Genealogical Data from Colonial New Haven Newspapers

Colonial newspapers are a prime source of genealogical data, and early New Haven, Connecticut newspapers, in particular, are rich in data on individuals who might not otherwise appear in the public records. This present work, a joint undertaking by Kenneth Scott and Rosanne Conway, contains abstracts of all items concerned with persons in New England mentioned in New Haven newspapers between 1755 and the outbreak of the Revolution, providing some 20,000 references to approximately 7,500 persons. Such findings are normally hard won, and the genealogist interested in early Connecticut has much to be grateful for.

Particularly valuable for historical and genealogical research are lists of addressees of unclaimed letters left in the post offices of New Haven, New London, Hartford, and Norwalk; and lists of members elected to the General Assembly of Connecticut, of clergymen of that colony, of owners of land grants, of graduates of colleges, especially Yale, of members of committees of correspondence and inspection, and committees for accepting donations for the relief of Boston.

News events abstracted include shipwrecks, fires, murders, brawls, riots, jailbreaks, and deaths from drowning, lightning, or natural causes. Marriages, usually of prominent persons, are also covered. Advertisements concerned with auctions, real estate, deserters, runaway apprentices, servants and slaves, eloping wives, strayed or stolen livestock, offers of goods or services, and the appointment of commissioners to settle the estates of the recently deceased generally contain important information and are also abstracted in this work.