WINDSOR County, Vermont
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County Coordinators:
E-mail:  Ann Mensch



Windsor County is located in southeastern Vermont.
Select this LINK to see GENERAL Windsor County Menu information and links .
Select from the TOWN / TOWNSHIP list below to view information and links specific to each location.
Select this link to view a history of the FORMATION of the TOWNSHIPS within Windsor County.

Windsor County TOWNS are listed in bold print below.
Villages and communities within each town follow the town's name, in normal type.
If you are interested in becoming a Town Coordinator, please visit the
Windsor County: Volunteers / Town Coordinators' page.
TOWN - Villages and communities Town coordinator for Genealogy & History 
ANDOVER - Andover, Simonsville
BALTIMORE - Baltimore
BARNARD - Barnard, East Barnard
BETHEL- Bethel, West Bethel Town coordinator: Charlotte Davis
BRIDGEWATER - Bridgewater, Bridgewater Center, Bridgewater Corners, West Bridgewater
CAVENDISH - Cavendish, Proctorsville, Whitesville
CHESTER - Chester [historical names: Flamstead, New Flamstead] After 1768, when Cumberland County, New York was created, legal matters could be settled at Chester, VT, where there were courts of common pleas and of quarter sessions.
HARTFORD - Hartford, Quechee, West Hartford, White River Junction
HARTLAND - Hartland, Hartland Four Corners, North Hartland, Wilder (aka Olcott/Olcott Falls)
LUDLOW - Ludlow, Smithville
NORWICH - Lewiston, Norwich, Pompanoosuc, West Norwich
PLYMOUTH (historical name: Saltash) - Tyson, Plymouth, Plymouth Union  Town coordinator:  Nancy Wygant
POMFRET - Hewitts Corner, North Pomfret, Pomfret, South Pomfret
READING - Felchville, Hammondsville, Reading, South Reading
ROCHESTER - Emerson, Rochester, Talcville
ROYALTON- North Royalton, Royalton, South Royalton Town Coordinator: Mark A. Davis
SHARON - Sharon
SPRINGFIELD - North Springfield, City of Springfield Town Coordinator: Darrell A. Martin
STOCKBRIDGE- Gaysville, Stockbridge, 
"No Town"		 Town Coordinator: Barb Vellturo
WEATHERSFIELD - Amsden, Ascutney, Nelsons Corners, Perkinsville, Weathersfield Bow, Weathersfield Center Town Coordinator: Darrell A. Martin
WESTON - The Island, Weston
WEST WINDSOR - Brownsville, Sheddsville
WINDSOR - Windsor
WOODSTOCK - Prosper, South Woodstock, Taftsville, West Woodstock, Woodstock
GENERAL WINDSOR COUNTY, VT
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About Windsor County: 
Organization of Townships		 QUERIES
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Windsor County, Vermont:
Organization of Townships
 
 

Abstracted from:  History of Windsor County, Vermont, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers.1

When the State of Vermont was admitted to the Federal Union, in 1791, all that had been previously done by the State toward erecting and maintaining an independent government was confirmed and sanctioned by Congress, while the jurisdiction theretofore attempted to be exercised by New York was withdrawn and declared at an end.  At that time the county of Windsor, and others of the State as well, was fairly well organized, the officers of each branch of the local government were in the exercise of their functions, and peace and plenty prevailed on every hand. 

But the townships of Windsor county, or at least a majority of them, were organizations the creation of which antedated that of the State and that of the county, by a number of years.  Between the governor of New Hampshire on the one side, and of New York on the other, there was but little of the territory of Vermont that had not in some manner been granted and chartered.  These grants, of course, were conflicting in numerous cases, and the grantees and their successors were compelled to pay allegiance to one or the other of the Commonwealths; and instances are not wanting in which the settlers of towns surrendered their original charter from the one government, and purchased anew from the other. 

