Cheshire County, New Hampshire Genealogy

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

Description
Cheshire County was created on 29 Apr 1769 and named for Cheshire County in England. Its county seat is Keene. It is located in the southwest region of the state.

County Courthouse
Cheshire County Courthouse 33 Winter Street Keene, NH 03431-3355 Phone: 855-212-1234 Cheshire County Website

Town or City Clerks have birth, marriage, death and burial. The County Clerk has divorce and court records. The Register of Probate has probate records. The Register of Deeds has land records.

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:

Towns Organized Before 1800: Alstead 1763 Chesterfield 1752 Dublin 1771 Fitzwilliam 1773 Gilsum 1763 Hinsdale 1753 Jaffrey 1773 Keene 1753 - This is the county seat. Marlborough 1776 Marlow 1761 Nelson 1774 Richmond 1752 Rindge 1768 Stoddard 1774 Sullivan 1787 Surry 1769 Swanzey 1753 Walpole 1752 Winchester 1753

Biographies
There are many town history books with biographical and genealogical information published about the towns in Cheshire County. The FamilySearch Library, the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene, New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, New Hampshire, and other major family history libraries should have most of those books. For a list of the towns for which there are these town history books see the Places - Towns section above.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 1842-1858 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

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
 * 1771-1859 at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images
 * 1772-1855 at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images
 * 1813-1902 at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images

Genealogies
Following is a list of the Cheshire County towns for which the FamilySearch Library has town history books with a section of genealogies of families of that town:

Chesterfield, Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Jaffrey, Keene, Marlborough, Nelson, Richmond, Rindge, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Troy, Walpole, and Westmoreland.

Those towns are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the town, and then History, or, Genealogy. Major libraries may also have these books. For example, the Historical Society of Cheshire County, 246 Main St., Keene, NH 03431, has those books, and may be able to seach the book of the town history for your family's information.

There is a helpful way to see if your ancestor was mentioned in town history. See William Copeley's Index to Genealogies in New Hampshire Town Histories. Concord, New Hampshire: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1988. (FS Library book 974.2 D22c, fiche 6010808.) Look under your ancestor's surname and it will tell you which town history books have genealogy information for that surname.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1770-1900 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1781-1800 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1782-1803 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Local Histories
An excellent way to gain information about family history and local history is to contact the local town historical society. There are helpful historical societies or groups in Alstead, Chesterfield, Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Hinsdale, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Keene (Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene), Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Richmond, Rindge, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Troy, Walpole, Westmoreland, and Winchester. The Historical Society of Cheshire County, in Keene, New Hampshire is an excellent source for local history information. See the Church section above for how to contact them, They have a large collection of town and county histories, records collections, photographs, and manuscripts. See also:
 * Inventory of the county archives of New Hampshire, no. 3, Cheshire County. Manchester, New Hampshire: Historical Records Survey, 1939. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Cheshire County New Hampshire Genealogy and History,. This website is a resource for researchers of family tree (genealogy) and history in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. There is a brief history and genealogical links to the towns and cities of Cheshire County.
 * Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire, (Philadelphia J. W. Lewis; 1886,). Hosted by Internet Archive. You can also read the book online at familysearch.org - see the Books tab there. The book includes histories for many of the Cheshire County towns. The digitizing was completed by the University of New Hampshire Library.
 * 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 New Hampshire Historical Society also in Concord has a very large collection of local history books and other publications.
 * See the heading Biography under Cheshire County for additional suggestions.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1736-1885 Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885; (Syracuse, N.Y., printed at the Journal Office, 1885). You can search for family names. A database with searches for surnames and given names is also provided at Ancestry.
 * 1877 Historic Maps of Cheshire County - 1877 at Historic Mapworks. These maps are for sale, but can be viewed online.
 * 1892 Town and City Atlas of the State of New Hampshire, 1892. This has maps for almost every city, town, and village in New Hampshire, and gives the name of the person who lived in the home in 1892. This book is also available at the FamilySearch Library (FS Library folio book 974.2 E3).
 * 1895 1895 Cheshire County, New Hampshire at Google.
 * Color coded map of Cheshire County at SearchRoots. This site has links to photos taken in the towns and links to official town internet sites.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * The Military History of the State of New Hampshire by Potter, Chandler Eastman. Concord, N.H.: McFarland and Jenks, 1866. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 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.

Revolutionary War Records
 * 1675-1835 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

The most complete listing of New Hampshire Revolutionary War soldiers is found in volumes 14-17 of the New Hamsphire State Papers. You can go to rootsweb.com. There you will find an every-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.

Civil War Online Civil War Indexes and Records
 * 1861-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images;  Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1861-1866 The Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * History of Chesterfield, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, by Oran E. Randall at Internet Archive. See pages 116-124, Record of the Citizens of Chesterfield Who Enlisted in the Military Service of the United States During the War of the Rebellion 1861-65 - Alphabetical listing.
 * Civil War Vets Buried in New Hampshire - Cheshire County - Towns A-J are listed, and at the end there is a place to lead you to the rest of the Cheshire County towns.

