Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachusetts  Plymouth  Plymouth

Brief History
This area was a Wampanoag settlement called Patuxet left vacant due to a recent outbreak of a European borne disease likely contracted from contact with European fishermen a few years earlier for which they had no immunity. The "Pilgrims" anchored in the harbor on 17 December 1620 in search of a place to build shelter for the winter. They started moving on shore four days later. This established Plymouth as the oldest, permanent English settlement in North America. It was the seat of government for Plymouth Colony, and later Plymouth County when counties were formed in 1685. For a brief time, the town was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. The town is still in Plymouth County, though was in limbo, until the "Colony" was merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691 that became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Plymouth is steeped in history and lore. The town cemented its reputation as America's "hometown" in the mid-19th century when much was written about the early town history and intertwining it with the glory of a young nation -- much to the consternation of the older Jamestown in Virginia.

Historical Data
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series with additions from various sources. Associated names Plymouth, or parts of it, have been called at one time Accomack, Agawam Plantation, Apaum, Kamesit, Kitaumet, New Plymouth, Patuxet, Plimouth, Sauquish, Tionet, and Umpame.

Village or section names include Barkers, Billington Sea, Cedarville, Chiltonville, Clark's Island, Collingwood, Cordage (formerly Seaside), Darby, Eagle Hill, Ellis Four Corners, Ellisville, Four Corners, Gurnet, Hobs Hole, Holmes Dam, Jabez Corner, Jackson's Brook, Little Long Pond, Long Pond, Manomet, Morton Park, Manter's Point, North Plymouth, Oak Ridge, Plymouth Woods, Poverty Point, Priscilla Beach, Pumping Station, Raymond Red Brook, Rocky Hill, Saquish, South Plymouth, South Pond Village, Stoney Beach, Vallerville, Wares, Wellingsley, West Plymouth, and White Horse Beach. Border changes Top of Page

Town Histories
Works written on the town include:


 * James Thacher, History of the Town of Plymouth, from its first settlement in 1620, to the present time (Boston, 1832; Boston, 2nd ed., 1835), iv, 401 pp. Digital version of the second edition at Internet Archive, Google Books, and on Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.


 * William T. Davis, Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth: Pt. I. Historical Sketch and Titles of Estates. Pt. II. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families (Boston, 1883; Boston, 2nd ed., 1899), vii, 350, 312 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link. Jayne Pratt Lovelace, A Cross-Index to William T. Davis' Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families (Higganum, Conn., 1989), 226 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries). Master Index of Persons in Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth Parts I &amp; II (Pittsfield, Mass., 2006), 142 leaves. . Part Two reprinted separately as Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families (Baltimore, Md., 1975), 363 pp. Digital version at Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Digital version of the second edition at Internet Archive and Google Books (pt. 1 only).


