont were the Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches. Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. To locate these repositories, and for general information, see the Vermont Church Records wiki page.

Congregational Church was the first church in Lunenburg. At early town meetings sums were raised to hire a minister. A small, crude, unpainted church without a bell was built in 1802. In 1842, a larger church was built. This burned seven years later and was replaced in 1850 with the present church. The church is currently undergoing restoration and the congregation has been inactive for many years.

The second church building in Lunenburg was the Baptist Church. After several years of holding services in homes, a small church was built on Baptist Hill. Several years later this was torn down and replaced by a plain but much larger building. When the congregation dwindled, the building was sold and eventually razed.

The Methodist Church in Lunenburg was built in 1837 after the persecuted members were refused permission to continue using public buildings. The Gilman church was built in 1924. The Methodist and Congregational churches formed one parish.

The Catholics also had one parish with two churches. St. Leo's Church was moved in pieces before 1910 from the Stevens Mills area of Granby after the mill closed. St. Theresa's in Gilman was built in the early 1920s. Both of these parishes are now closed. The current Catholic church is St. James the Greater in Island Pond.


 * 1700s-1800s (*) Daughters of the American Revolution at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Vermont Church Records

City Directories

 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index & images, ($) some towns and years may be missing

Land Records

 * 1600s-1900s at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; ''Also at: Ancestry ($),
 * Vermont Land and Property

Local Histories
Vermont In The Civil War. Soldiers credited to Lunenburg, Vermont.


 * Streeter, Nellie M. The Town of Lunenburg, Vermont, 1763-1976. Lunenburg, Vermont, Town of Lunenburg Historical Society, 1977. Family History Library book 974.325/L2 H2.
 * Jeffrey, William H. Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties. East Burke, Vermont, The Historical Publishing Company, 1904. Online.
 * Child, Hamilton Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887. Caledonia County, Vermont, Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, 1887. Online.

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boundary Map of Lunenburg at HomeTownLocator
 * Lunenburg at FamilySearch Places
 * Lunenburg at Google Maps
 * Lunenburg at Mapcarta
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Vermont at Old-Maps.com
 * Town of Lunenburg at Vermont.org
 * Vermont Maps State Page

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Vermont Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Newspapers
The following historical newspapers cover the town of Lunenburg.

Essex County Herald, (Guildhall, Vermont) 1873-1964, Essex County Herald Association. Dates of publication: 1873-1963. Published weekly. The Caledonian : (St. Johnsbury, Vermont) 1837-1867, A.G. Chadwick. Dates of publication:1837-1867. Published weekly. [http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84023253/ St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vermont) 1867-1919]. C.M. Stone &amp; Co. Dates of publication:1867-1919. Published weekly.

Other Town Records
In Vermont, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Lunenburg town records available online:

Town records include town business, road surveys, school districts, religious opinions, stray reports, and vital records. Vital records includes marriages (1804-1866), deaths (1794-1817) and family records (early to 1869) listing births and deaths.

Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005 - Lunenburg. Births, marriages, deaths, town records 1803-1869. (Browse digital images.)
 * Town and vital records, 1803-1869, Microfilm of original records filmed in Lunenburg, Vermont.

Probate Records
In Vermont, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Lunenburg:

Probate records for the town of Lunenburg can be found in
 * 1749-1999 Vermont, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999 at Ancestry - index & images, ($)
 * 1800-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Vermont Probate Records

Libraries
Alden Balch Memorial Libray 24 E. Main St. Box 6 Lunenburg, VT 05906 Phone: (802) 892-5365

Family History Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Essex Vermont Family History Center
 * Montpelier Vermont Family History Center
 * Newport Vermont Family History Center
 * Randolph New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Bath Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Societies
Lunenburg Historical Society P.O Box 195 Lunenburg, VT 05906