Colonial Era

The colonial period — roughly 1607 to 1776 — presents particular genealogical challenges because many record types familiar to modern researchers did not yet exist, and survival rates for early records are uneven. Heritage Books carries titles specifically addressing colonial-era research, including land patent abstracts, colonial census substitutes, church registers, headright records, and compiled genealogies of colonial families. If your research extends back before the Revolution, this collection is essential.