Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Guide to Suffolk County, Massachusetts ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named for Suffolk, England, which means "southern folk. It is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Suffolk County Courthouse 3 Pemberton Square Boston, MA 02108 Phone: 617-788-8175

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Boston needed to grow its tax base, so over the years, various towns were annexed to Boston. These towns had a vibrant history and their own set of records before they became part of Boston and thus Suffolk County. These towns are:

History Timeline
Suffolk County was one of the four original counties when Massachusetts Bay Colony created counties in 1643 and had an undefined western border. It established and claimed as far west as Woodstock, Connecticut. Initially, the county included Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Dedham, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, and Nantasket [now Hull]. In 1671, Mendon was added from Middlesex County. For a brief time, the county was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. The county eventually became part of the Royal colony of Massachusetts Bay. All towns to the south were lost to the creation of Norfolk County in 1793, leaving only Boston and Chelsea. Hingham and Hull protested their removal and thus remained in Suffolk County until they were transferred to Plymouth County in 1803. Boston was incorporated as a city in 1822. The city started annexing towns back: Roxbury (1868), Dorchester (1870), Brighton (1874), Charlestown (1874), West Roxbury (1874), and Hyde Park (1912). The county government was abolished on 1 July 1999, but its former jurisdiction is used for state offices as a district.

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

Census Records

 * 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1789-1920 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston Archdiocese Roman Catholic Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * FamilySearch Places

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. For all Original records Contact Court Archivist

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]

County Court This court was active from 1636 (called a quarterly court and then the county court when Suffolk was created in 1643) to 1692. The court heard all civil causes up to 10 shillings (raised to 40 shillings in 1647) and all criminal causes not concerning life, limb, or banishment. These were all jury trials. These records are included in the Suffolk Files mentioned above.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1629-1797 (*) Suffolk County Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1680-1692 (*) Suffolk County Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

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. A county copy of marriages were recorded here from 1726 to 1737.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1735-1780 (*) Suffolk County Court of General Sessions of Peace at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Microfilm Originals at the Massachusetts Archives:
 * Record books, 1702-1855 (141 reels)

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.

Online Court Indexes and Records Originals at the Massachusetts Archives:
 * 1692-1855 (*) Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1756-1776 Suffolk County, MA: Index to Court of Common Pleas Cases, 1756-1776 at American Ancestors - index ($)
 * Docket books, 1719-1824 (fiche)

Published Records:
 * Abstract and Index of the Records of the Inferiour Court of Pleas (Suffolk County Court) held in Boston, 1680-1698 (Boston, 1940), iii, 224pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Digital versions at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust.
 * Catherine Menand, A Guide to the Records of the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, in the custody of the Social Law Library, Boston, Massachusetts (Boston, 1981), 63 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FS Library but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Superior Court This court was created in 1859 and combines the authority of the two courts listed above. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over ($)25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions involving labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, and has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals. The Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction for all other crimes. It has jurisdiction over all felony matters, although it shares jurisdiction over crimes where other Trial Court Departments have concurrent jurisdiction. Finally, the Superior Court has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings.

Superior Court Administrative Office Suffolk County Courthouse, 13th Floor Three Pemberton Square Boston MA 02108 Phone 617-788-8130

Older records are held by: Supreme Judicial Court Archives (administration) 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]

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1686-1799 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court of Judicature at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1694-1856 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court of Judicature at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1888-1916 (*) Suffolk County Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Originals at the Massachusetts Archives:
 * Divorce records, 1888-1915, divorce dockets, 1888-1916 and index to libellants, 1903-1910.

Supreme Judicial Court for The County of Suffolk This is the highest court in the state and taking cases by appeal, writ of error, capital offenses, and "every Crime whatsoever that is against the public good."

Older records are held by: Supreme Judicial Court Archives (administration) 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]

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1686-1799 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court of Judicature at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1694-1856 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court of Judicature at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1790-1870 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1800-1804 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1862-1870 (*) Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Original and Microfilmed Originals at the Massachusetts Archives:
 * Greenough Collection of old court records, 1647-1828
 * Court Records, 1686-1799 [was called the Superior Court of Judicature and includes the records from the Dominion of New England], Maritime Court Records, 1779-1788, and Court Minutes, 1702-1797
 * Partitions and executions, v. 1-12, 1694-1856
 * Court docket and minute books, 1702-1797 [for all counties] (9 reels)
 * Court dockets and index, 1-16, 1790-1870
 * Index to dockets, equity and probate, 1862-1870

Published Records:
 * Catalogue of Records and Files in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for the County of Suffolk (Boston, 1890), 169 pp. [Revised in 1896, (Boston, 1897), 6, 171-181 pp.]. Digital versions at Internet Archive (1890), Google Books (1890), and Ancestry (1897) ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); (1890) or  (fiche version of 1890).

