Hosted by the Rye Historical Society

Presenter: Robert Cameron Wier

In this presentation we examine two important, but underused, town-level resources. Old town books, as maintained by town clerks since colonial times, and town annual reports, published from the mid-19th century to the present, can provide the breakthrough clues needed to demolish your genealogical brick wall. Where census and compiled vital records fail us, these resources can save the day. We will cover where to find these resources, how to interpret them, and how to use them to solve your genealogical conundrums.

Robert Cameron Weir is a genealogical researcher, lecturer, and author who lives in Dover, New Hampshire. He specializes in hard problems related to New England genealogy, from 1620 to the present. He is a member of the Association for Professional Genealogy and is the Publications Director for the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.