Of the several towns that now comprise Windsor county the first to be chartered was that now known as Chester, but which under the original grant was named Flamstead .  The first grant of this town was made February 22, 1754.  However, the charter proprietors failed to comply with the conditions and requirements of the grant, whereupon it was forfeited.  The second charter of the same territory was made on the 3d of November, 1761, to another set of proprietors, and under another name, the latter being New Flamstead.  Under this grant settlements were made and pioneer improvements commenced.  But it appears that during the early years of the controversy between New York and the Green Mountain Boys, the inhabitants of this town were disposed to favor the New York interests, and being  imbued with such spirit, yielded up or set at nought the New Hampshire charter and procured another from the former province.  Under this last grant, which was made on July 14, 1766, the name Chester was given the township, and by that name it has ever since been known.  In 1771, under the New York authority, an enumeration of the town's inhabitants was made, and Chester was found to contain one hundred and fifty-two souls. 
 The next grants of townships now of Windsor county under the authority of New Hampshire were made on the 4th day of July, 1761, by which the towns of Hartford and Norwich were brought into existence.  Then, following two days later, on July 6th, Governor Wentworth made grants of the townships of Saltash (now Plymouth), Reading, and Windsor .  Pomfret came next, July 8, 1761, and was followed on the 10th of the same month by Woodstock, Hertford (Hartland), and Woodstock. Barnard was chartered on the 17th of July, 1761; Stockbridge on the 21st; Sharon on the 17th of August; Springfield and Weathersfield on the 20th; Ludlow on September 16th; Cavendish on October 12th; Andover on October 13th.  All of these towns were granted during the year 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire.  But not all of these towns were organized and continued under the authority of the New Hampshire charters, some subsequently, like Chester, receiving a new grant from the provincial governor of New York. 
 

And there were other towns, too, that now form a part of this county that were organized or granted under still another jurisdiction--that of the independent district or State of Vermont, although they were, of course, a latter-day creation.  Bethel was one of the latter class of townships, being the result of an associations, which was formed at Hanover, N. H., and which petitioned the Vermont authority for a charter right for the purpose of making a settlement on the White River and its branches.  This petition was made to the Vermont Legislature in 1778, and was granted during the month of March of the same year. 

In substantially the same manner was the town of Rochester brought into existence, the grant therefore being made on the 30th of July, 1781.  It contained originally slightly more than twenty-three thousand acres of land, but its township area was materially increased by subsequent annexations from adjoining towns. 

Royalton was one of the townships granted first under the authority of New York, on November 13, 1769, but the claimants under that charter felt insecure in their possession, and were fearful lest the constantly increasing and arbitrary power of Vermont should deprive them of their believed rights, and were consequently induced to apply for a new charter under the new State, which was granted to the petitioners on December 20, 1781. 

Next in the order of formation came the township of Baltimore ; a small, triangular tract of land, embracing some three thousand acres, which, for the convenience of  the residents of that part of the town of Cavendish who lived southeast of Hawk's Mountain, was set off into a separate sub-division of the county, by an act of the Vermont Legislature passed October 19, 1793.  This is the smallest by several fold of any of the county's sub-divisions, but none the less a township organized and conducted upon the same truly democratic plan of government so characteristic of all New England towns. 

The same necessity that led to the formation of Baltimore also induced the erection of the township of Weston out of the lands that formerly formed a part of Andover and the five thousand acre tract known as Benton's Gore.  The extremely high ridges known as Mount Terrible and Markham Mountain extended north and south about through the central part of Andover, thus making it exceedingly difficult for the residents of the western part of that township to hold business communication with the eastern half; and for this reason the western inhabitants betook themselves to the State Legislature, asking that their section be erected into a separate township.  Their prayer was heard, and on the 26th of October, 1799, the western part of the town, together with the gore, was erected into a separate town and named Weston. 

The town of West Windsor is the junior of the subdivisions of the county, its separation from the township of Windsor having been effected first in 1814, but restored during the next year.  Again, in 1848, the town of Windsor was divided, and West Windsor set off.  The act of the Legislature that effected the last division was passed October 26, 1848. 

