Connecticut Biography

Online Databases
Biographies
 * American Biographical Library for Connecticut ($)
 * The New England Historical &amp; Genealogical Register, 1847-2011 ($)
 * Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, Vol. I-IV ($)
 * The public records of the colony of Connecticut ($)
 * First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts: Genealogical Notes and Contributions ($)
 * First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts: Genealogical Notes and Contributions
 * Connecticut Historical Society Collections, Volumes VIII-IX, XI, XIII, XV-XVII, and XIX ($) 3,106
 * Connecticut Puritan Settlers, 1633-1845 ($)
 * Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial, e-book
 * Connecticut history makers, e-book
 * Illustrated popular biography of Connecticut, e-book
 * Men of mark in Connecticut, e-book
 * Men of progress; biographical sketches..., e-book
 * Representative men of Connecticut, 1861-1894, e-book

A biography is a history of a person’s life. In a biography you may find the individual’s birth, marriage, and death information and the names of his or her parents, children, or other family members. Biographies often include photographs, family traditions and stories, clues to an ancestor’s place of origin, places where he or she has lived, church affiliation, professional accomplishments, military service, and activities within the community. The information must be used carefully since there may be some inaccuracies.

Biographies in Local Histories

 * Biographical information is often found in state, county, and town histories.
 * Towards the end of the 19th century, began publishers soliciting short biographical/family histories from local founding families, offering to publish them in an upcoming local history. This then became an incentive for family members to buy a copy of the book.
 * Families represented were not necessarily prominent. Practically everyone living there, especially in the Midwest, counted as an early settler.
 * These biographies often start with the first member of the family to settle in the area, and detail their descendants at the time of publishing. They may tell where the family moved in from. Children's marriages often are given, with maiden names included.

Finding Biographies
Connecticut Historical Society has the best collection of biographical works for Connecticut.
 * The county Wiki page lists several county histories. It also lists local libraries, and societies which probably have copies of local histories.
 * Many histories are no longer under copyright and can be found in the following online, digitized book collections. Search with keywords "History" and "the name of your locality" (state, county, or town).
 * FamilySearch Books
 * Google Books
 * World Cat
 * HathiTrust
 * Internet Archive
 * The FamilySearch library has extensive collections of these local histories. Many are digitized. Search the FamilySearch Catalog under your locality for the topics "Biography" and "History".

The Family History Library also has a fine collection. Check the FamilySearch Catalog Last Name search.

Representative biographical encyclopedias for Connecticut include:


 * Hart, Samuel, et al. Encyclopedia of Connecticut Biography. 11 Volumes. Boston, Massachusetts: American Historical Society, ca. 1917-23. (Other libraries (WorldCat).


 * Genealogical and Biographical Records of American Citizens: Connecticut. 26 Volumes. Hartford, Connecticut: N.p., 1929-49. WorldCat entry.