Norfolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States

New England

Massachusetts

Norfolk County

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Norfolk. 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.

Not to be confused with the previous Norfolk (old) County, Massachusetts Genealogy created an original county in 1643 and discontinued in 1680.

• Massachusetts Genealogy Guide - Guide to Massachusetts State-wide Records

County Information

Description

The county was named for the English county of the same name. It is located in the central area of the state.

Norfolk County, Massachusetts Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
at town creation	at town creation	at town creation	1928	1793	1793	1779
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1841. General compliance year unknown.

Brief History

Norfolk County is home to some of the earliest settlements in Massachusetts Bay Colony Genealogy though it is a relatively recent creation (1793). To learn about the earlier records for this area, see Suffolk County. The northeast portion of the county is the mostly heavily populated. The border towns were so intertwined with Boston, that they were annexed to the city in the late 1800s. Always remember the former towns which are listed in the Towns and Cities section below. It is a county of diversity. It is one of the wealthiest counties and has both rural and urban areas. Weymouth is a noted shipyard. Through politics, Norfolk is separated into three pieces. Hingham and Hull fought to stay part of Suffolk County when Norfolk was formed. Ultimately, Suffolk County succeded them to Plymouth County and thus creating the first break. Boston annexing the northern border towns caused the last break as Brookline refused to be annexed and now is surrounded by the city on 75% of its border.

Historical Data

The basic data are from the historical county boundary series with additions from various sources.

Dates	Events
20 June 1793	Suffolk County set off its southern two-thirds to create Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts, 1793, ch. 43, sec. 1, p. 272; ch. 9, sec. 1, p. 314]
22 June 1797	Needham exchanged with Natick, Middlesex Co. [Mass. Acts, 1797, ch. 22, sec. 1, p. 142]
8 Feb. 1798	Loss when a part of Stoughton annexed to Bridgewater, Plymouth Co. [Mass. Acts, 1798, ch. 10, sec. 1, p. 164]
6 Mar. 1804	The northern part of Dorchester called "Dorchester Neck" annexed to Boston and now called the neighborhood of "South Boston." [Mass. Acts, 1804, ch. 45, sec. 1, p. 412]
14 June 1823	Cohasset gained from Scituate, Plymouth Co. [Mass. Acts, 1823, ch. 28, p. 237]
22 Feb. 1825	Border adjusted between Brookline and Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1825, ch. 90, p. 73]
3 Mar. 1829	Medway exchanged with Holliston, Middlesex Co. [Mass. Acts, 1829, ch. 125, p. 200; ch. 133, p. 209]
18 Feb. 1830	Border between Wrentham and Attleborough, Bristol Co. - no change. [Mass. Acts, 1830, ch. 48, p. 319]
25 Mar. 1834	Loss when Dorchester's Thompson Island annexed to Boston, Suffolk co.. [Mass. Acts, 1834, ch. 102, p. 129]
16 Mar. 1836 19 Apr. 1837	Border between Roxbury and Boston redefined then adjusted. [Mass. Acts, 1836, ch. 37, p. 681; 1837, ch. 202, sec. 1, p. 222]
23 Apr. 1838	Gained when Roxbury annexed part of Newton, Middlesex Co.. [Mass. Acts, 1838, ch. 167, sec. 1, p. 481]
20 Mar. 1840	Loss when a part of Cohasset annexed to Scituate, Plymouth Co. [Mass. Acts, 1840, ch. 58, sec. 1, p. 206]
31 Mar. 1847	Border between Weymouth and Abington, Plymouth Co., clarified - no change. [Mass. Acts, 1847, ch. 138, p. 391]
3 May 1850	Border between Roxbury and Boston, Suffolk Co., through the water adjusted. [Mass. Acts, 1850, ch. 281, sec. 1, p. 460]
21 May 1855	Loss when a part of Dorchester annexed to Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1855, ch. 468, sec. 1, p. 907]
3 Apr. 1860	Slight change when border between Roxbury and Boston, Suffolk Co., moved from centerlines of streets to the side. [Mass. Acts, 1860, ch. 172, sec. 1, p. 138]
21 Mar. 1861	Border between Randolph and Abington, Plymouth Co., clarified - no change. [Mass. Acts, 1861, ch. 86, p. 390]
6 Jan. 1868	City of Roxbury annexed to Boston per act of 1 June 1867 [Mass. Acts, 1867, ch. 359, sec. 1, p. 754].
3 Jan. 1870	Loss when Dorchester annexed by Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1869, ch. 349, sec. 1, p. 646]
2 Apr. 1870	Slight change when border between West Roxbury and Boston, Suffolk Co., shifts from one side of the street to the other. [Mass. Acts, 1870, ch. 146, sec. 1, p. 21, 95]
18 June 1870	Loss when part of Brookline annexed by Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1870, ch. 374, sec. 1, p. 290]
7 Mar. 1872	Bellingham exchanged with Mendon, Worcester Co. [Mass. Acts, 1872, ch. 69, sec. 1, p. 57]
12 Apr. 1872	Loss when Mt. Hope Cemetery in West Roxbury annexed to Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1872, ch. 197, sec. 1, p. 143]
27 Apr. 1872	Brookline exchanged with Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1872, ch. 267, sec. 1, p. 210]
5 Jan. 1874	West Roxbury annexed to Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1873, c.314, sec. 1, p. 810]
8 May 1874	Loss when part of West Roxbury annexed to Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1874, ch. 220, sec. 1, p. 143]
27 May 1890 13 Apr. 1894	Border adjusted between Brookline and Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1890, ch. 339, sec. 1, p. 299; 1894, ch. 242, sec. 1, p. 219]
30 Apr. 1897	Border adjusted between Cohasset and Hingham, Plymouth Co. [Mass. Acts, 1897, ch. 330, sec. 1, p. 318]
1 Apr. 1898	Border adjusted between Hyde Park and Boston, Suffolk Co. [Mass. Acts, 1898, ch. 251, sec. 1, p. 185]
28 Mar. 1907	Border between Brookline and Newton, Middlesex Co., redefined - no change. [Mass. Acts, 1907, ch. 249, sec. 1, p. 194]
1 Jan. 1912	Hyde Park annexed to Boston by act of 24 May 1911 [Mass. Acts 1911, c.469, sec. 1, p. 450 and c. 583, sec. 1, p. 600].
23 Mar. 1928	Border between Cohasset and Hingham, Suffolk Co., adjusted - no discernible change. [Mass. Acts, 1928, ch. 160, sec. 1, p. 184]

