Dukes County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachusetts  Dukes County

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

Brief History
The region was first recorded in detail by Capt. Gosnold in 1602 who named the string of islands after his daughter Elizabeth, which later became the town of Gosnold. Fishermen were the first to occupy the islands in the early 1600s. Settlements develop in the 1640s. Town records begin in 1671. County government is established in 1683 by New York. These records are rumored to be in Albany, but as yet have not been identified. Records after 1695 are complete.

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

Top of Page

Towns and Cities
The following list of present-day Dukes County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city. Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head, 1870) | Chilmark (1714) Edgartown (1671) | Gosnold (1864) Oak Bluffs (1880) | Tisbury (1671) West Tisbury (1892)    Top of Page

County Histories
Works written on the county include:

Top of Page
 * Charles Edward Banks, The History of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1911-1925; rep. Edgartown, Mass., 1966), 3v. WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1966 rep.); FHL book 974.494 H2b 1966 v. # (with digital link). Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2 only), Google Books (v. 2 only), and Hathi Trust (search only on v. 3).
 * Allen Gannett, "A Complete List of Congregational Ministers of Dukes County, Mass. ..." in American Quarterly Register, 15 [1842/3]: 492-498. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jacqueline L. Holland, "The African-American Presence on Martha's Vineyard" in Dukes County Intelligencer, 33 [Aug. 1991]: 3-26. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Joseph J. Iarocci, "Martha's Vineyard Gravestones from 1688 to 1804: an historical study" in Dukes County Intelligencer, 22 [Aug. 1980]: 125-159. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Sydney N. Riggs, "The Episcopal Churches of Martha's Vineyard" in Dukes County Intelligencer, 2 [Nov. 1960]: 3-4. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jerome D. Segel and R. Andrew Pierce, The Wampanoag genealogical history of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts : referenced to Banks' History of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. (Baltimore, 2003), v. 1 (ix, 677 pp.). WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.494 D2s. Note: Volume 2 will be the genealogical compilation of this work.
 * Milton A. Travers, The Wampanoag Indian Tribute Tribes of Martha's Vineyard ... (New Bedford, Mass.?, 1960), 78 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * The Dukes County MAGenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Family History Library catalog for Dukes County

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 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.

See also How to order Massachusetts Vital Records or order electronically online.

Top of Page

Land Records
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.

Dukes County Registry of Deeds PO Box 5231 81 Main Street Edgartown MA 02539 Phone 508-627-4025 Email [mailto:info@dukescounty.org info@dukescounty.org] Original records

The earliest records under New York jurisdiction are found under Record of deeds, 1652-1884, Series A0453, New York State Archives, Albany. Few deeds were recorded in practice those the Duke's Laws of 1665 provided for it. These records have been microfilmed and these films are available at the Archives and FHL (though not yet identified in the FHL catalog).

Records are available at the Registry. Their records ONLINE are:

Original records on microfilm
 * Recorded Land [i.e. deeds], 1982-present. Note: There is an unindexed property search, but what is available is not stated and it does not go back to the earliest records.
 * Recorded Plans, 1900-present.
 * Registered Land [i.e. land court], 1979-present.
 * Registered Land Plans, 1899-present.

Top of Page
 * Proprietors' records, A-D (1641-1717), 1-2 (1641-1857), index, 1641-1857, at FHL films 911728-911731 and New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Deeds, 1-42 (1641-1872), at FHL films 911707-911727 and New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Probate Records
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 Genealogy Guide.

Dukes Probate and Family Court Dukes County Courthouse PO Box 237 81 Main Street Edgartown MA 02539 Phone 508-627-4703 Email [mailto:info@dukescounty.org info@dukescounty.org]

The original records are either at the courthouse or at the Judicial Archives in Boston. Their located has not been researched. Original records on microfilm Top of Page
 * Record books, v. 1-14, 1690-1938 (each v. with different documents), FHL films 911754-911759, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Massachusetts Archives.
 * Will books, v. 1-23, 1690-1885, FHL films 911747-911753 and Massachusetts Archives.
 * Record books, miscellaneous documents, 1700-1870, FHL film 911746 and Massachusetts Archives.

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 [mailto:Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us] Top of Page | Top of Court

Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace
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.

The records microfilmed:

Top of Page | Top of Court
 * Court of General Sessions of the Peace, docket, 1730-1757, 1782-1806, at Massachusetts Archives.
 * Court of General Sessions of the Peace, record books, 1798-1837, at Massachusetts Archives.

Inferior Court of Common Pleas
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.

The records microfilmed:

Top of Page | Top of Court
 * Court of Common Pleas, docket, 1783-1839, at Massachusetts Archives.
 * Court of Common Pleas, record books, 1809-1817, 1836-1839, at Massachusetts Archives.

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.

There are no records microfilmed. The original records are either in the county courthouse or at the Judicial Archives. Their location has not been researched. Top of Page | Top of Court

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.

There are no records microfilmed. The original records are either in the county courthouse or at the Judicial Archives. Their location has not been researched. Top of Page | Top of Court

County Commissioners' Court
There has been no good description found for the function and authority of this court. It is referenced since records have been located.

Top of Page | Top of Court
 * Records, 1823-1838,, at Massachusetts Archives.

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.

There are no records microfilmed for the Federal or State County courts. Top of Page | Top of Court

Maps
Top of Page
 * For a list of record loss in Massachusetts counties see: Massachusetts Counties with Burned Courthouses
 * Henry Francis Walling, Map of the counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket, Massachusetts, based upon the trigonometrical survey of the state (1858) at FHL fiche 6079543 and the Norman B.Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library.

Dukes County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies
See also a List of Massachusetts Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Martha's Vineyard Museum PO Box 1310 59 School Street Edgartown MA 02539 Phone 508-627-4441 This research facility has the most extensive genealogical services on the island. Top of Page

Dukes County Massachusetts Web Sites

 * Unicoi County, MA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

Dukes County Massachusetts Genealogy References
Adjacent counties: Massachusetts: Barnstable | Nantucket | Plymouth New York: Suffolk County