Halifax, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachusetts  Plymouth  Halifax

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the town of Halifax. You will find help with town histories, vital records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.

Brief History
This area was first settled in 1669 part of Plymouth Colony. The area was placed in Plymouth County when counties were formed in 1685. For a brief time, the area was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. The area 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. It was established as a town from parts of Middleborough, Pembroke, and Plympton in 1734.

Historical Data
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series with additions from various sources. Associated names Bridgewater was once called Monponsett.

Village or section names include Halifax Station, Monoponsett, and South Halifax. Border changes Top of Page

Town Histories
Works written on the town include:

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 * Guy S. Baker, History of Halifax, Massachusetts (Halifax, Mass., 1976), 191 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Halifax Wikipedia page.

Vital Records
The town's vital records are available in many locations: Original records Published records Online records Top of Page
 * Halifax Town Clerk's Office 499 Plymouth Street Halifax MA 02338 Phone 781-293-7970
 * Microfilm of the originals created by the Family History Library, Halifax town and vital records, 1734-1856, ; 1841-1905, . These records are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch.
 * Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering town records that included vital records and a few other town records, 1703-1902, on 56 fiche. Part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index
 * Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841: Massachusetts Archives 220 Morrissey Blvd. Boston MA 02125 Phone 617-727-2816 Email [mailto:archives@sec.state.ma.us archives@sec.state.ma.us] Hours and Directions See the online guide for more information.
 * Vital Records of the town of Halifax, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 (Boston, 1905). This volume was microfilmed by the Family History Library, (with digital link) and in digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($), and abstracted online. In a database at American Ancestors ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);  (with digital link).
 * Halifax town and vital records, 1734-1856 and 1841-1905, are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch.

City Directories
Halifax was published in 1902/3, 1906, 1910, 1914.

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 ($) has 1884, 1889, 1892.
 * Boston Public Library has 1914 (under Carver).
 * Family History Library (Salt Lake City) has 1906, 1910, 1914 (with Carver) on.
 * fold3 ($) has none.
 * Massachusetts State Library has 1902/3, 1906, 1910, 1914.
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1902/3, 1906, 1910, 1914 (with Carver.

Cemeteries
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Halifax. For a map of their location with links to some transcriptions, see PlymouthColony.net.


 * Central Cemetery, 1830. (A)
 * Drew Family Plot, 1807. (A)
 * Hudson-Briggs Family Tomb, 1819. (B - on the East Bridgewater town line)
 * Perkins Lot, 1811. (A)
 * Sturtevant / Monponsett Pond / East Cemetery, 1728. (A)
 * Thomson Cemetery, 1734. (A)

Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to: (A). Charles M. Thatcher, Old Cemeteries of Southeastern Massachusetts (Middleborough, Mass., 1995). WorldCat (Other Libraries); (B). Vital Records of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, 1917) [see links above under Vital Records]. 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.


 * Halifax Congregational Church, 1734, records good, but no records before 1824.
 * Baptist Church, n.d., no longer extant with some records with the Middleborough Town Clerk.
 * Calvary Baptist Church, n.d.
 * Our Lady of the Lake Church, n.d.

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Newspapers

 * Halifax Reporter, 1984-present.

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

Holmes Public Library 470 Plymouth Street Halifax MA 02338 Phone 781-293-2271 Email [mailto:hfxpl@sailsinc.org hfxpl@sailsinc.org]