Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy
This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Plymouth. 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 Plymouth. It is located in the central area of the state.[1]
Plymouth County, Massachusetts Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
at town creation | at town creation | at town creation | 1620 | 1620 | 1620 | 1779 |
Brief History[edit | edit source]
Plymouth County was one of the three original counties when Plymouth Colony Genealogy made such subdivisions in 1685. It then included the towns of Bridgewater, Duxbury, Marshfield, Middleborough, Plymouth, and Scituate. For a brief time, the county was part of the Dominion of New England Genealogy from 1686 to 1689, then in limbo until the "Colony" was merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony Genealogy in 1691 to form the Royal colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Go to Archive.org to find published materials for this town.
Historical Data[edit | edit source]
The basic data are from the historical county boundary series[3] with additions from various sources.
Dates | Events |
---|---|
2 June 1685 | Plymouth County created as one of the three original counties formed out of New Plymouth Colony. [Ply. Laws, ch. 6, p. 19] |
7 Oct. 1691 | Plymouth County became part of the new Massachusetts Bay Colony when its new charter absorbed New Plymouth Colony with no border changes. [Mass. Col. Acts, v. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1, p. 63] |
19 Nov. 1707 | Plymouth County added the town of Rochester from Barnstable County. [Mass. Col. Acts, v. 21, ch. 60 [1707], p. 755] |
29 Oct. 1708 | Plymouth County added a small non-county area lying between Bristol and Plymouth counties. [Mass. Col. Act, |
18 Mar. 1711/2 | The "Old Colony Line" that formerly divided Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth colonies was declared as the border between Suffolk, Bristol, and Plymouth counties with no changes. [Mass. Col. Acts, v. 21, ch. 152 [1711], p. 799] |
20 Nov. 1770 | When Bridgewater annexed land from Stoughton, that area moved from Suffolk to Plymouth County. [Mass. Col. Acts, v. 5, ch. 15 [1770-1771], sec. 1, p. 116] |
8 Feb. 1798 | When Bridgewater annexed a strip of land from Stoughton, that area moved from Suffolk to Plymouth County. [Mass. Acts 1798, ch. 10, sec. 1, p. 164] |
18 June 1803 | Plymouth County added the towns of Hingham and Hull from Suffolk County. [Mass. Acts 1803, ch. 14, sec. 1, p. 246] |
14 June 1823 | When Cohasset annexed land from Scituate, that area moved from Plymouth to Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1823, ch. 28, p. 237] |
9 Apr. 1836 | When Rochester and Fairhaven redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Bristol counties. [Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 193, sec. 1, p. 876] |
20 Mar. 1840 | When Scituate annexed land from Cohasset, that area moved from Norfolk to Plymouth County. [Mass. Acts 1840, ch. 58, sec. 1, p. 206] |
31 Mar. 1847 | When Abington and Weymouth redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Norfolk counties. [Mass. Acts 1847, ch. 138, p. 391] |
1 June 1867 | When Taunton and Lakeville redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Bristol counties. [Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 352, sec. 1, p. 745] |
14 Apr. 1897 | When Wareham and Bourne redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Barnstable counties. [Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 281, sec. 1, p. 258] |
30 Apr. 1897 | When Hingham and Cohasset redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Norfolk counties. [Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 330, sec. 1, p. 318] |
23 Mar. 1928 | When Hingham and Cohasset redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Plymouth and Norfolk counties. [Mass. Acts 1928, ch. 160, sec. 1, p. 184] |
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]
Cities | ||
Towns | ||
Villages | ||
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Census-designated places | ||
County Histories[edit | edit source]
Works written on the county include:
- Thomas Noyes, "Complete List of the Congregational Ministers, in the County of Plymouth, Mass. from the Settlement of the Country to the Present Time" in American Quarterly Register, 8 [1835-1836]: 144-159.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books
- The Plymouth County Directory, and Historical Register of the Old Colony, Containing Historical Sketch of the County, and of each Town in the County; a Roll of Honor, with the Names of all Soldiers of the Army and Navy, from this County, who lost their lives in service; an alphabetical list of voters; a complete index to the mercantile, manufacturing, and professional interests of the county (Middleboro, Mass., 1867), v.p. [ca. 450 pp.]
