Hull, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy
This is a historical and genealogical guide to the town of Hull. You will find help with town histories, vital records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.
Contents
Town Clerk[edit | edit source]
253 Atlantic Ave
Hull, MA 02045
Phone: 781-925-2262 x 3803
Fax: 781-925-0224
Email: jbennett@town.hull.ma.us
Website
Brief History[edit | edit source]
Hull was a settlement in 1622 before it became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town was placed in Suffolk County when counties were formed in 1643. For a brief time, the town was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. When the new Norfolk County was formed in 1793, Hingham and Hull were cherry-picked to stay in Suffolk County while [Norfolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy|Norfolk County]] bordered it on the west and east. Hull was annexed to Plymouth County on 18 June 1803, still leaving its west and east borders with Norfolk County. Hull remains in Plymouth County.
Historical Data[edit | edit source]
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series[1] with additions from various sources.
Hull once was called Nantascot.
Village or section names include Allerton, Atlantic Hill, Bayside, Bumkin Island, Calf Island, Centre Hill, Great Allerton, Great Brewster Island, Green Hill, Green Island, Gun Rock, Hampton Hill Hull Beach, Hull Village, Jerry's Island, Kenberma, Little Brewster Island, Little Calf Island, Middle Brewster Island, Natasket, Nantasket Beach, Narrows Light, Outer Brewster Island, Park Island, Peddock's Island, Pemberton, Rockland Hill, Sagamore Hill, Shag Rocks Island, Spinnaker Island, Stoney Beach, Strawberry Hill, Sunset Point, Surfside, The Graves, Waveland, Whitehead, Willow Ledge, and Windemere.
| Dates | Events |
|---|---|
| 29 May 1644 | Nantascot changed its name to Hull. [Mass. Bay Rec., 2: 74] |
| 7 May 1662 | Brewster Islands determined by court to belong to Hull. [Mass. Bay Rec., 4: 2: 56] |
Town Histories[edit | edit source]
Works written on the town include:
- [James Lloyd Homer], Notes on the Seashore; or, Random Sketches, in relation to the Ancient Town of Hill ... (Boston, 1848), vii, 54 pp.
Digital version at Google Books. - Albert Matthews, "The Naming of Hull, Massachusetts" in the New England Historic Genealogical Register, 59 [1905]: 177-186.
Digital versions at Internet Archive (rep. ed.), Google Books, kobo books, and neotake.
WorldCat (Other Libraries) - 1905 rep. ed. - William M. Bergan, Old Nantasket (North Quincy, Mass., rev. ed., 1969), 154 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries). - Ethel Farrington Smith, Early Families of Hull, Massachusetts (Boston, 2007), xii, 254 pp.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482/H2 D2s.
- This book includes sketches on Baker, Bartlett, Benson, Bibble, Binney, Bosworth, Bunn, Camball, Chaffey, Chamberlain, Cheevers, Cole, Collier, Coomes, Goold, Green, Hanchet, Hett, Jones, Lincoln, Lobdell, Loring, Lovrell, Melby, Milton, Nightingale, Nile, Phippen, Prince, Shore, Simons, Snow, Soper, Squire, Steel, Stone, Stubbs, Torrey, Vickery, Ward, Wheaton, and Whitman.
- This book includes sketches on Baker, Bartlett, Benson, Bibble, Binney, Bosworth, Bunn, Camball, Chaffey, Chamberlain, Cheevers, Cole, Collier, Coomes, Goold, Green, Hanchet, Hett, Jones, Lincoln, Lobdell, Loring, Lovrell, Melby, Milton, Nightingale, Nile, Phippen, Prince, Shore, Simons, Snow, Soper, Squire, Steel, Stone, Stubbs, Torrey, Vickery, Ward, Wheaton, and Whitman.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
The town's vital records are available in many locations:
- Hull Town Clerk's Office
253 Atlantic Avenue
Hull MA 02045
Phone 781-925-2262 - Microfilm of the originals created by the Family History Library, Hull vital records, 1657-1841, FHL film 423529; 1843-1905, FHL film 2047538.
These records (to 1841) are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch. - Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering vital records, 163-1915, on 19 fiche. Part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index
- Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841:
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston MA 02125
Phone 617-727-2816
Email archives@sec.state.ma.us
Hours and Directions
See the online guide for more information.
- Vital Records of Hull, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, 1911).
This volume was microfilmed by the Family History Library, FHL film 873789 Item 2; transcribed online at Ray's Place; and in digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, Rootsweb, Ancestry ($), and GooBooGeni. In a database at American Ancestors ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.482/H2 V29b (digital link only).
- This includes, in part, the church records (C.R.) and the cemetery (G.R.1).
- This includes, in part, the church records (C.R.) and the cemetery (G.R.1).
- Hull vital records, 1657-1841, are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch.
City Directories[edit | edit source]
Hull was published in 1880-1881, 1894, 1917.
The Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) has one of the largest collections of city directories in the country. They are likely to own most of the years listed above. Their collection is in microfiche, microfilm, and books, but there is no online inventory of their holdings except for microfilm. See their guide online.
Other holdings:
- Ancestry ($) has none.
- Boston Public Library has none.
- Family History Library (Salt Lake City) has 1894 (with Hingham), 1917 on FHL film 2310325 Item 11.
- fold3 ($) has none.
- Massachusetts State Library has 1880-1881, 1894.
- New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1894, 1917.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Hull. For the location of the cemetery, see PlymouthColony website. For more details regarding these cemeteries, see the state guide under cemeteries for books on the subject.
- Hull Cemetery, 1710. (A, B)
Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to:
(A). Vital Records of Hull, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, 1911) [see links above under Vital Records].
(B). W. S. Barton, "Inscriptions from the Burying-Ground in Hull, Mass." in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 12 [1858]: 207-214, from the journal, transcribed online and abstracted online; also on findagrave.
Churches[edit | edit source]
The following is a list of churches established in town in order of organization date (if known) and condition of records in the 1889 survey if listed.
- Congregational Church, 1726-1789, records to 1767, FHL film 423528 (earlier records destroyed by fire before 1847).
- Methodist Episcopal, 1816, records imperfect before 1860. [perhaps the church listed next]
- St. Nicholas United Methodist Church, n.d.
- St. Mary of the Assumption Parish at St. Ann's Church, 1870 (as a mission of Hingham, 1938).
- St. Nicholas by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 1984.
- Temple Beth Shalom, n.d.
- Tri-Town Baptist church, n.d.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Hull Beacon, 1897-1920.
- Hull News (title varies), 1955-1974, 1986-1988.
- South Shore Chronicle, 1975-1987.
- Hull Times (title varies), 1979-present.
Libraries and Historical Societies[edit | edit source]
The following is a list of research facilities in town:
Hull Public Library
9 Main Street
Hull MA 02045
Phone 781-925-2295
Email hucirc@ocln.org
Hull Historical Society
PO Box 225
127 Spring Street
Hull MA 02045
Email hullhistoric@gmail.com
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ William Francis Galvin, Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts (Boston, new ed., 1997), 61-62. WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 H2h 1997
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