Massachusetts Genealogy

This page of our website provides links to Massachusetts genealogy databases and historical narratives about Massachusetts. These genealogical records may include, vital records (birth, marriage and divorce, death), ethnic records (Native American), court records (land, probate and wills, criminal and civil), church records (Bibles, baptisms, marriages, burials and histories), cemeteries, census records, military records directories and yearbooks.

Massachusetts Biographies

Massachusetts Cemetery Records

Massachusetts Census Records

  • Massachusetts Census Records
    • State Census
      State census records of Massachusetts were taken every ten years from 1855 to 1945, but only the original population schedules for the 1855 and 1865 census still exist.
      • 1855 Massachusetts State Census
        This project was indexed in partnership with the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). Name index and images of population schedules listing inhabitants of the State of Massachusetts in 1855.
      • 1865 Massachusetts State Census
        This project was indexed in partnership with the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS). Name index and images of population schedules listing inhabitants of the State of Massachusetts in 1865.
      • 1910 Massachusetts Census Map
    • The Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771
      This collection contains the names and descriptions of taxable property of nearly 38,000 individuals who resided in 152 Massachusetts towns in 1771. Data items include type and value (in pounds, shillings, and pence) of real estate, buildings, and other assets, as well as tabulation of livestock and farm commodities produced. Specific variables pertaining to value of real estate, buildings, and other assets include annual worth of whole real estate, tons of vessels, value of trading stock, value of factorage or commissions, value of money lent at interest, and types of buildings (e.g., tanhouses, stillhouses, warehouses, gristmills, superficial feet of wharf, ironworks). With respect to tabulation of livestock, variables provide information on number of horses, oxen, cows, goats, sheep, and swine. Data describing farm commodities cover acres of pasture, number of cows the pasture will keep, acres of tillage, bushels of grain produced per year, barrels of cider produced per year, acres of salt marsh, tons of salt marsh hay per year, acres of English and upland mowing land, tons of English and upland hay per year, acres of fresh meadow, and tons of fresh meadow hay per year. Other variables specify taxpayer name, title (e.g., widow, doctor, blacksmith), and status of taxpayer (e.g., decedent, landlord, free Negro).

Massachusetts Church Records

Massachusetts County History and Genealogies

Massachusetts Court Records

Essex County

Hampshire County

Hampshire County MA Inferior Court of Common Pleas Records, 1677-1837
These twenty-six folio volumes of records come from the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of Hampshire County MA which were held at Springfield and Northampton Massachusetts. These courts handled civil and minor criminal matter, and the majority of volumes appear to be unindexed. Regardless, these records will prove to genealogists with ties to Hampshire County Massachusetts. The physical copies of these volumes are held at the Amherst Library at the University of Massachusetts. They have made them freely available in PDF format for download.

Massachusetts Directories

Massachusetts Family Genealogy

Massachusetts Genealogy and History

Massachusetts Genealogy Websites

USGenWeb Project

Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester

American History and Genealogy Project

Massachusetts Land Records

  • Massachusetts Land Records website
    Massachusetts is divided into 21 registry districts with an elected Register of Deeds responsible for each office. Documents related to the ownership of real estate within the district are recorded at the Registry of Deeds. Recorded documents are assigned a sequential identifying number (known as the book and page number) and are then scanned into the registry’s computer system. The resulting images are available for viewing on and printing from public access terminals at the registry and at your home or office over the Internet. In addition, all registries microfilm all recorded documents and most continue to produce record books containing document images on paper. In most cases, original documents are returned to the land owner. To assist customers in finding relevant documents, registries create a searchable index that contains the names of all parties to a document and the property address.

Massachusetts Military Records

Massachusetts Native American Records

Massachusetts Newspapers

Massachusetts Town History, Genealogy and Records

Massachusetts Vital Records

Massachusetts Yearbooks and School History