Vermont Descendancy Research
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As families believe they have researched their pedigrees back in time as far as possible, they sometimes choose to gather information on all the descendants of a particular ancestor or even all of their ancestors. This article explains possible steps to take on such a project in Vermont online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.
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For more information on census records, see Vermont Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
- Government records are known as civil registration or vital records.
- Vital records were first kept in Vermont from the earliest permanent settlement, about 1760. All original records are maintained by the town or city and can be viewed at the town or city clerk’s office.
- The present vital registration law was enacted in 1857. This statute required that all vital events be recorded in the town where they occurred. A centralized registration system was established in 1919.
- They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names.
- They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom.
- Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept.
- 1700-2008: Vermont: Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1700-2008 at American Ancestors; index & images ($)
- 1720-1908: Vermont Vital Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1732-2005: Vermont Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1760-1954: Vermont Vital Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1760-2008: Vermont Vital Records at FamilySearch; index only
- 1850-2005: Vermont Town Records at FamilySearch; index & images
Births
- 1765-1908: Vermont Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1909-2008: Vermont Birth Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1981-2001: Vermont Birth Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
Marriages
- 1718-1940: US Marriages at Findmypast; index only ($)
- 1791-1974: Vermont Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1909-2008: Vermont Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1981-1984, 1989-2001: Vermont Marriage Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
Deaths
- 1871-1965: Vermont Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1909-2008: Vermont Death Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1981-2001: Vermont Death Index at Ancestry - index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Vermont, see How to Find Vermont Birth Records, How to Find Vermont Marriage Records, and How to Find Vermont Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before XXXX. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Archives.com Obituaries for Vermont ($)
- ProQuest Obituaries for Vermont($)
- Ancestry.com United States Obituary Collection for Vermont ($)
- Vermont Obituary search
- GenealogyBuff Vermont
- ObitsArchive.com - Vermont ($)
- ObituariesHelp.org - Vermont Newspaper Obituaries Listings
- The Obituary Link Page - Vermont Obituary Links
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 — index and images
- Newspaper Obituary collection for Vermont: starts about 2003 to present ($)
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- Vermont Deaths and Burials, 1871-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Vermont Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Vermont Cemetery Records at Interment
- Vermont Cemetery Records at New Horizons Genealogy
- VermontTombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Vermont Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Jewish Cemeteries in Vermont at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in Vermont at Find-A-Grave
- Vermont Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Vermont Obituaries and Vermont Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Vermont, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Vermont, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Vermont Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Vermont Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.