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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
• Over 200 million searchable names
• 3,000 digitized collections in 377 databases
• Principal locations covered
• Six New England states
• New York
• New Jersey
• Canada
• England
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Categories
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Atlases, Maps & Reference Materials
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Census, Tax & Voter Records
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Court, Land & Probate Records
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Diaries & Transcripts
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Genealogies, Biographies, Local Histories
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Immigration Records
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Journals, Periodicals & Articles
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Military Records
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Societies & Organizations
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Town Records
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Vital Records (including Bible, Church, Cemetery & SSDI)
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AmericanAncestors.org
Most Useful Online Databases
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Vital Records – Mass. to 1915 (plus RI 1636-1850)
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Journals
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New England Historic Genealogical Register (1847-2011)
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The American Genealogist (1945 -2011)
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The New York Genealogical & Biographical Record (1870-ongoing)
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The Connecticut Nutmegger (1968 - 2011)
Genealogical Studies
-The
Great Migration Series
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The New Netherlands Connection (NY & NJ)
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The Beekman Patent (NY)
- Abstract
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of Wills (NY)
Newspaper Abstracts & Online Newpapers
Vermont French-Canadian Genealogy Society
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
1. Massachusetts Vital Records:
 Until 1841 all VRs only recorded & kept in towns
 After 1841 Massachusetts required copies for all town (Boston > 1848)

No single complete set of records was found anywhere in the state
“In the early 20th century, NEHGS undertook the important project of transcribing and
publishing the vital records of Massachusetts towns, which provided a valuable contribution to the
genealogical field as this series was expanded over the next forty years. Many of these records
were saved from destruction.” – wikipedia.org
 This collection is called “Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850”
- allows indexed searches of vital records for 206 Massachusetts towns

Massachusetts State Archives records to 1841 -1916 (online here too)
- note: only Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records has records 1916 - present

