County Records

• Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before
  visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. All other record types not listed here are located in the town in which the event occured. Check NH's Cities & Towns and City & Town Clerks
• Probate Court has Probate Records from 1771
  12 Court Street, Keene, NH 03431; Register : Elizabeth Minkler; Phone : (603) 357-7786
• Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1771
  33 West Street , P.O. Box 584, Keene, New Hampshire 03431; Tel. (603)352-0403 Fax (603)352-7678
• New Hampshire Vital Records Office [Order Online] [Search the Social Security Death Index] has Births, Death and marriage records after 1883 see also Vital Records Page
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Genealogical Addresses

• Historical Society of Cheshire County, P.O. Box 803, 246 Main Street, Keene, New Hampshire 03431
  603-352-1895;hscc@cheshire.net
• New Hampshire Society of Genealogist, P.O. Box 2316 , Concord, NH 3302-2316 (603) 225-3381
• New Hampshire Historical Society , The Tuck Library, 30 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301-6384
  Telephone: 603/228-6688 - Fax: 603/224-0463
• New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street , Concord, NH 03301; (603)271-2144 FAX: (603)271-6826

Military Resources

• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of New Hampshire (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of New Hampshire (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War from the State of New Hampshire (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of New Hampshire (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.

County History

Cheshire County is located in the Monadnock region of southwestern New Hampshire with a total area of over 736 square miles. With 19 square miles of inland waterways, 83% forested, the county remains relatively rural in character. The county population is 72,182 with the city of Keene (population 22,872) serving as the geographical and social-economic center of the county. The town of Swanzey (population 6,653) and Jaffrey (population 5,431) are the next largest communities in Cheshire. The remaining 52% of the population resides in relatively rural settings in the remaining 20 towns with populations ranging from 250 - 4,200. The split between those who were born in New Hampshire and those who have immigrated is about 50/50.

Cheshire County has a mix of rural villages, urban settings, forest and agricultural land, and numerous lakes and streams. The health and vigor of its diverse natural resources is an important attraction. While the economic base is industrial, business, and service oriented, tourism is very important to the area. Monadnock State Park in Jaffrey (location of Mount Monadnock, the most heavily climbed mountain in New England), the 13,000 acre Pisgah State Park in the southwest corner of the county, and Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam are significant natural attractions to the area.

Communities include:
Alstead, Chesterfield, Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Harrisville, Hinsdale, Jaffrey, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Richmond, Rindge, Roxbury, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Troy, Walpole, Westmoreland, Winchester. See City & Town Clerks for more

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• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas,Georgia, New Hampshire, Cheshireucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
  Surnames include:
  • Nichols Family of Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina. Related Families: Albright, Anderson, Austin, Black, Brooks, Bruce, Campbell, Cook, Davenport, Finlayson, Garrett, Gladney, Graves, Hankins, Hawthorne, Hildreth, Henderson, Ingram, Johnson, Kerr, Keller, Lea, McCreight, Noe, Oliver, Prewitt, Rice, Rollins, Rich, Sharp, Smith, Sharp, Sinclair, Threadgill, Tolbert, Trefoe, Thomas, Wilson, Williams, Wright, Wyatt
  • Bedwell Family of Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire. Related Families: Atwood, Adams, Bishop, Byrd, Downs, Faver, Farrill, Fowler, Hames, Howe, Kimberly, Knight, Krugg, Lawton, Martin, Moore, Morrison, Moseley, Ogles, Sherman, Taliaferro, Tratman, Turner, West, Wheadon, Wilson, Wood, Wortham
  • Bundrum Family of Georgia and Alabama. Related Families: Aderhold, Ayres, Bundrum, Butts, Chancey, Hamilton, Laird, Mixon, Presley, Spruil, Weldon
  • Reaves Family of Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. Related Families: Avery, Browning, Bullock, Buchanan, Buttram, Franks, French, Hayes, Henderson, Hunter, Kates, Lumpkin, Mayfield, Morrison, Patterson, Pence, Reaves, Richards, Schneider, Smith, Witcher
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