Connecticut Colonial Records

History
The Dutch were the first to establish a settlement in Connecticut at Hartford (Suckiaug) in 1633. British Massachusetts settlers began migrating into Connecticut in the 1630s. Settlers from Watertown, MA moved to Wethersfield (Pyquag) in 1634. Settlers from Plymouth and Dorchester, MA moved into Windsor (Mattaneaug) in 1635. In 1635, Puritans from Newtown, Cambridge, England emigrated to Hartford. In 1646, settlers independently founded New London (Nameaug).

Quinnipiac (New Haven) was founded in 1638. The New Haven Colony included several shoreline towns:
 * Guilford (Menunketuck, 1639)
 * Milford (Wepawaug, 1639)
 * Southold, Long Island (1640)
 * Stamford (Rippowam, 1641)
 * Branford (Totoket, 1644)

In 1662, an English Royal charter established Connecticut as a separate colony from Massachusetts and the New Haven Colony was absorbed into Connecticut. Long Island towns became part of New York.

Statewide Records and Resources

 * General Court Records (1636-1818): Known as the General Assembly, the highest state court during the colonial era with civil and criminal jurisdiction. Records from these courts have been transcribed from The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut.
 * Particular Court (1638-1666): All types of cases, including appeals from town courts. These include The Public Records and abstracted in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Vol. 22. Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut, 1639-1663 (Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1928, film 0897077). See probate districts for more information.
 * Court of Assistants and Superior Court (1669-1715, 1715-): The Court of Assistants handled major civil and criminal cases. It was called the Court of Assistants, Superior Court, from 1687-1715 and was replaced by the country superior courts in 1715.
 * County Courts of Quarter Courts (1666-1855): This court handled civil, criminal, chancery, and divorce proceedings.
 * Town courts (1630s-): Justice of the Peace courts handled cases without a town court.

The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1636-1776, Transcribed and Published in Accordance with a Resolution of the General Assembly. 15 Vols. (Hartford: Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co., 1850-90, fiche 6051120). This series contains the following:
 * Vol. 1 General and Particular courts, 1636-49; General Court, 1650-65; wills and inventories, 1640-49; code of laws, General Court, 1650
 * Vol. 2 Charter of Connecticut; General Court, 1665-77; journal and correspondence of the Council, 1675-77
 * Vol. 3 Records of the colony of Connecticut, 1678-89; extracts from the records of the United Colonies of New England, 1652-84
 * Vol. 4 Colony records, 1689-1706; Council journal, 1696-98
 * Vol. 5 Colony records, 1706-16; Council Journal, 1710-17
 * Vol. 6 Colony records, 1717-25; Council Journal, 1717-26
 * Vol. 7 Colony records, 1726-35; Council Journal, 1726-28
 * Vol. 8 Colony records, 1735-43
 * Vol. 9 Colony records, 1744-50
 * Vol. 10 Colony records, 1751-57
 * Vol. 11 Colony records, 1757-62
 * Vol. 12 Colony records, 1762-67
 * Vol. 13 Colony records, 1768-72; Council Journal, 1770-72
 * Vol. 14 Colony records, 1772-75; Susquehannah case (1774): respecting the boundaries of this colony and the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania; Norwich, 1774; inhabitants in the colony, 1774; Hartford, 1774; New London, 1775
 * Vol. 15 Colony records, 1775-76; journal of the Council of Safety, 1775-76; some council proceedings, 1663-1710

New Haven Colony
Before the New Haven Colony joined the Connecticut Colony, the administration records were kept separately.
 * Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, from 1638 to 1649 by Charles J. Hoadly. (Hartford: Case, Tiffany, and Co., 1857, film 0944116).
 * Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May 1653, to the Union: Together with the New Haven Code of 1656 by Charles J. Hoadly. (Hartford: Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co., 1858, film 0944116).

