Genealogy in Bennington County, Vermont

Town of Sunderland


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Sunderland lies in the east central part of Bennington County and is roughly bounded by Sandgate on the northwest, Manchester on the north, Winhall on the northeast, Stratton on the east, Somerset on the southeast (the preceding two towns in Windham County), Glastenbury on the south, Shaftsbury on the southwest, and Arlington on the west. Sunderland was chartered July 30, 1761, settled in 1766, and organized in 1769. The town of Sunderland includes the locales of Kansas, East Kansas, Sunderland, and Sunderland Station.

In 1853, Zadock Thompson described the town of Sunderland as follows:
SUNDERLAND, a post town in the eastern part of Bennington county, is in lat. 43° 4', and long. 3° 59', and is bounded north by Manchester, east by Stratton, south by Glastenbury, and west by Arlington. It lies 15 miles northeast from Bennington, 87 southwesterly from Montpelier, and was chartered July 30, 1761, containing 23,040 acres. The settlement of the township was commenced in 1766, by Messrs. Brownson, Bradley, Warrens, Evarts, Chipman and Webb, emigrants from Connecticut. The town was organized in 1769, and Gen. Gideon Brownson was first town clerk. Joseph Bradley, Esq. was representative to the first Legislature, and Col. Timothy Brownson was one of the first councillors. The religious denominations are, Congregationalists, and Methodists. The Rev. Chauncey Lee was the first settled minister. He was settled over the Congregational church in 1786, and dismissed in 1795. They have a meeting-house situated in the northwest part of the township. The Battenkill river passes through the northwestern part in a southwesterly direction. On this stream are some fine alluvial flats, which are overflown every spring. Roaring branch originates in several large ponds in the eastern part of the town, and running westerly, unites with the Battenkill in Arlington. On this steam are several excellent situations for mills and other machinery. The soil consists of alluvion, loam and marl. Near the foot of the Green Mountains the sulphate of iron is found in considerable quantities. On the side of the mountain a vein of lead ore has been discovered in granular limestone. Specimens of the ore have been analyzed, which yielded 60 or 70 per cent. of pure lead, and two or three per cent. of silver. The town contains 5 school districts, with a school house in each, 1 grist and 6 saw mills, 1 store, 1 tavern, 1 tannery and 1 woollen factory. Statistics of 1840.--Horses, 79; cattle, 467; sheep, 1,475; swine, 198; wheat, bus. 125; oats, 3,506; rye, 952; b. wheat, 545; In. corn, 1,861; potatoes, 7,804; hay, tons, 1,232; sugar, lbs. 5,577; wool, 4,349. Population, 437.
(Source: Thompson, Zadock, 1796-1856. History of Vermont : natural, civil, and statistical ... / by Zadock Thompson. -- Burlington : Z. Thompson, 1853. -- pt. 3, p. 168-169)

Genealogical Resources

The following resources may provide information useful in researching Sunderland families.

General Information

The following resources may provide useful information on the Sunderland town area.

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