Research in Early New England

This week Dennis provided an excellent review of the early settlements in Plymouth and surrounding areas of Massachusetts. He described how the settlers built their towns to resemble where they lived in England. Records were kept by the churches even during these early years, and by 1639 some governments were paying for maintaining vital records. 

Settlements spread throughout the surrounding area during the remaining years of the 1600s. Researchers need to be aware of changing boundaries as they do research during this period. Dennis recommends The Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research as the go-to book for anyone interested in searching for their ancestors in this time and place.

The handout also included a website for each of the states considered to be in the early "New England" category.

Thanks, Dennis, for a very interesting presentation!