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NET: AmericanAncestors.org - only online source of all Massachusetts VRs < 1916
Vermont French-Canadian Genealogy Society
7/18/2015
AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
Some Other New England Vital Records
Rhode Island Vital Records (1636-1850)
Index to the records (over 1.8 million names)
ACGS Index Of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
21 churches in New Hampshire (289,402 records)
21 churches in New York (over 120,000 records)
Several Massachusetts & Vermont parishes
Connecticut: Barbour Collection of Vital Records for CT (~1640 -1870)
25% complete; total =1.5 M names
Individual towns & cities
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MA:
Boston + 41 other towns
CT:
Hartford, New Haven, & numerous towns
Vermont French-Canadian Genealogy Society
7/18/2015
AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
2. New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGR):
 Published quarterly since 1847, by NEHGS
 NEHGR “is the flagship journal of American genealogy and the oldest in the field.”
- wikipedia.org
 Focuses on 17th and 18th Century New England
 Emphasis:
- Ancestral studies (back to England, France, Ireland, Holland, etc)
- Descendant studies moving forward to 18th and 19th centuries
- Interesting genealogical problems & errors in past research
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
 There are 176 issues of NEHGR as of mid-year 2012
 5-10 articles per quarter in one year’s issue
 Typical article references 100 – 500 names
 Research is done to the highest genealogical standards
 Sources are accurately cited
 This is an unparalleled resource on New England research
 Online version is every name searchable
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NEHGS Database Collection
3. The American Genealogist (TAG):
Started by Donald Jacobus, “dean of American genealogy”, in 1922.
It appears as two databases:
Volumes 1–8, covering the years 1923–1932, are available online under the name “Families of
Ancient New Haven.”
Volumes 9–53+, eventually covering the years 1933–present, under “The American Genealogist”
Volumes 1-8 are primarily about New Haven Colony families
Subsequent volumes cover the entire country to the highest standards
Additionally, a number of journals have been privately published in the past, and a few
continue to be. Notable among these are The American Genealogist (TAG), which
began in 1922 as the New Haven Genealogist, and the Virginia Genealogist, which will
be fifty years old in 2006.
- From In Praise of Periodicals by Patricia Law Hatcher, FASG 19 April 2004, Ancestry.com
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
4. The Connecticut Nutmegger
 Publication Run: 1968 – Present
 Publisher: Connecticut Society of Genealogists
 Vital records, probate records, bible records
 Headstone records, memorials and other useful records
 Well-documented family histories and genealogical articles, covering hundreds of mainly CT families
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
5. The Great Migration Series
Goals:
1. Identify each immigrant arriving in New England between 1620 and 1640
2. Document each life as completely as possible
Phases:
1. The Great Migration Begins (1620-1633)
3 volumes, 2386 pages (online)
2. The Great Migration (1634 &1635)
Vol
Vol
Vol
Vol
Vol
Vol
Vol
Vol
1, A-B, 1999
2, C-F, 2001
3, G-H, 2003
4, I-L, 2005
5, M-P, 2007
6, R-S, 2009
7,
2011
8,
2013
(online)
(online)
(online)
(online)
(online)
(online)
3. The Great Migration (1636 & 1637) - starts after 2113 (est’d)
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NEHGS Database Collection
Each immigrant is reviewed in a “sketch” of 4 parts
1. Migration
2. Biographical detail
3. Genealogical detail
4. Comments
If little is know about an individual this sketch will contain most details
If there is a large record on someone – only important details will be listed
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
6. The New Netherlands Connection
Goals:
1. Document Dutch immigrants in New York & New Jersey and their origins
2. Help identify New Netherlands ancestors & their descendants
History:
Begun in 1996
Quarterly issues of about 28 pages
Includes transcriptions & translations from Dutch notarial records
First 12 volumes in database has over 46,000 names
Fully indexed and every-name searchable
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
7. Settlers of the Beekman Patent (Ducthess County, NY)
Goals:
1. Document settlers in the original land grant given to Col. Henry Beekman in 1697
2. Help identify the many who passed through on their way west
History:
Begun in 1990 by Frank Doherty of NY and ongoing
Six volumes published so far (4 volumes online at NEHGS)
Documents 1300 families settling in the Patent
Covers many Palatine and Quaker settlers from New England
Every-name searchable
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AmericanAncestors.org
NEHGS Database Collection
8. Abstracts of Wills, Admins and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835
History:
1. Abstracts of Wills & Guardianships from 52 counties of New York
2. Majority of data is from 1787 - 1835
3. All names were indexed on 3x5 cards
4. Every-name searchable
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(over 850,000 names)
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Search Techniques
Overview
 1. This website is a collection of databases
 2. Most of these databases have their own indexes
- which fields were used varies significantly between databases
- for example, Year Range and First Name often not used
 3. The search function must adapt to database differences
- this means searches across multiple databases may not find every article
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Search Techniques
1. “Keyword Search” – appears on home page (and at bottom of Advanced Search window)
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searches all databases at once
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allows use of wildcards & multiple search terms in one line
2. “Advanced Search” – default option when you click on “Search” tab from home page
can input terms in any chosen fields (using fewer fields is normally more successful)
allows focused searches – therefore more precise
pick one database & it will display search tips – critical for accurate results
3. Using Advanced Search you can query specific databases
a) Global search may miss some databases – you won’t know
b). Indexing is different in various databases
c). In 247 of 377 databases index does not have First Name field
Result: Often get “No record found”
4.. Always read the Search Guidance at the bottom of each database query in Advanced Search
- it will describe where to put search terms (“Keyword field vs “Last Name” field)
- it will cover the use of “Wildcard” search operators
- it may provide special search fields for this database
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AmericanAncestors.org
Search Techniques
5. If your search comes back with no results
- try “smith”, or “brown” with no first name
- if that common a name fails – likely a problem with your entry
- try “Browse” option instead of “Search” – look at the actual records
6. The fields under “Year Range” usually pertain to publication years of journals, etc.
- in general, don’t use the “Year Range” unless you have far too many results searching all volumes
- only effective when searching for Vital Records
7. Wildcards:
- use of “+” symbol links both terms in Keyword search (ex. Isiah+Bennett searches for that combination)
- all searches are Exact Searches
- never use quotation marks (“Martha Adamson”)
- “?” matches any single character (where allowed, such as Vital Records DB)
- “*” matches any number of characters (where allowed , such as Vital Records DB
- “~~” use of double tilde symbols w/ no space between for date range (1713~~1745)
- one character is required before using a wildcard
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