Upcoming Presentations

We just wanted to remind everyone that the Godfrey's director, accomplished genealogist Beth Mariotti will be hosting two presentations in the next week.

"A Step by Step Guide to Researching Your Ancestors"
          October 28, 6:00pm at the Blackstone Library- 758 Main Street, Branford, CT

• The name of this presentation is pretty self explanatory!  Join Beth as she goes over her easy step by step research process for digging in to your family history.
• A perfect introduction to genealogical research: great for people who are just starting out or want to learn what it's all about.
• No fee!
• Handouts will be provided.
• Questions are welcome!

"Tips for Advanced Online Research" for the November meeting of the Godfrey Genealogy Club
           November 1, 9:30am at the Godfrey Memorial Library

• Delve into the intricacies of the ofttimes confusing realm of online research with Beth as your guide.
• Discover which documents are available online and where to find them.
• Investigate which databases offer the information you need and how to use them effectively.
• Learn how to conduct successful Google searches.
• Get guidance on managing online documents.
• Questions are welcome!
• Club members are welcome to stay and research after the program, so bring your laptops and research materials!
• Presentation open to Godfrey Genealogy Club members only: annual membership fee is $25.  Not a member yet?  You can join at the library before the presentation!

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Last Week on the Scholar

Last week was another busy one on the Godfrey Scholar!  We're well on our way to getting through our backlog of scanned books, with over 800 already on the Scholar and just about 300 left to go.  This time we're happy to bring you a selection of genealogies and biographies regarding people and families whose last names start with M, N, O, and P.  Be sure to check them out when you have a chance!

Biographies
Memorial Addresses on Edmond H. Madison*
Papers of John Madison Vol. 2*
Memorial Addresses on George R. Malby*
Memorial Addresses on Stephen Russell Mallory*
Memorial of General J.F.K. Mansfield*
Charles W. March: Reminiscences of Congress*
Life and Labors of E.M. Marvin*
In Memory of John Joseph May*
Reminiscences of Justin McCarthy Vol. 1*
Reminiscences of Justin McCarthy Vol. 2*
Life, Campaigns, and Public Services of George McClellan*
Sunday School Man of the South: John McCulllagh*
Authentic Life of William McKinley*
Autobiography of Dwight L. Moody*
Life Story of J. Pierpont Morgan*
Life and Work of William Augustus Muhlenberg*
Memoir of Asahel Nettleton*
Life of Ethelbert Nevin*
Marshall Newell: A Memorial for his Classmates and Friends*
Autobiography of Chas Nichols*
Life, Character, and Public Services of Samuel Frederick Nixon*
Memoir of Abner Kingman Nott*
Sketches of the War by Charles C. Nott*
Memorial Addresses on Newton W. Nutting*
Memorial Addresses on Michael P. O'Connor*
Memoir of James Oglethorpe*
Life, Character, and Public Services of James Oliver*
A Memorial of Charlotte Amelia and Carrol Hanford Olmstead*
Memorial of Hugh Henry Osgood*
Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli*
Memories of the Professional and Social Life of John E. Owens*
Catharine J. Packer*
Memorial of Albert Gallatin Palmer*
American Men of Letters: Francis Parkman*
Memorial Addresses on Sereno Elisha Payne*
Memorial Addresses on James Breck Perkins*
Memorial of John D Philbrick*
Andrew Wheeler Phillips*
Arthur T. Pierson*
Orville H. Platt: An Old Fashioned Senator*
Life of William Hickling Prescott*
Israel Putnam*

Genealogies
Miller Family Magazine Vol. 1*
Mitchells from Kittery*
Moore-Jenkins Family Tree*
Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical Account of the Mudge Family*
Descendants of William Noyes*
Nye Family Genealogy*
Richard Otis: Genealogical Memoir of the Family*
Genealogy of Arthur Parke*
Genealogical Record of Samuel Pond*
Thomas Pope Genealogy*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.

*Searchable

New Church Records Indexed!

The indexing of the Groton, Voluntown, Sterling, and Waterford Church records book is finally complete!  This book is a treasure trove of information from the Congregational Churches in all four towns between the years of 1720 to 1839.

These records include admissions:

815 Baptisms
      419 from the Groton First Congregational Church
      396 from the Voluntown and Sterling First Congregational Church

978 Admissions
      436 from the Groton First Congregational Church
      347 from the Voluntown and Sterling First Congregational Church
      188 from a Waterford Church

And 245 Marriages from the Voluntown and Sterling First Congregational Churchs

For a total of 2038 unique entries that cannot be found anywhere else!

A large portion of the admissions records also include the method by which the admitted may have left the church: most often by death or generic removal (changing churches, moving away from the area, etc.), and, in the case of Wealthy Nooka from the Voluntown and Sterling First Congregational Church, excommunication.  For those church members who died a date of death is always given along with their date of admission to the congregation.  A brief timeline of several pastor's careers is also included in the records: when they were instated, when they retired, and when they died. 

Best of all, with these indexes we were able to make the original record book completely searchable!  If you have family from the Groton, Voluntown, Sterling, and Waterford area definitely make checking out these records a top priority!

