Halifax, Windham County, Vermont Genealogy

Brief History
The Town of Halifax was chartered on May 11, 1750 by Benning Wentworth, the Governor of New Hampshire, and was settled very soon after the grant was issued. Settlements were commenced in the town during the year following the issue of its charter, in 1751, but those who undertook them were not able to prosecute their plans on account of the hostility of the Indians.

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Halifax. For location of cemeteries, see Cemeteries of Vermont, Windham County, website at this link. Several of the cemeteries in Halifax have more than one name. For consistancey - each of the cemeteries will be listed under the name it has been given by the Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA). If a cemetery is known by any other name it be noted.


 * Bascom Cemetery - south side of Collins Road on old trail - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Halifax Center Cemetery - on the north side of Jacksonville Stage Road - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Hall Cemetery - off Tony Hanson Road on private drive - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Hatch Road Cemetery, also known as Hatch Cemetery - Hatch School Road - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * Prouty Cemetery - on Thomas Hill Road, north side, across the road from the Thomas Hill Cemetery - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Stafford Cemetery - not located on a main road but in the woods off of a "legal town trail." Access is best from Jacksonville Stage Road turning onto Josh Road, a small, one lane, rutted, dirt road - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Taylor-Stacy Cemetery, also known as Taylor Cemetery, and Stacy Cemetery. - near the junction of Hatch School Road and Butterfield Road - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Thomas Hill Cemetery, also known as Stanclift Cemetery. - on Thomas Hill Road, south side, across the road from the Prouty Cemetery - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.
 * Thomas Hill-Bell-Phelps Cemetery, also known as Thomas Cemetery, and Phelps-Bell Cemetery. - on Thomas Hill Road, near the intersection of Thomas Hill Road and Hale Road - inscriptions at Find A Grave site.
 * West Halifax Cemetery - at the north end of West Halifax Village, at the end of a short dirt road, behind some homes - inscriptions at Find a Grave site.

BEWARE: If using Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 found on Familly Search to determine the place of burial - this resource uses Bell to refer to both Bell Cemetery and Thomas Hill-Bell-Phelps Cemetery. Using the 1953 cemetery transcriptions done by Ruby Austin will help clarify the proper cemetery - although personal visits by those contrubuting to Find A Grave have provided further clarity if a personal visit was made to obtain a picture of the tombstone.


 * Halifax 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 Halifax, 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 Halifax:

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

Libraries and Historical Societies
Halifax Historical Society

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

1869 map of Halifax

Newspapers
Brattleboro Reformer

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

The probate district for Halifax is Marlboro. Marlboro Probate Court 80 Flat St, Suite 104 Brattleboro, VT 05301 Phone: (802) 257-2898

Town Histories
Born in controversy : history of Halifax, Vermont, chartered 1750, by the Halifax Historical Society (2008) - find this book in a library. Book is also available from the Halifax Historical Society.

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 Halifax town records available online:

Town Clerk Vital and Town Records, 1772-1865, can be found on FamilySerach (browse only images).

The Family History Library has microfilm of original records from the Halifax Town Clerk's Office. These include Birth, marriage, death certificates and transit permits (1883-2002) and index (1858-1906), Halifax, Vermont, Land records and deeds, 1772-1906; index to deeds, 1772-1937 : with town and vital records, 1772-1865, Record of marriages in the town of Halifax, from 1857 to 1868, and Registers of marriages, births, and deaths, 1857-1896.

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

Halifax Town Office 246 Branch Road PO Box 127 West Halifax, VT 05358 Phone: (802) 368-7390 Website: http://www.halifaxvermont.com/

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