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Lester Card Collection
Collection, Ms B130
1607 – 1920
Lester Card (1872-1951) was an avid genealogist and historian. Although born into a family of mariners, Lester did not care for the sea, and left the family business at the age of 15. He graduated early from Columbia College’s Pharmacy School. However, loss of hearing at a young age encouraged Card to work with books rather than people. Card’s time spent with books led him to study genealogy and he began indexing vital records in Connecticut and New York. Most of Card’s genealogical work appears to have been compiled in the 1920s and 1930s. Card’s intensive efforts offer a valuable resource for modern researchers seeking out early Connecticut families.
In 1938 Card offered to donate this opus magnus and the genealogical Van Hoosier collection, which he had already acquired, to the Fairfield Historical Society in exchange for honorary lifetime membership to the institution.
For more information see Card’s brief autobiography in the Brown Envelope, “Card.”
In 1938 Card offered to donate this opus magnus and the genealogical Van Hoosier collection, which he had already acquired, to the Fairfield Historical Society in exchange for honorary lifetime membership to the institution.
For more information see Card’s brief autobiography in the Brown Envelope, “Card.”
There are three bound volumes, 5 folders depicting Wilton genealogies, 1 folder of miscellaneous families, 242 folders with details of individual family genealogies, 52 folders with vital records from different counties, and five drawers of Lester Card records in the Card Catalogue. This collection is most useful to researchers of early Connecticut families, especially Norwalk and Wilton.
Marriages from Norwalk Gazette 1815-1850, the first bound volume, lists marriages from that 35-year period alphabetically by the groom’s surname. Where available, the book also lists the full names of both bride and groom, their hometowns, the town where they were married, and the publishing date of the announcement. This volume also contains an index of the brides’ maiden names. This book has 155 pages and is filed as a book with the call number 974.6994 C3N892.
Marriages: Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Wilton, the second volume, lists marriages from newspapers as well as city and town records. Because the volume is initially sorted by town, the surnames of grooms and their brides are indexed at the back of this 800 page book shelved near the Finding Aids in the Genealogy and Local History Room.
Wilton, CT, the third volume, is an extensive history of Wilton from the Native Americans and the first settlers through the Revolutionary War, to the construction of the Danbury Pike in 1795. Of particular interest to genealogists are the lists of church attendees and soldiers, with full names, rank, brothers, and hometowns. However, researchers beware; the majority of this text is uncited, and many pages are out of order in this binder. This history is shelved in Local History.
Wilton, CT families has genealogies of 236 Wilton families. The originals are stored in five folders at the beginning of the card collection, but more accessible are the photocopies bound together in a three-ring binder on the reference shelf. Names of the families mentioned can be found in the index of folders at the end of this finding aid, symbolized by the letter “W.”
Dexter Records- Miscellaneous Families, the folder following the 5 Wilton folders contains information about the history of the Lester Card collection as well as genealogical trees fro 46 local families. These genealogies are marked with a “D” in the name index at the end of this finding aid.
The 242 family folders containing genealogies that may be typed or handwritten. Some genealogies date back to the early 17th century, while others begin near the end of the 18th century. Card’s work on these genealogies usually starts near the arrival of the first member of that family to the American colonies or the United States of America. In addition to basic genealogical charts (Name, Date of Birth, Parents, Marriage, Issue, and Death), some of the folders contain sources consulted to construct the history. Sources used include: Bible, Church, Probate, and Town records; deeds; wills; war muster and pension lists; estate inventories; cemeteries; newspapers; the census; and oral tradition. The folders are sorted alphabetically by surname in drawers A6-B, A5-D, A5-C and labeled with an “F” at the end of the finding aid. Four of the folders also contain potentially useful information about other families and are
indexed together at the end of the finding aid. Folders “Heraldry #1” and “Heraldry #2,” symbolized by “H1” and “H2” respectively, have details on certain families’ heraldries and their place in society. “Curtis and Related Families,” symbolized “C,” traces 52 families to their intersection with Fanniebellle Curtis. “Weed #2,” symbolized as “W2” mentions 5 additional families.
The 52 resource folders offer primary sources reproduced and amassed to assist local genealogy research endeavors. The records are sorted alphabetically by state, county, and city. Information about birth, baptism, marriage, and death may be gleaned from church, town, cemetery, or newspaper records. While there are resources from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio’ Saratoga County in New York offers the most prodigious volume of material.
