Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy
This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Suffolk. 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 Suffolk, England, which means "southern folk. It is located in the central area of the state.[1]
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
at town creation | at town creation | at town creation | 1671 | 1639 | 1636 | 1779 |
Brief History[edit | edit source]
Suffolk County was one of the four original counties when Massachusetts Bay Colony Genealogy created counties in 1643 and had an undefined western border. It established and claimed as far west as Woodstock, Windham County, Connecticut Genealogy. Initially, the county included Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Dedham, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, and Nantasket [now Hull]. In 1671, Mendon was added from Middlesex County. For a brief time, the county was part of the Dominion of New England Genealogy from 1686 to 1689. The county eventually became part of the Royal colony of Massachusetts Bay. All towns to the south were lost to the creation of Norfolk County in 1793, leaving only Boston and Chelsea. Hingham and Hull protested their removal and thus remained in Suffolk County until they were transferred to Plymouth County in 1803. Boston was incorporated as a city in 1822. The city started annexing towns back: Roxbury (1868), Dorchester (1870), Brighton (1874), Charlestown (1874), West Roxbury (1874), and Hyde Park (1912). The county government was abolished on 1 July 1999, but its former jurisdiction is used for state offices as a district.[3]
Historical Data[edit | edit source]
The basic data are from the historical county boundary series[4] with additions from various sources.
Dates | Events |
---|---|
10 May 1643 | Suffolk County created as one of the four original counties formed out of Massachusetts Bay Colony. [Mass. Rec., 2: 38] |
8 July 1663 | Lost the section now called the northeast corner of Rhode Island when King Charles II granted that colony a charter that defined its borders. [Bowen's Disputes, 33; Swindler, 8: 368] |
-- May 1664 | Lost to New Plymouth Colony when provincial line is demarcated to what is now referred to as the "Old County Line." [Bradford, 427n] |
27 Feb. 1664/5 | Gained from Rhode Island Colony as royal commissioners set that colony's borders as the Blackstone River and the east side of Narragansett Bay. [Arnold, 1: 315] |
15 Mar. 1689/90 | Gained on county's undefined western border when Massachusetts created the town of Woodstock (now wholly within the state of Connecticut). [Bowen's Disputes, 53-58; Bowen's Woodstock, 1: 31] |
7 Oct. 1691 | Massachusetts Bay Colony given new provincial charter by King William III and Queen Mary II, but does not affect the borders. [Mass. Col. Acts, 1: ch. 27 (1692-1693), sec. 1, p. 63; Swindler, 5: 80] |
18 Mar. 1711/2 | The "Old Colony Line" declared the border between Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties with no change in boundaries. [Mass. Col. Acts, 21: ch. 152 (1711), p. 799] |
10 July 1731 | Part of the western section set off with the western half of Middlesex County to form Worcester County. [Mass. Col. Acts, 2: ch. 8 (1730-1731), sec. 1, p. 584] |
17 Feb. 1746/7 | Southwestern tip annexed to Providence Plantations by royal settlement in 1746. [Arnold, 2: 157; R.I. Rec., 5: 207-209] |
20 Nov. 1770 | Small area changed to Plymouth County when Bridgewater gained from Stoughton. [Mass. Col. Acts, 5: ch. 15 (1770-1771), sec. 1, p. 116] |
3 Mar. 1792 | When Medway and Sherburne redefined their border, that also redefined the line between Suffolk and Middlesex County. [Mass. Acts 1792, ch. 23, sec. 1, p. 155] |
20 June 1793 | Southwestern three-quarters and town of Cohasset set off as new county of Norfolk. [Mass. Acts 1793, ch. 43, sec. 1, p. 272 and ch. 9, sec. 1, p. 314] |
18 June 1803 | Towns of Hingham and Hull annexed to Plymouth County. [Mass. Acts 1803, ch. 14, sec. 1, p. 246] |
6 Mar. 1804 | The northern part of Dorchester, Norfolk County, called "Dorchester Neck" annexed and now called the neighborhood of "South Boston." |
