New Haven County, Connecticut Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Town Clerks have birth, death and land records; County Clerk has divorce and court records; Probate Court has probate records. Towns Organized Before 1800: Branford 1639, Cheshire 1780, East Haven 1785, Guilford 1639, Hamden 1786, Meriden 1796, Millford 1639, New Haven 1638, North Haven 1786, Oxford 1798, Seymour 1672, Southbury 1787, South Derby 1675, Wallingford 1670, Waterbury 1686, Wolcott 796, Woodbridge 1784.


 * There is no county government.
 * The government is at the town level.

Parent County

 * One of four original counties, created 10 May 1666 from the Colonial lands.

Description
The county seat has none since 1960 and the county was created 10 May 1666. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
2 May 1785: East part of the county was split off to form Middlesex County.

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.

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

Places / Localities
Cities: 

Towns

Borough: 

Unincorporated communities: 

Neighboring counties:     New York counties: 

Archives and Libraries

 * USGenWeb Connecticut Archives, New Haven County, (accessed 1 Mar 2011).
 * Historical Records Survey. Connecticut. Inventory of the town and city archives of Connecticut, no. 5, New Haven County vol. viii, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Oxford, Prospect, Seymour, Southbury, (New Haven, Connecticut : The Survey, 1938).  Includes index.  Available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 897354 Item 2.


 * County Public Libraries.

Bibles
Bible Records, USGenWeb CT Archives

Biographies

 * Linkpendium, Biographies, Oral Histories, Diaries, Memoirs, Genealogies, Correspondence, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Dorothy A. DeBisschop, Historic personalities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, ([S.I. : D.A. DeBisschop, 1971]). Available at the Family History Library,
 * J.L. Rockey, History of New Haven County, Connecticut, (New York, New York : W.W. Preston, 1892).  Volume 1 available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), or at Internet Archives, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,   Volume 2 is available on film, FHL US/CAN Film 845225 or 1000150.
 * J.H. Beers &amp; Co., Commemorative biographical record of New Haven County, Connecticut containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, (Chicago, Ill. : J.H. Beers, 1902). Includes index.  Available online at Internet Archives.  Also available at the Family History Library,
 * Mary Hewitt Mitchell, History of New Haven County, Connecticut, (Chicago, Illinois : Pioneer Historical Publishing, 1930). Includes indexes.  Available at the Family History Library,  also FHL US/CAN Film 1320557 Items 1-3.
 * Munson, Myron A. 1637-1887, the Munson record, a genealogical and biographical account of Captain Thomas Munson, a pioneer of Hartford and New Haven, and his descendants (1896). Freely available online.
 * Everett Gleason Hill, A modern history of New Haven and eastern New Haven County, (New York, New York : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1918). Includes index.  Volume 1 is available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), also at Internet Archives, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).   Volume 2 is available online at Internet Archives, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Volumes 1 and 2 are also available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 1573599 Item 5.

Census

 * Census Online, (accessed 6 Mar 2011), New Haven County Records.
 * Census Finder, Connecticut Census Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Online links by county.
 * Connecticut Genealogy, New Haven County Census Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011).
 * Linkpendium, Census Records and Indexes, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). New Haven County, Connecticut.
 * New Haven County CT Archives Military Records, 1840 Census Of Pensioners, (accessed 2 Mar 2011) City Of New Haven 1840, Other War. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 21, 2005, 6:57 pm.
 * US Census Collection, (accessed 8 Mar 2011), FamilySearch.
 * US Federal Census Collection, ancestry.com$, (accessed 6 Mar 2011).
 * USGenWeb Census Project, New Haven 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, New Haven County Church Records, (accessed 6 Mar 2011). Includes church and vital records.
 * Frederick John Kingsbury, A narrative and documentary history of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, formerly St. James, of Waterbury, Connecticut with some notice of St. Paul's Church, Plymouth, Christ Church, Waterbury, St. Michael's Church, Naugatuck, a church in Middlebury, All Saint's Church, Wolcott, St. Paul's Church, Waterville, Trinity Church, Waterbury, All Colonies of St. John's, (New Haven [Connecticut] : Price Lee &amp; Adkins Co., 1907). Includes index.  Available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,
 * 1749-1795 - Scofield, Ethel Lord. "The Baptismal Record of the Societies of Whitehaven and Fairhaven, Now the United Church (Congregational), New Haven, Conn.," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 42, No. 1 (Jan. 1911):28-50. Digital versions at Internet Archive - free;.

