Tolland County, Connecticut Genealogy

Guide to Tolland County, Connecticut ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description

 * Named for the hamlet of Tolland, Somerset, England.
 * The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse

 * Town clerks have birth, marriage, death and land records
 * Probate Judge has probate records
 * Clerk of the Superior Court has court records.

Tolland County, Connecticut
Towns Organized Before 1800: Bolton 1730, Coventry 1712, Ellington 1786, Hevron 1708, Mansfield 1702, Somers 1734, Stafford 1719, Tolland 1715, Union 1734, Vernon 1716, Willington 1727.


 * Connecticut no longer has county governments
 * Local government is at the town level.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Connecticut county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Connecticut County Boundary Maps" (1643-1960) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
 * Parent County: West part of Windham county was used to create Tolland County 13 Oct 1786.
 * County Seat: The county seat has none since 1960 and the county was created 1785.

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:

Biographies

 * Commemorative biographical record of Tolland and Windham counties, Connecticut containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, (Chicago, Illinois : J.H. Beers, 1903). Includes fullname index (in part 1 for pts. 1 and 2).  Available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 982349.
 * J.R. Cole, History of Tolland County, Connecticut including its early settlement and progress to the present time; a description of its historic and interesting localities; sketches of its towns and villages: portraits of some of its prominent men, and biographies of many of its representative citizens, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983). Available at the Family History Library,
 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Society. Volunteer Aids, Index to Commemorative biographical record of Tolland and Windham counties, Connecticut, part 1, Manuscript. Includes fullname index to part 1 but only through pt. 1's page 602.  Available online at ancestry.com$.  Available in the Family History Library,

Territory and State Census Records

 * Census Online, (accessed 6 Mar 2011), Tolland County Records.
 * Census Finder, Connecticut Census Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Online links by county.
 * Connecticut Genealogy, Tolland County Census Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011).
 * Linkpendium, Census Records and Indexes, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Tolland County, Connecticut.
 * US Census Collection, (accessed 8 Mar 2011), FamilySearch.

Federal Census Records

 * US Federal Census Collection, ancestry.com$, (accessed 6 Mar 2011).
 * USGenWeb Census Project, Tolland County, Connecticut Federal Census Index, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Transcriptions in progress.
 * Lowell M. Volkel, An index to the 1800 federal census of Litchfield, New Haven, Tolland and Windham counties, state of Connecticut, ([S.l.] : L.M. Volkel, c1969).  Available at the Family History Center,

Church Records

 * Connecticut Genealogy, Tolland County Church Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Includes church and vital records.
 * Tolland County, Connecticut, church papers, 1760-1861 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977). Contains lists of pastors in Tolland County churches, a copy of the Connecticut Courant, Nov. 21, 1815, a list of members of the Vernon Church and of the Vernon Ecclesiastical Society and other miscellaneous papers.  Available at the Family History Library,

Court Records

 * Tolland County Connecticut Court Records Directory, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Grace Louise Knox &amp; Barbara B. Ferris, Connecticut divorces Superior Court records for the counties of New London, Tolland &amp; Windham, 1719-1910 , (Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, c1987). Includes index.  Available at the Family History Library,
 * Connecticut. Superior Court (Tolland County), Depositions, 1892-1893 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1989). A record of depositions taken for a trial in the Superior Court, Tolland County, Connecticut. Depositions have to do with the suit of George W. Adams, of Tolland County, Connecticut, vs. Charles I. Rawson, of Oxford, Massachusetts.  Available at the Family History Library,
 * Connecticut. Superior Court (Tolland County), Executions, A-Z, 1772-1891 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1989). A record of executions of court judgements.  Available at the Family History Library,

Directories

 * Rockville (Connecticut) city directories, (Woodridge, Connecticut : Research Publications, [1992?]).  Available at the Family History Library,  (3 Films covering a variety of years between 1883-1934.)

Genealogies

 * Tolland County Genealogy 679 Tolland county genealogy record sources.
 * Walter Everett Corbin, Lottie S. Corbin and Robert J. Dunkle, The Corbin Collection, (Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, c2003-c2005). 3 CD's available on the desktop at the Family History Library,  and CD-ROM no. 2644 v.2 and CD-ROM no. 2644 v. 3.

Land and Property Records
Deeds, mortgages, releases, and other related documents were recorded by the town clerk and are at the town halls. Most are indexed by grantor and grantee. There is no statewide index.

The Family History Library and the Connecticut State Library have microfilm copies of many proprietors' and town records from the earliest years to the mid or late 1800s. Some are as recent as the 1900s. They are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the name of the town.


 * Library of Congress. Geography and Map Division,Tolland County, Connecticut land ownership map, 1857 , (Washington, District of Columbia : Library of Congress, 1983). Available online at flickr from yahoo, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,

Local Histories

 * Linkpendium, History, Tolland County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Loren P. Waldo, The early history of Tolland an address delivered before the Tolland County Historical Society, at Tolland, Conn., on the 22d day of August and 27th day of September, 1861, (Hartford [Connecticut] : Case, Lockwood, 1861).  Includes index.  Includes sketches of family history.  Available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 1033531 Item 1.
 * Google Timeline, Tolland County, Connecticut History 1600-2011, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).