Additionally, a card catalog exists with a comprehensive index by surname of persons listed within the Lester Card Collection. The cards primarily derive from Fairfield County vital records, many of which contain town, birth date, death date, descendants, or other information about the individual.
Marriages from Norwalk Gazette 1815-1850, the first bound volume, lists marriages from that 35-year period alphabetically by the groom’s surname. Where available, the book also lists the full names of both bride and groom, their hometowns, the town where they were married, and the publishing date of the announcement. This volume also contains an index of the brides’ maiden names. This book has 155 pages and is filed as a book with the call number 974.6994 C3N892.
Marriages: Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Wilton, the second volume, lists marriages from newspapers as well as city and town records. Because the volume is initially sorted by town, the surnames of grooms and their brides are indexed at the back of this 800 page book shelved near the Finding Aids in the Genealogy and Local History Room.
Wilton, CT, the third volume, is an extensive history of Wilton from the Native Americans and the first settlers through the Revolutionary War, to the construction of the Danbury Pike in 1795. Of particular interest to genealogists are the lists of church attendees and soldiers, with full names, rank, brothers, and hometowns. However, researchers beware; the majority of this text is uncited, and many pages are out of order in this binder. This history is shelved in Local History.
Wilton, CT families has genealogies of 236 Wilton families. The originals are stored in five folders at the beginning of the card collection, but more accessible are the photocopies bound together in a three-ring binder on the reference shelf. Names of the families mentioned can be found in the index of folders at the end of this finding aid, symbolized by the letter “W.”
Dexter Records- Miscellaneous Families, the folder following the 5 Wilton folders contains information about the history of the Lester Card collection as well as genealogical trees fro 46 local families. These genealogies are marked with a “D” in the name index at the end of this finding aid.
The 242 family folders containing genealogies that may be typed or handwritten. Some genealogies date back to the early 17th century, while others begin near the end of the 18th century. Card’s work on these genealogies usually starts near the arrival of the first member of that family to the American colonies or the United States of America. In addition to basic genealogical charts (Name, Date of Birth, Parents, Marriage, Issue, and Death), some of the folders contain sources consulted to construct the history. Sources used include: Bible, Church, Probate, and Town records; deeds; wills; war muster and pension lists; estate inventories; cemeteries; newspapers; the census; and oral tradition. The folders are sorted alphabetically by surname in drawers A6-B, A5-D, A5-C and labeled with an “F” at the end of the finding aid. Four of the folders also contain potentially useful information about other families and are
indexed together at the end of the finding aid. Folders “Heraldry #1” and “Heraldry #2,” symbolized by “H1” and “H2” respectively, have details on certain families’ heraldries and their place in society. “Curtis and Related Families,” symbolized “C,” traces 52 families to their intersection with Fanniebellle Curtis. “Weed #2,” symbolized as “W2” mentions 5 additional families.
The 52 resource folders offer primary sources reproduced and amassed to assist local genealogy research endeavors. The records are sorted alphabetically by state, county, and city. Information about birth, baptism, marriage, and death may be gleaned from church, town, cemetery, or newspaper records. While there are resources from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio’ Saratoga County in New York offers the most prodigious volume of material.
Additionally, a card catalog exists with a comprehensive index by surname of persons listed within the Lester Card Collection. The cards primarily derive from Fairfield County vital records, many of which contain town, birth date, death date, descendants, or other information about the individual.
