Hampshire County, Massachusetts

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'''Towns: ''' [[Amherst, Massachusetts|Amherst]] | [[Belchertown, Massachusetts|Belchertown]] | [[Chesterfield, Massachusetts|Chesterfield]] | [[Cummington, Massachusetts|Cummington]] | [[Goshen, Massachusetts|Goshen]] | [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]] | [[Hadley, Massachusetts|Hadley]] | [[Hatfield, Massachusetts|Hatfield]] | [[Huntington, Massachusetts|Huntington]] | [[Middlefield, Massachusetts|Middlefield]] | [[Pelham, Massachusetts|Pelham]] | [[Plainfield, Massachusetts|Plainfield]] | [[South Hadley, Massachusetts|South Hadley]] | [[Southampton, Massachusetts|Southampton]] | [[Ware, Massachusetts|Ware]] | [[Westhampton, Massachusetts|Westhampton]] | [[Williamsburg, Massachusetts|Williamsburg]] | [[Worthington, Massachusetts|Worthington]]  
 
'''Towns: ''' [[Amherst, Massachusetts|Amherst]] | [[Belchertown, Massachusetts|Belchertown]] | [[Chesterfield, Massachusetts|Chesterfield]] | [[Cummington, Massachusetts|Cummington]] | [[Goshen, Massachusetts|Goshen]] | [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]] | [[Hadley, Massachusetts|Hadley]] | [[Hatfield, Massachusetts|Hatfield]] | [[Huntington, Massachusetts|Huntington]] | [[Middlefield, Massachusetts|Middlefield]] | [[Pelham, Massachusetts|Pelham]] | [[Plainfield, Massachusetts|Plainfield]] | [[South Hadley, Massachusetts|South Hadley]] | [[Southampton, Massachusetts|Southampton]] | [[Ware, Massachusetts|Ware]] | [[Westhampton, Massachusetts|Westhampton]] | [[Williamsburg, Massachusetts|Williamsburg]] | [[Worthington, Massachusetts|Worthington]]  
  
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'''Extinct Towns: ''' [[Greenwich, Massachusetts|Greenwich]] | [[Prescott, Massachusetts|Prescott]]  
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'''Extinct Towns:&nbsp;''' [[Greenwich, Massachusetts|Greenwich]] | [[Prescott, Massachusetts|Prescott]]<ref>Michael J. Leclerc, ''Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research'', 5th ed. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), 225. {{WorldCat|779626228|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|1967587|item|disp=FHL Book 974 D27g 2012}}.</ref>
  
 
==== Neighboring Counties  ====
 
==== Neighboring Counties  ====

Revision as of 17:08, 22 March 2013

United States Gotoarrow.png Massachusetts Gotoarrow.png Hampshire County

MassachusettsHampshire CountyBerkshire CountyBerkshire CountyHampshire CountyFranklin CountyWorcester CountyMiddlefieldWorthingtonCummingtonPlainfieldGoshenChesterfieldHuntingtonWesthamptonSouthamptonEasthamptonNorthamptonWilliamsburgHatfieldHadleySouth HadleyGranbyAmherstPelhamBelchertownWareSavoyWindsorHinsdalePeruWashingtonBeckettOtisSandisfieldTollandBlandfordChesterGranvilleRussellMontgomeryWestfieldWest SpringfieldHolyokeChicopeeLudlowSpringfieldWilbrahamMonsonPalmerBrimfieldWarrenWest BrookfieldNew BraintreeHardwickBarrePetershamAtholNew SalemShutesburyWendellMontagueLeverettSunderlandWhatelyDeerfieldConwayShelburneBucklandAshfieldHawley
Modern town and city borders in Hampshire County, Massachusetts.



Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Map
Map of Massachusetts highlighting Hampshire County
Location in the state of Massachusetts
Map of the U.S. highlighting Massachusetts
Location of Massachusetts in the U.S.
Facts
Founded May 7, 1662
County Seat Northampton
Courthouse
Address Hampshire County Courthouse
33 King Street
Northampton, Ma 01060
Phone:  413-586-8500
Hampshire County Website

Contents

County Courthouse

Hand and keyboard.jpg Massachusetts
Online Records

City Clerks have birth, marriage, and death records, 
Probate Court has probate and divorce records,
District Court has court records, Register of Deeds
has land records from 1600's[1]

The legislature approved special charters to allow Hampshire and Hampshire counties to become regional councils of government.