See Biographies for further sources.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Connecticut (1643-1960)
 * Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Maps, (accessed 2 Mar 2011). Organized by State and County.  Links to road maps, county outlines, colored outlines and lists of towns.
 * Linkpendium, Maps and Gazetteers, Tolland County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Tolland County, Gazetteer, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).

Civil War
Service men from New Haven County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Most of the men from the following companies were from Windham County.


 * 1) 14th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry - Company D
 * 2) 25th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry - Company D


 * Civl War Research Database $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database;
 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Grave Database;

World War I

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * U. S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, (accessed 8 Mar 2011). Collection Description: Images of cards for men, age 45-64 (born 1877-1897), included in the fourth draft conducted on Arpil 27, 1942.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1851-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * Connecticut. Superior Court and County Court (Tolland County), Declarations of intention, 1853-1914 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983).  Indexes are found within each volume.  Includes some records of the County Court, 1853-1856.  Available at the Family History Library, 1853-1906  and 1906-1914 FHL US/CAN Film 1319930 Item 2.
 * Connecticut. City Court (Hartford), Naturalization record book, 1876-1876, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984). Contains petitions for naturalization for persons from the city of Hartford, or nearby towns of Hartford and Tolland counties. Available at the Family History Library,
 * Connecticut. Superior Court and County Court (Tolland County), Naturalization records (Tolland County, Connecticut), 1853-1945; naturalization index, 1853-1955 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983-2008). Additional indexes are found within each volume.  Includes some records of the County Court, 1853-1855.   Available at the Family History Library,  (11 Films)

Newspapers

 * Tolland County, Connecticut Obituaries, (accessed 1 Mar 2011). A directory of obituary databases and archives on the internet.

Probate Records

 * Connecticut State Library Research Guide to Connecticut Probate Records.
 * 1609 – 1999 Connecticut Wills and Probate Records 1609-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage

 * 1640-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1883-1942 - Tolland County. (Connecticut). Coroner, Coroner's records, 1883-1942, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988). Available at the Family History Library,  1st of 3 films.

Divorce Records

 * Connecticut. Superior Court (Tolland County), Divorce papers, 1787-1910 , (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1989). Records are in approximate alphabetical order.  Available at the Family History Library,  first of 16 films.

See also How to order Connecticut Vital Records
 * Linkpendium, Vital Records, Tolland County.

Archives

 * USGenWeb Connecticut ArchivesTolland County.

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Andover Historical Society Andover, Ct 06232. E-Mail: [mailto:SYeom98658@aol.com SYeom98658@aol.com] Website

Bolton Historical Society Bolton, CT 06043. E-Mail: [mailto:historian@boltoncthistory.org historian@boltoncthistory.org] Website

Ellington Historical Society 70 Main Street PO Box 73 Ellington CT 06029 E-mail: [mailto:genealogist@ellingtonhistsoc.org genealogist@ellingtonhistsoc.org] Website

Hebron Historical Society P. O. Box 43 Hebron, CT 06248-0043 E-Mail: [mailto:membeship@hebronhistoricalsociety.org membeship@hebronhistoricalsociety.org] Website

Mansfield Historical Society P.O. Box 145 954 Storrs Road Storrs, CT 06268-0145 860 429-6575 Website

Somers Historical Society 11 Battle Street P.O. Box 652 Somers, Connecticut 06071 Website

Vernon Historical Society P.O. Box 2055 734 Hartford Turnpike (Route 30) Vernon, CT 06066 860-875-4326 E-Mail: [mailto:vernonhs@sbcglobal.net vernonhs@sbcglobal.net] Website

Willington Historical Society P.O. Box 214 Willington, CT 06279 E-Mail: [mailto:willingtohistorian@charter.net willingtohistorian@charter.net] Website


 * Tolland County Public Libraries This site lists the addresses and websites of the public libraries in Tolland county

Websites

 * Tolland County, CT History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Connecticut Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Connecticut Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * ancestry.com$, (accessed 8 Mar 2011). Available databases for Tolland County.
 * Census Finder, Connecticut Vital Records, (accessed 28 Feb 2011).  Online transcriptions are listed by county.
 * Connecticut Genealogy, Tolland County Genealogy
 * Cyndi's List, (accessed 28 Feb 2011). Tolland County, Connecticut General Resource Sites
 * epodunk, (accessed 28 Feb 2011).  Tolland County, Connecticut Quick Links
 * Linkpendium, (accessed 28 Feb 2011).  Tolland County, Connecticut Genealogy and Family History
 * MyGenealogist, Tolland County, Connecticut Genealogy Resources
 * The Tolland County CTGenWeb Project, a member of The CTGenWeb Project
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Websites at RootsWeb for Tolland County, (accessed 4 Mar 2011).
 * Tolland County Subjects.