22 Feb. 1825 | Minute change between Boston and Brookline adjusts border between Suffolk and Norfolk counties. [Mass. Acts 1825, ch. 90, p. 73] |
25 Mar. 1834 | Boston annexed Thompson Island from Dorchester, Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1834, ch. 102, p. 129] |
16 Mar. 1836 | Border between Boston and Roxbury, Norfolk County, established. [Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 37, p. 681] |
19 Apr. 1837 | Water border between Boston and Roxbury, Norfolk County, established. [Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 202, sec. 1, p. 222] |
22 Feb. 1841 | Chelsea lost northern long but narrow strip of land to Saugus, Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1841, ch. 30, sec. 1, p. 350] |
3 May 1850 | Water border between Boston and Roxbury, Norfolk County, established. [Mass. Acts 1850, ch. 281, sec. 1, p. 460] |
21 May 1855 | Boston gained from Dorchester, Norfolk County, a very small piece of land. [Mass. Acts 1855, ch. 468, sec. 1, p. 907] |
3 Apr. 1860 | Border changed slightly when line changed from the center of the street between Boston and Roxbury to the side of the street. [Mass. 1860, ch. 172, sec. 1, p. 138] |
6 Jan. 1868 | Border changed when Boston annexed the town of Roxbury from Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 359, sec. 1, p. 754] |
3 Jan. 1870 | Border changed when Boston annexed the town of Dorchester from Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1869, ch. 349, sec. 1, p. 646] |
2 Apr. 1870 | Border changed slightly when line changed from the center of the street between Boston and West Roxbury to the side of the street. [Mass. 1870, ch. 146, sec. 1, p. 21, 95] |
18 June 1870 | Boston gained a small piece of land from Brookline, Norfolk County. [Mass. 1870, ch. 374, sec. 1, p. 290] |
12 Apr. 1872 | Boston gained Mt. Hope Cemetery from West Roxbury, Norfolk County. [Mass. 1872, ch. 197, sec. 1, p. 143] |
5 Jan. 1874 | Boston annexed towns of Brighton and Charlestown from Middlesex County. Boston annexed town of West Roxbury from Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1873, ch. 286, sec. 1, p. 716; ch. 303, sec. 1, p. 747; ch. 314, sec. 1, p. 810] |
8 May 1874 | Border changed slightly when a small piece of land gained from Brookline, Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 220, sec. 1, p. 143] |
29 May 1874 | Border changed slightly when line between Boston and Newton, Middlesex County was adjusted. [Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 277, sec. 1, p. 189] |
1 July 1875 | Border changed slightly when a small piece of land was lost to Newton, Middlesex County. [Mass. Acts 1875, ch. 184, sec. 1, p. 773] |
27 May 1890 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Brookline, Norfolk County, was adjusted. [Mass. Acts 1890, ch. 339, sec. 1, p. 299] |
4 May 1891 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Somerville, Middlesex County, was adjusted. [Mass. Acts 1891, ch. 294, sec. 1, p. 856] |
13 Apr. 1894 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Brookline, Norfolk County, was adjusted. [Mass. Acts 1894, ch. 242, sec. 1, p. 219] |
29 Mar. 1898 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Cambridge and Newton, Middlesex County, was adjusted along the Charles River. [Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 251, sec. 1, p. 185] |
13 May 1898 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Newton, Norfolk County, was adjusted. [Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 431, sec. 1, p. 376] |
29 Mar. 1910 | Border changed slightly when the line between Boston and Cambridge, Middlesex County, was adjusted along the Charles River. [Mass. Acts 1910, ch. 312, sec. 1, p. 239] |
1 Jan. 1912 | Boston annexed the town of Hyde Park, Norfolk County. [Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 469, sec. 1, p. 450, and ch. 583, sec. 1, p. 600] |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
Cities | ||
Towns | ||
Historic communities | ||
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County Histories[edit | edit source]
Works written on the county include:
- B. B. Edwards, "Complete List of the Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in Suffolk Co." in American Quarterly Register, 7 [1834]: 28-30.
