Merrimack County, New Hampshire Genealogy
Guide to Merrimack County, New Hampshire ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Merrimack County was created on Aug 1, 1823[2] and named for the Merrimack River.[3] Its county seat is Concord. It is located in the south-central region of the state.
County Courthouse
Merrimack County Courthouse
5 Court Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 855-212-1234
Merrimack County Website
County Clerk has divorce records from 1840 and court records from 1823.
Town or City Clerks have birth, marriage, death, burial records.
Probate Judge has probate records from 1823.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1823.[4]
Merrimack County, New Hampshire Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1823 | 1790 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator.
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[8]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
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Towns Organized Before 1800:
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 34,614 | — |
| 1840 | 36,253 | 4.7% |
| 1850 | 40,337 | 11.3% |
| 1860 | 41,408 | 2.7% |
| 1870 | 42,151 | 1.8% |
| 1880 | 46,300 | 9.8% |
| 1890 | 49,435 | 6.8% |
| 1900 | 52,430 | 6.1% |
| 1910 | 53,335 | 1.7% |
| 1920 | 51,770 | −2.9% |
| 1930 | 56,152 | 8.5% |
| 1940 | 60,710 | 8.1% |
| 1950 | 63,022 | 3.8% |
| 1960 | 67,785 | 7.6% |
| 1970 | 80,925 | 19.4% |
| 1980 | 98,302 | 21.5% |
| 1990 | 120,005 | 22.1% |
| 2000 | 136,225 | 13.5% |
| 2010 | 146,445 | 7.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
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. For general information about New Hampshire denominations, view the New Hampshire Church Records Wiki page. For tips on how to determine denomination, view the New Hampshire Research Tips and Strategies Wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
- Before 1823 Grafton, Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties
- 1840-1867 Court of Common Pleas and Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images
- 1840-1875 Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images
- 1876-1900 Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog(*) — images
Directories
The FamilySearch Library has many city directories on microfilm. See the FamilySearch Catalog and look up the city or town - Directories. For example Concord, New Hampshire city directories are available on microfilms and/or microfiche for 1830 to 1935 with gaps for some years. Those directories also often include the names of persons living in other towns in the county.
Many directories are also available on the internet at www.ancestry.com. Go to Ancestry's card catalog, and under Search Titles, then type New Hampshire City Directories. Then you can select the city and see for which years ancestry has digital images of the city directories.
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See New Hampshire Land and Property for additional information about early New Hampshire land grants.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1823-1900 general index to grantors and grantees, 1823-1900(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1823-1919 Deeds, 1823-1919(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section New Hampshire Local Histories.
There are town histories for most of the towns in Merrimack County, and there is often a genealogical section with a great deal of family history information. The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed many of those books, and some are on the internet.
For the following towns the FamilySearch Library has town histories or genealogical collections which include a good deal of genealogical information: Andover, Boscawen. Bow, Bradford, Canterbury, Concord, Dunbarton, Epsom, Henniker, Hopkinton, Loudon, New London, Northfield, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Salisbury, Sutton, and Webster.
For the other towns, Allenstown, Chichester, Danbury, Franklin, Hill, Hookset, Loudon, Newbury, Warner, and Wilmot the FamilySearch Library usually has microfilms of births, marriages, and deaths, and often cemetery records.
The New Hampshire State Library in Concord, New Hampshire has a vast collection of books about New Hampshire towns and counties. Check their internet catalog for a town of interest.
The Collections Catalog at the New Hampshire Historical Society also in Concord has a very large collection of local history books and other publications.
If your ancestor lived in the area that is Merrimack County, before 1823, you will need to determine if the town where your ancestor lived was in Hillsborough, Grafton, or Rockingham counties. Ancestry's Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources, 3rd ed., Provo, Ut., 2004 (FS Library book 973 D27) has a map of New Hampshire on page 437, and after the map there is a list of towns telling to which county the town belongs now, and to which county it belonged before 1823.
The eastern half of Merrimack County including the towns from Hookset, up to Concord, and up to and including Franklin was taken from Rockingham County in 1823.
The northern two towns of Danbury and Hill were taken from Grafton County in 1823.
The western towns of Merrimack County in the line of Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Boscowen, Salisbury, to Andover and westwards were taken from Hillsborough County in 1823.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
For historical publications and online resources for the state, see the pages: New Hampshire Maps and New Hampshire Gazetteers.
- The Town and City Atlas of the State of New Hampshire, published in Boston in 1892 by the D. H. Hurd Company at the University of New Hampshire Library. The maps show the locations of homes, and the map gives the name of the person living in the home.
- There are two very good early atlases that show the county and town boundary lines. One was published in 1822 by H. C. Carey and I. Lea, A Complete, Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas: . .. Philadelphia: H. C. Carey and I. Lea, 1822 (FS Library film 02083 item 6).
- The second very useful early atlas was published in 1838 by T. G. Bradford, An Illustrated Atlas, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical, of the United States, and Adjacent Countries. Boston: Weeks, Jordan and Company, 1838 (FS Library film 02083 item 7).
