Massachusetts Town Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1638 to 1961. It is an index to various town and vital marriages from these counties: Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester. Some church marriages are included in this collection.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Names of bride and groom
 * Marriage date
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Occupation of bride and groom


 * Birthplaces of bride and groom
 * Names of parents of bride and groom
 * Name and information about the officiator
 * Page or certificate number

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of the marriage
 * The town where the marriage occurred

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Massachusetts.
 * Massachusetts Guided Research
 * Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Ann Smith Lainhart. Digging for genealogical treasure in New England town records.Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996 FHL 974 N2L
 * Massachusetts town records : COLLECTION RECORD, ca. 1638-1961

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001

Related Digital Books

 * Carroll D. Wright, commissioner. Report on the custody and condition of the public records of parishes, towns, and counties. Boston, Massachusetts : Wright & Potter, 1889

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.