It is also proper to furnish to the reader the names of the townships of this county which were organized under the jurisdiction and control of the province and subsequent State of New York; and this mention, collectively, becomes important from the fact that the preceding paragraphs have primarily noted the organization under New Hampshire and Vermont authority.  The towns now forming a part of Windsor county which were chartered or granted by the governors of New York, together with the date of each, are as follows: 

   Bethel. -- This town was first chartered or granted to a company of men, most of whom were then, or afterwards became, Tories.  The date of this charter is unknown.  [per Deming's Catalogue] 

   Cavendish. -- This town was chartered by New York June 16, 1772.

   Chester. -- Already mentioned; chartered by New York July 14, 1766. 

   Hartland. -- Chartered as "Hertferd" by New Hampshire July 10, 1761; but charter confirmed by New York to other proprietors July 23, 1766. 

   Plymouth, formerly Saltash. -- Town granted by New York to Ichabod Fisher and others May 13, 1772. 

   Reading. -- Granted by New York March 6, 1772, to Simon Stevens and others. 

   Royalton. -- Chartered by New York November 13, 1769. 

   Springfield. -- Granted by New York to Gideon Lyman March 16, 1772. 

   Stockbridge. -- Granted by New York to William Story and others in 1761. 

   Weathersfield. -- Granted, April 8, 1772, to Gideon Lyman and others. 

   Windsor. -- Granted, July 7, 1766, to David Stone, 2d, and others. 

Formation of Windsor County, Vermont

 A division of the State, or, as it was then known, the district of  the New Hampshire Grants, into counties, was made by the province of New York, on the 3d of July 1766, by virtue of an act of the Provincial Assembly.  By that act all the district of the grants that lay eastward of the Green Mountains was erected into a county by the name of Cumberland.  This act, however, was annulled by the Royal decree of 1767, which was intended to forbid New York from exercising further authority over the district, at least for the time being, but that province continued its policy, notwithstanding the kin's order, and in 1768 repassed the act and proceeded again to organize the county.  They established a Court of Common Pleas and appointed judges for the county.  For a number of years the courts were held at Chester, one of the towns of Windsor county, but there seemed to be an element of the population in Chester that strongly favored the new State policy, and, as the New York control had erected no county buildings in the town, it was deemed expedient to move the seat of justice to Westminster, where existed less opposition to New York.  This removal to the more congenial locality was made during the year 1772. 

In the year 1770, by an act of the Provincial Assembly of New York, passed March 7th, the territory of Cumberland county was divided, and the county of Gloucester was formed, comprising the lands lying north of the present north line of Windsor county, and the county seat of the new sub-division was fixed at Newbury.  Thus did the district of land east of the mountains remain until the year 1778, after the Independence of Vermont had been declared; and from that time forth until the New York dominancy became gradually extinguished the people of the territory now of Windsor county were living under the double and conflicting authority of the two States. 

In March, 1778, the Governor and Council and the General Assembly of Vermont met in session at the meeting-house in Windsor; and among the proceedings of that session were those looking to the erection of counties and the establishment of such other institutions as were necessary to complete the civil organization of the districts.  On the 17th of March the Governor and Council recommended that the Assembly divide the territory of the State into two counties, that portion west of the main chain of the mountains to be known as Bennington, and the part east to be known as "Unity county."  The first request was complied with, but the latter was, on the 21st of March, amended or altered by the Assembly, the name "Cumberland county" being adopted instead of "Unity county."  It was also voted at the same time that each county have four probate districts; also that the county elections be held on the 4th day of June, 1778. 

