Westminster, Windham County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
Westminster is one of Vermont’s oldest and most historic towns, Westminster was the first township granted in Vermont, named Township No.1 in 1736. On Nov. 9, 1752, the Province of New Hampshire incorporated it as Westminster.

The Town of Westminster has been first in many events, including: - First State Bank established in 1807. - First Printing Office established in Vermont by Spooner &amp; Green in 1778. - First newspaper in Vermont, “The Vermont Gazette” or “Green Mt. Postboy.”

Town Histories
History of Westminster, 1791-1981, by M. Elizabeth Minard Simonds (1983) - find this book in a library.

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

Probate Records
The probate district for Westminster is Westminster. Westminster Probate Court PO Box 47 Bellows Falls, VT 05101 Phone: (802) 463-3019

Maps
1869 map of Westminster

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Westminster. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Windham County, website at this link.


 * Gilson Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Old Westminster Cemetery (aka Old East Parish Cemetery, Westminster Cemetery Old) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Sacred Heart Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Saint Charles Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * West Parish, NW Bemis Hill Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Westminster New Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Westminster West Cemetery (aka West Parish Cemetery) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.

Headstones and epitaphs in Westminster, Vermont, compiled by Bertha Miller Collins, edited by Alice Caggiano - available from the Westminster Historical Society.

"Old Cemeteries of Westminster, Windham Co., Vermont," compiled by Rachel V. Duffalo - available from the Westminster Historical Society.

Town Records
Town Clerk Vital and Town Records, 1763-1997, can be found on FamilySearch (browse only images).

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Westminster Town Clerk's Office. These include Land records, 1736-1909; index to land records, 1736-1911, Town records, 1752-1876, and Births 1857-1930, marriages 1857-1950, deaths 1857-2001, and indexes 1857-1903.

Westminster Town Clerk 3651 U.S. Route 5 PO Box 147 Westminster, VT 05158 Phone: (802) 722-4091 Website: http://www.westminstervt.org/

Newspapers
Brattleboro Reformer

Libraries and Historical Societies
Westminster Historical Society P.O. Box 2 3651 U.S. Route 5 Westminster, Vermont, 05158 Website: http://www.westminstervthistory.org/

Butterfield Library 3435 U.S. 5, Westminster, VT 05158 Phone: (802) 722-4891