Digital versions at Internet Archive and General Files.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 E4p or film 928257 Item 4; FHL fiche 6078749.
- D. Hamilton Hurd, ed., History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men (Philadelphia, 1884), viii, 1199 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3), and on Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 H2h (in 2 pt.) or film 1000072 Item 2 (with digital link).
- William Root Bliss, Colonial Times on Buzzard's Bay (Boston, 1888). 238 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, and on Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 H2bw.
- Lloyd Vernon Briggs, History of Shipbuilding on North River, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, with Genealogies of the Shipbuilders, and Accounts of the Industries upon its Tributaries 1640 to 1872 (Boston, 1889), xv, 420 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 U2b.
- Biographical Review ... containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Plymouth County, Massachusetts ... (Boston, 1897), 638 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and on Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 D3b or film 1035878 Item 4.
- Lucy Hall Greenlaw, ed., The Genealogical Advertiser: A Quarterly Magazine of Family History, v. 1-4 [1898-1901].
This journal included many Plymouth County record abstracts.
Digital versions at: v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 856109 Item 1.
- Lincoln Newton Kinnicutt, Indian Names of Places in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, with Interpretations of Some of Them (Worcester, Mass., 1909), 64 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
- Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts, Containing Historical sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families ... (Chicago, 1912), 3 v.
Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3), Google Books(v. 1 and v. 3 only), and on Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL books 974.4 D2r v.# or films 905546-905547.
- Elroy Sherman Thompson, History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable Counties, Massachusetts (New York, 1928), 3 v.
No digital version available .
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 H2t v.# (with digital links) or film 1697980 Item 1 (v.2 only).
- Ebenezer W. Peirce, Peirce's colonial lists. Civil, military and professional lists of Plymouth and Rhode Island colonies, comprising colonial, county and town officers, clergymen, physicians and lawyers. With extracts from colonial laws defining their duties, 1621-1700 (Boston, 1881; rep. Baltimore, 1968).
Digital version at Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974 M2p, film 897454 Item 1, or fiche 6046832.
- James Baker, A Guide to Historic Plymouth (Charleston, S.C., 2008), 142 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL does not have this item.
Mayflower[edit | edit source]
For more information about the history of the Mayflower passengers who settled in Plymouth Colony in 1620, go to the Mayflower Pilgrims and Colonists Wiki page.
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 1700. 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[edit | edit source]
- 1666-1970 - Massachusetts, Delayed and Corrected Vital Records, 1753-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 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 |
MAGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
Tombstone Project | ||
MAInterment | ||
MAGravestones | ||
Billion Graves | ||
See Massachusetts Cemeteries for more information. |
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1790 | 29,512 | — |
1800 | 30,073 | 1.9% |
1810 | 35,169 | 16.9% |
1820 | 38,136 | 8.4% |
1830 | 43,044 | 12.9% |
1840 | 47,373 | 10.1% |
1850 | 55,697 | 17.6% |
1860 | 64,768 | 16.3% |
1870 | 65,365 | 0.9% |
1880 | 74,018 | 13.2% |
1890 | 92,700 | 25.2% |
1900 | 113,985 | 23.0% |
1910 | 144,337 | 26.6% |
1920 | 156,968 | 8.8% |
1930 | 162,311 | 3.4% |
1940 | 168,824 | 4.0% |
1950 | 189,468 | 12.2% |
1960 | 248,449 | 31.1% |
1970 | 333,314 | 34.2% |
1980 | 405,437 | 21.6% |
1990 | 435,276 | 7.4% |
2000 | 472,822 | 8.6% |
2010 | 494,919 | 4.7% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
- 1865 - Massachusetts State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
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
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
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. For Plymouth County, they start in 1685.