 * Part II is devoted to the genealogy of town families. It includes the families: Abbott, Adams, Albertson, Alden, Alexander, Allen / Allyn, Allerton, Ames, Anderson, Andrews / Andros, Angel, Annable, Apling, Armitage, Armor, Armstrong, Arnold, Ashley, Atkins, Atkinson, Attequin, Atwood, Austin, Avery, Babb, Bacon, Badger, Bagnall, Bailey, Baker, Ballard, Banden, Bangs, Banks, Barker, Barnbay, Barnes, Barney, Barrett, Barrows, Barstow, Bartlett, Barton, Bassett, Bates, Battles, Baxter, Beale, Bearse, Beck, Belcher, Bell, Bemis, Benias, Benson, Bent, Berry, Besse, Best, Bicknell, Billington, Bisbee, Bishop, Black, Blackmer, Blanch, Blish, Bliss, Blossom, Boardman, Bonham, Bonney, Bosworth, Boult, Boutelle, Bourne, Bowdoin, Bowen, Bowers, Bowland, Boylston, Brace, Bradford, Bramhall, Branch, Breck, Brett, Brewer, Brewster, Briggs, Brigham, Brimmer, Britteridge, Brooks, Brown, Bryant, Buckley, Budge, Bugbee, Bumpus, Bumpo, Bundy, Bunker, Burbank, Burchard, Burgess, Burke, Burn, Burt, Butterworth, Caesar, Cahoon, Calderwood, Calley, Calwell, Campbell, Cannon, Capen, Capet, Carter, Carver, Case, Cassidy, Caswell, Cato, Chalker, Chambers, Chandler, Chapman, Chase, Chauncy, Childs, Chilton, Chipman, Chubbuck, Chummuck, Church, Churchill, Claghorn, Clark, Clough, Coade, Cobb, Coding, Coffin, Colburn, Cole, Coleway, Collier, Collingwood, Collins, Comstock, Conant, Congdon, Conlkin, Connell, Conner, Connett, Cook, Coombs, Coomer, Cooper, Corbin, Cornish, Corpse, Cotton, Covell, Covington, Cowen, Cox, Coye, Crackstone, Crandon, Crapo, Croade, Crombie, Crosby, Crossman, Croswell, Crow, Crowley, Crymble, Cuff, Cuffee, Cunningham, Curtis, Cushing, Cushman, Cuthbertson, Cutler, Cuttnett, Damon, Danforth, Daniel, Darling, Davie, Davis, Deacon, Dean, Deburroughs, Decosta, Decro, Deerskins, Delano, Dennis, Derby, Dexter, Dewet, Dickson, Dike, Dillard, Dillington, Diman, Dix, Doeane, Doggett, Dolphin, Donnley, Doty / Doten, Douglass, Dow, Drake, Drew, Ducy, Dugle, Dunbar, Dunham, Duparr, Durfey, Durkin, Dutch, Dyer, Eames, Eastland, Eaton, Ebed, Eddy, Edes, Edwards, Eldridge, Ellenwood, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Ely, Emerson, English, Ephraims, Ereck, Erland, Evans, Everson, Ewer, Fales, Fallowell, Farmer, Farnam, Farris, Faunce, Fearing, Fessenden, Field, Finn, Finney, Fish, Fisher, Fitts, Fitzgerald, Flanders, Flavell, Flemmons, Fletch, Flood, Fogg, Ford, Foster, Fottears, Fountain, Fowler, Freeman, French, Frink, Fulgham, Fuller, Gale, Gamble, Gammon, Gardine, Gardner, Garlic, German, Gibbs, Gifford, Gilbert, Filman, Gilmore, Ginney, Glasse, Gleason, Glover, Goddard, Gooding, Goodman, Goodwin, Gordon, Gorham, Gould, Gray, Grayton, Green, Greenleaf, Griffin, Grimes, Gunderson, Gurnet, Hacket, Hackman, Hadaway, Hall, Hallet, Hambleton, Hamblin, Hamilton, Hammatt, Hammond, Hanbury, Hanckford, Hanks, Harding, Harlow, Harmon, Harrington, Harris, Hart, Harvey, Haskell, Haskins, Hatch, Hathaway, Hatherly, Hayes, Haynes, Hayward, Heard, Hedge, Hely, Hersey, Heward, Hewes, Hicks, Higgins, Highton, Hill, Hilton, Hinckley, Hines, Hix, Hobart, Hodge, Hodgkins, Hoge, Holbeck, Holbrook, Holland, Hollis, Holman, Holmes, Holt, Hook, Hooker, Hopkins, Horton, Hosea, Hosmer, Hovey, Howard, Howe(s), Howland, Hoxie, Hoye, Hoyt, Hubbard, Humphreys, Hunt, Hurst, Huston, Hutchinson, Irish, Ivey, Jack, Jackson, James, Jarvis, Jeffrey, Jenney, Jennings, Jenkins, Jerman, Job