Nantucket County, Massachusetts Genealogy
This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Nantucket. You will find help with town histories, vital records, deeds and land records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.
- Massachusetts Genealogy Guide - Guide to Massachusetts State-wide Records
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the island, perhaps meaning "faraway land or island" or "sandy, sterile soil tempting no one. It is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
Nantucket County, Massachusetts Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1600s | 1600s | 1600s | 1721 | 1695 | 1706 | 1779 |
Brief History[edit | edit source]
The settlers on Nantucket are generally an insular group. Many surnames are uniquely identified to this island. As an island, its inhabitants moved about the coastline freely. The island is home to a large Quaker community. Its earliest history is tied to Martha's Vineyard, so research there would be important if you run into problems
Historical Data[edit | edit source]
The basic data are from the historical county boundary series[3] with additions from various sources.
| Dates | Events |
|---|---|
| in 1674 | The region was included in a grant to the Duke of York. |
| 1 Nov. 1683 | Made part of Dukes County when established by the Colony of New York that included the islands of Elizabeth, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. [N.Y. Col. Laws, Ch. 4, Sect. 1, p. 122] |
| 7 Oct. 1691 | Became part of the rechartered Massachusetts Bay Colony Genealogy without being established as a county. |
| 22 June 1695 | Nantucket County created from Nantucket Island. [Mass. Col. Acts, Vol. 1, Ch. 7 [1695/6], p. 216] |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Islands | ||
County Histories[edit | edit source]
Works written on the county include:
- Allen Coffin, "The Courts of Nantucket - the law and lawyers from an early period" in Proceedings of the Nantucket Historical Association, 1907: 30-42.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
Digital versions at Google Books and Hathi Trust. - Marie M. Coffin, The History of Nantucket Island: a bibliography of source material with index and inventory (Nantucket, 1970), viii, 63 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.497 A3c. - Craig Cornish, "The Cession and Annexation of Nantucket" in Green Bay, 11 [1899]: 125-130.
Not in WorldCat; Not in FHL.
No digital version found. - Burnham N. Dell, "Quakerism on Nantucket" in Historic Nantucket, 2 [Jan. 1955]: 8-30.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. - Myron Samuel Dudley, Churches and Pastors of Nantucket, Mass., from the first settlement to the present time, 1659-1902 (Boston, 1902), 21 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
Note: Also published as "Two Centuries of Churches and Pastors in Nantucket, Mass." in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 56 [1902]: 17-26.
Digital versions at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust, and Ancestry ($). - Gerald S. Graham, "The Migrations of the Nantucket Whale Fishery: An episode in British Colonial Policy" in the New England Quarterly, 8 [1935]: 179-202.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
Digital version at Jstor (free online). - Lydia Swain Mitchell Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket, their associates and descendants (1896; Philadelphia, 4th ed., 1934), 330 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries) (2nd enl. ed., 1901); FHL book 974.497 D2hi and film 908764 Item 1 (with digital link) (2nd enl. ed., 1901) [see other editions].
Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($), and Ancestry ($) (2nd enl. ed., 1901). - Clarence King, "What Became of the First Book of Nantucket Town Records, hidden in 1677" in Historic Nantucket, 11 [Oct. 1963]: 24-27.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. - Obed Macy, The History of Nantucket, being a compendious account of the first settlement of the island by the English, together with the rise and progress of the whale fishery ... (1835; Mansfield, Mass., 2nd ed., 1880), xiv, 313 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL digital book and fiche 6104368.
Digital versions at Internet Archive (1880 ed.) and Hathi Trust. - William Francis Macy, "Migrations of Nantucketers to the South and West" in Proceedings of the Nantucket Historical Association, 1933: 24-27.
[WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. - Alexander Starbuck, The History of Nantucket, county, island and town, including genealogies of first settlers (Boston, 1924; rep. many times), 871 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1969 ed.); FHL book 974.497 H2s and fiche 6046898 (with digital link).
Note: The genealogies section was reprinted separately as Nantucket Genealogies (Baltimore, 2001):
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.497 D2s.
Digital version at Ancestry ($). - George Rogers Taylor, "Currents of Migration on Nantucket, 1760-1780" in Historic Nantucket, 22 [July 1974]: 14-20.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. - The Nantucket County MA GenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project has no section for Nantucket County.
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Nantucket County.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out long before 1800. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.
Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.
It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide page.
See also How to order Massachusetts Vital Records or order electronically online.