Court Records

 * Court Records and Deeds, USGenWeb CT Archives
 * New Haven County Connecticut Court Records Directory, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).

Directories

 * Linkpendium, Directories, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Waterbury suburban city directory including Middlebury, Terryville, Thomaston, Watertown, and Wolcott, (New Haven [Connecticut] : Price &amp; Lee Company, 1940?-). Available at the Family History Library,
 * Prospect city directory including Beacon Falls, Bethany, Oxford, (New Haven [Connecticut] : Price &amp; Lee Co., 1976-). Available at the Family History Library,
 * Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, Seymour directory combining five distinct directories: governmental directory, buyers directory, alphabetical directory, numerical directory, classified directory, (New Haven [Connecticut] : Price &amp; Lee, 1931-). Available at the Family History Library,

Divorce Records

 * Connecticut. Superior Court (New Haven County), Divorce Papers, 1712-1899, Manuscript/On Film. Available at the Family History Library starting with, (56 films)
 * Connecticut. Superior Court (New Haven County), Divorce papers, no appearance files, 1808-1900, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990). A record of divorce cases which were withdrawn or discontinued. Available at the Family History Library starting with,  (9 films)

Gazetteers
New Haven County, Gazetteer, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).

Genealogy

 * New Haven County Genealogy 1,837 New Haven county genealogy record sources.
 * Doris B. Townsend, Townshend heritage a genealogical, biographical history of the Townshend family and of their old homestead on the east shore of New Haven harbor, (New Haven [Connecticut] : New Haven Colony Historical Society, c1971).  Includes index.  Available at the Family History Library,
 * Charles E. Booth, New Haven genealogy, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Genealogical Society of Utah, [19--]). Includes index. Available at the Family History Library,
 * Fifty Puritan ancestors in New Haven

History

 * William Cothren, History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut from the first Indian deed in 1659 ... including the present towns of Washington, Southbury, Bethlem, Roxbury, and a part of Oxford and Middlebury, (Waterbury, Connecticut : Bronson Brothers, 1854-1879). Photocopies of originals.  Vols. 2-3 have imprint: Woodbury, Conn. : W. Cothren, 1872-1879. Includes indexes. Vols. 1-2 contain history and genealogy, vol. 3 contains vital records, including those for ancient Stratford.  Available online, Volume 1 : Internet Archives, (accessed 1 Mar 2011), and Volume 2, pt. 1: Google Books, (accessed 1 Mar 2011), and Volume 2, pt. 2: Internet Archives, (accessed 1 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,  and Volume 1, FHL US/CAN Film 2055359 Item 4 and Volume 2-3: FHL US/CAN Film 6181 Items 2-3.
 * Edward R. Lambert, History of the colony of New Haven, before and after the union with Connecticut containing a particular description of the towns which composed that government, viz., New Haven, Milford, Guilford, Branford, Stamford and Southold, L.I., with a notice of the towns which have been set off from "the original six", (Milford, Connecticut : Rotary Club, 1976). "A genealogical sketch of the Lambert family of Milford, Conn.": p. 205-216.  Available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), Internet Archives, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), and at Long Island Genealogy, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 1036748 Item 10.
 * James L. Kingsley, Historical discourse, delivered by request before the citizens of New Haven, April 25, 1838, the two hundredth anniversary of the first settlement of the town and colony, (Washington [District of Columbia] : Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1988). Available online at Google Books, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  A database for this  book is online at ancestry.com$, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).  Also available at the Family History Library,
 * Richard Hegel, Nineteenth century historians of New Haven, (Hamden, Connecticut : Archon Books, c1972). Available at the Family History Library,
 * New Haven Colony Historical Society, Papers of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, (New Haven [Connecticut] : New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1865-). The New Haven Colony included the towns of New Haven, Milford, Guilford, Stamford, Southhold, and Branford.  Volume 3, (accessed 2 Mar 2022), available online at Google Books.  Volume 8, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), available online at Internet Archives.  Volume 9, (accessed 2 Mar 2011), online at Internet Archives.  All volumes are available at the Family History Library,  some are books and some are only on film.
 * History files, USGenWeb CT Archives
 * Linkpendium, History, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Google Timeline, New Haven, Connecticut History 1600-2011, (accessed 2 Mar 2011).

See the Biography section for further sources.