, Johnson, Hones, Joslin, Jordaine, Judson, Keen, Keith, Kempton, Kendall, Kendrick, Kennedy, Kent, Keyes, Kimball, King, Knapp, Kneeland, Knowles, Lahorne, Lakey, Lane, Langmore, Langford, Lanman, Langnell, Lapham, Latham, Lawrence, Lazell, Leach, LeBaron, Lee, Leister, Lemote, Leonard, Lester, Lettice, Lewin, Lewis, Liberty, Lincoln, Ling, Liscom, Litchfield, Little, Littlejohn, Lobdell, Locke, Lombart, Long, Loring, Lothrop, Loud, Louden, Lovell, Lucas, Luce, Lunenburg, Lunt, Lyford, Mackeel, Mackie, Macomber, Maglathlin, Magoon, Mahommen, Mallise, Manchester, Mange, Mann, Manter, Marcy, Margeson, Marrence, Marsh, Marshall, Marston, Martin, Mason, Masteron, Matthews, May, Mayfield, Mayhew, Maynard, Mayo, Maxim, McCarter, McFerson, McMahon, Mehurin, Melick, Melvin, Mednall, Mendlove, Mercer, Merrifield, Merry, Mevis, Miller, Milligen, Mintz, Mitchell, Moore, Morey, Morang, Morope, Morrell, Morris, Morse, Morton, Moses, Mullins, Mundo, Murdock, Murphy, Nash, Ned, Nelson, Newberry, Newcomb, Newman, Nickerson, Nicholas, Nichols, Nightingale, Norcut, Norman, Norris, Nott, Nummuck, Nute, Nutting, Nye, O'Brien, Oldham, Oliver, Olney, Osborne, Otis, Ozment, Packard, Packer, Paddock, Paddy, Paine, Palmer, Pappoon, Parker, Pattison, Paty, Paulding, Peach, Peak, Pearson, Peckham, Pelham, Penniman, Peniss, Perias, Perkins, Pero, Perrigo, Perry, Peters, Peterson, Phillips, Pierce, Pitman, Pitt, Plasket, Pocknot, Pollard, Pompey, Pomroy, Pontus, Pool, Pope, Porter, Pouldard, Pratt, Prence, Price, Priest, Prince, Proctor, Prower, Pulsifer, Purdy, Quackom, Quamony, Quash, Quoy, Rafe, Ramsden, Rand, Randall, Ransom, Rattliffe, Raymond, Read, Reding, Renells, Renoff, Revis, Reyner, Rice, Rich, Richards, Richmond, Rickard, Rider, Ridgebi, Rigdale, Ring, Ripley, Robbins, Roberts, Robertson, Robin, Robinson, Rodgers, Rogers, Rolfe, Rowley, Ruggles, Russell, Sachems, Saffin, Sampson, Sangarele, Sanger, Sargent, Saunders, Savery, Savil, Sawyer, Scarret, Scott, Scudder, Sears, Sekins, Seller, Sepitt, Sever, Seymour, Shattuck, Shaw, Shepard, Shrieve, Sherman, Shumway, Shurtleff, Silas, Silvera, Skiff, Simes, Simmons, Slocum, Small, Smalley, Smith, Snow, Soule, Souther, Southwick, Southworth, Sparhawk, Sparrow, Spear, Spinks, Spooner, Sprague, Squib, Stacey, Stackpole, Staff, Standish, Steele, Steenbeck, Stephens, Stephenson, Stetson, Stewart, Stoddard, Stoops, Story, Straffin, Streeter, Studley, Sturgis, Sturney, Sturtevant, Sutton, Swift, Swinburn, Swinerton, Sylvester, Symmes, Taber, Talbot, Taylor, Tench, Tessier, Thatcher, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Thrasher, Throop, Thurber, Thurston, Tilden, Tilley, Tillson, Timberlake, Tinkham, Tinker, Tisdale, Tobey, Torrance, Torrey, Totman, Toto, Towns, Townsend, Toxe, Tracy, Trask, Trent, Tribble, Truant, Tucker, Tufts, Tupper, Turner, Twiney, Unquit, Vail, Valentine, Valler, Vaughn, Vay, Veazie, Vermayes, Vincent, Virgin, Vose, Wade, Wadsworth, Wait, Walker, Wall, Wallen, Wallins, Wallis, Wampum, Ward, Warren, Washburn, Waterman, Watkins, Watson, Webb, Webber, Webster, Weed, Weeks, Wellington, Wells, West, Westgate, Weston, Wethered, Wharton, Whitbeck, White, Whitehouse, Whiting / Whitten, Whitman, Whitmarsh, Whittemore, Whitworth, Whood, Wicket, Wilcockes, Wilder, Wilkins, Willard, Willet, Williams, Willis, Wilson, Wing, Winslow, Winsor, Winter, Wiswall, Witherell, Wood, Woodward, Wooten, Wright, and Young.