Digital version at Google books. - Alden Bradford, "Juridical Statistics for the County of Suffolk viz. Judge of Superior Court of Judicature and of Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; and Barristers, Counsellors, and Attorneys, with brief notices of those who have deceased or retired from public life" in American Quarterly Register, 13 [1840-1841]: 417-432.
Includes birth, education, bar admission, associates, and death.
Digital version at Google books. - N. I. Bowditch, Suffolk Surnames (Boston, 3rd ed., 1861), xxv, 757 pp.
Digital version at Internet Archive and Google books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 D4b or film 425545 Item 3. - Justin Winsor, The Memorial History of Boston, Including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880 (Boston, 1880-1883), 4v.
v. 1 - The early and colonial periods; v. 2 - The provincial period; v. 3 - The Revolutionary period and the last hundred years, pt. 1; v. 4 - The last hundred years, pt. 2, and special topics (education, libraries, philosophic thought, women, drama, Fine Arts, music, architecture, science, medicine, bench and bar, horticulture, and charities).
Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4), Google books (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4), and Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.461 H2wj v. # or films 1036727-1036728 (with digital links). - Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1894), 3v.
Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3) and Google books (v. 2 only).
(Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 U3p v. # or film 1750876 Items 4-6. - George H. Brennan, "The Early Massachusetts Court Records" in New England Magazine, 17 [1894]: 301-310.
- John Tyler Hassam, "Early Records and Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, 1639-1735" in Massachusetts Society Society Publications, 2nd Ser., 12 [1895-1896]: 203-250.
Digital versions of off print at Internet Archive and Google books. Also part of the introduction of Suffolk Deeds, v. 10 (see below).
FHL fiche 6078751.
Reprint of continuation as "Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk," 2nd Ser., 14 [1900-1901]: 34-104.
FHL film 1035750 Item 13. - John Tyler Hassam, "Registers of Probate for the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, 1639-1799" in Massachusetts Society Society Publications, 2nd Ser., 16 [1902]: 23-125.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P2hj or fiche 6006641. - Richard D. Brown, "The Confiscation and Disposition of Loyalists' Estates in Suffolk County, Massachusetts" in William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Ser., 21 [1964]: 534-550.
Digital version at JStor ($ - for free at some libraries). - Annie Haven Thwing, The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630-1822 (Boston: Marshall Jones Co.1920).Digital version at Internet Archive
- The Suffolk County MA GenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Suffolk County
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Suffolk County (backup site)
- Suffolk County Wikipedia 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 ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1840-1910 Massachusetts Death Index at MyHeritge - index only ($)
Cemeteries[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 | ||
Billion Graves | ||
See Massachusetts Cemeteries for more information. |
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1790 | 44,865 | — |
1800 | 28,015 | −37.6% |
1810 | 34,381 | 22.7% |
1820 | 43,940 | 27.8% |
1830 | 62,163 | 41.5% |
1840 | 95,773 | 54.1% |
1850 | 144,517 | 50.9% |
1860 | 192,700 | 33.3% |
1870 | 270,802 | 40.5% |
1880 | 387,927 | 43.3% |
1890 | 484,780 | 25.0% |
1900 | 611,417 | 26.1% |
1910 | 731,388 | 19.6% |
1920 | 835,522 | 14.2% |
1930 | 879,536 | 5.3% |
1940 | 863,248 | −1.9% |
1950 | 896,615 | 3.9% |
1960 | 791,329 | −11.7% |
1970 | 735,190 | −7.1% |
1980 | 650,142 | −11.6% |
1990 | 663,906 | 2.1% |
2000 | 689,807 | 3.9% |
2010 | 722,023 | 4.7% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1811-1921 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston, Crew Lists, 1811-1921 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
- 1820-1891 Massachusetts Boston Passenger Lists 1820-1891 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1837-1965 Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-1940 Massachusetts Boston Passenger Lists Index 1899-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1943 Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1921-1949 Massachusetts, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1921-1949 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1789-1920 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston Archdiocese Roman Catholic Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 at Ancestry - index ($)
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Land Records and Atlases[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 Suffolk County, they start in 1639.