Indexes


 * Decatur Genealogical Society, Index to History of New Haven County, Connecticut, (Decatur, Illinois : Decatur Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1989). Every-name indexes to original volumes published: New York : W. W. Preston &amp; Co., 1892. Available at the Family History Library,

Land and Property
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, New Haven County, Connecticut land ownership map, 1852 and 1856, (Washington, District of Columbia : Library of Congress, 1983). 1852 map available online at flickr from yahoo, (accessed 2 Mar 2011). Available at the Family History Library,  and FHL US/CAN Fiche 6079301.

Maps

 * 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, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * F.W. Beers &amp; Co. and A.B. Prindle, Atlas of New Haven County, Connecticut, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973). Available at the Family History Library,



Military Records

 * Linkpendium, Military Records and Histories, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).

American Revolution

 * Individual Records of the American Revolution, USGenWeb CT Archives
 * James Spencer Hedden and Sons of the American Revolution. General David Humphries Branch, Roster of graves of, or monuments to, patriots of 1775-1783, and of soldiers of colonial wars in and adjacent to New Haven County, Connecticut, Typescript (photocopy). Includes indexes.  Available at the Family History Library,  or FHL US/CAN Film 1421668 Item 9.

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 in the following companies were from New Haven County.


 * 1) 1st Regiment Connecticut Volunteers - Field, Staff, Band and Company A,B, D and F.
 * 2) 2nd Regiment Connecticut Volunteers - Infantry Company C and D. Rifle Company F.
 * 3) 3rd Regiment Connecticut Volunteers - Field and Staff, Infantry Company B and D. Rifle Company B and C.
 * 4) 1st Regiment Connecticut Cavalry - Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K, L, M and Unassigned Recruits.
 * 5) 1st Light Battery Connecticut Volunteers
 * 6) 1st Regiment Heavy Artillery Connecticut Volunteers - Field, Staff and Band, Company B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, and M.
 * 7) 2nd Regiment Heavy Artillery Connecticut Volunteers - Company A, B, C, D, G, I, M and Unassigned Recruits.
 * 8) 5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, C, D and F.
 * 9) 6th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Field, Staff and Band, Company C, E, F, G, H, I, and K.
 * 10) 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, C, D, F, and K.
 * 11) 8th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, D, E, F, I and K.
 * 12) 9th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Field and Staff, Company A, B, C, E, F, K and Unassigned Recruits.
 * 13) 10th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, E, F, H, I and Unassigned Recruits.
 * 14) 11th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company D, E, G, I and K.
 * 15) 12th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Field and Staff, Company A, C, F and Unassigned Recruits.
 * 16) 13th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company B, D, and H.
 * 17) 14th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Field and Staff, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K.
 * 18) 15th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I and K.
 * 19) 18th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company D.
 * 20) 20th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, B, E, F, G, I and K.
 * 21) 23rd Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Field and Staff, Company A, F, and H.
 * 22) 24th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company H and I.
 * 23) 27th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company A, B, C, D, E, F, H, I and K.
 * 24) 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry (Colored) - Company A, B, H and K.
 * 25) 30th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry - Company B and C.


 * Civl War Research Database $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database;
 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Grave Database;
 * History of the Soldiers' Monument in Waterbury, Connecticut - Ancestry.com (), (accessed 8 Mar 2011). '), (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Soldiers of Waterbury, New Haven County, in the War For the Union, (accessed 8 Mar 2011). History of the Soldier's Monument in Waterbury, Conn.: to which is added a list of the soldiers and sailors who went from Waterbury to fight in the war for the Union, by Joseph Anderson. Also available at the Family History Library,  or

World War I and World War II

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 $, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * U. S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 $, (accessed Mar 8 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. City Court (New Haven), Naturalization records (New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut), 1874-1877, 1906-1923, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984-2008). Includes index.  Contains records of declarations of intent for persons from the city of New Haven, or from towns in New Haven County.  Available at the Family History Library,  (12 Films)
 * Connecticut. City Court (Meriden), Petitions and records of naturalization (Meriden, New Haven, Connecticut), 1903-1939, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984-2008). Indexes are found within each volume.  Available at the Family History Library,  (8 Films)
 * United States. Circuit Court and District Court (Connecticut District), Naturalization records (New Haven County, Connecticut), 1906-1945, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2007-2008).  Includes index in some volumes.  Available at the Family History Library,  (92 Films)

