An Under-Utilized Resource: The Godfrey Memorial Library

The Godfrey Memorial Library is a private genealogy library in Connecticut, that has an online subscription website full of great databases and useful links. Memberships are quite reasonable, and if you want to "test drive" the website, you can get full access for free at any LDS Family History Center. The website can be just a bit confusing, but with a brief "tour", you can figure out the resources quite easily, and be navigating with ease in no time.

I'd like to start by stating that I'm not affiliated with the Godfrey in any way, other than I have been a member for a few years now, and appreciate and enjoy using their site.

When you first go to the site, at http://www.godfrey.org, you can look under the Search tab for a few options that are available for free to anyone, before you're even asked to sign in. For one thing, under "Search Free" there are three great history/biographies from Middlesex County, Connecticut that are searchable and PDF'd - books I haven't seen online anywhere else. Also under the "Search" tab, you can request that a Godfrey volunteer search the AGBI (American Genealogical Biographical Index) for the name of your ancestor ($6 per name), and they will also send you the copies of the pages from the books referenced.

The "Quick Search" isn't what you might think, but its another neat opportunity. For $10, a Godfrey volunteer will do a quick 30 minute search, and copy indexed Godfrey resources for your ancestor. Not a bad deal at all. Follow the instructions for filling out and submitting the forms for each type of search, which take 2-4 weeks. I haven't tried one myself, but thinking it may be a great use of $10.

And all that is before you even sign in! So, after you actually log onto the site, you get a cajillion little yellow folders full of information all neatly labeled and ready to choose from, topped with a yellow "Search" box at the top of the page. Now be aware, that I have it on the best authority that you're not going to get the best results by using that yellow search box at the top of the page. It will only search the resources whose "boxes" you have checked, and there are only a few of those even available to choose from. So if you do choose to perform a search that way, don't by any means think you have exhausted the website's possibilities!

The "PREMIUM DATABASES in all levels of memberships include:
- Several Newspaper databases : 19th Century Newspapers Database, Accessible Archives, The London Times, and Early American Newspapers Database
- Published Histories: American County Histories to 1900, for states including New York, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
- US Civil War Databases: American Civil War Research Database & Civil War Letters and Diaries Database
- Letters & Diaries: British & Irish Women's Letters & Diaries, "In the First Person" database, North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries & Oral Histories
- Biographical Resources: American National Biography Database, Marquis Who's Who on the Web database, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Database, Reference USA
- African American Resources: Black Thought & Culture Database, Oxford African American Studies Center Database
- Geographical Resources: Columbia Gazetteer Database
- Library Catalogs: OCLC WorldCat (the full version)
UNIQUE RESOURCES: The Godfrey hosts a collection of manuscript and published materials, largely primary sources, including vital, church, Bible and funeral home records and cemetery inscriptions from several locations, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island, Ireland and Italy, about which they claim "Most cannot be found anywhere else on the web."
The cemetery databases are really incredible. A lot of time is put into each cemetery, clearing and photographing stones, transcribing them, checking and re-checking to be sure the cemetery list of interments is complete, and the photos are the best possible, and more are being added all the time. Because I have ancestors in several of these cemeteries (and out of curiosity) I compared the number of interments to the same cemeteries listed at other online cemetery sites, and the Godfrey's cemetery recordings did have more listed. The man who does them for Godfrey is very thorough and diligent, thats for sure!
THE GODFREY COLLECTION - over 4,000 digitized books in the Godfrey Memorial Library collection.
LINKS TO FREE WEB SITES - Arranged in folders by state, country and/or topic, with new additions highlighted for three months in a monthly folder as well, these are, in my experience, some very useful links -- and not necessarily the usual stuff you find from other directories or link-lists.

The Blue Level Subscription, along with the premium databases, includes access to Newspaper Archives, with more than 3,200 titles from the US and Canada from the1700s to the 20th century. The Green level includes all the premium databases plus access to World Vital Records US Collection. And finally, the Gold Level Subscription includes everything - the Premium Databases, Newspaper Archives AND World Vital Records.

I've been a member of the Godfrey Memorial Library for several years now, and I have discovered some really great databases and websites through this service. I encourage you to go on over to your local Family History Center and spend some time perusing the Godfrey's resources, and if you like what you see, subscribe for yourself!


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