Suffolk Registry of Deeds
24 New Chardon Street
Boston MA 02114
Phone 617-788-6250
Email Suffolk.Deeds@sec.state.ma.us
The records since 1976 can be viewed from their Search Page. Note the search criteria and search option menus in the upper left corner. This is a relatively new site (2012) and less transparent than before.
- Land Record books.
Note: Records from 1893 (v. 2171) are online as "unindexed property." From the search page above, go to the Search Criteria menu and click on "Unindexed Property Search" and enter the volume and page you want and click search. A dialogue box appears below. Click on any link and another dialogue box appears to the right. Click on the tab "View Images" and a pop-up window will display the page (if it does not, you need to allow this site or disable your pop-up blocker).
Record location:
Deeds, v. 7871 (1964) to present are in the main section of the Registry.
Deeds, v. 4553-7870 (1924-1964) are in the "Old" Bookroom at the back of the Registry building.
Deeds, v. 2171-4552 (1893-1924) are not currently physically accessible (but are online as mentioned above).
Deeds, v. 101-2170 (1800-1893) are at:
- Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston MA 02125
Phone 617-727-2816 (ask for Archives Reference Desk).
- Massachusetts Archives
- Deeds, v. 1-100 (1639-1799) are at the Archives above, but restricted. These deeds can be seen on microfilm and have been transcribed verbatim to 1688 (see published records below).
- Land Court records.
- Grantor/Grantee index, 1961-1978 (online).
- Old Recorded Land Plan books, v. 1-5, 7 (from 1800s).
- Recorded Land Plan Index, 1935-1999 (online).
- Suffolk County Atlases (online):
Boston, 1874, 1890 (w/Roxbury), 1899, 1910, 1917, 1938 (all w/S. Boston).
Brighton, 1897, 1917, 1925.
Charlestown, 1875, 1901, 1912 (w/E. Boston).
Chelsea, 1874, 1914, 1981.
Dorchester, 1904, 1910, 1933.
East Boston, 1892, 1901, 1912 (see Charlestown).
Hyde Park, 1912.
Roxbury, 1890 (see Boston), 1895, 1899, 1906, 1931.
West Roxbury, 1874, 1896, 1905, 1914.
- Suffolk County Deeds, 1639-1885, grantor/grantee index, 1639-1920, miscellaneous index, 1639-1799.
FHL film 579922 (first of 1128).
Massachusetts Archives. - Suffolk County Deeds, 1885-1900 [vols. 1707-2727].
FHL film 2381273 (first of 343). - Suffolk County Miscellaneous Papers (chronological), 1679-1808, includes deeds.
FHL films 902791-902794
- Suffolk Deeds (Boston, 1880-1906), 14v.
Covers from 1629 to 1688 and some of 1697. Each book includes a grantor and grantee index that gives an abstract of the record, an other names index, place index, and miscellaneous (i.e. subject) index.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 R2s v. #, fiche 6046903, and various films.
- Volume - Years covered - Links
- - 1629-1653 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1653-1656 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1656-1661 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1661-1665 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1665-1668 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1668-1672 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1670-1672 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1672-1674 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1674-1676 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1676-1678 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1678-1680 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1680-1683 - Internet Archive and Google books.
- - 1683-1686 - [No Internet Archive version found] and Google books.
- - 1686-1688, 1697 - Internet Archive andGoogle books.
- - 1629-1653 - Internet Archive and Google books.
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.
Suffolk County Probate and Family Court
PO Box 9667
24 New Chardon Street - 3rd Floor
Boston MA 02114
Phone 617-788-8300
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
- 1635 – 1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, $
- First series, 1636-1893:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1636 to and including the year 1893 (Boston, 1895), 3v.
