New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of vital and town records acquired from local town clerk offices. The collection includes records of births, marriages, and deaths for the years 1636 to 1947. The collection also includes vital registers, indexes, minutes of meetings and records of other civic activity.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Name of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Parents' names, residence, age, race, occupation and birthplace

Marriage
 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Parents' names, residence, age, race, occupation and birthplace
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Number of marriage

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Place of birth
 * Cause of death
 * Parents' names, birthplace, and occupation
 * Burial date and place

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of their birth, marriage, or death
 * The place where the birth, marriage, or death occurred

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search for church and land records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records
 * Compiling the entries for every person who has the same surname as the primary individuals is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning or end of each volume. In addition, local historical and genealogical societies may have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Consult the New Hampshire Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New Hampshire.
 * New Hampshire Guided Research
 * New Hampshire Record Finder
 * New Hampshire Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New Hampshire Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Index to early town records, New Hampshire, early to 1850
 * Card index to manuscripts and original town records of New Hampshire in the New Hampshire Historical Society
 * Catalogue of New Hampshire town records
 * Warnings out of town, early to 1800 approx.

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * New Hampshire, Vital and Town Records Index, 1656-1938
 * New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900
 * New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947
 * New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.