For availability of books, pamphlets and other authored documents shown on this site, contact The Gilmanton Historical Society, or check Ebay or Amazon.
Gilmanton Historic Events Time Line - Gilmanton Historical Society
Original Grant and Layout, 1772 State of NH, Township Grants Included in the Masonian Patent, Vol 27
Gilmanton Charter-1727
Gilmanton Topographical, Historical, and Biographical Hill and Moore 1822
Gilmanton Historical and Miscellaneous Collections Farmer and Moore1823
Gilmanton New Hampshire As It is-In Three Parts-1855
Old Gilmanton Matters The Granite Monthly 1909
Gilmanton-The Name New Hampshire Town Names and Whence They Came, Elmer Munson Hunt 1970
Gilmanton Grant-The Name New Hampshire Town Names and Whence They Came, Elmer Munson Hunt 1970
The History of Gilmanton, Daniel Lancaster, 1845
- Index to the History of Gilmanton, This is a supplement to the index printed in the History, and contains many more cites. It does appear, though that there are names missed in the production of this copy for us as well as a missing page between Sarah Weed and Samuel Wentworth.
- Notes and excerpts from Lancaster's History of Gilmanton - Cynthia Louise Pennock Brown, Misses Zella and Hazel Parsons
Badger’s “History of Gilmanton” 5/6/1967, Citizen
Granted May 20, 1727, to Nicholas Gilman and others. The grant was confirmed by the Masonian Proprietors, June 30, 1752. Governor's Island was annexed Dec. 30, 1799- Gilford was set off and incorporated June 16, 1812. A tract of land was severed and annexed to Gilford July 5, 1851. Belmont was set off and incorporated as Upper Gilmanton, June 28, 1859. See Masonian Papers in following volumes; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 302, 456, XII, Hammond Town Papers, 1; Index to Laws, 207; papers under title Kingswood; History, by Daniel Lancaster, 1845, PP- 304 '1 sketch by S. S. N. Greeley, Hurd's History of Belknap County, 1885, p. 785; Glimpses of the History of Old Gilmanton, by J. E. Fullerton, 3, Granite Monthly, 304; Sketch of History, Geology, etc., by William Prescott, 1, Farmer and Moore's Historical Collections, 72; Stewart's History of the Free Baptists, 1862, pp. 162, 302; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, p. 8; The Badger Homestead, by F. M. Colby, 6 Granite Monthly, 76; Bills of Mortality, 1825-50, by Daniel Lancaster, 6, Collections of N. H. Historical Society, 244; Biographical Notices of Physicians in, by Daniel Lancaster, 1, N. H. Repository, 65; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, pp. 490, 494, 496.] State of NH, Town Charters, With Maps, Plans, and Indexes, Volume 25
Gilmanton was granted in 1727 by Governor John Wentworth. It was settled in 1761 by Benjamin Mudgett. It was set off from Rockingham county in 1771 and became a part of Strafford county. "Governor's Island" was annexed in 1799. "Gunstock Parish" was set off and incorporated as Gilford in 1812. Gilmanton ranked as the second town in the state in 1827, Londonderry being first. Gilmanton was embraced in the new county of Belknap in 1840. In 1851 part of the town was annexed to Gilford. In 1859 part of the town was set off and incorporated as "Upper Gilmanton," which later became Belmont. First congressional, second councilor and sixth senatorial districts. Population, 968. Gilmanton and Atkinson Academy Grant was made by the legislature to Gilmanton academy and Atkinson academy in equal shares in 1809 and contained about 13,000 acres. 1917 Manual for the NH General Court
Previous to 1859 the section comprising the present Town of Belmont was a part of the Town of Gilmanton. In 1761 the proprietors of Gilmanton laid off a tract, six miles square, on the Barnstead line. This section was thereafter known as the Lower Parish. The rest of the Town was divided into two parts-Gunstock Parish on the northeast and Upper Gilmanton, or, as it was called later, the Upper Parish, on the southwest. In June 1812, Gunstock Parish was severed from Gilmanton and incorporated as a town under the name of Gilford. Previous to this time the term Upper Parish appears to have been applied to the whole section of the town lying north of the Lower Parish; subsequently, it was employed to describe what is now the Town of Belmont. Several of Gilmanton's early documents are held in the Belmont Town Clerk's Office. Annual reports for the Town of Belmont can be accessed from the UNH website.
