Using Early Court Records to Trace Connecticut Ancestry

Many beginning genealogists shy away from using early court records due to their handwritten format, but court records hold a wealth of genealogical information if you know how to approach them. Researchers having difficulty finding information about an individual will want to look at these records because people from all rungs of society appeared in court for civil as well as criminal matters. Consequently, a court case may be the only record that document someone’s existence, particularly if they were poor or marginalized.

Court cases, wills, and probate records frequently provide names of African American, Black, and Indigenous individuals. Under chattel slavery, estate inventories and accounts listed enslaved people. Debt cases can also provide a lot of information about people and their daily lives. This class will look at New Haven County Court records, 1666-1855, currently being processed under a federal grant, that are uncovering the stories of people from all walks of life.