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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Populated Places

Modern town borders in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

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:

Cities
Braintree Franklin	Quincy Randolph	Weymouth
Towns
Avon Bellingham Brookline Canton Cohasset Dedham Dover Foxborough	Holbrook Medfield Medway Millis Milton Needham Norfolk Norwood	Plainville Sharon Stroughton Walpole Wellesley Westwood Wrentham
Census-designated places
Bellingham Dover Foxborough	Medfield Millis-Clicquot	Sharon Walpole
Historic communities
Dorchester Hyde Park	Roxbury	West Roxbury

County Histories

Works written on the county include:

• Biographical Review; containing life sketches of leading citizens of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1898), 710 pp.
  WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 908542 Item 1.
  Digital version at Internet Archive.
  
• Elmer O. Cappers, Place Names in Norfolk County, Massachusetts ([Brookline, Mass., 1972?), 40 pp.
  WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
  
• Louis Atwood Cook, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918 (S.l., 1918), 2v.
  WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.47 H2c v. # and film 496755.
  
• D. Hamilton Hurd, ed., History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men (Philadelphia, 1884), xii, 1001 pp.
  WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.47 H2h and film 1000071 Item 3 (with digital link).
  
• Thomas Noyes, "Complete List of the Congregational Ministers in the County of Norfolk, Mass., from the settlement of the county to the present time" in American Quarterly Register, 8 [1835/6]: 42-58.
  WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
  
• The Norfolk County MA GenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
  
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Norfolk County.
  
• Norfolk County Massachusetts History - Genealogy Blog - by David Allen Lambert.
  
• FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Norfolk County.
  

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Resources

Vital Records

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 this county was established. 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.