Court of Admiralty Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1718-1772 (*) Suffolk County Admiralty Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

County Sheriff Originals at the Massachusetts Archives:
 * Criminal calendar, v. 1-80, 1799-1930
 * Debtors calendar, v. 1-11, 1799-1930

Miscellaneous Court Records Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1647-1828 (*) Suffolk County Various Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Microfilm Available at the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room:
 * Sacco & Vanzetti, committee files, 1927-1939 (2 reels) at the Massachusetts Archives

Published Records:
 * Edward Holden, "Births, marriages and deaths from the files of Suffolk Co. 1640-1662" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 20 [1866]: 144. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
 * John Noble, "The Early Court Files of the County of Suffolk" in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 3 [1895-1897]: 317-326. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Samuel Eliot Morison, ed., Records of the Suffolk County Court, 1671-1680 (Boston, 1933), part of the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, v. 29-30. The manuscript book of records of the quarterly court of Suffolk County held by the Boston Athenaeum. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Ages from Court Records 1636 to 1700 (Baltimore, 2003). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Suffolk Files The Suffolk Files contain the earliest file papers of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and its predecessors, the Court of Assistants and the Superior Court of Judicature (1620-1800). There are also some records of the county courts and the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace. The records contain cases not just from Suffolk County, but from Massachusetts and parts of Maine and New Hampshire. This was the result of the circuit nature of several of the courts and the fact that most of the action brought before the upper courts had been appealed from lower courts throughout the region. Extensive indices of every person, place, and subject, as well as date and calendar indices were prepared. It is available online at and on microfilm of the Suffolk Files and indices is available at the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1629-1797 (*) Suffolk County Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Microfilm Available at the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room:
 * Suffolk Files
 * Index to calendar index, 1629-1700
 * Calendar index, #1-4878, 1643-1700; undated 24362-28991, 98505-98885, 129996-130016, 162001-162525, 1629-1700
 * Index to Suffolk Files, A-Z, 1629-1729
 * Index to Suffolk Files, A-Z, 1730-1799
 * Misc. index to Court Files, A-Z, 1629-1795
 * County index, #100001-108682, 129726-130072, 1687-1799
 * County index, #13700-141578, York, Cumberland, Lincoln, Hancock, Washington counties, 1734-1797
 * County index, Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex counties, 1731-1797
 * County index, Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Hampshire, Plymouth counties, 1733-1797
 * County index, #15200-156870, Worcester, 1736-1797
 * Date index, 1618-1693
 * Index to fragments, #1-1590, 1629-1700, undated
 * Suffolk Files, #1-175581, v. 1-1287 (738 reels)

Adlow Collection'' Some of the records are with library and others are with the Judicial Archives. Some topics:


 * Writs of attachment; writs of execution; criminal complaints; recognizances; writs of commitment; militia delinquencies; warrant to order persons out of town; petitions from poor prisoners; notices concerning depositions; health dept. complaints; opinions and judgments; summonses; jury material
 * Court of General Sessions, Court of Sessions, and General Sessions of the Peace all for Suffolk County, ca. 1760 to 1825
 * bound volumes for Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Cumberland, Dukes, Hampshire, Kennebec, Lincoln, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Suffolk Supreme Judicial Court, 1780s-1800
 * Suffolk County Coroner's inquests, 1775-1860 (calendar of these)
 * Warnings out, Boston, 1763-1779, and other towns (all calendared)
 * Court of Common Pleas, writs (calendared)
 * Prisoners lists, sheriffs' and jailers' accounts, prison doctor's accounts, jail inspections, Court Street addition, Leverett Street construction, and Courthouse construction (calendared)

Directories

 * 1889 Boston, Massahcusetts, City Directory, 1889 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1898 Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1898 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1890 Boston, MA: City Directory, 1890 at American Ancestors - index & images, ($)
 * 1900 Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1900 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1939 Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1939 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1959 Polk's Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1959, Volume 1, A-K at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1811-1921 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston, Crew Lists, 1811-1921 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * 1928-1891 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1899-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1917-1943 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1921-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Land and Property 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. For Suffolk County, they start in 1639.

Suffolk Registry of Deeds 24 New Chardon St P.O. Box 9660 Boston, MA 02114 617-788-6221 [mailto:Suffolk.Deeds@sec.state.ma.us Suffolk.Deeds@sec.state.ma.us] Website

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1620-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1639-1920 (*) Suffolk County Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1679-1808 (*) Suffolk County various courts at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1782-1910 (*) Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas, Superior Court, and Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1885-1900 (*) Suffolk County Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1935-1999 Old Recorded Land Plans Index by Year at Suffolk Registry of Deeds
 * 1961-1978 Grantor and Grantee Indexes at Suffolk Registry of Deeds
 * 1973-Current Recorded Land Name Search for Deed Records, 01/01/1973-Current at Suffolk Registry of Deeds
 * Suffolk County Atlases Online:
 * Boston, 1874, 1890 (w/Roxbury), 1899, 1910, 1917, 1938 (all w/S. Boston).
 * Brighton, 1897, 1917, 1925.
 * Charlestown, 1875, 1901, 1912 (W/E. Boston).
 * Chelsea, 1874, 1914, 1981.
 * Dorchester, 1904, 1910, 1933.
 * East Boston, 1892, 1901, 1912 (see Charlestown).
 * Hyde Park, 1912.
 * Roxbury, 1890 (see Boston), 1895, 1899, 1906, 1931.
 * West Roxbury, 1874, 1896, 1905, 1914.

