I am from Branford and have spent much time working at the Branford town hall in the Branford land records researching Fowlers and Frisbies. I have never heard anyone say either that the earliest Branford records are missing or that they were taken to Newark by Pierson and his flock in 1666. Nevertheless they are very spotty compared to the neighboring town of Guilford's records and it does seem that much has been lost over the years...still they do begin fairly early and there are two volumes of Volume One and Volume Two. I asked there yesterday when the earliest records begin and they say the 1640s; there surely is a copy of the original Covenant from 1644; the records are indexed and there is a typed transcript of the earliest volume and a typed index which are available at both the Town Hall and the James Blackstone Memorial Public Library in Branford. The Probate records are another matter. The earliest ones used to be in the New Haven Hall of Records but have been moved to the Connecticut State Library...these would be those records from the beginning to about 1722. Branford then became part of the Probate District of Guilford and the Guilford Town Hall, Probate Office, holds the Probate Records of Branford from 1722 through 1850. After that Probate Records are held by the Probate Office in Branford. For more specific information...I would contact Jane Bouley (Branford Town Historian), Tootsie Laske (Branford Town Clerk), or David Driessens (Archivist of the First Congregational Church). The Church also has early records. Janet Riesman

Hi Janet! I hope you havent already goten this email question from other people but I am trying to find people who will do lookups in Branford (My BYINGTON family lived in North Branford for many years). Do you happen to know of any volunteers who do lookups for this town? I really appreciate any help you may have to give :) -Grace > I am from Branford and have spent much time working at the Branford town hall > in the Branford land records researching Fowlers and Frisbies. I have never > heard anyone say either that the earliest Branford records are missing or > that they were taken to Newark by Pierson and his flock in 1666. > > Nevertheless they are very spotty compared to the neighboring town of > Guilford's records and it does seem that much has been lost over the > years...still they do begin fairly early and there are two volumes of Volume > One and Volume Two. I asked there yesterday when the earliest records begin > and they say the 1640s; there surely is a copy of the original Covenant from > 1644; the records are indexed and there is a typed transcript of the earliest > volume and a typed index which are available at both the Town Hall and the > James Blackstone Memorial Public Library in Branford. > > The Probate records are another matter. The earliest ones used to be in the > New Haven Hall of Records but have been moved to the Connecticut State > Library...these would be those records from the beginning to about 1722. > Branford then became part of the Probate District of Guilford and the > Guilford Town Hall, Probate Office, holds the Probate Records of Branford > from 1722 through 1850. After that Probate Records are held by the Probate > Office in Branford. > > For more specific information...I would contact Jane Bouley (Branford Town > Historian), Tootsie Laske (Branford Town Clerk), or David Driessens > (Archivist of the First Congregational Church). The Church also has early > records. > > Janet Riesman > > > > ==== CTNEWHAV Mailing List ==== > Need to reach Colleen, the discussion coordinator? Send her an email > at <[email protected]>. > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=702&sourceid=1237