Digital version of all three volumes at Hathi Trust.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL Large Q book 974.46 S2g v. # or film 496888. - Second series, 1894-1909:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1894 to and including the year 1909 (Boston, 1911-1913), 2v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL Large Q book 974.46 S2ga v. # or film 1597848 Items 4-5. - Third series, 1910-1922:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1910 to and including the year 1922 (Boston, 1927), 2v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 1492663 Items 1-2. - Fourth series, 1923-1935:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1923 to and including the year 1935 (Boston, 1941), 3v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i. - Fifth series, 1936-1947:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1936 to and including the year 1947 (Boston, 1951), 3v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i. - Sixth series, 1948-1958:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1948 to and including the year 1958 (Boston, 1961), 2v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i. - Seventh series, 1959-1968:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1959 to and including the year 1968 (Boston, 1969), 3v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries). - Eighth series, 1969-1979:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Suffolk County Probate Court 10 Year Index, 1969-1979 (Boston, 1995?), 3v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL, but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). - Ninth series, 1980-1997:
Record books:
[Contact Court Archivist]
File papers:
[Contact Court Archivist]
Published Index:
Public Index of Matters Concerning Probate, 1980-1987 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Suffolk Probate & Family Court (Boston, 2000), 3v.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL, but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
- Probate records, 1636-1899, with published index (1636-1893, 1894-1909), miscellaneous docket (1636-1923) [lists estates not appearing in files, etc.], docket books nos. 1-118206 (1636-1901), record books v. 1-769 (1628-1899), New Series record books v. 1-42 (1636-1766).
FHL films 581922 (first of 439).
Massachusetts Archives and American Ancestors by NEHGS ($) have these microfilms. - Probate records, 1901-1916, docket books v.95-144, no. 118207-172206 (1901-1916) and record books v. 770-1102 (1900-1916).
FHL films 1492663 (first of 39).
Massachusetts Archives and American Ancestors by NEHGS ($) have these microfilms. - Probate records, 1760-1870, from the Supreme Judicial Court.
FHL film 902796.
- Winifred Lovering Holman and Mary Lovering Holman, "Suffolk County Probate (1686-1692)" in The American Genealogist. These were the probate records during the unpopular Andros Administration, which combined several colonies into one seated at Boston. This article starts with a Miscellaneous Index of estates that do not appear in the probate file papers. The bulk is the regular docket entries. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). Volume and page numbers (see below):
- 12 [1935-36], 175-184, 222-234
- 13 [1936-37], 98-106
- 14 [1937-38], 34-45
- Also at FHL book 973 D25aga v. #; WorldCat (Other Libraries).
- Suffolk County Wills: Abstracts of the earliest wills upon record in the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts: from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (Baltimore, 1984), 432 pp.
Digital version at Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P2s or film 1320548 Item 1. - Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Miscellaneous Docket Index, Suffolk County, Mass. Probate Records, 1639-1866 (Derry, N.H., 1997 or Rockport, Me., 1997), 31 pp.
This booklet indexes several hundred early Suffolk County probate records where the original file papers were lost prior to the Civil War and only the entries in the copybook remain today. The booklet includes the individual's name, date of the earliest entry, type of entry, and volume and page reference in the copybook series.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P2sm.
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
Adlow Collection[edit | edit source]
This collection is held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books Department and only a fraction of the collection is found in the twelve finding aids. In 1954, Judge Elijah Adlow discovered a heap of rubbish in the Suffolk County courthouse basement. It was a pile of more than 40,000 document - pleadings from trials during the Revolutionary period. They were transferred by the judge to Boston Public Library in 1967.