Regiments. Civil War service men from Cheshire 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 Cheshire County:
 * - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry, Troops A, B, E, G, H, and K.
 * - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company G.
 * - 2nd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company A.
 * - 3rd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company I.
 * - 5th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company F.
 * - 6th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies E, F, H, and K.
 * - 9th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company G.
 * - 14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, B, C, F, and G.
 * - 15th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company H.
 * - 16th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies F and I.
 * - 18th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company A.
 * - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 2nd Company F.

World War I
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

World War II
 * 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * Chesire County, New Hampshire World War II Casualties Army and Air Force at AccessGenealogy

Naturalization and Citizenship
Cheshire County naturalization records are kept at the county courthouse at 12 Court St., Keene, NH 03431. The records for 1831-1859 are included in the county volumes titled "Roads and Session Records." For the film numbers go to the FamilySearch Catalog --- New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Public Records. You can search FS Library microfilms of naturalization records for 1860-1945 kept by the Supreme Judicial Court. They include records of the Circuit Court, 1874-1876, and the Superior Court, 1901-1904. See the Library Catalog, New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Naturalization and Citizenship. Volunteers, in recent years, arranged most of the naturalization records in alphabetical order. The Historical Society of Cheshire County, in Keene, has photocopies through the early 1900s. Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1993 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers
The main newspaper for Cheshire County is the Keene Sentinel, published since 1799. The offices are at 60 West St., Keene, NH 03431, tel. 603-352-1234, e-mail classified@keenesentinel.com. The web site is sentinelsource.com.
 * 1799-1890 and 1985-present The Historical Society of Cheshire County has obituaries taken from the Keene Sentinel newspaper for 1799-1890 and 1985- present.
 * 1799-1891 At www.genealogybank.com you can search for names in the Keene Sentinel for years 1799-1891.
 * 1868-1977 Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Fitchburg, MA newspapers (1868-1977) covering local news that included Cheshire County residents.
 * 1998-2008 Obituary Index Cheshire County, New Hampshire,. This has obituaries primarily from 1998 to 2008 as of November 2011.

Periodicals
A vast number of articles are written each year about families and their history. There is an index to family history periodicals called PERSI (Periodical Source Index). This index is available on the internet through several libraries or companies.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1635-1753 New Hampshire Probate Records 1635-1753 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1643-1982 New Hampshire Wills and Probate Records 1643-1982 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1769-1800 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1769-1885 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1771-1815 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1799-1869 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1814-1886 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1823-1869 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1824-1853 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1886-1959 (*) 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 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 FamilySearch Library has many town records on microfilms. For film numbers see the FamilySearch Catalog under New Hampshire - Cheshire County - [name of town] - Town Records.

Town Records
To see the types of family history information you might find in town records please go to the heading Town Records in our New Hampshire wiki article.


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

Vital Records
Certified copies of of birth, marriage, and death records are available from the State Division of Vital Records Administration 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. In 1905, when the state created the Bureau of Vital Records and Health, printed cards were distributed to the local clerks and earlier vital records were transcribed onto the cards and submitted to the state.

Birth

 * Early-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1636-1947 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

 * 1636-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1637-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1637-1964 New Hampshire, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1732-1739 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1742-1941 Death Records at Keene Public Library
 * 1753-1910Birth Records at Keene Public Library
 * 1762-1855, 1887-1941 Marriages in Keene - from the Keene Public Library
 * 1832-1845 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1948-1959 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Death

 * 1636-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1654-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1762-1855 and 1886-1941Marriage Records at Keene Public Library

FamilySearch Centers

 * Concord New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
 * American Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Brooks Memorial Library - an affiliate library
 * Griffin Free Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Cheshire County Public Libraries Website

Societies

 * Historical Society of Cheshire County PO Box 803, 246 Main St Keene, NH 03431 603-352-1895 E-mail: [mailto:hscc@hsccnh.org hscc@hsccnh.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Historical Society of Cheshire County 's internet site.
 * The Cheshire County NHGenWeb Project, a member of The NHGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cheshire County
 * Cheshire County, New Hampshire Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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.

Research Guides
1. Check familysearch.org and see if your ancestor's information is listed there. 2. Check familysearch.org and see if your family's vital records of births, marriages, and deaths are listed. 3. Check familysearch.org and see if your family is listed on the U. S. census records of 1850-1940. You can also see those censuses at the FamilySearch Center using Heritage Quest, and ancestry.com. (The censuses for 1850-1940 list each person in the household. The censues for 1790-1840 list the name of the head of the household). 4. If you know the county where your ancestor lived, take a look at the free internet site USGenWeb Project. A volunteer helper gathers information about ancestors who lived in that county. You might find biographies, cemetery records, deeds, obituaries, queries, vital records, etc. You can leave a query. 5. If you know the town where they lived, look for a town history with a genealogical section. See the section below for how to find out if there is a town history. 6. Read the wiki articles on Cheshire County, and read the New Hampshire wiki articles for ideas of sources. Study the Records Selection Table in the New Hampshire wiki article. This can help you think of new sources to try. 7. Enter your ancestor's information on familysearch.org., genforum.com, or ancestry.com. You can also share your quest with the local historical society, genealogical socieety, or town library and ask for help. Send them a family group form and a pedigree chart.