Online Vital Records
- 1626-2001 - Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1841-1920 - Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1666-1970 - Massachusetts, Delayed and Corrected Vital Records, 1753-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1800-1855 Rhode Island and Pawtucket, Massachusetts Birth Index, 1800-1855 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
- 1840-1910 Massachusetts, Birth Index, 1840-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1600-1961 - Massachusetts, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1841-1915 - Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1840-1910 Massachusetts Death Index at MyHeritge - index only ($)
Cemetery[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| USGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| Tombstone Project | FamilySearch Places | |
| MAInterment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Massachusetts Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 4,555 | — |
| 1800 | 5,617 | 23.3% |
| 1810 | 6,807 | 21.2% |
| 1820 | 7,266 | 6.7% |
| 1830 | 7,202 | −0.9% |
| 1840 | 9,012 | 25.1% |
| 1850 | 8,452 | −6.2% |
| 1860 | 6,094 | −27.9% |
| 1870 | 4,123 | −32.3% |
| 1880 | 3,727 | −9.6% |
| 1890 | 3,268 | −12.3% |
| 1900 | 3,006 | −8.0% |
| 1910 | 2,962 | −1.5% |
| 1920 | 2,797 | −5.6% |
| 1930 | 3,678 | 31.5% |
| 1940 | 3,401 | −7.5% |
| 1950 | 3,484 | 2.4% |
| 1960 | 3,559 | 2.2% |
| 1970 | 3,774 | 6.0% |
| 1980 | 5,087 | 34.8% |
| 1990 | 6,012 | 18.2% |
| 2000 | 9,520 | 58.3% |
| 2010 | 10,172 | 6.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1850 - Annotated 1850 Census of Nantucket, Massachusetts (Genealogial Forum of Oregon)
- 1865 - Massachusetts State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1837 - 1965 - Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Land Records[edit | edit source]
Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level.
Nantucket County Registry of Deeds
16 Broad Street
Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-7250
Email: jen.ferreira@sec.state.ma.us
Records are available at the Registry. Their records ONLINE are:
- Recorded Land [i.e. deeds], 1967-current.
- Recorded Plans, 1974-current.
- Registered Land [i.e. land court], 1958-current.
- Registered Land Plans, 1899-current.
- Deeds, 1659-1866; indexes to deeds, 1657-1875 (36 films), at FHL; also browsable, digital records of expanded collection at FamilySearch: Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986
- Proprietors' records (1716-1843) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, at FHL; also browsable, digital records of expanded collection at FamilySearch: Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
- 1635 – 1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, $
Other Court Records[edit | edit source]
The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see Understanding the Massachusetts Court System.
Older records are held by:
Supreme Judicial Court Archives
(administration - records stored in several off-site facilities and the Mass. Archives)
16th Floor, Highrise Court House
3 Pemberton Square
Boston MA 02109
Phone 617-557-1082
Email Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us
County Court[edit | edit source]
This court was active from 1636 (called a quarterly court and then the county court when Suffolk was created in 1643) to 1692. The court heard all civil causes up to 10 shillings (raised to 40 shillings in 1647) and all criminal causes not concerning life, limb, or banishment. These were all jury trials. Some records can be found in the [Suffolk_County,_Massachusetts#Suffolk_Files|Suffolk Files].
The records microfilmed:
At the Massachusetts Archives:
Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace[edit | edit source]
This court was active from 1692 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials.
The records microfilmed:
Inferior Court of Common Pleas[edit | edit source]
This court was active from 1692 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace.
The records microfilmed:
Superior Court[edit | edit source]
The Quarterly Court of General Sessions was merged into the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1827, and that court was reorganized in 1859 to created the Superior Court as the new lower (i.e. trial) court. It covers both criminal and civil matters.
Supreme Judicial Court[edit | edit source]
The Supreme Judicial Court was established by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 that combined the former Governor and Council with the Superior Court of Judicature creating the highest state court. This court hears appeals, writ of error, capital offenses, and crimes against the public good. That included divorces until that action was moved to the lower court in 1887.
Naturalization Records[edit | edit source]
- 1871-1991 - Massachusetts, United States Naturalization Records, 1871-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1906-1917 - Massachusetts, Naturalization Records, 1906-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records for all levels are outlines below. For more information, see the Massachusetts state page for more on naturalization.
| Record | Dates | Location | Index | Microfilm/Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas Supreme Judicial Ct. |
1804-1903 | National Archives - Waltham | Part of Card Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, NARA M1299, FHL film 1429671 (1st of 117) | FHL Digital Capture 7173072-7173083; Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906 |
| Record | Dates | Location | Index | Microfilm/Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | 1803-1974 | Judicial Archives | Card index | Records, 1908-1945, at Mass. Arch. RR; Declarations, 1908-1945, Petitions, 1910-1945, and Citizenship granted, 1930-1945, FHL films 2132425-2132426 |
Maps[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Massachusetts county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Massachusetts County Boundary Maps" (1643-1947) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1775 - 1783 - Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1805 - 1845 - Massachusetts Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1805-1845 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Nantucket County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies[edit | edit source]
- Nantucket Historical Association
15 Broad Street
P.O. Box 1016
Nantucket, MA 02554
508-228-1894
Website
For information on additional archives and repositories, see
- List of Massachusetts Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
- Massachusetts Archives for information on additional archives and repositories
- List of Massachusetts Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts Family History Center
- North Dartmouth Massachusetts Family History Center
- Dennis Public Library - Cape Cod Gen Society Library - an affiliate library
- Eldredge Public Library - an affiliate library
- Nantucket Historical Association Research Library - an affiliate library
Nantucket County Massachusetts Websites[edit | edit source]
- Nantucket County, MA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Massachusetts Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
Nantucket County Massachusetts Genealogy References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Nantucket, County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nantucket
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Nantucket County, Massachusetts . Page 329-331 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 322-323.
- ↑ Massachusetts Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Nantucket," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nantucket, accessed 9 March 2020.
Massachusetts: Barnstable | Dukes
New York: Suffolk County
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