Until 1840, Gilmanton was located in Strafford County. In 1840 Belknap County was formed from portions of both Strafford and Merrimack Counties. Prior to that date, you may need to access Strafford County records.
At the time that Belmont was created, the early records of the Town, up until 1859, were left in the care of Belmont and remain in the vault at the Town Clerk's office in the Town of Belmont today.
In 1913, the Legislature passed a law that all Towns would submit their record books thru 1825 to the State. Those records were copied. The copies are on file with the NH State Library. However, they are not available for use or viewing because the wood-based paper used for the copies was much more fragile than the linen-based paper of the originals. If the Town did not wish their books returned, they were transferred to the NH Historical Society building until 1981 when the State Archive became available, and then they were transferred there where they currently reside. Belmont evidently requested their books be returned; thus the labels you find today affixed inside those books. Be advised when reviewing any of these historic records. To copy the records, the State dismantled those very fragile records. Errors were made when copying and reassembling them. There may be pages that are dated before or after what's stated in the book title and there may be missing/extra pages. It can be quite a search! Therefore, the book titles listed below also indicate the earliest and latest dates found in the books as well as the book title.
But that means that the only available early Gilmanton record is thru the originals held by Belmont; making it even more imperative that all of them be restored. Both Gilmanton and Belmont began an effort to restore early Town records in their care. At that time, some of the Gilmanton records stored in Belmont were copied (below), however additional Gilmanton records (listed below) can still be accessed in Belmont. In 2008 there were discussions between the Towns that the records up until 1859 might be transferred to Gilmanton, however that has not been settled. Part of the discussion revolved around the cost to Belmont for the restoration of some of 8 books to date ($7,451).
Gilmanton Records to be found in the Belmont Town Hall
Copies available here:
1786-1795-A Town Meetings & Other (1772-1806)
1786-1795-B Town Meetings & Other (1772-1806)
1729-1772 Book 1 Town Records
1787 Book 2 Town Records (1770-1793)
1792-1816 Book 3 Town Records
1813-1829 Book 4-Part 1 Town Records
1813-1829 Book 4-Part 2 Town Records
1826-1842 Book 5-Part 1 Town Records
1826-1842 Book 5-Part 2 Town Records
1828-1857 Book 6 TownRecords
1770-1796 Book 7 Town Records
Gilmanton Historical Society (webpage and Facebook)
Contact GHS for updates and additional information
Gilmanton Historic Events Time Line
Family Names Files
Museum Accession
Vital Statistics Index Including School Teachers 1859-1960
The Dear Old Lake, Memories of Crystal Lake and the Village of Gilmanton Iron Works - Elizabeth Widger Arms 2006
Notes and Excerpts from Lancaster's History of Gilmanton Setting down briefly and chronologically the chief events and incidents of interest in the early settling of the town, 23 pages
The Tavern 1970 - Collins, John J, Author - Includes the History and Description with floorplan of this 1793 Tavern House and Store, 20 pages
Gilmanton Summers - Cumming, Jane Scriven, Author, 1993 - 07/21/1993, 09/27/1993, - Memories of a New Hampshire Village in the Early 1900s
The Fire Between the Fires A brief history of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, Academy - Ehrensperger, Harold, Author - 1973 - a history of the life and devasting fires of the Gilmanton Academy, 17 pages
