Berkshire, Franklin County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
Berkshire was chartered on June 22, 1781 by the Vermont Legislature. Berkshire was one of six towns (the others being Enosburgh, Montgomery, Richford, Wyllis [now Jay] and Westfield) authorized by the legislature in the spring of 1780. It contains the unincorporated village of East Berkshire. The population of Berkshire at the 2010 US Census was 1,692.

Town Histories

 * History of Berkshire (VT), by Garnet L Harvey and the Berkshire Historical Society (1994) - find this book in a library.
 * Berkshire bygones, by Marjorie C Roberts (198-) - find this book in a library.

Vital Records
FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has Vermont birth, death, and marriage records online.

Land Records
Berkshire, Vermont Land Records, 1852-1908, can be found online at FamilySearch (browse only images).

Probate Records
Franklin Probate Division 17 Church St. St. Albans, VT 05478 Phone: (802) 524-7948

Franklin County, Vermont Probate Records, 1796-1921 are available on FamilySearch (browse only images).

Church Records

 * Calvary Episcopal Church (Bershire, Vermont) Records, 1826-1832, are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.
 * Methodist Episcopal Church (West Berkshire, Vermont) Records, 1851-1890, are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Maps
1871 map of Berkshire

Cemeteries
The following is a list of major cemeteries in present-day Berkshire Town. For location of all cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Franklin County, website at this link.


 * Berkshire Center Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * East Berkshire Episcopal Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * East Berkshire Congregational Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * West Berkshire Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.

Town Records
Town Clerk Vital and Town Records, 1800 -2000, can be found on FamilySearch (browse only images).

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Berkshire Town Clerk's Office. These include [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/1188428 Vital records of Berkshire, Vermont, 1850-Mar. 2000; indexes, ca. 1785-Aug.? 2000], and Deeds, 1794-1852; index to deeds, 1789-1950.

Berkshire Town Clerk 4454 Watertower Road Bershire, VT 05450 Phone: (802) 933-2335 Email: townclerk@berkshirevt.com

Newspapers
St. Albans Messenger

Vermont Online Historical Newspapers

Libraries and Historical Societies
Bershire Historical Society