Between 1620 and 1643 about twenty thousand English men, women, and children crossed the Atlantic to settle New England. For a century and a half genealogists have been studying these families, and thousands of books and articles have been published as a result. Until now no single reference work summarized all that is known about these early immigrants.

The Great Migration Study Project examines all that is in print on the settlers of this period, and carries out new research, both in England and New England, with the aim of publishing a uniform series of books briefly presenting genealogical and biographical data on these immigrants. Robert Charles Anderson's The Great Migration Begins, volumes 1-3 studies all recorded immigrants from 1620 to 1633, while the second series of The Great Migration studies all recorded immigrants in 1634-1635. Three volumes in the latter series, covering surnames from A-H, have been completed to date. As new discoveries are made, they will be presented in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, The Great Migration Newsletter, other leading journals, and in additional books.

The Great Migration Newsletter

The Great Migration Study Project publishes a quarterly, eight-page newsletter edited by Robert Charles Anderson, FASG. It contains information about the Great Migration itself, and also news of the activities of the project.

Regular features include:

• A lengthy article on one of the towns settled during the Great Migration, with discussions of land distribution, church organization, and surviving early records. Towns covered in earlier issues include Dedham, Hampton (NH), New Haven (CT), Providence (RI), Springfield, Southampton (NY), and Taunton.
• A bibliography of recently published articles and books about the Great Migration with an emphasis on articles in the leading genealogical journals.
• Shorter articles on newly discovered source material, whether in England or New England, or new interpretations of known source material. Past issues have included such items as techniques for getting more information from lists of freemen, and a discussion of reconstructing passenger lists.
  

If you have questions regarding the Great Migration Study Project or The Great Migration Newsletter, please contact us at greatmigration@nehgs.org.