Last Week on the Scholar

We apologize for being late on this week's Scholar update.  With the annual appeal in full swing and the increase in patrons visiting the library we've been utterly swamped!  Last we we uploaded a huge amount of biographies and genealogies to the Scholar, for the most part drawing from the store of scanned K, L, and M books in storage.  We are also thrilled to report that the collection of meeting records from the Mason's Hiram Lodge in New Haven Connecticut is also available for viewing on the Scholar!  The records are not indexed yet, but they are certainly a priority.

Biography
D.L Moody and His Work*
Ambassador Morgenthau's Story*
Memorial Addresses of Justin S. Morril*
Memorial Addresses on Oliver P. Morton*
Memorial Addresses on William Mutchler*

Genealogies
American Ancestry Volumes 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11*
Descendants of Ambrose Kasson*
Descendants of Benjamin Keith*
Kelloggs in the Old World and the New*
Kelloggs in the Old World and the New: Index*
Kollock Family Genealogy*
Lawrence Family Genealogy*
Genealogical Notes on Jacob Leisler*
The Linzee Family of Great Britain and the United States of America Vol. 2*
Livermore Family of America*
A Brief Genealogy of the Loughry Family*
Marsh Family Genealogy*
Lineage of Richard Mather*
Mauran Family Memorials*
A Genealogical Memorial of the Connecticut McLean Family*
James McNaughton*
A Genealogical and Historical Sketch of John Meader*
History Genealogcal and Biographical of the Molyneux Family*
Moore-Jenkins Family Tree*
Ancestry and Descendants of Gershom Morehouse*
Family History of Richard Mowry*
Mudge Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical Account*
Mumford Memoirs*

State and Local Histories
Connecticut
New Haven Master Lodge: Hiram 1762-1805

Massachusetts
Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County MA*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.

*Searchable

October Marks the Start of the Godfrey's Busy Season

In spite of this warm spell hinting otherwise, New England's vibrant foliage is letting everyone know that autumn is most certainly here!  With the change in the season comes an upswing in the number of visitors to the Godfrey: we're already noticing a marked increase in the number of patrons we see each day.  Since genealogical research is, for the most part, a hobby to be undertaken indoors this makes fall and winter the perfect seasons for genealogists to visit libraries or stay home and research online.

As if to commemorate the onset of research season, October is Family History Month!  Since it's institution in 2001 family history enthusiasts, archives, and research institutions have celebrated Family History Month in a variety of ways.  Be sure to take a look at organizations near you to see if they offer any special programs or deals.    

If you've even had a passing interest in genealogy Family History Month is a great time to get started.  You can attend presentations and seminars, sign up for membership to online databases, and visit libraries and archives.  If you live near or happen to be traveling by Middletown, Connecticut we'd love it if you stopped by the Godfrey!  Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers are experts at helping both new and experienced genealogists.  You may also consider ordering microfilm from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which can be viewed at the Godfrey's Family History Center. 

The fall and winter months are also an ideal time to do some volunteering!  Since this is our busy season the Godfrey needs volunteers now more than ever.  Everyone is welcome and there is always lots to do!  You can try your hand at indexing old records from funeral homes and churches, take photographs of old books, help behind the scenes of the Ed Laput Cemetery Project, or guide others in their use of the library by becoming a docent.  If any of this strikes your fancy please be sure to give us a call. 

For questions regarding visiting the library or volunteering please contact us by phone at (860) 346-4375 or email at bmariotti@godfrey.org.

This Week on the Scholar

It's been a great week for adding new content to the Scholar!  We're back to genealogies and biographies, working through the Is and Ls, as well as adding some new handwritten family charts and trees.  Next week you can look forward to a new batch of genealogies as we continue to work through our backlog of scanned books. 

Biographies
Ingraham Estates*
Life, Art, and Letters of George Innes*
Lines in Memoriam for Sarah Gibs Wheaton King*
Memorial Addresses Delivered to the House of Representatives by George Washington Kipp*
Harold Britton Klingerman*
A Memorial of Arthur Mason Knapp 1838-1898*
Memorial Addresses of James Laird*
In Memory of Edwin Channing Larned*
Life of Sylvester Larned*
Discourse Commemorative of William A Larned*
Memorial Addresses of James Polk Latta*
Life and Times of Jesse Lee
Memorial Proceedings of the Senate Upon the Death of John A. Lemon*
Memorial Addresses of William Lilly*
Memorial Addresses of Marcus Clariborne Lisle*
Mrs. Edward Livingston*
Early Memories by Henry Cabot Lodge*
Final Memorails of Henry Longfellow*
Life of James Milnor*

Genealogies
Ancestors and Descendants of Henry Gregory*
The Journal of American Ancestry Vol. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11*
Whitakr Austin Family Chart
Barball Family Chart
Bowman S. Beeman Family Tree
Bennett Family Chart
Brewster, Beers, Smith, Edwards, and Wetmore Family Tree
Sylvester Butler Family Tree
John Drake Family Tree
 
State and Local Histories
Genealogical History of Connecticut Vol. 2, 3, and 4*

Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today.  