The Plymouth County Registry of Deeds has a main office at Plymouth and two satellite offices:
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
50 Obery Street
Plymouth MA 02360
508-830-9200
Email admin@plymouthdeeds.org
Brockton Satellite Office
155 West Elm Street
Brockton MA 02301
508-586-6998
Rockland Satellite Office
920 Hingham Street
Rockland MA 02370
781-792-2800
in Plymouth
All online records can be viewed from their Search Page.
- Land Record books, 1685 to present.
- Grantor/Grantee Index, 1685 to present.
- Plan books and index, 1899 to present.
- Highway, county taking, and other road related.
- Land Court records, 1899 to present.
- Land Court registered land.
- Microfilm of the originals created by the Family History Library, 1664-1900 (indexes to 1914), v. 1-792, FHL film 567747 (first of 462).
There is no book that transcribes, abstracts, or indexes the Plymouth County land records. Some abstracts were published in journals:
- Pilgrim Notes and Queries, 1916 to 1917, by George Ernest Bowman. Available digitally online at Hathi Trust and at GoogleBooks.
- The Mayflower Descendant, 1933 to 1937, by George Ernest Bowman, completing the first 117 pages from volume 1.
- The Mayflower Descendant, 1985 to 1998, by Ann Smith Lainhart, completing up to volume 2, page 41.
- The Mayflower Descendant, 2000 to 2005, by Ann Smith Lainhart, abstracts ending at volume 3, page 13.
Search available online images of The Mayflower Descendant journal at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts page.
Plymouth County Probate and Family Court
52 Obery Street
Plymouth MA 02360
Phone 508-747-6204
Email plymouthprobate@dacbase.com
Brockton Satellite Office
215 Maine Street, Suite 220
Brockton MA 02301
Phone 508-897-5400
- First series, 1685-1881:
Record books:
Supreme Judicial Court Archives has in off-site storage (microfilm available).
FHL films 549782 (first of 157) (and at the New England Historic Genealogical Society).
File papers: [Note: Missing case numbers 1-1881 and 13134-13176]
Supreme Judicial Court Archives has these files. - Second series, 1882-1935:
Record books:
Plymouth County Probate and Family Court has all the record books.
File papers:
Supreme Judicial Court Archives has in the archives to 1915 and the files from 1916-1935 is in off-site storage. - All records, 1936-present:
Plymouth County Probate and Family Court has all these records except for domestic abuse and paternity records that are stored at the Brockton Satellite Office.
The Family History Library (Note: The New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston has the probate records only, not docket books) has the following microfilms of the originals:
- Probate records, 1686-1903, with index (1685-1881, 1881-1939) and docket (1881-1967), 1685-1967.
FHL films 549782 (first of 157)
- Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate Records, 1633-1967 - How to Use This Collection [sic, incorrectly labelled], Docket Index, 1685-1881, and Docket books, v. 1 (1881) - 76 (1967); and File Papers, Ebenezer BENSON to Martin PRATT (case nos. 1881-16163) [Note: missing first 1880 cases that were never filmed and 16163-23593 (but those are below)]; Docket books, 1 (1686) - 212 (1902) [some earlier volumes go to 1938]; Plymouth Colony, Wills, v. 1-4 (1633-1686) [Note: missing volumes 5-6]. [Records as of 14 Nov. 2012]
- 1635 – 1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, $
- Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate Files, 1686-1915 - How to Use this Collection, file papers, 1686-1881, Timothy HEALY to Zeruiah YOUNG (case nos. 9877-23593), second series, 1892-1915, case nos. 9775-17313 (1898-1908) [Records as of 10 Nov. 2012].
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.
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. A county copy of marriages were recorded here from 1726 to 1737.
The record books of this court have been published:
- David Thomas Konig, ed., Plymouth Court Records 1686-1859 [General Sessions of the Peace, 1686-1827, and Court of Common Pleas, 1686-1859] (Wilmington, Del., 1978-1981), in 16v.
Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 P2p v. # (with digital link).
v. 1 - General Sessions of the Peace, 1686-1721 and Court of Common Pleas, 1686-1702.
v. 2 - General Sessions of the Peace, 1719-1749 (includes marriages, 1726-1737).
v. 3 - General Sessions of the Peace, 1748-1781.
v. 4 - General Sessions of the Peace, 1782-1827. - Court records, 1686-1817, FHL films 906746-906748.
Inferior Court of Common Pleas[edit | edit source]
This court was active from 1692 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace. A county copy of births, marriages, and deaths were recorded here from 1724 to 1788 for the towns of Abington, Bridgewater, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Scituate, and Wareham. Note: Volume 19 of original records contains marriages from 1771 to 1795.
The record books of this court have been published:
- David Thomas Konig, ed., Plymouth Court Records 1686-1859 [General Sessions of the Peace, 1686-1827, and Court of Common Pleas, 1686-1859] (Wilmington, Del., 1978-1981), in 16v.
Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 P2p v. # (with digital link).
v. 1 - General Sessions of the Peace, 1686-1721 and Court of Common Pleas, 1686-1702.
v. 5 - Court of Common Pleas, 1702-1736.
v. 6 - Court of Common Pleas, 1736-1744.
v. 7 - Court of Common Pleas, 1744-1760.
v. 8 - Court of Common Pleas, 1760-1772.
v. 9 - Court of Common Pleas, 1773-1785.
v. 10 - Court of Common Pleas, 1785-1796.
v. 11 - Court of Common Pleas, 1796-1807.
v. 12 - Court of Common Pleas, 1807-1815.
v. 13 - Court of Common Pleas, 1816-1825.
v. 14 - Court of Common Pleas, 1825-1834.
v. 15 - Court of Common Pleas, 1835-1845.
v. 16 - Court of Common Pleas, 1846-1859. - Court records, 1702-1859, FHL films 906732-906745, 906749.
Superior Court[edit | edit source]
This court was created in 1859 and combines the authority of the two courts listed above. Though one court, the civil and criminal matters are handled separately and today that is achieved through two physical courts: Plymouth (civil) and Brockton (criminal).
Plymouth County Superior Court
52 Obery Street - Suite 2041
Plymouth MA 02360
Phone 508-747-8565
Plymouth County Superior Court (criminal sessions)
72 Belmont Street
Brockton MA 02301
Phone 508-583-8250
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
Divorce Records[edit | edit source]
Jurisdiction over divorce matters changes over time. The Governor and Council heard cases before 1785, then it was the Supreme Judicial Court until 1887, followed by the Superior Court until 1922, and presently this is a matter for the Probate and Family Court (with minor exceptions in all periods).
- Plymouth County divorce records, 1798-1812, FHL film 2196184 Items 2 - 3.
- Plymouth County record books (inc. divorces), 1813-1950 and divorce index, 1918-1930, FHL films 2196338-2196342.
- Plymouth County divorce records index, 1888-1973, FHL films 2196182-2196184.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Superior Court (Plymouth) | 1812-1967 | Judicial Archives | Card index | Records, 1907-1945, at Mass. Arch. RR; Declarations, 1906-1945 (#1-2753), FHL films 2167558-2167559; Declarations and petitions, 1907-1945 (#1-1834), FHL film 2167560 (1st of 7); Index, 1906-1984, at Mass. Arch. RR; Intention index, 1906-1984, FHL films 2166478, 2166544; Petition and records index, 1906-1984, FHL films 2166544-2166545 |
Superior Court (Brockton) | 1812-1990 | Judicial Archives | Card index | Records, 1907-1945, at Mass. Arch. RR; Declarations and petitions, 1910-1945 (#251-8188), FHL film 2167913 (1st of 25); Index, 1906-1990, at Mass. Arch. RR; Certificate stub index, 1907-1990, FHL film 2166938 (1st of 5); Petition and declaration index, 1906-1984, FHL film 2166545 (1st of 6); NOTE: Petitions, v. 1, #1-250, v. 3, #501-750, missing |
First District Court (Brockton) | 1887-1906 | Judicial Archives | Declarations, 1909-1945 (#1-9279), FHL film 2167425 (1st of 7) | |
Second District Court (Abington/Hingham) | 1885-1906 | Judicial Archives | Card index | |
Third District Court (Plymouth) | 1885-1906 | Judicial Archives | Card index | Naturalization papers (#1-722), docket book, Index book, and index cards, FHL film 1530503-1530504 |
Fourth District Court (Middleborough/Wareham) | 1885-1906 | County courthouse, Wareham | Indexed in each volume | App. for naturalization, FHL film 1523040 |
Taxation Records[edit | edit source]
The county had the power to tax its citizens through action of the Quarterly Court of General Sessions (listed above). Most taxes after this time are levied by the state or town.
