Genealogy information and records concerning 
ancestors in the thirteen original American colonies.


 
 

On This Page

A Colonial event for each day of April taken from a book published in 1899.  These events are not in chronological order, but rather an event for each day of the year, like a "This Day is History".
   

  

 

 

 

  
This Day in Colonial Times - April

Source:  A Year Book of Colonial Times Compiled by the Rev. Frederick S. Sill, D.D. Member of the Society of Colonial Wars, E. P. Dutton & Company, New  York, 1899 

April  1 1765 - The Stamp Act was passed by the House of Lords
April  2 1774 - Gen Gage became the last Royal Governor of Massachusetts
April  3 1775 - The Colonial Assembly of New York held its last session.
April  4 1689 - News of the Invasion of the Prince of Orange was received at Boston.
April  5 1621 - The Pilgrims at Plymouth leveled the graves of their dead, and sowed corn seed the hide the number from the Indians.
April  6 1682 - La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi River.
April  7 1630 - Date of the Letter of the Boston Colonists on board the Arabella to their "brethren in and of the Church of England."
April  8 1638 - Gov. Kieft of New Amsterdam organized his first Council.
April  9 1682 - La Salle discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River.
April 10 1606 - The first Charter was granted to Virginia Colonists.
April 11 1713 - The Peace of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession
April 12  1695 - The votes of the New York Assembly were first printed.
April 13 1670 - Date of the Deed of Staten Island from the Indians to the Governor of New York.
April 14 1642 - New Hampshire was annexed to Massachusetts Colony as a part of the Province.
April 15 1638 - First Sunday spent at New Haven by the newly arrived Colonists.
April 16 1644 - Death of Elder Brewster of the Plymouth Colony.
April 17 1702 - The Proprietors of New Jersey surrendered their power of government to Queen Anne.
April 18 1637 - Massachusetts declared war against the Pequod Indians.
April 19 1672 - Representative government was instituted by South Carolina.
April 20 1676 - Rebellion in Virginia, under Nathaniel Bacon, against the Royal Government, in favour of self-government.
April 21 1676 - Fight at Sudbury, Mass., with the Indians.
April 22 1730 - A Public Library was founded in New York.
April 23 1662 - Royal Charter granted to the Patentees of Connecticut by Charles II.
April 24 1704 - First issue of the Boston News Letter, the first American newspaper.
April 25 1643 - Treaty made between the Dutch of New Amsterdam and the Indian Sachem Oratatrim.
April 26 1607 - Landing made by Virginia Colonists at Cape Henry.
April 27 1686 - Dongan Charter granted to New York City.
April 28 1607 - The Virginia Colonists discovered the mouth of the Delaware River.
April 29  1648 - An ordinance was passed by the Dutch Council for the observance of Sunday.
April 30 1758 - The "German Flats" in New York were attacked by the French and Indians.

 
Other Resources:
  
New England Early Genealogy Database
Search this 73,000+ name database of ancestors from the early New England period of 1600+/- to 1700+/- to see if your ancestors are included. The index of this database is free and will show the names included, however, a subscription is required for full access. 

Surname:

Search Revolutionary War Rolls   See images of the actual regimental rolls from the National Archives.  They are being put online through the joint project of National Archives and Footnote.com.

Search Revolutionary War Service Records Images   Images of the records from the National Archives.  Search the images to see if your ancestors' records have been added yet.  If they are not be sure to check back since this is an in-process project.  Footnote.com is in the process of working with the National Archives to put images of these records online to be searched.  

Search Revolutionary War Officers   Collection of Revolutionary Officers Information

Search Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-83   This database is a collection of records kept by the National Archives listing men who fought for the colonies during the war.  This database contains only those records available in the National Archives and may not include all persons involved in the American Revolutionary War.  Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR)Each volunteer soldier has one Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) for each regiment in which he served.

Search Colonial Families in the U.S.   This database covers the families of the early English colonies in America. Beginning with the first landing at Jamestown this series covers families up through the start of the American Revolutionary War and beyond into the Nineteenth Century. Many vital records are included, as well as locations of births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to containing family genealogies this database also contains armorial bearings, or coats of arms, for some of the more prominent families from England and Scotland. 

Old Colony Ancestors Online    Access this database of nearly 200,000 names with roots in Southeastern Massachusetts, complete with citations, containing information on over 57,000 marriages, with a total of more than 950,000 text records. Some families are followed for only 2-3 generations, but many are traced for up to 15 generations. Once a family moved beyond the Southeastern Massachusetts area, most reports stop. Some are followed as they migrated westward into the Berkshires and up into Vermont and upstate New York.

Revolutionary War Books and CD's
Check out all the resources available here.

 


© Copyright  Colonial Ancestors   2000 - 2007, All rights reserved                 Privacy Statement              Contact Us          Site Map

   
This free genealogy site may be linked to freely for personal and commercial purposes.   All free genealogy information on this site may be used freely for personal genealogy research.  The source, Colonial Ancestors should be cited in your work along with any other sources cited on our page for the information.  No information on this site can be used for any commercial purpose, other than linking, without written consent of Colonial Ancestors.  This site contains links to other sites, and Colonial Ancestors makes no warranty and has no responsibility for the content of those sites.