A union list is a guide to the physical locations of primary resources on a given topic. In our case we are researching Dracut’s town history as it relates to Claypit Cemetery. The Dracut Public Library, Dracut Historical Society, Dracut Town Hall, and the Center for Lowell History house all the known primary resources for the town’s history. The following is a detailed listing of what primary sources are available in Dracut and where to locate them.
| Title | Location(s) |
| Dracut Proprietor’s Book, 1710-1733 | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library, Dracut Historical Society |
| Contains records of 1710, 1715-1716, 1721-1723, and 1733/4. Microfiche at Dracut Public Library and Boston Public Library. Original books are at the Dracut Historical Society. | |
| Dracut Town Records 1711-1749. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Includes minutes of town meetings, vital records, reports of stray animals, treasurer’s records, perambulations, and proprietors’ records—including a listing of the first land owners. It also dates the comings and goings of some residents. Births range from 1697-1750, deaths from about 1717-1750, and marriages or intentions from about 1736-1749.” (archivepublishing.com) Seven volumes of microfiche (numbered 2-7) | |
| Dracut Index of the Births, Deaths, and Marriages from 1710-1840 | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Index only. Two microfiche volumes (numbered 8 & 9) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1714-1736. Book 1. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Minutes of town meetings, as well as vital records, accounts of lot sales and taxes, town expenses, highway descriptions, perambulations, lists of men paid for work on the meetinghouse at various times, reports of stray animals, proprietors of 1710–and other interesting records. Births range from 1697-1750, deaths from 1717-1750, marriages/intentions from 1715-1751.” (archivepublishing.com) Six volumes of microfiche (numbered 10-15) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1749-1780. Book 2. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Most births seem to range from about 1750-1785; deaths are few; marriages and/or intentions extend from about 1749-1790. Note, on page 351, the bill for minutemen’s bayonets; and, on page 489, the town’s 1778 donation of shoes, stockings and shirts to soldiers serving in Continental army. See page 476 for the assessor’s warning that residents are “Liable to be Doomed” if they do not deliver to him an invoice listing their taxable personal estate.” (archivepublishing.com) Ten volumes of microfiche (numbered 16-25) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1780-1792. Book 3. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Besides births, deaths and marriages ranging from 1756-1821, these pages contain records as diverse as the forced resignation of the minister because of a scandal over digging up and “anatomizing” a dead body; John Hancock’s visit in 1772; and transients 1784-1792.” (archivepublishing.com) Eight volumes of microfiche (numbered 26-33) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1792-1798. Book 4. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Includes lists of property owners 1782-1792, petitioners against the building of a new meetinghouse, workers building the meetinghouse , members of the West Congregational Society, and pew owners . Birth and death records consist mostly of births circa 1790-1805.” (archivepublishing.com) Nine volumes of microfiche (numbered 34-42) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1788-1815. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “In this transcript to Book 5 below, town records include minutes of town meetings, oaths of office, property transfers, pew sales and transfers of church membership; as well as vital records. Births range from 1757-1821, deaths from about 1778-1822, and marriages or intentions from 1786-1822. ” (archivepublishing.com) Eight volumes of microfiche (numbered 43-50) | |
| Dracut Town Records, Births, Etc. 1784-1822. Book 5. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Consult the transcript above when in doubt about dates obscured because of the tight binding on this book. Births range from 1757-1822, deaths about 1778-1822, and marriages/intentions from 1786-1822.” (archivepublishing.com) Seven volumes of microfiche (numbered 51-57) | |
| Dracut Town Records 1823-1830. Book 6. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Town meeting minutes and miscellaneous records extend from 1821-1835. Births range from 1776-1840, deaths from 1796-1840, marriages or intentions from 1822-1832.” (archivepublishing.com) Seven volumes of microfiche (numbered 58-64) | |
| Dracut Town Meeting Records, Etc., 1834-1850. Book 7. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Oaths of office and jury lists provide names of many town residents. Marriages and intentions extend from 1831-1840.” (archivepublishing.com) Seven volumes of microfiche (numbered 65-72) | |
| Dracut Militia Records 1807-1819 | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Seven volumes of microfiche (numbered 73 & 74) | |