Lester Card Folder Index
C = Curtis and Related Families
D = Dexter Records
H1 = Heraldry 1
H2 = Heraldry 2
F = Family Files
W = Wilton
W2 = Weed 2
Abbot W
Ackley F
Acton W
Adams C
Adams F
Adams W
Adsit (T) F
Allen W
Amsden (Amidon”) W
Andrews F
Angel (Angell, Engell) F
Archer F
Arnold #1 F W
Arnold #2 F
Arnst F
Astor H1
Atherton W
Ayres (Ayers) F W W2
Baker F W
Baldiwn C W
Ball F
Banks W
Bardwell W
Bartram W
Bates C
Batterson W
Baxter W
Bayard H1
Beale W
Beam F
Beardsley F
Bearse F
Bedient F W
Beekman F
Beers #2 F
Beers F W
Belden F W
Bell W W2
Benedict F W
Benedicts C
Benjamin W
Bennet W
Bethel F
Bettes C
Betts W
Bettys (Beatty) W
Biddick W
Birchard W
Bishop F
Bishop of Bridgeport F
Bishop of Stamford F
Bixby W
Blagge C
Blatchley F
Bontecoux – Ressguie (Ressiquie) F
Booth C
Bouton (Boughton W C F
Bradford C
Bradshaw #2 F
Bradshaw #1 F
Bridget F
Brinsmade F
Britt F
Britto F W
Bronson F
Brookins F
Brown F
Brush F W
Bryant W
Buckhout W
Buckingham C W
Bullard F
Bunnell W
Burchard F
Burlook W
Burr C
Burrit F
Burwell W
Bush F
Buskirk (Van?) W
Buttery F
Byington F
Byrd – Lawson F
Byrdseye C
Cahoon F
Camps C
Candee F
Canfield F W
Canon F W
Captain Chicken or Sam Mohawk W
Carman F
Carpenter W
Castle #1 F
Castle #2 F
Chandler F
Chaplin F
Chapman F W
Chard W
Chase W
Chichester W
Church F W
Clark W
Coe C
Cole F W
Coley F W
Collins W
Comstock C W
Cooper W
Copley W
Copp W
Couch F W
Crampton F
Crane W
Curley W
Curtis #2 F
Curtis #3 F
Curtis C F
Curtiss F
Cuyler H2
Dann #1 F
Dann #2 F
Darling F W
Darrow W
Davenport W
Davis F
Day F
De Forest C F W
De Peyster H1
Dean W
Delano H2
Denton F W
Dibble F W
Dickenson W
Dikeman (Dykeman, Dyckman) F W
Dimock F
Dimon F
Disbrow W
Doolittle W
Downs W
Drew F
Drinkwater W
Dudley W
Dunning W
Durgy F
Edmonson W
Edsall W2
Edwards #1 F
Edwards #2 F
Eells F W
Eglestone W
Elmer (Elmore, Aylmer) F W
Elwell F
Elwood F
English (Inglis) F
Everett W
Eversley W
Fairchild W
Fancher F W
Ferris #1 FW
Ferris #2 F
Ferris #3 F
Ferris #4 F
Ferry W
Fillow F W
Finch F W
Fisher W
Fitch #1 C F W
Fitch #2 F
Foster W
Fountain F W
Fowler F
Fox F W
French W
Frost F
Gallatin H2
Gardiner H1
Garnsey F
Gates F W
Gaylord W
Geer H2
Gilbert W
Gillette F
Glover F
Gold F
Gold C
Gray W
Green F W
Greenslate (Greenslit) W
Gregory #1 C F W
Gregory #2 F
Gregson C
Grey F W
Griffin (Griffith) W
Grumman W
Guyer (Guire) W
Haight F
Hamilton F
Hanford C
Hanford F W
Hawley (Joseph) C
Hawley (Thomas) C
Hawley W
Hawley, Sherman, Peck F
Hayden F
Hayes F
Haynes C
Hedrick D W
Heraldry by Lester Card #1 F
Heraldry by Lester Card 32 F
Hickok (Hickox) F W
Higgins F D W
Hitchcock F
Hodges F W
Hoffman F
Holmes W
Howes F
Hoyt C W
Hubbell W
Huggeford F
Hughstone (Huston) W
Hull W
Humphrey F
Hunt F
Hurlbutt F W
Husted W
Hutinac W
Hyatt F W
Hyde (Hide) D
Jackson W
James D F W
Jarvis of Norwalk F
Jarvis W
Jay H2
Jean W
Jelliffe (Jelliff) F W
Jenkins W
Jennings D
Jessup F W
Johnson #1 F
Johnson #2 F
Jones F W
Jordan F
Judoson C W
Jupp (Jump) F W
Kimberly W
King H1
Knapp W
Knight W
Lambert W
Lasher F
Lawrence F W
Leeds F
