Source Information

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Applications of Freemen, 1630-1691 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
Original data: Paige, Lucius R. List of Freemen of Massachusetts. Boston, MA, USA: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1849.

About Massachusetts, U.S., Applications of Freemen, 1630-1691

In early colonial America, requirements to vote and hold public office included owning land and being declared "free" from bondage. This database is a collection of records from Massachusetts for men who applied to be designated "free" by colonial courts. Entries often include the individual's name, residence, and original source of the information. Originally published in 1849 by the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, it contains the names of over 4800 men who applied for the designation between 1630 and 1691. For those seeking ancestors from colonial Massachusetts, this can be an enlightening collection of records.