Connecticut Archives
The Connecticut Archives, ca 1629-1829, is a collection of records from the General Assembly, the Governor and Council, and other colony or state officials. These records are mostly arranged chronologically and in 27 different broad topics. Indexes are available online, and Microfilm copies of the original records are available through inter-library loan. The collections are the following:
 * Civil officers, 1669-1756 : three volumes and index : index.
 * Civil officers second series 1673-1820 : twenty-four volumes and index : index.
 * College and schools, 1657-1789 : two volumes and index : index.
 * College and schools, second series, October 1718-1820 ; three volumes and index : index.
 * Colonial and state boundaries, series I 1662-1827, series II 1664-1820, index.
 * Colonial wars, 1st series, 1675-1775 : ten volumes and index : index in three volumes.
 * Colonial wars, 2nd series, 1689-1806.
 * Corporations, December 1790-May 1820 ; two volumes and index : index.
 * Court papers, 1649-1709 : one volume and index : index.
 * Crimes and misdemeanors, 1st series, 1662-1789.
 * Crimes and misdemeanors, 2nd series, 1671-1820.
 * Ecclesiastical affairs, 1st series, 1658-1789.
 * Ecclesiastical affairs, 2nd series, 1666-1820.
 * Estates of deceased persons, 1640-1820.
 * Estates of incompetent persons, 1711-1820.
 * Estates of minors, 1711-1820.
 * Finance and currency, 1677-1789 : five volumes and index : index.
 * Finances, 1709-1752 : two volumes and index : index.
 * Foreign correspondence, 1st series, 1661-1748 : index.
 * Foreign correspondence, 2nd series, 1666-1748 : index.
 * Indians, 1st series, 1647-1789 : index.
 * Indians, 2nd series, 1666-1820 : index.
 * Industry, 1st series, 1708-1789 : index.
 * Industry, second series, October 1747-May 1820 : three volumes and index : index.
 * Insolvent debtors, 1st series, 1762-1787 : index.
 * Insolvent debtors, 2nd series, 1750-1820 : index.
 * Lotteries & divorces, 1st series, 1755-1789 : index.
 * Lotteries and divorces, 2nd series, 1718-1820 : index.
 * Militia, first series, 1678-1757 : five volumes and index : index.
 * Militia, second series, 1747-1788 : sixteen volumes and index : index.
 * Militia, third series, October 1728-May 1820 : eighten volumes and index : index.
 * Miscellaneous, 1st series, 1635-1789 : index.
 * Miscellaneous papers, second series, 1686-1820, index.
 * Private controversies, 1st series, 1642-1717 : six volumes and index : index.
 * Private controversies. Second series, 1636-1811 : 31 index volumes.
 * Revolutionary war, 1763-1789 : 37 volumes and index : index in eight volumes.
 * Revolutionary war, June 1765-May 1820 : six volumes and index : index.
 * Susquehannah settlers 1775-1796, western lands 1783-1789 : one volume and index : index.
 * Susquehannah settlers second series, 1771-1797, western lands second series 1783-1819 : one volume and index : index.
 * Towns and lands, 1629-1789 : ten volumes and index : index.
 * Towns and lands. Second series : May 1649-May 1820 : five volumes and index : index.
 * Trade and maritime affairs, 1668-1789 : two volumes and index : index.
 * Trade and maritime affairs, second series, 1685-1820 : two volumes and index : index.
 * Travel, highway, ferries, bridges and taverns, 1700-1788 : three volumes and index : index.
 * Travel, highway, ferries, bridges and taverns. second series : November 1737-May 1820 : seventeen volumes and index : index.
 * War of 1812, February 1812-May 1819 : three volumes and index : index.

Earliest Newspapers:

 * Connecticut Gazette (1755-1812)
 * Connecticut Journal (1767-1835)
 * Hartford Courant (1764-1865)
 * New London Gazette (1765-1836)
 * New London Summary, or Weekly Advertiser (1758-1763)
 * Norwich Packet (1773-1812)

Probate Districts
Probate districts comprised several towns and often crossed county boundaries. These were the only districts created before 1775:
 * Colchester District. Probate records, 1741-1922 . Contains the records of East Haddam District, 1741-1832, and Colchester District, 1832-1922. The original records are at the Colchester Town Hall.
 * Danbury District. Probate records, 1744-1916 . The original records are at the Danbury Town Hall.
 * Fairfield District. Probate records, 1648-1916 . The original records are at the Fairfield Town Hall and State Library in Hartford.
 * Farmington District. Probate records, 1769-1926 . The original records are at the Farmington Town Hall.
 * Guilford District. Probate records, 1720-1920 . The original records are at the Guilford Town Hall.
 * Hartford District. Probate records, 1649-1917 . The first six volumes also contain records of the county courts in Hartford County, sometimes called quarter courts, court of magistrates, particular courts, special courts, etc. The original records are at the Court of Probate in Hartford and the State Library in Hartford.
 * Litchfield District. Probate records, 1743-1917 . The original records are at the Litchfield Town Hall.
 * Middletown District. Probate records, 1752-1917 . The original records are at the Middletown Town Hall.
 * New Haven District. Probate records, 1647-1916 . The original records are at the Court of Probate in New Haven.
 * New London District. Probate records, 1675-1916 . The original records are at the New London Town Hall.
 * Norwich District. Probate records, 1748-1917 . Records of court proceedings, 1748-1852 . The original records are at the Norwich Town Hall.
 * Plainfield District. Probate records, 1747-1918 . The original records are at the Plainfield Town Hall.
 * Pomfret District. Probate records, 1754-1919 . The original records are at the Pomfret Town Hall.
 * Sharon District. Probate records, 1757-1922 . The original records are at the Sharon Town Hall.
 * Simsbury District. Probate records, 1769-1917 . The original records are at the Simsbury Town Hall.
 * Stafford District. Probate records, 1759-1931 . The original records are at the Stafford Town Hall.
 * Stamford District. Probate records, 1728-1916 . The original records are at the Stamford Town Hall.
 * Stonington District. Probate records, 1767-1933 . The original records are at the Stonington Town Hall.
 * Windham District. Probate records, 1719-1918 . probate records, special 1734-1917 . The original records are at the Willimantic Town Hall.
 * Woodbury District. Probate records, 1719-1916 . The original records are at the Woodbury Town Hall.

County Records and Resources
The following are the only county court records that have been filmed:
 * Fairfield County (1666) Fairfield County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1720-1799.
 * Hartford County (1666) Hartford County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1725-1849.
 * Litchfield County (1751) Litchfield County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1752-1922.
 * New Haven County (1666) New Haven County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1712-1899.
 * New London County (1666) New London County Court. Records of trials, 1661-1700]. New London County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1719-1875.
 * Windham County (1726) Windham County Superior Court. Divorce papers, 1726-1907.
 * Connecticut Divorces: Superior Court Records for the Counties of New London, Tolland, and Windham, 1719-1910 by Grace Louise Knox and Barbara B. Ferris. (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1987).

Additional Readings

 * History of the Colony of New Haven: To Its Absorption into Connecticut; With Supplementary History and Personnel of the Towns of Branford, Guilford, Milford, Stratford, Norwalk, Southold, Etc. by Edward E. Atwater. (Meridian, CT: Journal Publishing Co., 1902, film 0833384).