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Introducing HeritageQuest Online

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by Lisa Curtin
June 20, 2024

HeritageQuest Online has replaced Ancestry Library as the Bentley Library's primary genealogical research tool. Seasoned users of Ancestry Library will notice that HeritageQuest has a familiar look and feel, as the database is powered by Ancestry! HeritageQuest Online provides access to more than 4 billion records from 60 countries, with coverage back to the 1700s. HeritageQuest can be accessed by Bentley students, staff and faculty via the library's Databases A-Z page.  

Here’s what you can expect to find in HeritageQuest Online:

  • Census collection: over 700 million records from the U.S. Federal Census 1790-1950, and national censuses from several other countries.
  • Books collection: family and local histories, compiled genealogies, documentary collections, church records, military records, vital records, city and county histories, and more.
  • City Directories: more than 1.5 million records from various US city and county directories during 1821-1989.
  • Military Records: including the US Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files 1800-1900, US Records of Confederate Prisoners of War 1861-1865, and US Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications 1887-1942.
  • Wills and Probate Records: more than 170 million pages from the largest collection of wills and probate records in the United States, with searchable records included from all 50 states (1668-2005).
  • Freedman’s Bank: contains an index and original images of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company's registers of Signatures of Depositors 1865-1871.
  • Maps & Photos: includes US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps 1860-1910, US Enumeration District Maps and Descriptions 1940, US Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats 1785-1898, and Library of Congress Photo Collection 1840-2000.

HeritageQuest is a great first stop for your genealogical research journey, and the database provides several research aids to help you get started. We also recommend exploring the library's Genealogical Research Guide for additional online resources and research guidance.

Please contact the Reference Desk if you have any questions or need assistance.