Massachusetts, Biographical Directory of Loyalists - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection is an index and images from a published book entitled, "Divided hearts, Massachusetts loyalists, 1765-1790 : a biographical directory." The book contains genealogies for many of the loyalists. These images are courtesy of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Record Content
This published genealogy may contain the following information:
 * Full names of ancestors
 * Birth dates and places
 * Christening dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Death dates and places
 * Burial dates and places
 * Parents’ names
 * Spouses’ names
 * Other events

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor’s name.
 * Other identifying information such as residence, birthdate or age, names of other family members and family relationships

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Book Title " category which takes you to the images

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information


 * Use an estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the event dates and places to find family in census, church, and land records.
 * Obtain copies of birth, marriage and death certificates using the information gathered from the record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).

Related Websites

 * New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS)
 * Loyalists of Massachusetts
 * NEHGS Massachusetts Genealogies
 * PlymouthAncestors.org
 * AmericanAncestors.org Blog

Related Wiki Articles

 * Massachusetts Genealogy
 * American Loyalists
 * Loyalist Ancestors in the U.S. Revolutionary War
 * Revolutionary War Loyalist Records
 * Québec American Loyalist Settlers (National Institute)
 * New Brunswick Loyalist Settlers and Records (National Institute)
 * New Brunswick Additional Loyalist Settlers and Records (National Institute)
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Guide
 * Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: