Introduction to the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS)

If your family has connections to New England, then you need to be aware of one of the premier genealogical resources. The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is one of the leading genealogical institutions in the United States. Founded in 1845, it has over 20,000 members. The NEHGS Research Library has more than 12 million original documents, original artifacts, records, manuscripts, books, family papers, bibles, and photographs dating back more than four centuries. Every week, NEHGS scans and digitizes at least one new database to be made available on-line. During 2008 NEHGS added 5 million names to its databases.

The NEHGS is a membership organization and annual memberships start at $75 a year, with a family membership starting at $90 a year. Membership includes

• Annual Membership
• Access to all areas of NewEnglandAncestors.org website.
• Unlimited use of Research Library (including rare books and manuscripts) in Boston.
• Access to premium databases like the Early American Newspapers.
• Subscriptions to New England Ancestors and The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
• Discounts on research services and sales.

The NEHGS Website contains more than 2,400 searchable databases containing over 110 million names. Some of the more popular databases include:

• Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register
• Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850
• Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633
• Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in New York State, 1787-1835
• Families of Ancient New Haven

The research library, located in the NEHGS Headquarters building in Boston, Massachusetts, contains more than 200,000 books, periodicals and microform materials and more than one million manuscripts. The library catalog is searchable online.