Start with these
- Massachusetts Archives
The official state archives: original state and county records, finding aids and research help.
- FamilySearch Wiki: Massachusettsfree
County-by-county guide to what records exist, the years they cover, and where they're held.
- Vital records office (CDC directory)
Where to order Massachusetts birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, with fees.
Key record dates
- Statewide birth & death registration
- 1841
- State-level marriage records
- 1841
Town records go back to the 1600s and many are published in the "Vital Records to 1850" series.
Births and deaths: the year Massachusetts began requiring them to be registered with the state. Compliance often took years, and earlier records may be in county, town or church records.
Marriages: the year marriages began to be recorded or indexed at the state level, or in a few states, the year a state law began requiring county marriage licenses. Either way, the original marriage records are usually kept by the county (or town) that issued the license, and most begin well before this date. Start your search there.
Dates are from Family Tree Magazine's vital records chart, with corrections. Laws, compliance and the years a particular office holds can differ, so confirm with the state vital records office. See Finding Ancestors Before Statewide Vital Records.
Massachusetts highlights
- American Ancestors (NEHGS)
New England Historic Genealogical Society, the nation's oldest genealogical society.
Newspapers
- Chronicling America: Massachusetts newspapersfree
Free digitized historic newspapers from the Library of Congress.
Land records
Massachusetts is a state-land state. The first land grants came from the colony or state, not the federal government, so start with the state archives or land office. Later sales are in county deed books.
New to land records? Read Land Records: The Paper Trail of Property.
Link directories
- Cyndi's List: Massachusettsfree
Categorized links for statewide and county resources.
- Linkpendium: Massachusettsfree
Links organized by county, including cemetery, church and family pages.
- USGenWeb Projectfree
Volunteer-run Massachusetts state and county sites with transcribed records.
Research tip
Most pre-1900 records were kept at the county level. Before searching, confirm which county your ancestor's home was in at the time; boundaries changed often. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows every change.