Derry, Rockingham County, New Hampshire Genealogy

Brief History
The history of the town of Derry is best described by Richard Holmes. See Town Website.

Cemeteries
Derry's Cemetery is the Forest Hill Cemetery located at Greenough Ave in Derry NH. If arriving via GPS, input First Parish Church, East Derry, NH and navigate from there.

Forest Hill Cemetery Map App

The public library also holds a map of the Forest Hill Cemetery in the map case.

A large number (and counting) of headstones are on findagrave.

Church Records
There are multiple churches in Derry and each church hold its own records. It's best to reach out to the local church when in search of church records.

St. Thomas Aquinas: (603) 432-5000

First Parish Church (East Derry Church): (603) 434-0628

First Baptist Church (all records prior to 1960 are destroyed): (603) 432-3482

St. Luke's Methodist Church: (603) 434-4767

City Directories
The Derry Public Library holds a limited number of historical city directories. Digital copies can be found here.

House History Resources:
See Derry Public Library for the best local resources on hunting down your house history.

Land Records
Navigate to https://www.nhdeeds.org/ and click on Rockingham County > Search County Records > Accept Disclaimer Agreement > *AVA*. This will bring you to the search page.

Libraries and Historical Societies
The Derry Public Library houses a local history room as well as online archives. You can access information about the New Hampshire Room Collections on the Derry Public Library's New Hampshire Room page. The Derry Public Library also subscribes to AncestryLibrary and is a Family Search Affiliate Library. The Derry Public Library is at 64 E. Broadway, Derry, NH and can be reached by phone by calling 603-432-6140.

The Derry Museum of History houses many historical objects of Derry. The Derry Museum of History is at 29 W Broadway #6, Derry, NH 03038 and can be reached by phone by calling (603) 434-1247

Maps
Maps of Derry can be found in multiple places.

The Derry Public Library has a map case. Search their catalog here: https://findit.gmilcs.org/polaris/?ctx=9

Sanborn Fire Maps

David Rumsey Collection

Newspapers:
The Derry Public Library has an ongoing Derry News Project. Accessible at http://derry.advantage-preservation.com/

The Derry Public Library also holds microfilm of past Derry News from 1880-Present

Obituaries
The Derry Public Library holds a digital obituary index that can be searched and then cross-referenced to the digital Derry News Archive.

Town Histories
Major town histories include

Willey's Book of Nutfield can be found on Archive.org.

The Derry Public Library holds many books on the history of Derry including:

Brief History of Derry by the Derry Historic District Commission

Nutfield Rambles by Richard Holmes

The Road to Derry: A Brief History by Richard Holmes

Derry Revisited by Richard Holmes and William Dugan

The History of Londonderry, comprising the towns of Derry and Londonderry, N.H. by Edward Parker

Trolley's to Beaver Lake: A History of the Chester & Derry Railroad Association 1891-1928 by O.R. Cummings

From Turnpike to Interstate, 1827-1977 : the 150 years of Derry, New Hampshire by Derry Historic Research Committee

Houses of Derry Village, N.H., Houses of West Derry, NH, Houses of the Double Range and East Derry, NH, Outlying Districts of Derry, New Hampshire, Houses of the English Range and Beaver Lake, and Houses of Derry Village, N.H. by Harriett Chase Newell

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for town records, and most originals can be found at the town clerk's office. Derry Town Office 14 Manning Street Derry, NH 03038

Website

Vital Records
Requesting vital records can be done at the Derry Town Clerk's office. Find more information on their website.

Births

 * 1901-1915 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1637-1947 New Hampshire, U.S., Marriage Records Index at Ancestry

Deaths

 * 1654-1949 New Hampshire, U.S., Death and Burial Records Index, 1654-1949 at Ancestry

Town Reports
The town of Derry kept annual town reports. These reports often contained birth, marriage, and death information. Below is a list of years when Derry kept town reports. (NOTE: Occasionally, these town reports missed vital statistic information from the end of the year. If you don't find your ancestor's vital information, check the following year's town report to see if your ancestor's information was recorded later.)