Readsboro, Bennington County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
Readsboro does not appear to have been settled under any township charter rights. The first grant of any part of the town was by the governor of New Hampshire in 1764 to Major Robert Rogers. This charter was voided for noncompliance with the charter conditions. It appears that the first settlement occurred in 1779. The first town meeting is supposed to have been held in 1786.

Due to a fire in 1793, early Town records were destroyed and are no longer available.

Historical Data
The Vermont Historical Gazetteer is a 5 volume set of historical information by Abby Maria Hemenway with Volume I published in 1867 and Volume V completed in 1891 after her death. Also available online in PDF format at this link.

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Readsboro. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Bennington County, website at this link.
 * Readsboro Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Bennington County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places


 * Crosier Cemetery (aka Farrington Cemetery) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Heartwellville Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * North Hill Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Readsboro Village Cemetery - insriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * South Hill Cemetery (aka South Readsboro Cemetery) - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Vermont were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Vermont denominations, view the New Hampshire Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Readsboro, visit. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Readsboro:

1. First Baptist Readsboro   7030 Main St    Readsboro, VT 05350    Phone: (802) 423-7530

2. St Joachims Catholic Church   36 Tunnel St    Readsboro, VT 05350    Phone: (802) 423-5533

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Readsboro:

Libraries and Historical Societies
Readsboro Community Library 301 Phelps Lane Readsboro, VT 05350 Phone: (802) 423-5460 Email: lovestoread2001@yahoo.com Website: http://readsborocommunitylibrary.wordpress.com/about/

Readsboro Historical Society Betty Bolognani, President Phone: (802) 423-5432 Email: bolognan@sover.net Website: https://readsborovt.org/Historical_Society.html

Maps
The following are online maps of the town of Readsboro: 1856 Map of Readsboro

Newspapers
Bennington Banner Newspaper

Probate Records
In Vermont, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Readsboro:

The probate district for Readsboro is Bennington. Bennington Probate Division 207 South St. Bennington, VT 05201 Phone: (802) 447-2705

Town Histories
Go to Archive.org to find published materials for this town.

Down through the years at Readsboro, Vermont, 1786-1936, Frank Seth Ross, McClelland Press, 1936.


 * Locate a copy in a library.
 * Locate book on film at the Family History Library.

Town Records
In Vermont, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Readsboro town records available online:

Digital images of Readsboro Town records 1732-2005 are available online at FamilySearch.

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Readsboro Town Clerks Office. These include Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1883-1994; indexes to births, deaths, marriages, 1785-1934, Land records, 1793-1854; general index to land records, 1793- 1945, and Vermont, Bennington County, Readsboro, deed records, 1855-1901.

Readsboro Town Clerk 301 Phelps Lane / P. O. Box 187 Readsboro, VT 05350 Phone: (802) 423-5405 Email: clerk@readsborovt.org Website: https://readsborovt.org/Town_Clerk.html

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office.

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