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 * William T. Davis, ed., Records of the Town of Plymouth (Plymouth, Mass., 1889-1903), 1636 to 1783 in 3v. Digital versions at Internet Archive (vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3), Google Books (vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3), and Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link.
 * Plymouth Wikipedia page.

Vital Records
The town's vital records are available in many locations: Original records Published records Top of Page
 * Plymouth Town Clerk's Office 11 Lincoln Street Plymouth MA 02360 Phone 508-747-1620 x169 Email [mailto:administrator@townhall.plymouth.ma.us administrator@townhall.plymouth.ma.us]
 * Microfilm of the originals created by the Family History Library, 1699-1893, ; Births and Marriages, 1853-1964, ; Index to Deaths, 1855-1910,.
 * Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering town records that included vital records and a few other town records, 1663-1910, on 118 fiche. Part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index.
 * Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841. See the guide to the state for more information here.
 * Lee D. van Antwerp, comp., and Ruth Wilder Sherman, ed., Vital Records of Plymouth, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Camden, Me., 1993), x, 774 pp., indexed This volume is a verbatim transcript of the records from the town books that begun in 1686. The last section of the book is the vital records that were entered on the Colony records from 1633 to 1686 that pertain to Plymouth. These were previously published by Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, but these are known to have transcription errors, so the corrections that appeared in the Mayflower Descendant were used for this book. There may be duplication of what appeared in the town book, but this list is the complete record from the Colony. The only digital version is at American Ancestors ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Leonard H. Smith Jr., Vital records of the town of Plymouth: an authorized facsimile reproduction of records published serially 1901- 1935 in the Mayflower Descendant With added index of persons (Baltimore, Md., 1989), 327 pp. Digital version at Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * "Marriage and Baptisms of Rev. Ivory Hovey, 1775-1803" online at American Ancestors ($).
 * "Marriages Entered on the Court Records of Plymouth County, Mass." in Pilgrim Notes and Queries, 3 [1915]: 120-122, Plymouth at 121 covering 1693 and 1694.

City Directories
Plymouth was published in 1846, 1860, 1864, 1887/8, 1890, 1893, 1896, 1898/9, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1924, 1932.

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:

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 * Ancestry ($) has none.
 * Boston Public Library has 1846, 1860, 1903-1932.
 * Family History Library (Salt Lake City) has 1846, 1860, 1887/8, 1890, 1896, 1898/9, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1924, 1932 on.
 * fold3 ($) has none.
 * Massachusetts State Library has 1887/8, 1890, 1893, 1896, 1898/9, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1924, 1932.
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1864, 1887/8, 1890, 1893, 1898/9, 1905, 1911, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1924, 1932.

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Plymouth. Use the map on PlymouthColony.net to locate the cemeteries. For more details regarding these cemeteries, see the state guide under cemeteries for books on the subject.


 * Bassett Cemeter, 1835. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Bates Burial Ground, 1867.
 * Beth Jacob Cemetery, n.d.
 * Blackmar Hill Burial Ground, 1830.
 * Brailey Burial Ground, 1854. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Burial Hill Cemetery, 1622. (A) Bradford Kingman, Epitaphs from Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts, from 1657 to 1892, with biographical and historical notes (Brookline, Mass., 1892), xv, 330 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, and Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Benjamin Drew, Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts: Its Monuments and Gravestones Numbered and Briefly Described (Plymouth, Mass., [1894]), viii, 177 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link. Frank H. Perkins, Handbook of Old Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts: Its History, Its Famous Dead, and Its Quaint Epitaphs (Plymouth, Mass., 1896; rep. 1902), 49 pp. [not a complete listing]. Digital versions at Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/handbookofoldbur00perk (1896) or (1902)) and Google Books (1896). WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Barbara J. Bradford, Burial Hill in the 1990s, Massachuesetts [sic] (Plymouth, Mass., 2000), xxxix, 650, 6 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Cedarville Cemetery, 1821. (B) Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Chiltonville Cemetery, 1729. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Christ Episcopal Church Columbarium, n.d.
 * Coles Hill Burial Ground, 1620.
 * Douglas Burying Ground, 1828. (B)
 * Faunce Memorial Burial Park, 1886. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Fawn Pond Cemetery, n.d.
 * Harlow-Savery Cemetery, 1806. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Herring Pond Wampanoag Indian / Bournedale Cemetery, 1849. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Indian Cemetery, 1818.
 * King Cemetery, 1838. (B) Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Lakewood / Hirsch Indian Cemetery, 1831. (A) Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Lower Herring Pond Cemetery, 1825.
 * Lucas Cemetery, 1818. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Lucas-Thrasher Cemetery, 1800.
 * Manomet Cemetery, 1806. (B)
 * Nickerson Burial Ground, 1800.
 * Nighingale Cemetery, 1874. (B)
 * Oak Grove Cemetery, 1803. (B) Online transcription for Oak Grove and Vill Hill Cemeteries together on U.S. GenWeb Tombstones in 18 parts: Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Pt. 8 | Pt. 9 | Pt. 10 | Pt. 11 | Pt. 12 | Pt. 13 | Pt. 14 | Pt. 15 | Pt. 16 | Pt. 17 | Pt. 18 |
 * Parting Ways Cemetery, 18th century.
 * Plymouth County Memorial Cemetery, 1970.
 * Raymond-Newcomb Cemetery, 1800.
 * Redding / Bloody Pond Cemetery, 1851.
 * Russell Mill Cemetery, 1833. (B) Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cemetery, 1863.
 * Shurtleff Burial Ground, 1776.
 * South Pond Cemetery, 1793. Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.
 * Valler Cemetery, 1845.
 * Vine Hill Cemetery, 1800. [see Oak Grove Cem. above as they are side-by-side]
 * Watson Cemetery, 1853.
 * Whitehorse Cemetery, 1717-1943. (A) Online transcription on U.S. GenWeb.

Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to: (A). New England Historic Genealogical Society, Manuscripts Dept. (B). Charles M. Thatcher, Old Cemeteries of Southeastern Massachusetts (Middleborough, Mass., 1995). WorldCat (Other Libraries);. Top of Page

Churches
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. More recent churches are not listed here.


 * First Parish Church (Unitarian), 1606/1620, records incomplete. This church split during the Great Awakening and the Third Parish Church was established in 1744. That church was abandoned by 1787 and a few years later, merged back with the First Parish. The church was split again in 1801 and the Third Church of Christ was established in 1802 (and now called the Church of the Pilgrimage). Plymouth Church Records, 1620-1859 (Boston, 1920-1923; rep. Baltimore, 1975), volumes 22 and 23 of the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Collections. Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2), Google Books (v. 1 only), Ancestry ($, indexed but not initially browsable), and in a database at American Ancestors ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries) - 1975 rep.; (1920-1923) or.
 * Second Congregational Church (now Second Church of Plymouth), South Plymouth (Manomet), 1738, records good after 1746.
 * Third Parish Church, 1744, merged back with First Parish Church shortly after 1787. [see First Parish history above]
 * Third Church of Christ (now Church of the Pilgrimage (Congregational)), 1802. [see First Parish history above] Records on microfilm as Church records, 1749-1824, [Seemingly records from "both" Third churches].
 * First Baptist Church, 1808, records good.
 * Eel River Church, later the Fourth Congregational Church, and now Chiltonville Congregational Church, Chiltonville, 1814, records good.
 * Universalist Church, 1822, records fair. [This church burned in 1938, was dormant, then merged with First Parish in 1960s]
 * "Christian Society," 1825. [Second Advent Society organized in 1843 and merged here. Referred in Davis' history, 1: 105-106]
 * Robinson Church, 1830. [referred in Davis' history, 1: 103]
 * Methodist Episcopal Church (now Plymouth United Methodist Church), 1843, condition not given.
 * Christ Church Parish, Protestant Episcopal, later Episcopal, 1844, records good.
 * Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Russell's Mills, 1857-1865, merger wtih Methodist Episcopal Church (above).
 * Fifth Congregational Church, Chiltonville, 1862, records good.
 * Wellingsley Union Chapel, Jabez Corner, 1868-early 20th century. [Not in 1889 survey, though records in private hands in 2012]
 * African Methodist Episcopal Church, now called the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Sever St., 1871, records fair.
 * St. Peter's Catholic Church, 1876, condition not given.
 * Jesus Christ, Church of Latter Day Saints, North Plymouth, 1882, records good.
 * Faunce Church, by 1887 [Not in 1889 survey, but referred by Davis' history, 1: 106].

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Newspapers

 * Plymouth Journal, 1785-1786.
 * Old Colony Memorial (title varies), 1822-1861, 1864-1868, 1872-1916, 1989-2006.
 * Old Colony Sentinel, 1867-1868.
 * Plymouth Rock Free Press, 1872.
 * Plymouth Observer, 1905.
 * South of Boston, 1991-2004.

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Libraries and Historical Societies
The following is a list of research facilities in town:

Plymouth Public Library 132 South Street Plymouth MA 02360 Phone 508-830-4250 See their Genealogy Collection

General Society of Mayflower Descendants Research Library PO Box 3297 4 Winslow Street [behind historic house] Plymouth MA 02361 508-746-3188 Email [mailto:gsmd.hist@verizon.net gsmd.hist@verizon.net]

Pilgrim Hall Museum 75 Court Street Plymouth MA 02360 Phone 508-746-1620 Email [mailto:director@pilgrimhall.org director@pilgrimhall.org] [This is a historical facility, not genealogical]

Plimoth Plantation [museum] PO Box 1620 137 Warren Avenue Plymouth MA 02360 508-746-1622

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at: Massachusetts, Plymouth County Probate Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)