*Searchable

The Godfrey at the Annual CSG Seminar and an Update to the Book Sale

October is Family History Month so it's not surprising that some of the most anticipated events of the year for genealogists will take place this month!  Among those is the Annual Family History Seminar organized by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists.  There are three very interesting presentations scheduled and it looks like it's going to be a great event!  The seminar takes place at Best Western Plus, 201 Washington St., New Haven CT from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Lunch will be provided.  Registration ends on October 10, so if you have not already signed up be sure to do so soon. 

The Godfrey will have a small table set up at the Seminar.  There you can subscribe to the Godfrey Scholar, buy books, and speak with knowledgeable staff about what the Godfrey has to offer.  If you are curious about the Godfrey or just want to stop and say hello, please swing by our table!  We look forward to meeting everyone!

The CSG conference will be a great time to purchase books from the Godfrey's book sale, but if you cannot wait or want something that we are unable to bring, you can always purchase them online or over the phone.  With 320 books divided into eight different categories we will almost certainly have something for everyone.  Take a look at our current inventory lists below.  

Genealogies:  We have genealogies and biographies from A-Z including many out of print and hard to find items.

Resource Books: Sometimes everyone needs a little help with their research and these books are just the thing!  From general research tips to more specific guides to using various resources, you can find it here.

Connecticut: Connecticut genealogy and history is our specialty, so we have just about everything you can think of available for sale: town histories, vital records, and more!

New England: Due to our location we also come into possession of quite a few books regarding other parts of New England.  If you're looking for general histories, vital records, or books on more specialized topics we may very well have it for sale.

Other States: Of course we cannot ignore the rest of the United States!  Here is where to look if you are interested in town or state histories from places outside of New England.

US History: The United States has an incredible history and you can read all about it, or at least parts of it, in books offered for sale here.

Immigration: If you have ancestors who immigrated to the United States or are interested in foreign genealogical research be sure to take a look here and see if any of these books can help!

Military: We have general books on the military as well as histories regarding the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War I. 

Links to ebay are provided in the inventory lists if you wish to buy online.  For books unavailable online please call the library instead at (860) 346-4375.

This Week on the Scholar

Do we have some neat things to tell you about this week!  First we've added more record books from Middletown's First and Second Congregational Church, the Cromwell Congregational Church, and the First Congregational Church of Jeffersonville Indiana!  Also new to the Scholar is a selection of supplementary materials from the Brooks Collection: excerpts from vital records of towns around the Haddam Neck Connecticut area.  Be sure to take a look!

Church Records
Cromwell, CT First Congregational Church Members of the Parish 1956
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church American Register 1811-1889
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church Catalogue A: 1668-1876
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church Catalogue B: Members Index
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church Pilgrim Register I: 1857-1923
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church Pilgrimg Register II: 1878-1922
Middletown, CT First Congregational Church Minutes 1896-1920
Middletown, CT Second Congregational Church Members 1809
Jeffersonville, IN First Christian Church Records

Vital Records
Brooks Collection
Amzi Notes
Arnold Family Charts
Brooks Family Charts
Clark Family Charts Notebooks 1
Clark Family Charts Notebooks 2
Clarke Genealogy
Congregational Church of Middle Haddam Records by Rev. David Selden
Congregational Church of Middle Haddam Marriage Records 1740-1937
Family Charts Brooks Collection
Haddam Cemeteries
History of the Haddam Neck Covenant Church 1886-1969
Muster Roll of the Company H: 21st CT Volunteers in the Civil War
Names from Volume 1 and 2 of the Vital Records
Old Burying Ground Haddam, CT: Inscriptions


Not a Scholar?  Visit our website to subscribe or call the library at (860) 346-4375 to join today. 

Far Flung Travelers Visit the Godfrey

While people from all over the world subscribe to the Godfrey's online database most patrons who visit the library itself hail from Connecticut or nearby New England states.  When someone from further away drops by it's quite exciting!  We always love to take a minute to chat with some of our long traveling visitors and see what it was that brought them to the Godfrey.

In these last few months we've had an influx of visitors from outside the New England area.  Some still hail from the northeast, like several individuals from New York.  Others come from further south, such as our visitors from Virginia and Florida.  Very rarely do we get visitors from farther west: but in September we had four!  Two from Illinois, one from Texas, and one all the way from California.  Everyone came seeking information about their New England ancestors.  It is incredible how large a distance some people's family trees can reach, especially when one considers how recently it became possible to travel great distances with relative ease.

Last month the Godfrey welcomed perhaps our furthest traveling visitors ever: Godfrey board member Marsha Meyers' daughter and her family all the way from Fiji!  Everyone had a great time as Marsha, Sharon, and Beth conducted an impromptu tour of the Godfrey and all the resources we offer.

Art and Marsha Meyers with their daughter's family from Fiji.

 No matter where you're from, if you happen to be passing by Middletown Connecticut you are welcome to stop by!  We'd love to hear your story and offer any help we can with your research.

Library hours are Tuesday: 9-4, Wednesday: Noon-8, Thursday: 9-4, Friday: 9-4, and every first and third Saturday of the month: 9-1.