Wells, Rutland County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
The town of Wells was chartered on Sept. 15, 1761 by Benning Wentworth and organized on Mar. 9, 1773. Wells is situated in the southwestern part of Rutland county, and bounded on the north by Poultney and Middletown; on the east by Tinmouth and Middletown; on the south by Pawlet, and on the west by Washington county, New York. When New Hampshire first chartered Wells, it covered more than 23,000 acres. But two separate actions by the Vermont Legislature reduced the area. First, 6,118 acres were taken to help create Middletown in 1784. Then, 14 years later, Poultney annexed another 4,000 acres. Wells now consists of approximated 13,000 acres.

Much of the town's history is connected with Lake St. Catherine, a five-mile long body of water split between Wells and Poultney. Though referred to as St. Catherine as early as 1767 in New York land records, early residents called it Wells Pond, Lake Austin, Lake St. Austin and Lake St. Augustine.

Many people do not realize that three of the primary leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints trace their roots directly to Vermont. The first elder, Joseph Smith, was born in Royalton and his successor, Brigham Young, hailed from Whitingham. But there was another crucial player - Oliver Cowdery of Wells.

During the last 100 years, most development in Wells has concentrated along the shores of Lake St. Catherine. Wells village remains a 19th-century microcosm and because of its character has been designated a historic district on the State Register of Historic Places.1,2

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Wells. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Rutland County, website at this link.


 * Barden Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * East Wells Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * First Church (Meeting House) Burial Ground - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Wells Town Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.


 * Wells Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Rutland 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 Wells, 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 Wells:

1. St. Pauls Episcapol Church   7 East Wells Road    Wells, VT 05774

Town Records
Town Clerk Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, can be found on FamilySerach (browse only images) at this link.

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Wells Town Hall.

Wells Town Clerk 108 Vermont 30 Wells, VT 05774‎ Phone: (802) 645-0486 Website: http://www.wellsvermont.com/gov_town_clerk_newcomer_msg.htm

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Wells:

Libraries and Historical Societies
Wells Village Public Library 5 East Wells Road PO Box 587 Wells, VT 05774 (802) 645-0611 Website: http://wellslibrary.com/

Well Vermont Historical Society

Maps
The following are online maps of the town of Wells:

1854 Rutland County, Wells map

Newspapers
Rutland Herald online at this link

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

The probate district for Wells is Fair Haven.

Fair Haven Probate Court 3 North Park Place Fair Haven, VT 05743 (802) 265-3380

Town Histories
The History of Wells, Vermont, for the First Century After Its Settlement, Hiland Paul with birographic sketches by Robert Parks, Tuttle &amp; Co. Job Printers, Rutland, 1869; view online.

Historical Photos

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 Wells town records available online:

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

Vital Records
FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has Vermont birth, death, and marriage records online.