The New England Historic Genealogical Society is the oldest genealogical organization in the U.S. It was founded by a group of Boston businessmen in 1845. They wanted to work to preserve the history of their colonial ancestors. Over the course of more than a century and a half they have worked to ensure researchers have access to the best quality information.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society at 101 Newbury Street in Boston.

The compiled family histories in the Society’s collections date back to the earliest published genealogies from the eighteenth century. The Society’s holdings for the New England states are unparalleled, but the have a great deal of information for not only the rest of the U.S., but Canada and the U.K. as well.

The R. Stanton Avery Special Collections contain thousands of notes, original records, Bibles, charts, and unpublished manuscripts. The original 1794 Direct Tax for Massachusetts (which included Maine at the time) was saved from total destruction by a founding member of NEHGS in the mid-nineteenth century. In those days, prior to the formation of a national archives, he arranged for it to be deposited with NEHGS for preservation, in whose custody it remains today. You can also find the research papers of numerous Fellows of the American Society of Genealogists, as well as historically significant documents such as a diary written by Benjamin Franklin’s sister, Jane (Franklin) Mecom.

The Society’s publications program started in the 1850s with the publication of Henry Bond’s history of early Watertown families. In the late nineteenth century, the Society banded with several other Massachusetts groups to lead the way in records preservation and access, publishing numerous volumes of vital records transcriptions. It is still very active today, publishing the weekly electronic newsletter The Weekly Genealogist, quarterly magazine American Ancestors, and frequently publishing compilations of original records and genealogies.

NEHGS has led the way among non-profit genealogical groups taking advantage of technology. In the late 1990s they published several CD-ROMs of records and launched their first website with searchable databases, NewEnglandAncestors.org. The website has been updated several times and today AmericanAncestors.org provides online access to a wide variety of original records, transcriptions, and published works. Many databases have been created from manuscripts and typescripts among the Society’s holdings, and therefore are unique or rare.

NEHGS also provides a great deal of educational opportunities, for both members and non-members. Some of these take place at the Society’s home in Boston. Many programs are also held around the country. The annual tour to Salt Lake City every fall is always popular. And the Society is starting to put some videos online to assist in learning.

I was privileged to be on staff at NEHGS for 15 years, working in many departments along the way. The staff is very dedicated and works hard to provide researchers with high-quality resources. And the favorite time is always when they get to work with people in person, whether at the library, on tours, or at conferences and other programs. Check out their resources at The New England Historic Genealogical Society is the oldest genealogical organization in the U.S. It was founded by a group of Boston businessmen in 1845. They wanted to work to preserve the history of their colonial ancestors. Over the course of more than a century and a half they have worked to ensure researchers have access to the best quality information. The compiled family histories in the Society’s collections date back to the earliest published genealogies from the eighteenth century. The Society’s holdings for the New England states are unparalleled, but the have a great deal of information for not only the rest of the U.S., but Canada and the U.K. as well. The R. Stanton Avery Special Collections contain thousands of notes, original records, Bibles, charts, and unpublished manuscripts. The original 1794 Direct Tax for Massachusetts (which included Maine at the time) was saved from total destruction by a founding member of NEHGS in the mid-nineteenth century. In those days, prior to the formation of a national archives, he arranged for it to be deposited with NEHGS for preservation, in whose custody it remains today. You can also find the research papers of numerous Fellows of the American Society of Genealogists, as well as historically significant documents such as a diary written by Benjamin Franklin’s sister, Jane (Franklin) Mecom. The Society’s publications program started in the 1850s with the publication of Henry Bond’s history of early Watertown families. In the late nineteenth century, the Society banded with several other Massachusetts groups to lead the way in records preservation and access, publishing numerous volumes of vital records transcriptions. It is still very active today, publishing the weekly electronic newsletter The Weekly Genealogist, quarterly magazine American Ancestors, and frequently publishing compilations of original records and genealogies. NEHGS has led the way among non-profit genealogical groups taking advantage of technology. In the late 1990s they published several CD-ROMs of records and launched their first website with searchable databases, NewEnglandAncestors.org. The website has been updated several times and today AmericanAncestors.org provides online access to a wide variety of original records, transcriptions, and published works. Many databases have been created from manuscripts and typescripts among the Society’s holdings, and therefore are unique or rare. NEHGS also provides a great deal of educational opportunities, for both members and non-members. Some of these take place at the Society’s home in Boston. Many programs are also held around the country. The annual tour to Salt Lake City every fall is always popular. And the Society is starting to put some videos online to assist in learning. I was privileged to be on staff at NEHGS for 15 years, working in many departments along the way. The staff is very dedicated and works hard to provide researchers with high-quality resources. And the favorite time is always when they get to work with people in person, whether at the library, on tours, or at conferences and other programs. Check out their resources at www.AmericanAncestors.org.