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
For a military history of New Hampshire, see:
- The Military History of the State of New Hampshire; by Potter, Chandler Eastman; Concord, N.H.: McFarland and Jenks, 1866. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). This history comprises events from the first settlements in New Hampshire to the rebellion in 1861. It includes biographical notices of many of the officers and explanatory notes.
Revolutionary War
The most complete listing of New Hampshire Revolutionary War soldiers is found in volumes 14-17 of the New Hampshire State Papers. You can go to google.com, and look for New Hampshire State Papers with the link to ancestry.com. There you will find a name index to volumes 14-17, then you can go to the needed volume and page for information on the soldier. Often the place of residence is given.
- 1675-1835 New Hampshire Revolutionary War Records, 1675-1835 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Civil War
Online Civil War Indexes and Records
- 1861-1866 New Hampshire Civil War Service and Pension Records 1861-1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1861-1866 The Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- History of Chichester, Merrimack County, New Hampshire at searchroots.com - Citizens of the town who enlisted and were mustered into the service of the United States during the Rebellion
- History of Hill, Merrimack County, New Hampshire at searchroots.com - Volunteer soldiers from the town of Hill.
- History of Wilmot, Merrimack County, New Hampshire at searchroots.com - Some Wilmot residents who participated in the Civil War.
Regiments. Civil War service men from Merrimack County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are many companies or regiments that were formed from men of Merrimack County.
- - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry, Troops A, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, and M.
- - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, Companies A, B, C, E, and L.
- - 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D and F.
- - 2nd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies B, C, E, and H.
- - 3rd Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies B and E.
- - 4th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and I.
- - 5th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, E, F, and I.
- - 6th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company I.
- - 8th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company H.
- - 9th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, B, and I.
- - 10th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D and E.
- - 11th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and F.
- - 12th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies C, D and F.
- - 13th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies C and E.
- - 14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies H and K.
- - 15th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, F, and G.
- - 16th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies D, E, and H.
- - 17th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A and B.
- - 18th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
- - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 1st Company E.
- - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 2nd Companies F and G.
- - New Hampshire Sharpshooters, 3rd Company.
World War I
- 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
World War II
- 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1906-1993 New Hampshire, United States Naturalization Records, 1906-1993 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Newspapers
Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Portsmouth, NH newspapers from the late 1700's covering local news that included residents from Merrimack County communities.
Another internet source is genealogybank.com. This site has Concord, New Hampshire newspapers from 1790 to 1891.
- 1800s-Current New Hampshire, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in New Hampshire, probate records have been kept by the county. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1635-1753 New Hampshire Probate Records 1635-1753 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1643-1982 New Hampshire Wills and Probate Records 1643-1982 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1823-1972 Probate records, 1823-1972(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1823-1973 Probate indexes, 1823-1973(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
Many town tax records have been preserved by town clerks and town tax officials. Town tax records were generally taken each year. The FamilySearch Library has many town records on microfilms. For microfilm numbers see the FamilySearch Catalog under New Hampshire - Merrimack County - [name of town] - Town Records. You may wish to contact the Town Clerk's Office to see if they have addtional tax records.
Town Records
- 1636-1947 New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Vital Records
In 1905, when the state created the Bureau of Vital Records and Health, printed cards were distributed to the local town clerks and earlier vital records were transcribed onto the cards and submitted to the state. Certified copies of of birth, death, and marriage records are also available from the State Division of Archives and Records Management or from the local city and town clerk where the event took place. Original records are kept by the city or town clerk and copies are sent to the state.
Birth
- Early-1900 New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1654-1969 New Hampshire: Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1654-1969 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- 1656-1938 New Hampshire, Vital and Town Records Index, 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1901-1915 New Hampshire Birth Certificates, 1901-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Marriage
- 1637-1947 New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1637-1964 New Hampshire, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index($)
- 1654-1969 New Hampshire: Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1654-1969 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- 1656-1938 New Hampshire, Vital and Town Records Index, 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1828-Onward New Hampshire Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1948-1959 New Hampshire Marriage Certificates, 1948-1959 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Death
- 1654-1969 New Hampshire: Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1654-1969 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- 1654-1947 New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1656-1938 New Hampshire, Vital and Town Records Index, 1656-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Concord New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
- Nashua New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
- Wolfeboro New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
- American Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
- Concord Public Library - an affiliate library
- Griffin Free Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Museums
Societies
Merrimack Historical Society
10 Depot Street
Merrimack, NH 03054
Phone: 603-880-4343
Email: merrimackhistory@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Merrimack Historical Societies
Website
Websites
- The Merrimack County NHGenWeb Project, a member of The NHGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Merrimack County
- Merrimack County, New Hampshire Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium).
- Merrimack County Genealogy (New Hampshire Genealogy)
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Newberry
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FS Library book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merrimack County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_County,_New_Hampshire accessed 25 September 2018.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Merrimack County, New Hampshire page 452, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Page 452-453. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 436.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FS Library book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), New Hampshire.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merrimack County, New Hampshire," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_County,_New_Hampshire, accessed 16 November 2018.