History

Parent County

7 May 1662: Created from Massachusetts Bay Colony lands[2] from Middlesex County. As is common in large New England counties, the county had two county courthouses, Northampton in the north and Springfield in the south.[3]

Boundary Changes

  • Counties were set off: [2]
    • Worcester County 5 Apr 1731
    • Berkshire County 28 May 1760
    • Franklin County 24 June 1811
    • Hampden County 25 Feb 1812. Created from the southern part of Hampshire with Springfield as the county seat.[3]

Record Loss

Places / Localities

Cities:  Easthampton | Northampton

Towns:  Amherst | Belchertown | Chesterfield | Cummington | Goshen | Granby | Hadley | Hatfield | Huntington | Middlefield | Pelham | Plainfield | South Hadley | Southampton | Ware | Westhampton | Williamsburg | Worthington

Extinct Towns:  Greenwich | Prescott[4]

Neighboring Counties

Berkshire | Franklin | Hampden | Worcester

Resources

Cemeteries

Census

For tips on accessing Hampshire County, Massachusetts census records online, see: Massachusetts Census.

State Census

1855 Massachusetts State Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1855 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1855, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1865 Massachusetts State Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1865 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1865, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

Church

Court

Until population warranted it, criminal and civil court cases were included in the same court records. The first 24 volumes in Hampshire County include civil cases from the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and criminal court cases from the Court of General Sessions of the Peace:[5][6]

Volume # Vol. Letter Date Range FHL Film Item Notes
1
1677-1728
 886420 item 1
 Includes County Court and Quarter Sessions
2
 A
 1728-1735
 886420 item 2
3
 B
 1735-1740
 886421
4
 C
 1741-1745
 886421
 Includes executions, 1716-1765
5
 D
 1746-1757
 886422
6
 E
 1758-1762
 886422
 Includes a few marriages
7
 F
 1762-1764
 886423 item 4
 Includes a few marriages
8
 G
 1764-1766
 886424
9
 H
 1766-1770
 886424
10
1766-1771
 886425 item 1
 Cataloged only under General Sessions
11
 I
 1770-1773
 886425 item 2
12
 K
 1773-1780
 886426
13
 M
 1771-1781
 886426
14
May 1781-Jan 1790
 886427 item 1
 Cataloged only under General Sessions
15
 N
 1782-1783
 866427 item 2
16
 O
 1783-1784
 886428
17
 P
 1784-1785
 886428
18
 Q
 Aug 1785-Sep 1788
 886429
19
 R
 1790-1799
 886429
20
 A
 1715-1790, Feb 1789-Jan 1790
 886430 item 1
 Includes executions, 1715-1764
21
 S
 1791-1794
 886430 item 2
22
 T
 1794-1795
 886410
23
 U-V
 1796-1797
 886410
24
 W
 1797-1798
 886411 item 1

These volumes are completely indexed. After these 24 volumes, subsequent volumes were numbered restarting with 1. When part of Hampshire County became Hampden County in 1812, clerks copied applicable cases into the new county's records. For such cases, if you are unable to read one of the records, you may be able to read the copy in the other county.

Gazetteers

Land

Local Histories

Maps

Military

Newspapers

Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Fitchburg, MA newspapers (1868-1977), Pittsfield, MA newspapers (1858-1977), and North Adams, MA newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Hampshire County residents.

Probate

Taxation

Vital Records

Societies and Libraries

Web Sites

References

  1. ↑ &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;I&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Handybook for Genealogists&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;: United States of America&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/I&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002)Hampshire County, Massachusetts, p.330.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Linda E. Brinkerhoff, "New England Research: A Matter of Jurisdiction," Arlene H Eakle's Genealogy Blog (http://www.arleneeakle.com/wordpress/2009/11/19/new-england-research-new-strategies-that-work/ : accessed 30 November 2009), para. 3.
  4. ↑ Michael J. Leclerc, Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 5th ed. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), 225. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974 D27g 2012.
  5. ↑ Linda E. Brinkerhoff, "New England Research: A Matter of Jurisdiction," Arlene H Eakle's Genealogy Blog (http://www.arleneeakle.com/wordpress/2009/11/19/new-england-research-new-strategies-that-work/ : accessed 30 November 2009), para. 3-4; citing Grace Pittman.
  6. ↑ Family History Library Catalog, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 30 November 2009).
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