On the 26th of March the Council appointed John HATCH, Joshua BAYLEY, Ezra SARGEANT and Darius SESSIONS as county surveyors for the county of Cumberland for the time being; also John BENJAMIN as sheriff, for the time being, which meant until the forthcoming election.  The shire town of the county of Cumberland was fixed upon as Westminster, and judges of its courts were appointed by the Assembly as follows:  Major John SHEPARDSON, first; Mr. Stephen TILDEN, second; Hubbel WELLS, third; Deacon Hezekiah THOMSON, fourth; and Nathaniel ROBINSON, fifth judges for the shire.  And on the 17th of June the Assembly boted to appoint special judges for the several shires, those for Cumberland county as follows:  John SHEPARDSON, Stephen TILDEN, Hezekiah THOMSON, Colonel Samuel FLETCHER and Joshua WEBB. 

In October, 1778, after the State election, the Legislature again met at Windsor; and there were present members elected by the towns that form a part of Windsor county, as follows:  Springfield, Lieutenant Samuel SCOTT; Chester, Major Thomas CHANDLER; Weathersfield, Captain William UPHAM; Windsor, Captain Ebenezer CURTISS and Thomas COOPER; Hertferd (Hartland), William GALLOP; Woodstock, Captain Phineas WILLIAMS and Captain John STRONG; Hartford, Stephen TILDEN; Pomfret, Captain John THROOP; Barnard, Captain Edmond HODGES; Sharon, Benjamin SPAULDING; Royalton, Lieutenant Joseph PARKHURST; Norwich, Abel CURTISS and Captain Joseph HATCH. 

During this same fiscal year the county, now called Windsor, seems also to have had a fair representation in the higher body of State officials --the Council of Governor Chittenden; for the records disclose that Peter OLCUTT of Norwich, Paul SPOONER of Hartland, Thomas MURDOCK of Norwich, and Benjami EMMONS of Woodstock, were elected councillors, while Joseph MARSH of Hartford was elected lieutenant governor.  These persons were chosen to the same offices in the preceding March election, and their re-election seems to have shown that each possessed the entire confidence of his constituency. 
 

----- 
From what has already been stated, it will be observed that the greater part of the towns of Windsor county were in existence a number of years prior to the organization of the county itself.  When Windsor county was set off by the division of Cumberland county, the character of the government of the towns was in no manner changed, and the only effect of that act was to lessen the territory included within the county, and to make its government more convenient for its inhabitants and for the State.  And by the extinguishment of the New York authority and jurisdiction there seems not to have been occasioned any material change in any of the towns, and no interests appear to have been adversely affected.  The people were merely changed from the jurisdiction of one State to that of another, and all controversy over the rights of State was ended and forgotten.  Those of the town that were organized and governed under the New York charters continued for the time being their distinctive character, and the succeeding elections not infrequently found officers chosen under Vermont that had previously served under New York. 

Such became the situation of affairs in this county, and in others, when Vermont was admitted to the Union in 1791.  Disagreements and disputes were alike compromised and dropped as the result of that consummation, and an interest in the general welfare of the whole people took the place of strifes and contention among individuals. 

With the end attained, the people of the several towns of the county entered upon an era of prosperity not before enjoyed in the history of the Commonwealth.  And the people of the region were fully able to appreciate the advantages and blessings of peace and quiet, as for forty years prior to that event those who had lived in the State and upon the grants had seen nothing but a succession of combats and misfortunes and strifes and dissensions, and to them in particular was the peace that followed the year 1791 a double blessing. 

But for only one short score of years were the people to be thus favored, when America found herself on the verge of another war with Great Britain; and again was the farmer to leave the field, the woodsman the forest, and the mechanic his shop, and with sword and musket again join the ranks in the defense of that independence he had so lately fought to gain.  During the five years next preceding 1812, the whole country was in a state of nominal peace; but throughout these years there was gathering in the political horizon that dark cloud which was destined to plunge the nation into another foreign war.  In 1775, and the years following, America fought for independence, and achieved a recognition among the powers of the earth.  In 1812 she again engaged against the mother country to maintain that independence which in years past had been forcibly acquired.