C = Curtis and Related Families
D = Dexter Records
H1 = Heraldry 1
H2 = Heraldry 2
F = Family Files
W = Wilton
W2 = Weed 2
Abbot W
Ackley F
Acton W
Adams C
Adams F
Adams W
Adsit (T) F
Allen W
Amsden (Amidon”) W
Andrews F
Angel (Angell, Engell) F
Archer F
Arnold #1 F W
Arnold #2 F
Arnst F
Astor H1
Atherton W
Ayres (Ayers) F W W2
Baker F W
Baldiwn C W
Ball F
Banks W
Bardwell W
Bartram W
Bates C
Batterson W
Baxter W
Bayard H1
Beale W
Beam F
Beardsley F
Bearse F
Bedient F W
Beekman F
Beers #2 F
Beers F W
Belden F W
Bell W W2
Benedict F W
Benedicts C
Benjamin W
Bennet W
Bethel F
Bettes C
Betts W
Bettys (Beatty) W
Biddick W
Birchard W
Bishop F
Bishop of Bridgeport F
Bishop of Stamford F
Bixby W
Blagge C
Blatchley F
Bontecoux – Ressguie (Ressiquie) F
Booth C
Bouton (Boughton W C F
Bradford C
Bradshaw #2 F
Bradshaw #1 F
Bridget F
Brinsmade F
Britt F
Britto F W
Bronson F
Brookins F
Brown F
Brush F W
Bryant W
Buckhout W
Buckingham C W
Bullard F
Bunnell W
Burchard F
Burlook W
Burr C
Burrit F
Burwell W
Bush F
Buskirk (Van?) W
Buttery F
Byington F
Byrd – Lawson F
Byrdseye C
Cahoon F
Camps C
Candee F
Canfield F W
Canon F W
Captain Chicken or Sam Mohawk W
Carman F
Carpenter W
Castle #1 F
Castle #2 F
Chandler F
Chaplin F
Chapman F W
Chard W
Chase W
Chichester W
Church F W
Clark W
Coe C
Cole F W
Coley F W
Collins W
Comstock C W
Cooper W
Copley W
Copp W
Couch F W
Crampton F
Crane W
Curley W
Curtis #2 F
Curtis #3 F
Curtis C F
Curtiss F
Cuyler H2
Dann #1 F
Dann #2 F
Darling F W
Darrow W
Davenport W
Davis F
Day F
De Forest C F W
De Peyster H1
Dean W
Delano H2
Denton F W
Dibble F W
Dickenson W
Dikeman (Dykeman, Dyckman) F W
Dimock F
Dimon F
Disbrow W
Doolittle W
Downs W
Drew F
Drinkwater W
Dudley W
Dunning W
Durgy F
Edmonson W
Edsall W2
Edwards #1 F
Edwards #2 F
Eells F W
Eglestone W
Elmer (Elmore, Aylmer) F W
Elwell F
Elwood F
English (Inglis) F
Everett W
Eversley W
Fairchild W
Fancher F W
Ferris #1 FW
Ferris #2 F
Ferris #3 F
Ferris #4 F
Ferry W
Fillow F W
Finch F W
Fisher W
Fitch #1 C F W
Fitch #2 F
Foster W
Fountain F W
Fowler F
Fox F W
French W
Frost F
Gallatin H2
Gardiner H1
Garnsey F
Gates F W
Gaylord W
Geer H2
Gilbert W
Gillette F
Glover F
Gold F
Gold C
Gray W
Green F W
Greenslate (Greenslit) W
Gregory #1 C F W
Gregory #2 F
Gregson C
Grey F W
Griffin (Griffith) W
Grumman W
Guyer (Guire) W
Haight F
Hamilton F
Hanford C
Hanford F W
Hawley (Joseph) C
Hawley (Thomas) C
Hawley W
Hawley, Sherman, Peck F
Hayden F
Hayes F
Haynes C
Hedrick D W
Heraldry by Lester Card #1 F
Heraldry by Lester Card 32 F
Hickok (Hickox) F W
Higgins F D W
Hitchcock F
Hodges F W
Hoffman F
Holmes W
Howes F
Hoyt C W
Hubbell W
Huggeford F
Hughstone (Huston) W
Hull W
Humphrey F
Hunt F
Hurlbutt F W
Husted W
Hutinac W
Hyatt F W
Hyde (Hide) D
Jackson W
James D F W
Jarvis of Norwalk F
Jarvis W
Jay H2
Jean W
Jelliffe (Jelliff) F W
Jenkins W
Jennings D
Jessup F W
Johnson #1 F
Johnson #2 F
Jones F W
Jordan F
Judoson C W
Jupp (Jump) F W
Kimberly W
King H1
Knapp W
Knight W
Lambert W
Lasher F
Lawrence F W
Leeds F
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