Indexes


 * Scott, Kenneth. "Some New Haven County, Connecticut Naturalizations, 1803-1844," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 71 (1983):217-219. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.
 * Connecticut. City Court (New Haven), Name index to declarations filed, 1844-1923, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984). Includes records for persons living in the city of New Haven, or in nearby towns.  (6 films)
 * Connecticut. City Court (New Haven), Name index to petitions filed, 1843-1923, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1984). Includes records for persons living in the city of New Haven, or in nearby towns.  Available at the Family History Library,  (3 films)
 * United States Circuit Court ; United States District Court, Index to naturalization records, New Haven, CT, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2004). Index is in alphabetical order by surname.  Includes name, age, country of birth, name of court, date issued, volume and page number.  Available at the Family History Library,  (18 Films)

Obituaries

 * New Haven County, Connecticut Obituaries, (accessed 1 Mar 2011). A directory of obituary databases and archives on the internet.
 * Obits of New Haven Co., USGenWeb CT Archives
 * Linkpendium, Obituaries and Funeral Homes, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).

Photographs

 * Linkpendium, Photographs, Postcards, Historical Images, New Haven County, (accessed 8 Mar 2011).
 * Photos of New Haven Co.

Probate Records
Connecticut State Library, Research Guide to Connecticut Probate Records.

Online Probate Records
 * 1609 – 1999 Connecticut Wills and Probate Records 1609-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Vital Records
See also How to order Connecticut Vital Records


 * 1640-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1746-1927 - Daughters of the American Revolution. Oneida Chapter, Volume 6: Bible, cemetery and church records, 1746-1927, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985). Available at the Family History Library,
 * 1883-1932 - New Haven County (Connecticut). Coronor, Coroner's records, 1883-1932, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988-1989). Indexes are found within most volumes.  Available at the Family History Library,  (20 films)
 * 1917-1931 - New Haven County (Connecticut). Coronor, Coroner's records, Waterbury District, 1917-1931, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988). Indexes are found within each volume.  Available at the Family History Library,  first of 4 films.
 * Death Records, USGenWeb CT Archives
 * Linkpendium, Vital Records, New Haven County.

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives 8 Meetinghouse Ln Madison, CT 06443 203 245-5667 E-Mail: [mailto:evartsarchives@aol.com evartsarchives@aol.com] Website

Cheshire Public Library 104 Main Street Cheshire, CT 06410 203-272-2245 Website

Derby Historical Society Research Library 37 Elm Street Ansonia, CT 06401 203 735-1908 E-mail:[mailto:info@derbyhistorical.org info@derbyhistorical.org] Website

James Blackstone Memorial Library 758 Main Street Branford, CT 06405 203 488-1441 Karen Jensen, Library Director, ext. 312 E-Mail: [mailto:kjensen@blackstonelibrary.org kjensen@blackstonelibrary.org] Website

Memorable Milford History Milford, CT 06460 Website

Milford Public Library 57 New Haven Ave Milford, CT 06460 203-783-3290 Website

The Naugatuck Historical Society P.O Box 317 195 Water Street Naugatuck, Connecticut 06770 203-729-9039 E-mail: [mailto:naugatuckhistory@att.net naugatuckhistory@att.net] Website

Naugatuck Valley Genealogy Club 36 Nathan Court Waterbury, CT 06708 Website

New Haven Museum 114 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06510 203-562-4183 FAX 203-562-2002 E-Mail: [mailto:info@newhavenmuseum.org info@newhavenmuseum.org] Website

Silas Bronson Library  267 Grand St. Waterbury, CT 06702 203-574-8225 E-Mail: [mailto:sbl-refdesk@waterburyct.org sbl-refdesk@waterburyct.org] Website

Southern Connecticut Ancestry Network (SCAN) Hamden Miller Memorial Central Library 2901 Dixwell Ave Hamden, CT. 06518 E-Mail: [mailto:hhs@hamdenlibrary.org hhs@hamdenlibrary.org] Website Website Website

Family History Centers

 * Madison Connecticut Family History Center
 * New Haven Connecticut Family History Center
 * Woodbridge, Connecticut

Websites

 * New Haven County, CT History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Connecticut Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Connecticut Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * ancestry.com$, Available databases for New Haven County.
 * Census Finder, Connecticut Vital Records Online transcriptions are listed by county.
 * Connecticut Genealogy, New Haven County Genealogy
 * Cyndi's List, General Resource Sites for New Haven County.
 * epodunk New Haven County, Connecticut Quick Links
 * Linkpendium; New Haven County Genealogy and Family History
 * MyGenealogist, New Haven County, Connecticut Genealogy Resources
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Websites at RootsWeb for New Haven County
 * New Haven County Subjects.