Online Vital Records

• 1626-2001 - Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1638-1961 - Massachusetts Town Records, ca. 1638-1961 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1841-1920 - Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Birth

• 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

• 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

• 1840-1910 Massachusetts Death Index at MyHeritge - index only ($)

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Cemetery

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
USGenWeb	WorldCat	Billion Graves
MAGenWeb Archives		FamilySearch Places
Tombstone Project
MAInterment
Billion Graves
See Massachusetts Cemeteries for more information.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	27,216	—
1810	31,245	14.8%
1820	36,471	16.7%
1830	41,972	15.1%
1840	53,140	26.6%
1850	78,892	48.5%
1860	109,950	39.4%
1870	89,443	−18.7%
1880	96,507	7.9%
1890	118,950	23.3%
1900	151,539	27.4%
1910	187,506	23.7%
1920	219,081	16.8%
1930	299,426	36.7%
1940	325,180	8.6%
1950	392,308	20.6%
1960	510,256	30.1%
1970	605,051	18.6%
1980	606,587	0.3%
1990	616,087	1.6%
2000	650,308	5.6%
2010	670,850	3.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 1865 - Massachusetts State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Emigration and Immigration

• 1837 - 1965 - Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Land Records

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Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Newspapers

• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1635 – 1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, $
  
• 1793 – 1900 Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Index 1793-1900 at Ancestry.com — index only, $

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Other Court Records

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

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Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace

This court was active from 1793 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:

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Inferior Court of Common Pleas

This court was active from 1793 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:

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Superior Court

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.

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Supreme Judicial Court

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.

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Naturalization Records

• 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.

Federal Naturalization Records for Norfolk County

Record	Dates	Location	Index	Microfilm/Online
Superior Court Court of Common Pleas Supreme Judicial Court Dist. Ct. (Dedham)	1804-1906	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 7187235 (1st of 8); Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906
Dist. Ct. (Quincy)	1886-1906	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 7187245-7187252; Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906
Dist. Ct. (Stoughton)	1891-1906	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 7187241-7187242; Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906
Dist. Ct. (Walpole)	1900-1906	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 7187243-7187244; Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906

Norfolk County Naturalization Records

Record	Dates	Location	Index	Microfilm/Online
nat25}} Norfolk Co.
Superior Court	1806-1958	Superior Court, Dedham and Quincy	Card indexes	DEDHAM: Declarations, 1906-1931; Petitions, 1906-1931; Index to records, 1806-1906 [note: rec. not at FHL]; Index to declarations, 1907-1958; Index to petitions, 1907-1958; Index to declarations and petitions, 1920-1958; QUINCY: Declarations, 1920-1937; Petitions, 1920-1931; Citizenship granted, 1929-1939, FHL film 1522670 (1st of 68)
Dedham District Court	1885-1906	Judicial Archives	Card index	NO microfilm
Quincy District Court	1885-1906	Judicial Archives	Card index	NO microfilm
Stoughton District Court	1891-1906	Judicial Archives	Part of Card Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, NARA M1299, FHL film 1429671 (1st of 117)	Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906
Wrentham District Court	1900-1904	Judicial Archives	Part of Card Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, NARA M1299, FHL film 1429671 (1st of 117)	Part of the United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906

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Maps

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Migration

Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Norfolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy included:

• Atlantic Ocean
• Bay Road about 1652 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts Genealogy
• Coast Path 1630 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy
• King's Highway, also known as the Boston Post Road, 1650s from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina Genealogy
• Old Roebuck Road 1636 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island Genealogy
  
  

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Military

Revolutionary War

• 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

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Norfolk County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies

• Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
  649 High Street
  Dedham, MA 02026
  781-461-6101
  E-mail: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org
  Website

• Norfolk County MA Historical Societies CountyOffice.org

Family History Centers

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

• Boston Massachusetts Family History Center
• Franklin Massachusetts Family History Center
• Hingham Massachusetts Family History Center
• Mount Hope Massachusetts Family History Center
• Worcester Massachusetts Family History Center

• David Allen Lambert Library - an affiliate library
• Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
• Thomas Crane Public Library - an affiliate library

For information on additional archives and repositories, see

• Massachusetts Archives
• Franklin Massachusetts Family History Center

Norfolk County Massachusetts Genealogy References

Adjacent counties:
Massachusetts: Bristol | Middlesex | Plymouth | Suffolk | Worcester
Rhode Island: Providence County

Family History Library

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.