| Dracut Records of the State of the Poor 1855-1867. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Microfiche 75 includes: Militia list of all male residents aged 18-44. Pauper Reports 1855-1865; Militia List, ca 1862. Microfiche 78 includes: Paupers 1861-1890, 1899-1900. | |
| Dracut Index to Births 1848-1905 | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “This indexes births in the register of 1840-1861, as well as those in the birth volume of 1861-1905. In the register, however, it indexes only those births on pages 41-116.” (archivepublishing.com) Two volumes of microfiche (numbered 77 & 78) | |
| Dracut Index to Marriages 1848-1896. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Indexes pages 133-144 of the 1840-1861 register, as well as the 1853-1896 marriage book–referenced here as Vol 2.” (archivepublishing.com) Microfiche number 79 | |
| Dracut Index to Deaths 1848-1896. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Indexes pages 153-198 of the 1840-1861 register, as well as the 1861-1896 death volume.” (archivepublishing.com) Microfiche number 80 | |
| Dracut Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages 1840-1861. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| “Birth dates earlier than 1840 appear in this register, some perhaps as early as 1824 or 1834; e.g., pages 9, 17, 37, 53, 57. Also, birth dates in the 1840’s are sometimes interspersed with those after 1850; e.g., 1844 birth listed on page 113 with entries of 1861.” (archivepublishing.com) Four volumes of microfiche (numbered 81-84) | |
| Dracut Deaths 1861-1896. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Two volumes of microfiche (numbered 85 & 86) | |
| Dracut Marriages 1853-1896. [Vol 2.] | Dracut Public Library Boston Public Library |
| Two volumes of microfiche (numbered 87 & 88) | |
| Dracut Marriages 1897-1934. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Two volumes of microfiche (numbered 88 & 89) | |
| Dracut Deaths 1896-1922. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Three volumes of microfiche (numbered 89, 94, & 95) **volume 94 is missing from Dracut Public Library. | |
| Dracut Births 1861-1905. | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| Four volumes of microfiche (numbered 90-93) **volume 93 is missing from Dracut Public Library. | |
| Dracut Vital Record Transcripts to 1850 | Dracut Public Library, Boston Public Library |
| FICHE 1T: Marriage Intentions 1710-1722. FICHES 1T-4T: Births & Deaths 1687-1822. FICHE 2T: Marriages 1730-1738. FICHES 2T-7T: Marriage Intentions 1736-1822. FICHE 4T-8T: Marriages 1765-1822. FICHE 8T: Births & Deaths 1776-1825. FICHE 9T: Births 1801-1840. FICHES 9T-10T: Deaths 1796-1840. FICHE 10T: Marriages 1822-1840. FICHES 10T-11T: Marriage Intentions 1822-1840. FICHES 11T-13T: Births 1843-1849. FICHE 13T: Marriages 1844-1849. FICHE 14T: Deaths 1844-1849 | |
| Middlesex Land Records Index, 1629-1855 | Dracut Historical Society |
| Documents relating to Barzillai Lew and descendents | Center for Lowell History |
| Vital Records, post-1850 | Dracut Town Hall |
Locations:
Dracut Public Library
28 Arlington Street (978-454-5474) http://www.dracutlibrary.org/
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116 (617-536-5400)
http://www.bpl.org/research/socsci/genealogy.htm
Dracut’s early town records are no longer extant in their original form. They were ruined in a flood while they were being housed in the Library’s basement. Fortunately, they were copied into microfiche form by ArchivePublishing.com and a complete set of microfiche was donated to the town. The microfiche can now be found in the Reference Section of the Dracut Town Library. If you use the microfiche ask the Reference Librarian; the microfiche is stored in her office. There is only one microfiche machine available in the Library. Also, the Library subscribes to the database ancestry.com which provides access to United States census records; this may only be accessed at the Library not at home even if you have a Dracut Public Library card. The HeritageQuest database may be accessed at home via the Library’s home page.
An inventory of the microfiche did indicate some records are missing. Missing microfiche are numbers 94, 93, 1T-14T (these are transcripts of vital records to 1850). The Boston Public Library also has these same microfiche available or they may be ordered through archivespublishing.com.
Dracut Historical Society
1660 Lakeview Avenue (978-957-1701)
The Historical Society is open on Sundays from 1-3 or by appointment. In the Society’s safe are the Proprietor’s Books. They also have the Middlesex Land Records Index 1629-1855 on CD and the Land Records also on CD.
Dracut Town Hall
62 Arlington Street (978-452-1908) http://www.dracut-ma.us/
Town Hall has the Vital Records Index which was published in 1907 by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (also available online through Google books) . They only have the index not the actual records. This index only covers those vital statistics 1850 and earlier. Vital records post-1850 are found in the Town Clerk’s Office. There is no index for post-1850 entries.
Center for Lowell History
40 French Street, Lowell, http://library.uml.edu/clh/
The Center for Lowell History has many documents related to Barzillai Lew and his descendents.
Leave a Reply