Some of the records are with library and others are with the Judicial Archives. Some topics:
- writs of attachment; writs of execution; criminal complaints; recognizances; writs of commitment; militia delinquencies; warrant to order persons out of town; petitions from poor prisoners; notices concerning depositions; health dept. complaints; opinions and judgments; summonses; jury material
- for Court of General Sessions, Court of Sessions, and General Sessions of the Peace all for Suffolk County, ca. 1760 to 1825
- bound volumes for Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Cumberland, Dukes, Hampshire, Kennebec, Lincoln, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Suffolk Supreme Judicial Court, 1780s-1800
- Suffolk County Coroner's inquests, 1775-1860 (calendar of these)
- Warnings out, Boston, 1763-1779, and other towns (all calendared)
- Court of Common Pleas, writs (calendared)
- Prisoners lists, sheriffs' and jailers' accounts, prison doctor's accounts, jail inspections, Court Street addition, Leverett Street construction, and Courthouse construction (calendared)
Suffolk Files[edit | edit source]
The Suffolk Files contain the earliest file papers of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and its predecessors, the Court of Assistants and the Superior Court of Judicature (1620-1800). There are also some records of the county courts and the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace. The records contain cases not just from Suffolk County, but from Massachusetts and parts of Maine and New Hampshire. This was the result of the circuit nature of several of the courts and the fact that most of the action brought before the upper courts had been appealed from lower courts throughout the region. Extensive indices of every person, place, and subject, as well as date and calendar indices were prepared. Microfilm of the Suffolk Files and indices is available at the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room.
- [Contact Court Archivist]
This is an inventory of the microfilms held by the Judicial Archives and available at the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room.
- Suffolk Files, FHL film 909870 (first of 1639 reels).
- Index to calendar index, 1629-1700.
- Calendar index, #1-4878, 1643-1700; undated 24362-28991, 98505-98885, 129996-130016, 162001-162525, 1629-1700.
- Index to Suffolk Files, A-Z, 1629-1729.
- Index to Suffolk Files, A-Z, 1730-1799.
- Misc. index to Court Files, A-Z, 1629-1795.
- County index, #100001-108682, 129726-130072, 1687-1799.
- County index, #13700-141578, York, Cumberland, Lincoln, Hancock, Washington counties, 1734-1797.
- County index, Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex counties, 1731-1797.
- County index, Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Hampshire, Plymouth counties, 1733-1797.
- County index, #15200-156870, Worcester, 1736-1797.
- Date index, 1618-1693.
- Index to fragments, #1-1590, 1629-1700, undated.
- Suffolk Files, #1-175581, v. 1-1287 (738 reels).
County Courts[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. These records are included in the Suffolk Files mentioned above.
- See Suffolk Files listed above.
- Court records, 1680-1692, FHL film 947731.
- Edward Holden, "Births, marriages and deaths from the files of Suffolk Co. 1640-1662" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 20 [1866]: 144.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. - Catalogue of Records and Files in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for the County of Suffolk (Boston, 1890), 169 pp. [Revised in 1896, (Boston, 1897), 6, 171-181 pp.].
Digital versions at Internet Archive (1890), Google Books (1890), and Ancestry (1897) ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 A3c or film 908077 Item 2 (1890) or FHL fiche 6078747 (fiche version of 1890). - John Noble, "The Early Court Files of the County of Suffolk" in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 3 [1895-1897]: 317-326.
Digital version at Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 B4cs v. 3. - Samuel Eliot Morison, ed., Records of the Suffolk County Court, 1671-1680 (Boston, 1933), part of the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, v. 29-30.
The manuscript book of records of the quarterly court of Suffolk County held by the Boston Athenaeum. No digital version available.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 B4cs v. 29-30 or film 844532 Items 1-2. - Catherine Menand, A Guide to the Records of the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, in the custody of the Social Law Library, Boston, Massachusetts (Boston, 1981), 63 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
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.
- [Contact Court Archivist]
- Record books, 1702-1855 (141 reels) at the Massachusetts Archives.
- Court records, 1702-1731, minutes, 1735-1780, FHL films 946896-946898, and 902789 Item 1.
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.
- [Contact Court Archivist]
- Docket books, 1719-1824 (fiche) at the Massachusetts Archives.
- Court records, 1692-1855, and indexes, 1840-1862 [sic], FHL films 909525 (first of 143 reels).
- Abstract and index of the records of the Inferiour Court of Pleas (Suffolk County Court) held in Boston, 1680-1698 (Boston, 1940), iii, 224pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P2h.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust.
Superior Court[edit | edit source]
This court was created in 1859 and combines the authority of the two courts listed above. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions involving labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, and has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals.
The Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction for all other crimes. It has jurisdiction over all felony matters, although it shares jurisdiction over crimes where other Trial Court Departments have concurrent jurisdiction. Finally, the Superior Court has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings.
Superior Court Administrative Office
Suffolk County Courthouse, 13th Floor
Three Pemberton Square
Boston MA 02108
Phone 617-788-8130
Older records are held by:
Supreme Judicial Court Archives
(administration)
16th Floor, Highrise Court House
3 Pemberton Square
Boston MA 02109
Phone 617-557-1082
Email Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us
- [Contact Court Archivist]
- Divorce records, 1888-1915, divorce dockets, 1888-1916 and index to libellants, 1903-1910.
Massachusetts Archives; FHL films 1530665 (first of 10 reels).
Supreme Judicial Court[edit | edit source]
This is the highest court in the state and taking cases by appeal, writ of error, capital offenses, and "every Crime whatsoever that is against the public good."
Supreme Judicial Court for The County of Suffolk
John Adams Court House, 1st Floor
One Pemberton Square - Suite 1300
Boston MA 02108
Phone 617-557-1050
Email sjccountyclerk@sjc.state.ma.us
Older records are held by:
Supreme Judicial Court Archives
(administration)
16th Floor, Highrise Court House
3 Pemberton Square
Boston MA 02109
Phone 617-557-1082
Email Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us
- Greenough Collection of old court records, 1647-1828.
At the Massachusetts Archives; FHL film 902795. - Court records, 1686-1799 [was called the Superior Court of Judicature and includes the records from the Dominion of New England], Maritime Court records, 1779-1788, and Court minutes, 1702-1797.
FHL films 945842 (first of 62 reels). - Partitions and executions, v. 1-12, 1694-1856.
FHL films 947291-947295. - Court docket and minute books, 1702-1797 [for all counties] (9 reels).
At the Massachusetts Archives. - Probate records, 1760-1870.
FHL film 902796. - Court dockets and index, 1-16, 1790-1870.
FHL films 947281 (first of 37). - Court records, 1800-1804.
FHL film 946895. - Index to dockets, equity and probate, 1862-1870.
FHL film 947289.
- Catalogue of records and files in the office of the clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for the county of Suffolk (S.l., 1890), 303pp. + [21] leaves.
World Cat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 A3c or FHL fiche 6078747. - Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Ages from Court Records 1636 to 1700 (Baltimore, 2003).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 P22s.
Miscellaneous Court Records[edit | edit source]
Miscellaneous Records
- Miscellaneous papers (arranged chronologically), v. 1-4, 1679-1808, from the county courthouse, these records include deeds, wills recongizances, accounts, writs, summons, and miscellaneous papers.
FHL films 902791-902794. - Sacco & Vanzetti, committee files, 1927-1939 (2 reels).
At the Massachusetts Archives.
County Sheriff
- Criminal calendar, v. 1-80, 1799-1930.
At the Massachusetts Archives. - Debtors calendar, v. 1-11, 1799-1930.
At the Massachusetts Archives.
Court of Admiralty
- Court records and account books, 1718-1772.
FHL film 902790.
Divorce Records
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). See the various court records above and learn more about divorce on the Massachusetts state page.
Naturalization Records
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. NOTE: The only court hearing naturalizations in Suffolk County from Sept. 1906 to 1991 was the U.S. Federal District Court
Record | Dates | Location | Index | Microfilm/Online |
---|---|---|---|---|
Supreme Judicial Court | 1790-1864 | Judicial Archives | Card index | |
Court of Common Pleas | 1790-1856 | Judicial Archives | No index - in NARA soundex? | |
Boston Municipal Court | 1800-1860 1885-1905 |
File papers and summaries found in Records Books in Judicial Archives | Volume index, 1822-1859; Docket index, 1855-1905; 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 |
Superior Court | 1782-1910 | Superior Court, in 1988 | Index in each volume | Partitions and executions from Court of Common Pleas, 1782-1850, and Superior Court, 1850-1907, also intentions from Supreme Judicial Court, 1803-1832, FHL film 1530934-1530935 Primary and final declarations and naturalizations, 1864-1888, with card index, 1856-1884, FHL film 1530549 (1st of 29) |
Superior Court | 1856-1884 | Judicial Archives (with gaps) | Card index | |
Chelsea District Court | 1885-1906 | Judicial Archives | Indexed | |
Dorchester District Court | 1902-1906 | Judicial Archives | Part of Card Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, NARA M1299, FHL film 1429671 (1st of 117) | |
East Boston District Court | 1885-1906 | District clerk's office, in 1988 | Indexed | App. for naturalization, papers, FHL films 1530509-1530510 |
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
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.
