Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Description

 * Salem, Massachusetts at Wikipedia
 * Salem, Massachusetts Historical Background
 * Historical data relating to counties, cities, and towns in Massachusetts (Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1997), [FHL book 974.4 H2h 1997]

Parent Towns

 * 1620: A patent was granted by King James to the Duke of Lenox and a council of about forty men to rule, govern and plant this area.
 * 1626: Founded at the mouth of Naumkeag (a Wampanoag Indian name).
 * 1629: Roger Conant directed a company of Fisherman to start a beach community on the shores of Salem. The town was incorporated in 1629.
 * 23 August 1630: Mentioned "...Mattapan and Salem only exempted". (Mass. Bay Rec. Vol. I, p. 73)
 * 23 March 1836: Incorporated as a city.
 * 4 April 1836: Act of March 23, 1836, accepted by the town.
 * Archiac name: Fort Mary, Naumkeag, Nehume, Sholom Naumkeag.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places: Atlantic, Baker's Island, Blubber Hollow, Buffum's Corner, Carltonville, Castle Hill, Forest River, Gallows Hill, Juniper Point, Misery Island, Navon, North Salem, Salem Neck, Salem Willows, South Salem, The Point, Turnpike, Winter Island.

Boundary Changes

 * 4 March 1634: Bounds established between Marble Harbor and Salem.
 * 4 March 1635: Bounds established between Salem and Saugus, and Salem and Marblehead.
 * 20 November 1637: Bounds between Salem and Saugus certified.
 * 13 March 1639: Bounds between Salem and Lynn established.
 * 5 November 1639: Land granted to inhabitants of Salem establish Salem Village. Marginal note reads: "Land granted to Salem Village, now Wenham"
 * 13 May 1640: Grant of land to inhabitants of Salem for a village at "Jeffryes Creeke" and the bounds of the said village referred to certain men to settle.
 * 3 May 1642: Bounds between Jeffryes Creeke, Cape Ann and Ipswich, established
 * 14 May 1645: Part called "Jeffreyes Creek established as Manchester.
 * 2 May 1649: Part established as Marblehead
 * 19 October 1658: Bounds between Salem and Topsfield established.
 * 16 October 1660: Certain islands known by name of the "Miserjes &amp; Bakers island", granted to Salem.
 * 29 May 1664: Bounds between Salem and Topsfield established.
 * 7 November 1668: Port called "Bass River" established as Beverly.
 * 20 June 1728: Part included in new town of Middleton.
 * 11 September 1753: Part annexed to Beverly.
 * 17 March 1840: Bounds between Salem and Danvers established
 * 30 April 1856: Bounds between Salem and South Danvers established and part of each place annexed to the other place.
 * 3 April 1867: Part annexed to Swampscott.
 * 27 March 1882: Part of Peabody annexed.

Adjacent Towns
Essex Co.:  Beverly | Danvers | Lynn | Marblehead | Peabody | Swampscott

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Salem Town Clerk
93 Washington Street Salem, MA 01970 Phone: 978-745-9595 x 5610 Fax: 978-740-9209 Website

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Salem Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Essex County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places
 * Broad Street Cemetery 5 Broad St.
 * Charter Street Cemetery 51 Charter St.
 * Friends Cemetery 396 1/2 Essex St.
 * Greenlawn Cemetery 57 Orne St.
 * Harmony Grove Cemetery 30 Grove St.
 * Howard Street Cemetery 29 Howard St.
 * St. Mary's Cemetery 226 North St.
 * St. Peter's Cemetery 22-24 St. Peter St

Census

 * 1810 Salem, MA: United States 1810 Census at American Ancestors — index & images, ($)

Church Records

 * 1771-1827 Salem, MA: A Catalogue of the Members of the North Church, 1771-1827 at American Ancestors — index & images, ($)

City Directories

 * Various Dates (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1887-1964 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Salem at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * 1837-1962 Massachusetts, U.S., City Directories, Salem at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Court Records

 * 1636-1695 (*); Essex County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Land Records

 * Salem Massachusetts Deeds Online
 * Salem Massachusetts Historic Documents Online
 * Salem Massachusetts Native American Deeds

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boundary Map of Salem at HomeTownLocator
 * Massachusetts County Map at Mass.gov
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Massachusetts at Old-Maps.com
 * Salem at FamilySearch Places
 * Salem at Google Maps
 * Salem at Mapcarta
 * Massachusetts Maps State Page


 * GNIS ID # 619453

Migration
Vessels sailing from Salem, Massachusetts between 1799 and 1879 made over 7900 voyages to foreign ports. A Crew List was required to be filed stating the vessel's destination and its crew. An Index to those Lists, containing 75,770 names, may be found at http://library.mysticseaport.org/initiative/CrIndex.cfm. The Index may provide the following information: • Name • Age • Birth Place • Residence • Complexion • Voyage (Name of ship and date)

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Other Town Records
The Great Salem Fire greatly impacted the industrial area of Salem. The Phillips Library digitalized collection presents a detailed account of the global nature of commercial outreach by Essex County residents in the 18th and 19th centuries.Great Salem Fire, June 25, 1914
 * Massachusetts sailor's crew lists at Mysticseaport.org. Between 1799 and 1879 over 7900 voyages to foreign ports sailed from Salem, Massachusetts. Prior to sailing the shipmaster or captain of each vessel was required to file a crew list containing information about the vessel's destination and its crew. This website provides an index to those crew lists. Containing over 75,770 names, it also provides access to crew members based upon age, complexion, birthplace, and residence place

Libraries

 * Phillips Library A documentation and research division of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. They have both physical and digital collections available for research.

Museums
Peabody Essex Museum  161 Essex St Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Phone: 978-745-1876 Call ahead for hours

Family History Centers & Affiliate Libraries
Lynnfield Massachusetts  400 E Essex St Lynnfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Phone: 781-334-5586 Call ahead for hours Closed: The month of August
 * Exeter New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Lynnfield Massachusetts Family History Center
 * Nashua New Hampshire Family History Center
 * Derry Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Halton Hills Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Memorial Hall Library - an affiliate library
 * Newburyport Public Library - an affiliate library
 * North Hampton Public Library and Cultural Center - an affiliate library
 * Parker Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies

 * New England Historic Genealogical Society 99 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116-3007 Phone: (1-617) 536-5740

(See Archives and Libraries under Essex County, Massachusetts for hours and library collections) This library holds the many of the early colonial collections for Salem and Salem Village now Danvers, Massachusetts.