Monkton Museum and Historical Society

Research

Monkton

History of Monkton

History of Monkton 1734-1961 by Leon Bushey, Jessie Thomas and Howard M. French.

  • Buy it at the Monkton Town Clerk’s office
  • Borrow from the Russell Memorial Library
  • View online, with a free account at FamilySearch.org

Around the Mountains : Historical Essays about Charlotte, Ferrisburgh and Monkton by William Wallace Higbee, originally a series of newspaper columns, was published as a book by  Charlotte Historical Society in 1991.

  • Buy it from the Charlotte Historical Society or the Vermont Historical Society
  • Borrow from the Russell Memorial Library

Monkton Town Records, including Land and Vital Records

Isaac Doten married Artimesa Follett 21st Feby. 1811 Monkton Land Records, Book 3, page 186

Monkton town records, including early deeds and vital records, can be seen in person at the Monkton Town Clerk’s office. Images are also viewable at FamilySearch.org, after you establish a free account. Once you are logged in, search the catalog for Monkton, Vermont to see of list of available records. The original records of marriages, deaths and burials in Monkton 1885-1950 are also available at FamilySearch.org as part of the Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records.

Monkton Cemetery Records

There are nine cemeteries in Monkton, most rather small. All of these cemeteries are documented on findagrave.com. “Memorials” include the person’s name and available information about dates and places of birth and death. Often the person is linked to other family members. If the stone was still visible, a photo of the grave usually appears. The numbers on the list below correspond to the numbers on the map below.

  1. Friends – also called Quaker cemetery – off Cemetery Rd.
  2. Monkton Ridge – also called Ridge cemetery – Monkton Ridge
  3. Boro – also called Monktonboro cemetery – Pond Rd.
  4. Smith – Monktonboro, across private land
  5. Barnumtown – Barnumtown
  6. Carter – Barnumtown
  7. Horan – also called Kaolin Hill cemetery – off Bear Pond Rd., across private land
  8. Beers – also called Smith, or Smith-Layn cemetery – Bristol Rd.
  9. East Monkton – also called Morgan cemetery – Church Rd

Early Maps of Monkton

Beer’s Atlas Detail (1881)

Maps of Monkton in the mid-1800s, including information about property holders, are available at the Library of Congress’ website:

See a transcription of the Monkton section of the 1881 Beer’s Atlas of Addison County, including a map of Monkton here on our web site.

Compiled Genealogies on Monkton Families

Leon Bushey, long time Monkton town clerk, was very interested in local history and genealogy. He compiled typewritten genealogies on many early Monkton families, now held by the Monkton Town Clerk. These have now been digitized by the town clerk, and are available on our web site.

John Burbank, retired Methodist minister from Bristol, Vt. has also compiled well-researched genealogies on a number of Monkton. These are also available on our web site.

Monkton Architecture

During the early 1990s, Vermont’s Division of Historic Preservation surveyed towns, taking photographs and developing descriptions of the early buildings in towns. Forty-five buildings are featured in the Monkton booklet. A similar number, most overlapping, are included in the larger booklet called The Historic Architecture of Addison County. To access this:

  • Borrow from the Russell Memorial Library
  • View scanned version here

Addison County

History of Addison County

Several histories of Addison County, containing information about Monkton’s early history, have been written and are available on-line at the Internet Archive, a wonderful resource for historical books.

State of Vermont

Vermont Vital Records

Vermont town clerks have recorded births, marriages and deaths in town records since very early days, but records are very incomplete. Often, town records to contain “family registers”, which list children born to a couple, with dates of birth. Monkton town records contain such registers. They are helpful and informative. However, such registers often include information about children born in other locations. In 1857, a law was passed in Vermont requiring town clerks to transmit vital records to the state. Reporting of divorces began in 1898.

Vermont Vital Records Index 1760-2008

The Vermont Vital Records Index contains indexed vital records 1760 to 2008. The requirement for the index was established in 1919. The law “required all town clerks to transcribe, in full, records of births, marriages, and deaths in the possession of the town and churches.” They are only as complete as the information recorded in the town records.

There are separate cards for each birth and death, and two cards for each marriage, one under the husband’s name, the other by by wife’s name. Place of marriage is recorded. If available, the place of birth, parents’ names and places of birth are also recorded. Stillborn babies only have death cards.

The 1919 law also required town clerks to ensure that inscriptions of gravestones in town cemeteries for individuals who died prior to 1870 were transmitted to the state by July 1, 1921. These cards document that the person was buried in town. They may have died elsewhere.

Sometimes the name of the cemetery noted on the card is different from the currently used name. This is true in Monkton (see section on cemeteries).

The Vermont Vital Records Index is available on-line at the following site:

  • FamilySearch.org –  Accessible after you establish  free account
  • Ancestry.com – This is a subscription site, with fees. However, Vermonters can access Vermont records only through a free myvermont.gov account.

Recent Vermont Vital Records (1909 to present)

Limited information about births and deaths in Vermont 1909 to the present year are accessible for free on a state site.

Vermont Libraries and Repositories

Want to dig a little deeper? Visit one of our wonderful Vermont repositories:

  • Russell Memorial Library – Our own library has a collection of Vermont books, including an antiquarian collection of books donated by Dr. George Russell.
  • Bixby Library in Vergennes – The Bixby has a large Vermont collection. Borrow a book with your Home Card! Many of Leon Bushey’s papers and indices are also held by the Bixby.
  • The Stewart-Swift Research Center at the Sheldon Museum in Middlebury – includes book and manuscript collection that can be used on-site.
  • University of Vermont’s Silver Special Collections – Housed in the old Billings library, UVM has extensive collection of Vermont materials, including rare materials. The Howe Library also has books and periodicals useful to the family historian.
  • Vermont Genealogy Library on River Road in Essex Jct. – An all-volunteer library run by the Vermont French Canadian Genealogical Society, the library has a robust collection of Vermont and Quebec resources, etc. The library also subscribes to many paid genealogy sites, free for visitors to use.
  • Vermont Historical Society’s Leahy Library in Barre – Perhaps the best collection of local histories and family histories and manuscripts in the state housed in a beautiful library in the old  Spaulding School.

General

Historic Newspapers

Historic newspapers offer a rich information about local history. Reading newspapers can help you to gain a far greater understanding of the everyday lives of our ancestors. You will be surprised at the personal details that appear in newspapers in the 1800s and 1900s.

Although Monkton did not have a local newspaper, Monkton events were covered in newspaper in nearby towns, including Bristol, Vergennes and Middlebury. Local news was reported by local correspondents, who were specific to the hamlets in Monkton. Newspapers can be accessed at:

  • Newspapers.com — This is a paid subscription service. However, Vermonters have free access to Vermont newspapers through the Vermont States Archives. Get started here.
  • Chronicling America – This free site is run by the Library of Congress. Many Addison County newspapers are available to search.

Sites to Access Other Historic Books, including Histories and Genealogies

As time passes, more and more out-of-copyright books are being digitized. Sites worth exploring include: