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New Hampshire Research Outline |
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Table of Contents
Accessing Records Of The Family History Library
Familysearch™
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
Bible Records
Biography
Major Biographical Collections
Biographical Encyclopedias
Cemeteries
Internet Tombstone Transcripts And Index
Census
Federal Censuses
Colonial Censuses
Church Records
Baptist
Congregational
Episcopal
Methodist
Presbyterian
Roman Catholic
Society Of Friends (quakers)
Court Records
Colonial Court Records
Directories
Divorce Records
Emigration And Immigration
People
Records
Gazetteers
Genealogy
Nationwide Indexes
Web Sites About Your Family
Statewide And Regional Collections
History
State Histories
Local Histories
Land And Property
Land Jurisdictional Periods
Registration Of Deeds
Maps
Military Records
Colonial Military Records (1600s–1775)
Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
War Of 1812 (1812–1815)
Civil War (1861–1865)
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Inventory On The Internet
Published Indexes
Periodicals
Probate Records
Societies
Piscataqua Pioneers
Taxation
Town Records
Warnings Out
Town Historians
Vital Records
Records Of Births And Deaths
Marriage Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
The availability of land attracted many immigrants and encouraged settlement in the colonies. Land ownership was recorded in New England towns from the first settlement of the town. Land records are primarily used to learn where people lived and when they lived there. The records often reveal other information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or neighbors. You may learn where a person lived previously, his occupation, if he had served in the military and other clues. Sale of the land may show when he left, and may mention his new destination.
In 1629 the province of New Hampshire was granted to the proprietorship of Captain John Mason. Mason, his heirs, and those who purchased the patent assigned many town grants and many individual grants. These years are commonly known as the “Masonian Proprietary Period.”
From 1641 to 1679 New Hampshire was considered part of Massachusetts. Town charters granted by Massachusetts, to 1740, have been published in volume 24 of the New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers. The charters extend to 1740 because Massachusetts and New Hampshire had the same governor for most of the time until 1740.
New Hampshire became a royal province in 1679, although Massachusetts continued to claim the Merrimack Valley until 1741. Town charters were granted by Massachusetts during its jurisdictional period, and charters were granted by New Hampshire during its jurisdictional period. These recorded charters, land grants, maps, and plans can be found in several volumes of New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers.
New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers. 40 vols. (See the full citation in the “Court Records” section of this outline. FHL book 974.2 N2nhp vols.24–29; films 1033740–42; computer number 94111). Each volume has an every-name index.
When proprietors sold their land to others, the deeds and all subsequent transactions were recorded in provincial, county, and some town records. From 1623 to 1772, the Registry of Deeds was at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
County registrars of deeds began to keep deed records in 1769, when the first five New Hampshire counties were created (Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Strafford). New Hampshire land records now may be found within town records.
New Hampshire Province Deeds and Probate Records from 1623–1772. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (On 118 FHL films beginning with 1001345; computer number 80942.) These films are of the indexes to the volumes and are alphabetically arranged.
All existing pre-1772 deeds are now at the New Hampshire Division of Records Management and Archives. The address may be found in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline. For records of deeds after 1772, refer to probate offices in the counties.
Additional information on land and property records can be found in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
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LAND AND PROPERTY
Land Jurisdictional Periods
Volume24; film 1033740. Town charters granted by Massachusetts, 1641–1740. Town charters granted by New Hampshire, 1740–1800s. Reference is often made to Masonian grants.
Volume25; film 1033741. Town charters granted by New Hampshire, 1740–1800s. Reference is often made to Masonian grants.
Volume26; film 1033741. New Hampshire grants, within the present boundaries of Vermont, 1749–1764.
Volumes27, 28; films 1033741–42. Masonian proprietors’ township and individual grants in New Hampshire, 1720s–1830s. Contains maps, plans and descriptions of land grants.
Volume29; film 1033742. Masonian proprietors’ documents, 1629–1700s.
New Hampshire. Proprietors. Proprietors’ Records, 1748–1846. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (FHL film 983688; computer number 101587.) Microfilm of original records located in Concord, N.H. Partial indexes are found at the beginning of vols. 1–3.
Registration of Deeds
NEW HAMPSHIRE- LAND AND PROPERTYNEW HAMPSHIRE, [COUNTY]- LAND AND PROPERTYNEW HAMPSHIRE, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- LAND AND PROPERTY
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Version of Data: 6/9/2001]