- Griffith Morgan Hopkins, Atlas of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts (Philadelphia, 1873-1875), 7v.
v. 1 - Boston proper; v. 2 - Roxbury (Boston Wards 12-15); v. 3 - South Boston and Dorchester; v. 4 - East Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop; v. 5 - West Roxbury (Boston Ward 17); v. 6 - Charlestown (Boston Wards 20-22); v. 7 - Brighton (Boston Ward 19).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL X Large Folio 974.46 E7h v. #.
- John H. Long, ed., Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Connecticut-Maine-Massachusetts-Rhode Island (New York, 1994).
Digital version online from the Newberry Library (Chicago) - Massachusetts Historical County Boundaries.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974 E3c.
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
Voter Records[edit | edit source]
- 1857 - 1920 - Massachusetts, City of Boston Voter Registers, 1857-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Suffolk County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies[edit | edit source]
- Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02215
Phone 617-536-1608
Website
This is the oldest historical society in the country founded in 1791. It is a private library with no fee for access. They are not a genealogical library, though they hold historical material useful for genealogical research. Their strength is their vast manuscript holdings and pre-1820 print collection. They are the home for the Adams Family Papers. The library has free wifi access and their catalog is online
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
99-101 Newbury Street
Boston MA 02116
Phone 617-536-5740
Website
This is the oldest genealogical society in the United States founded in 1845 by members of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Its strengths are colonial period, New England, northeast United States, Eastern Canada, and United Kingdom. They have an extensive manuscript collection and a large genealogical database online that includes the Massachusetts Vital Records from 1841 to 1920. It is a private membership organization which grants the user access to their library holdings and online databases. There is free wifi in the library and their catalog is online.
- Suffolk 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
- Cary Memorial Library - an affiliate library
- Harvard-Yenching Library - an affiliate library
- New England Historic Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
- Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
- Thomas Crane Public Library - an affiliate library
Migration[edit | edit source]
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy included:[6]- Atlantic Ocean
- Bay Road about 1652 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts Genealogy[7] [8]
- Coast Path 1630 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy[9] [10]
- Kennebunk Road 1620 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy[11] [12]
- King's Highway, also known as the Boston Post Road, 1650s from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina Genealogy[13] [14]
- Mohawk or Iroquois Trail 1722 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Fort Oswego, New York[15] [16]
- Old Connecticut Path 1630 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut Genealogy[17] [18] [19]
- Old Roebuck Road 1636 from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island Genealogy[17] [20]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Suffolk, County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_County,_Massachusetts
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Suffolk 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.
- ↑ Abolished County Governments - Secretary of State.
- ↑ Massachusetts Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Suffolk County, Massachusetts," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_County,_Massachusetts, accessed 5 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).
- ↑ Handybook, 850, 856.
- ↑ Edgar Allen Beem, Maine Road Trip: Route 1: Many Names, One History in Down East - The Magazine of Maine (accessed 27 October 2014).
- ↑ 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, 851, 856.
- ↑ Mohawk Trail in Routes in the Northeastern United States: Historic Trail, Roads, and Migration Routes in RootsWeb (accessed 6 October 2014).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Handybook, 852, 856.
- ↑ Old Connecticut Path in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 28 October 2014).
- ↑ Boston Post Road in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 28 October 2014).
- ↑ Cobb's Tavern in Rising Star Lodge, A.F. and A.M. (accessed 16 October 2014).