Researching ancestors in Colonial New England can be a rewarding but challenging journey. As I’ve been working through a family line in this region, I’ve found it helpful to reflect on and share some tried-and-true strategies that make the process smoother—and more successful. Whether you’re tracing your early American ancestors for the first time or revisiting a long-standing brick wall, these tips may help you extract more value from colonial records and perhaps even break through barriers you didn’t realize you had. Here are five essential tips I keep in mind while navigating 17th- and 18th-century records: 1. Cast a Wide Net for Phonetic Variations Spelling was not standardized in colonial records, and this applies to both surnames and place names. I’ve encountered multiple phonetic spellings of the same name within a single document or even in different sections of the same parish register. Scribes wrote names as they heard them, and spelling could shift depending on who was recording the information.
2. Use Multiple Source Types—And Compare Abstracts Colonial records were often incomplete, inconsistent, or have suffered damage over time. To compensate, cross-reference your findings across various record types:
3. Learn the Language of the Time Colonial records come with their own learning curve. Understanding period-specific abbreviations, handwriting styles, and terminology is essential to avoid misreading a valuable clue.
4. Don’t Stop at the Town Line Colonial boundaries were fluid, and record-keeping practices varied dramatically between towns—even between neighboring ones. If you hit a wall in one location, check surrounding towns, counties, or even colonies.
5. Keep Historical Context in Mind Colonial history wasn’t just a backdrop—it actively shaped the lives and records of our ancestors. Wars, disease outbreaks, changing borders, and religious schisms all impacted how and where records were created—or whether they survived at all.
Final Thoughts These five research tips have served me well as I continue my deep dive into Colonial New England genealogy. While colonial records can be cryptic and fragmented, they are also rich in detail for those willing to dig beneath the surface and take a broader, contextual approach. When we remain flexible in spelling, vigilant in cross-referencing, and attentive to geography and history, we greatly improve our chances of connecting the dots and telling a fuller family story. If you’re working on colonial ancestors too, I’d love to hear what strategies have worked for you. What are your favorite tips, surprises, or success stories? More Genealogy Research TipsGet more genealogy research tips, under the Genealogy Research Tips category. More Top GenealogyMore Genealogy RecordsLearn about more genealogy records and resources, under the Genealogy Records category and the Genealogy Resources category, along with on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
8 Comments
Lisa Gorrell
5/28/2025 08:14:20 am
Thank you for your tips. I have done little colonial research but when I do next, these tips will be helpful.
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6/11/2025 05:47:18 am
You're very welcome! I’m so glad you found the tips helpful—even if colonial research isn’t a current focus. When you do dive into that era, I hope these strategies make the records feel a bit more approachable. Thanks for reading! :)
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5/30/2025 12:11:59 am
These tips are actually good for almost any research period and location. It's a good list to keep handy. But I've never seen ye listed as an abbreviation before.
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6/11/2025 05:53:59 am
Thank you, Janice! I really appreciate that insight—and I agree, many of these tips can absolutely apply to broader research beyond the colonial period. As for “ye,” you’re right to raise that—it’s actually not an abbreviation, but rather an old English printing convention where “ye” was used in place of “the” due to the letter thorn (þ). I should have clarified that better—thank you for the reminder to be more precise! And, of course, it was also used for you. 😊
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6/11/2025 05:55:03 am
Thanks for stopping by, Colleen! I just visited your blog—so much wonderful research and family history shared there. Always great to connect with fellow genealogy bloggers! :)
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6/1/2025 10:53:54 am
Thank you for your tips! I'm going to have to save these for when I have some colonials to research. :)
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6/11/2025 05:55:52 am
You’re very welcome, Kirsten! Colonial research definitely brings its own unique challenges—and fun surprises. I hope these tips come in handy when you get to that part of your tree. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! :)
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Author, Diane HenriksHi, I'm Diane Henriks, a professional genealogist and investigator who... Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family: Family History and Genealogy BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Categories
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