Tuesday's Tip: Doing Research in Middletown

You know your ancestors went to church or school in Middletown, but you don't know which one.  How do you find their records?

A Summer Concert at Middletown's Long Hill Estate

Middletown was once much larger and included parts of several other towns. Cromwell, north of Middletown, was founded as part of the Mattabesset settlement in 1651. It was called “Upper Houses” until its separation from Middletown in 1851. Parts of modern Portland and East Hampton also once belonged to Middletown and were called “East Middletown.” The areas were first settled in 1714. In 1767, East Middletown split from Middletown to become Chatham. In 1841, Chatham split again to become Portland and East Hampton. Middlefield was the last of Middletown’s parishes to split off, in 1866. As a result, records for these other towns may be found in Middletown archives.

For more information about Middletown and where to locate repositories, use this locality guide created by Godfrey staff member, Bryna O'Sullivan: Middletown Locality Guide

 

Follow Friday: Middletown CT Genealogy Blogs

 We're closed today because of the snow, so we're home catching up on our genealogy reading... And like many of you, the Middletown area is a big area of interest. Did you know that there are at least three genealogy blogs that can help you trace your Middletown ancestors - in addition to ours?

1. Middletown 366: Created in honor of the 366th anniversary of Middletown's founding, Middletown 366 traces a day's history in Middletown's past. This could be an important news event or a more personal story. Godfrey's collections were featured on the entry for February 3rd.
2. 150 Years Ago in Middletown: Created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the blog features that day's news from the Middletown Constitution.  
3. Explorations in Connecticut Genealogy: Written by an area genealogist, this genealogy blog includes a number of Middletown items.

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