Back Porch Tales - Frost, Karl M. and Ellingson, Evelyn M., Authors 1974 - Unique Collection, Old photos, Cartoons, True Stories of Real People; an unusual book aimed basically at the funny side of history, 76 pages
The Centre Congregational Church 1826-1976 - Griffin, Harold & Doris, Authors 1976 - a history upon the 150th anniversary of The Corner Church, 24 pages
Driving Backwards - Lander, Jessica (with David Bickford), Author 2014 - A poignant exploration of the vividness of the everyday, blending three hundred years of colorful history
A Brief History of Smith Meeting House - Maher, Edward, Author 1969 - A history of the need for and establishment of the first meeting house, 22 pages
Gilmanton My Home Town Memoirs of Louise Place Shurbert - Shurbert, Louise Place, Author 2005 - A collection of personal memories of the activities behind the real history recorded during her lifetime 1913-1993, 51 pages
Gilmanton History Books for sale on Amazon
American Indian Presence in Gilmanton - Excerpts from The History of Gilmanton 1845
Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective
Story Map of NH Indigenous life
Historic Indian Trails of New Hampshire, Chester B. Price, 1958
Trails in Gilmanton - Suncook Trail and Quannippe Trail
See other pages on this site for additional research materials
Barnstead History from its first settlement 1727 to 1872
Barnstead Reunion 1882
Belknap County Registry of Deeds, AVA Records Search Directions
Belknap and Merrimack Counties History 1885
Belmont History Allan Hackett
Belmont's History of Charter and Creation
Cemeteries Around Lake Winnipesaukee, Glenn A. Knoblock An Images of America Publication Chapter Ten-The Gilmantons
Civil War New Hampshire Unit Regimental Index
Civil War New Hampshire in the Civil War
Doctors, Early 1778-1790
Epsom Vitals Index 1888-1930
Epsom Vitals 1888-1930
Gilford History Rev J.P. Watson
Gilford Story Hector Bolduc
Gilmanton to New Ipswich Documents relating to Towns in New Hampshire Volume XII, Isaac W. Hammond, 1883
Illnesses of the Past Belmont NH Heritage
Jobs of the Past Belmont NH Heritage
Lakeport Historical Sketches 1915
Leading Citizens of Belknap County 1897
Mail Delivery 1863
Memorial Encyclopedia of New Hampshire 1919
Men of Progress In and Of New Hampshire, Biographical Sketches and Portraits 1898
Meredith Grants, Bicentennial 1968
Military History of the State of NH from its Settlement in 1623 to the Rebellion in 1861
New Hampshire Agriculture, Personal and Farm Sketches, 1897
New Hampshire Agricultural Society Exhibition 1852
New Hampshire Annual Registers
New Hampshire As It Is-In Three Parts - 1855
New Hampshire Gazetteer of the State - 1817
New Hampshire Genealogical Record
New Hampshire History from discovery to 1830
New Hampshire History 1916 Vol 3 Vol 4
New Hampshire In History - 1922
New Hampshire's Idle Farm Land W.K. Burkett, September 1953
New Hampshire One Thousand Notables; Biographical Sketches 1919
New Hampshire Report of the Adjutant General of the State 1868
New Hampshire Repository Vol. 1
New Hampshire State Manuals for the General Court
New Hampshire Successful Men 1882
Pastors of New Hampshire, A Chronological Table 1878
Pauper Auctions: The "New England Method" of Public Poor Relief Klebaner Reprint 1955
Probate Records and Provincial Papers
Quimby, Moses Diary - 1821-1885 - Free Will Baptist Minister in Southern New Hampshire and Maine
Registry of Deeds and Probate Items for certain properties 1762-1988
Revolutionay War Rolls and Documents relating to New Hampshire Soldiers
Revolutionary War State of NH, Miscellaneous Documents (Association Test, Pension Rolls, etc.) 1910
Sanbornton, NH History 1882 Vol 1 Vol 2
Sons of New Hampshire Second Festival 1854
The Granite Monthly
The Third New Hampshire, And All About It 1861-1865
Town Register 1908
Who's Who in New England 1909