Warnings Out[edit | edit source]
Warning Out was the court’s action under the poor laws of the colony and commonwealth to create a legal public notice that a town was not responsible for the welfare of a new person or family settling there. That responsibility remained with the town from which they had come. People were not forced out of the new town, but could not expect to be supported if they were unable to sustain themselves. Warnings Out were issued by the Inferior Court of Common Pleas to the Selectmen of the town for notification of persons named in them.
- Ruth Wilder Sherman, Robert M. Sherman, and Robert S. Wakefield, An Index to Plymouth County, Massachusetts Warnings Out from The Plymouth Court Records 1686-1859 (Plymouth, Mass., 2003).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482 P22s.
Maps[edit | edit source]
This list includes maps of particular interest to genealogists, and is not an effort to trace the vast cartographic history of the county in full.
- Henry F. Walling, Map of the County of Plymouth, Massachusetts (Boston, 1857).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL fiche 6079556.
Digital version at Harvard University. - Atlas of Plymouth County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1879).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL X Large Folio 974.482 E7a (in high density).
There are several sites that sell reproductions of the individual maps of this atlas. Search the web for this atlas and you will find several sites that will provide the image online. We cannot endorse any one site here. - John H. Long, ed., Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Connecticut-Maine-Massachusetts-Rhode Island (New York, 1994).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974 E3c.
Digital version online at Newberry Library.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Plymouth County, Massachusetts included:[5]- Atlantic Ocean
- Bay Road about 1652 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts Genealogy[6] [7]
- Coast Path 1630 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy[8] [9]
- King's Highway, also known as the Boston Post Road, 1650s from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina Genealogy[10] [11]
- Old Roebuck Road 1636 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island Genealogy[12] [13]
Military[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
Plymouth County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies[edit | edit source]
- Plymouth County Genealogists
PO Box 167
East Bridgewater MA 02333
Email plymcountygen@gmail.com
Website Facebook
- South Shore Genealogical Society
PO Box 396
Norwell MA 02061
Email uechika@msn.com
Website Facebook
- Plymouth County MA Historical Societies CountyOffice.org
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
- Boston Massachusetts Family History Center
- Franklin Massachusetts Family History Center
- Hingham Massachusetts Family History Center
- Mount Hope Massachusetts Family History Center
- Providence Rhode Island Family History Center
- General Society of Mayflower Descendants - an affiliate library
- Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
- Middleborough Public Library - an affiliate library
Plymouth County Massachusetts Genealogy References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Plymouth, County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_County,_Massachusetts
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Plymouth 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, "Plymouth County, Massachusetts," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_County%2C_Massachusetts#Communities, accessed 6 March 2020.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 847-61. WorldCat entry; FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook, 847, 856.
- ↑ Boston Post Road in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 16 October 2014).
- ↑ Handybook, 848, 856.
- ↑ Agnes Edwards (Rothery), PDF Book: The Old Coast Road From Boston to Plymouth (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1920), 7. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- ↑ William Dollarhide, Map Guide to American Migration Routes 1735-1815 (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1997), 2-4, and 7. (FHL Collection Book 973 E3d). WorldCat entry.
- ↑ King's Highway (Charleston to Boston) in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 21 November 2014).
- ↑ Handybook, 852, 856.
- ↑ Cobb's Tavern in Rising Star Lodge, A.F. and A.M. (accessed 16 October 2014).