About the Charles R. Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Records
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Preserving Connecticut's Cemetery Records and Family History
Welcome to the Charles R. Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Records, an online resource dedicated to making historical Connecticut cemetery inscriptions accessible to genealogists, family historians, and researchers.
Our website provides searchable cemetery transcriptions from the historic Charles R. Hale Collection, an extensive compilation of Connecticut gravestone inscriptions preserved by the Connecticut State Library.
These records offer valuable information about generations of Connecticut families, including names, birth and death dates, family relationships, military service, and other details recorded on historical gravestones.
Our goal is to preserve this important genealogical information and make it easier for researchers to discover their Connecticut ancestors.
What Is the Charles R. Hale Collection?
The Charles R. Hale Collection is one of Connecticut's most valuable resources for cemetery and genealogical research.
During the 1930s, cemetery inscriptions throughout Connecticut were systematically recorded under the supervision of Charles R. Hale, Connecticut's State Military Necrologist. The project was conducted with assistance from federal relief programs, including the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), with sponsorship from the Connecticut State Library.
The resulting collection documents gravestone inscriptions from cemeteries across Connecticut, preserving information about individuals and families whose lives span centuries of the state's history.
Because these inscriptions were recorded decades ago, the collection is especially valuable today. Some gravestones have since deteriorated, become difficult to read, or disappeared entirely.
The Hale Collection preserves a historical record of what was documented at the time of the original cemetery surveys.
Our Commitment to Transcription Accuracy
Accuracy is one of our highest priorities.
Genealogical research depends on reliable historical information. A single incorrectly transcribed name, date, or family relationship can lead researchers in the wrong direction.
For this reason, we take particular care in preparing the cemetery records published on this website.
Our transcriptions are carefully proofread against the original historical documents by our transcription team. We pay close attention to names, dates, spelling, punctuation, and other details that may be important to family historians.
We recognize that historical records sometimes contain unusual spellings, inconsistencies, and incomplete information. Whenever appropriate, we preserve these details rather than making assumptions about what the original record should have said.
Our objective is to provide faithful, carefully reviewed transcriptions that researchers can use with confidence.
Exploring Connecticut Cemetery Records
Our website organizes Connecticut cemetery records geographically to help visitors locate the information they need.
Researchers can browse cemetery records by county, town, and individual cemetery.
Each cemetery transcription contains historical burial information recorded in the Hale Collection. Depending on the original inscription, an entry may include:
- The name of the deceased.
- Birth and death dates.
- Age at death.
- Names of spouses, parents, or children.
- Military service or veteran information.
- Additional wording or details appearing in the historical record.
These inscriptions can help researchers identify family connections, confirm dates, locate ancestral burial places, and discover clues for further investigation.
Visitors can also use our genealogy search feature to help locate names and records throughout the website.
Why Historical Cemetery Transcriptions Matter?
Cemetery records provide an important connection between the present and the past.
A gravestone may be the only surviving record of an individual's birth, death, marriage relationship, or family connection. For some families, cemetery inscriptions contain information unavailable in surviving vital records, church registers, or other historical documents.
The Charles R. Hale Collection is particularly significant because its inscriptions were recorded during the 1930s, providing a historical snapshot of Connecticut cemeteries at that time. Since then, many gravestones have become deteriorated, broken, or even totally missing.
By making these transcriptions available online, we hope to help preserve that information for future generations and make Connecticut family history research more accessible.
Understanding the Historical Records
The records presented on this website are transcriptions of historical cemetery inscriptions, not independently verified vital records.
Original gravestones and historical cemetery surveys may contain errors, omissions, variations in spelling, or information that differs from other genealogical sources.
Although we carefully proofread our transcriptions, researchers should compare important findings with original documents and other historical evidence whenever possible.
We encourage visitors to use these records as a valuable part of a broader genealogical investigation.
About the Website
The Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Records is maintained by New Horizons Genealogy, with a commitment to preserving historical records and supporting genealogical research, and keeping genealogy free as it should be.
We believe that making carefully prepared historical transcriptions available to the public helps families discover their heritage and contributes to the long-term preservation of Connecticut's history.
Whether you are researching a single ancestor, tracing generations of a Connecticut family, or studying a local cemetery, we hope these records will be a useful part of your research.
Thank you for visiting the Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Records and helping keep Connecticut's family history alive and well today.