Townshend, Windham County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
Townshend was chartered on June 20, 1753 by Benning Wentworth. Like all New England communities the early settlers spent their time and lives farming less than ideal soils and terrain. In the late 1700’s manufacturing, retail, and hospitality related concerns began to appear and flourish. Scott Bridge, located in Townshend, is the longest covered bridge in Vermont.

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


 * ActonCemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Fisher Cemetery- inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Howe Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Maple Grove Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Oakwood Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Round Hill Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Sanderson Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Taft Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Twitchell Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Wiswell Cemetery - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.


 * Townshend Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * Windham County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

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 Townshend, 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 Townshend:

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

Libraries and Historical Societies
Townshend Historical Society PO Box 202 Townshend, VT 05353 Email: ths@dugrenier.com Website: Townshend

Townshend Public Library 1971 VT Rte 30 PO Box 252 Townshend, VT 05353 Phone: 802-365-4039 Email: info@townshendlibrary.org Website: Townshend Public Library

Maps
The following are online maps of the town of Townshend:

1869 map of Townshend

Newspapers
The Manchester Journal

Brattleboro Reformer

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

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

Town Histories

 * A Stitch in Time (Townshend, Vermont 1753-2003), by Castle Freeman - find this book in a library. Buy this book from the Townshend Historical Society.
 * Townshend, the way it was 'till now--1979 - find this book in a library.
 * Collections relating to the history and inhabitants of the town of Townshend, Vermont, by James H Phelps - find this book in a library.
 * Historical Townshend Photos

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 Townshend town records available online:

at FamilySearch (browse only images).

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Townshend Town Clerk's Office. These include Proprietors records, 1753-1801, Records of marriages, births and deaths, 1857-1881; indexes of birth, death and marriage, 1857-1945, and Land records and deeds, 1780-1906; index, 1753-1945.

Town of Townshend PO Box 223 2006 Route 30 Townshend, VT 05353 Phone: 802-365-7300 Email: tnclk@svcable.net Website: Town of Townshend

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.