Genealogy

GENEALOGY

Over more than 300 years, tens of thousands of families have lived in Lebanon (founded 1700). Some stayed for generations. Others spent only a few years. Descendants of some of the early Lebanon families still live in town, but many more live all around the world. For anyone seeking their Lebanon roots, the Lebanon Historical Society is a great starting place. Genealogy is the fastest growing hobby in North America and the Historical Society staff and volunteers have many years’ experience providing genealogical assistance.
We hope that you will be able to visit Lebanon and take advantage of our many resources yourself. If not, our genealogist or staff may be able to help you and our fees are modest. For your convenience, you can have the report of the results of your search sent to you electronically via email. If you prefer to receive the report via the U.S. Postal Service, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage along with your written request.

All requests must contain your name and full mailing address whether our response will be by U.S. Postal Service or email. Be sure that your request contains all pertinent information on the individual you are looking for, so that we can do a thorough search.

We are sorry but, in order to best assure that we are researching the correct person, requests will not be taken by phone.
The Lebanon Historical Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and charitable contributions are welcome. Funds donated for genealogical research assistance are used to expand our collection of published and primary sources related to Lebanon. Researchers who use our facilities or services are encourage to provide copies of their work for our files.

LIBRARY

When you come to Lebanon, you will be welcomed to our climate-controlled research library and visitor’s reading room. This facility is open to the public Wednesday through Friday and some Saturday afternoons from 12:00 to 4:00 or by appointment. Researchers are encouraged to contact the staff before coming to Lebanon to confirm the usefulness of Historical Society resources for specific family research.
The ever-growing library collection includes primary and secondary source material about the history of Lebanon and the people who lived here. Patrons are welcome to take notes or request copies, but many of the materials are rare so library collections do not circulate.
Photocopies can be made by museum staff for a per-page fee. (Members: 25 cents; Non-Members: 50 cents)
Microfilm copy fees are: Members: 50 cents, Non-Members: 75 cents.
Permission to examine materials is not an authorization to publish them. The researcher has full responsibility for guarding against copyright and other similar violations, and for following relevant federal and state laws, regulations, and rulings.

Our growing Library collection includes:

  • Lebanon First Congregational Church records, volumes 4 & 5, photocopy
  • Lebanon Third Society (Goshen) Congregation Church records, volume 2, photocopy
  • Norwich Vital Records 1659-1848 with printed index, photocopy
  • Lebanon Land Records to 1959 on microfilm (with index to 1957)
  • Lebanon Probate Court records (1826-1917) on microfilm
  • Windham County, Connecticut Probate Court records (1719-1918) on microfilm
  • Lebanon Selectmen’s minutes, vols. 1-5 on microfilm
  • Lebanon Town Meeting records, vols. 1-11 (1698-1900) on microfilm
  • Lebanon Vital Records (1700-1915) on microfilm
  • Walter G. Kingsley’s manuscript birth (1700-1880), marriage (1671-1883) and death (1702-1888) records on microfilm
  • Exeter Congregational Church Records on microfilm
  • Early American Newspapers on microfilm:
  • -Windham Herald (1791 – 1795)
  • -Norwich Courier (1796-1820)
  • Numerous published and manuscript family histories related to Lebanon families
  • Published books and research papers about the history of Lebanon, Windham & New London counties and some surrounding towns

Our research collection also contains the following alphabetically searchable digital databases with hyperlinks between data bases and to biographical sketches:

  • Barbour Index to Lebanon Vital Records (covers births, marriages & deaths for the town 1700-1854)
  • Births – Town of Lebanon Vol. 4 & 4-A (1847-1915)
  • Baptisms – Lebanon 1st Congregational Church (1700 – 1836 & 1840-1920)
  • Baptisms – Lebanon Third Society (Goshen) Congregation Church (1729 – 1882)
  • Marriages – 1st Church Congregational of Lebanon (1815-1821) & (1892-1901)
  • Marriages – Early Connecticut Marriages as found in Ancient Church Records prior to 1800 by Frederic W. Bailey for Lebanon and some surrounding towns
  • Lebanon Fourth Ecclesiastical Society (Exeter) marriages (1848-1874)
  • Marriages – Town of Lebanon Vol. 4 & 4-A (1852-1915)
  • Walter G. Kingsley’s manuscript marriage (1671-1883) and death (1702-1888) records
  • First Baptist Church of Lebanon records (in process)
  • First Congregational Church meeting records (1789-1830)
  • First Congregational Church Membership List (1725-1893)
  • Lebanon Third Ecclesiastical Society (Goshen Society) 1775 Tax List
  • 1741 Lebanon North Society (Columbia) Rate Bill
  • Deaths – Town of Lebanon Vol. 4 & 4-A (1851 – 1915)
  • Deaths – Lebanon Hale Headstone Inscription Records
  • Deaths – Columbia Hale Headstone Inscription Records
  • Deaths – Hebron Hale Headstone Inscription Records
  • Deaths – Old Willimantic Cemetery, Windham and North Windham Cemeteries Hale Headstone Inscription Records
  • Deaths – First Congregational Church of Lebanon (1782-1840)
  • Lebanon Mortality Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
  • Householders/property owners included on the 1772 map of the First Ecclesiastical Society and the 1770 map of the Third Ecclesiastical Society (Goshen)
  • Householders/property owners included on the 1854 map of Lebanon
  • Headstones in the Exeter, Center and Liberty Hill Cemeteries plus partial listings for the Goshen and Trumbull (Old) Cemeteries
    Federal Census records (available both in enumeration order and alphabetically, fully searchable and hyperlinked to additional information)
  • 1790 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1800 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1810 Lebanon Federal Census (in process)
  • 1820 Lebanon Federal Census (in process)
  • 1820 Columbia Federal Census
  • 1830 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1840 Lebanon Federal Census (in process)
  • 1850 Lebanon Agriculture Census
  • 1850 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1850 Columbia Federal Census
  • 1860 Lebanon Agricultural Census
  • 1860 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1870 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1880 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1900 Lebanon Federal Census
  • 1910 Lebanon Federal Census (in process)

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Cemeteries:
The Society and its volunteers are in the midst of a major inventory and research project of Lebanon cemeteries which will, when complete, include GPS coordinates, photographs, inscriptions and condition reports for all surviving headstones, footstones and monuments hyperlinked to our growing collection of biographical and other data about each person. In time, this data will be used to build digital maps for use in locating any surviving marker by name.

Military records:
Our records also include databases on Lebanon men who served during the American Revolution and the Civil War as well as published resources for these and other conflicts.

Transcriptions:
The Lebanon Historical Society is also actively transcribing and computerizing many primary sources in order to provide a quick search and reference capability. These computerized transcripts of original records are available at our library and are continually being updated.

ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS

In addition, the Historical Society has a small but growing collection of original archival materials relating to Lebanon. These letters, account books, diaries, and advertisements are catalogued in our collections data base. Researchers should contact the staff before coming to Lebanon to determine the usefulness of archival materials on deposit at the Lebanon Historical Society.

Genealogy & Research