ARCHIVES

Would you like to volunteer to assist with this Windsor County, Vermont site?  Please consider donating further information, history, biographies, and so forth, from a non-copyright Windsor County, Vermont resource?  These may be donated to this site, by contacting Ann Mensch , or you may donate to the USGenWeb Archives Project at the link below.

CEMETERIES CENSUS & Aids to Census Research HISTORY & Historical and Genealogical SOCIETIES MAPS MILITARY MAILING LISTS NEWSPAPERS PROBATE VITAL RECORDS
In Vermont, vital records are maintained by the city/town clerks.  To locate contact information for a town clerk, select the town of interest from the TOWNS TABLE .
Depending upon the specific location where a birth, marriage or death occurred, vital records may be able to be obtained through more than one resource.  Records and indexes may be available on microfilm, in book form, and birth, death, marriage, and divorce records more than five years old, from as early as 1760 to 1991, may also be requested through the state as well.  See the State of Vermont link below.  Please note:  There are minimal fees.      Of the several towns that now comprise Windsor county the first to be chartered was that now known as Chester, but which under the original grant was named Flamstead.  The first grant of this town was made February 22, 1754.  However, the charter proprietors failed to comply with the conditions and requirements of the grant, whereupon it was forfeited.  The second charter of the same territory was made on the 3d of November, 1761, to another set of proprietors, and under another name, the latter being New Flamstead.  Under this grant settlements were made and pioneer improvements commenced.  But it appears that during the early years of the controversy between New York and the Green Mountain Boys, the inhabitants of this town were disposed to favor the New York interests, and being  imbued with such spirit, yielded up or set at nought the New Hampshire charter and procured another from the former province.  Under this last grant, which was made on July 14, 1766, the name Chester was given the township, and by that name it has ever since been known.  In 1771, under the New York authority, an enumeration of the town's inhabitants was made, and Chester was found to contain one hundred and fifty-two souls. 1

 Bingo-West Rochester Cemetery: Established in 1822. Last burial in 1931,
  Located in western Rochester, by the fork of West Branch brook,
   Latitude: 435221N; Longitude: 0725308W (see map)


Additional Research Resources:
PROFESSIONAL HISTORICAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH
Ann McRoden Mensch, Professional Historical Genealogist
Researching on-site, and with the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library, holding one of the largest genealogical collections in North America.  Search the Library's online catalogue to see some of the printed resources available for a location or topic.
Printed resources include:
 
  1. History of Windsor County, Vermont, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers.  Lewis Cass Aldrich and Frank R. Holmes.  (Editors).  Syracuse, N. Y. : D. Mason & Co., Publishers, 1891.
  2. The Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer.  Eighth Edition, Third Printing.  Freeport, Maine:  Delorme.  1988.
  3. School and Library Atlas of the World.  Fred W. Foster, Ph.D. (Editor).  Sycamore, Illinois:  School and Library Publishing Company.  1982.
  4. Vermont: A Bibliography of Its History. T. D. S. Bassett.  (Editor). Boston: G. K. Hall, 1981.
  5. Bibliography of Vermont: Or a List of Books and Pamphlets Relating in any Way to the State.  Gilman, Marcus D. (Editor). Burlington: Free Press Association, 1897.
  6. State and Province Vital Records Guide. Michael Burgess, et al. (Authors). San Berardino, CA: Borgo Press, 1993.
  7. Vermont Historical Gazetteer. 5 vols. Abby M. Hemenway.  (Author). Burlington: The Author, 1867-1891.
  8. Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont. Jacob G. Ullery.  (Editor).  Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Co., 1894.
  9. Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography: A Series of Authentic Biographical Sketches of the Representative Men of Vermont and Sons of Vermont in Other States. Prentiss C. Dodge.  (Editor). Burlington: Ullery Publishing Co., 1912.
  10. Vermont, the Green Mountain State : past, present, prospective. Greene, Frank L.. unknown. Vermont Commission to the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition. 1907.
     
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