On-Site Record location:
 * Deeds, v. 7871 (1964) to present are in the main section of the Registry.
 * Deeds, v. 4553-7870 (1924-1964) are in the "Old" Bookroom at the back of the Registry building. Deeds, v. 2171-4552 (1893-1924) are not currently physically accessible (but are online as mentioned above).

Originals and Microfilm at the Massachusetts Archives
 * Deeds, v. 101-2170 (1800-1893)
 * Deeds, v. 1-100 (1639-1799) - restricted. These deeds can be seen on microfilm and have been transcribed verbatim to 1688 (see published records below).
 * Land Court records.
 * Grantor/Grantee index, 1961-1978
 * Old Recorded Land Plan books, v. 1-5, 7 (from 1800s).
 * Recorded Land Plan Index, 1935-1999
 * Suffolk County Deeds, 1639-1885, grantor/grantee index, 1639-1920, miscellaneous index, 1639-1799; index up to 1799

Published records
 * Suffolk Deeds (Boston, 1880-1906), 14v. Covers from 1629 to 1688 and some of 1697. Each book includes a grantor and grantee index that gives an abstract of the record, an other names index, place index, and miscellaneous (i.e. subject) index. WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Volume and Years covered:
 * - 1629-1653 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1653-1656 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1656-1661 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1661-1665 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1665-1668 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1668-1672 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1670-1672 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1672-1674 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1674-1676 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1676-1678 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1678-1680 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1680-1683 - Internet Archive and Google books.
 * - 1683-1686 - [No Internet Archive version found] and Google books.
 * - 1686-1688, 1697 - Internet Archive andGoogle books.

Local Histories
Works written on the county include:
 * B. B. Edwards, "Complete List of the Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in Suffolk Co." in American Quarterly Register, 7 [1834]: 28-30. Digital version at Google books.
 * Alden Bradford, "Juridical Statistics for the County of Suffolk viz. Judge of Superior Court of Judicature and of Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; and Barristers, Counsellors, and Attorneys, with brief notices of those who have deceased or retired from public life" in American Quarterly Register, 13 [1840-1841]: 417-432. Includes birth, education, bar admission, associates, and death. Digital version at Google books.
 * N. I. Bowditch, Suffolk Surnames (Boston, 3rd ed., 1861), xxv, 757 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive and Google books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Justin Winsor, The Memorial History of Boston, Including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880 (Boston, 1880-1883), 4v. v. 1 - The early and colonial periods; v. 2 - The provincial period; v. 3 - The Revolutionary period and the last hundred years, pt. 1; v. 4 - The last hundred years, pt. 2, and special topics (education, libraries, philosophic thought, women, drama, Fine Arts, music, architecture, science, medicine, bench and bar, horticulture, and charities). Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4), Google books (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4), and Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital links).
 * Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1894), 3v. Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3) and Google books (v. 2 only). (Other Libraries);.
 * George H. Brennan, "The Early Massachusetts Court Records" in New England Magazine, 17 [1894]: 301-310.
 * John Tyler Hassam, "Early Records and Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, 1639-1735" in Massachusetts Society Society Publications, 2nd Ser., 12 [1895-1896]: 203-250. Digital versions of off print at Internet Archive and Google books. Also part of the introduction of Suffolk Deeds, v. 10 (see below). . Reprint of continuation as "Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk," 2nd Ser., 14 [1900-1901]: 34-104..
 * Richard D. Brown, "The Confiscation and Disposition of Loyalists' Estates in Suffolk County, Massachusetts" in William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Ser., 21 [1964]: 534-550. Digital version at JStor (($) - for free at some libraries).
 * Annie Haven Thwing, The Crooked and Narrow Streets of Boston, 1630-1822 (Boston: Marshall Jones Co.1920).Digital version at Internet Archive
 * The Suffolk County MA GenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Suffolk County
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Suffolk County (backup site)
 * Suffolk County Wikipedia page.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

This list includes maps of particular interest to genealogists, and is not an effort to trace the vast cartographic history of the county in full.
 * Griffith Morgan Hopkins, Atlas of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts (Philadelphia, 1873-1875), 7v. v. 1 - Boston proper; v. 2 - Roxbury (Boston Wards 12-15); v. 3 - South Boston and Dorchester; v. 4 - East Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop; v. 5 - West Roxbury (Boston Ward 17); v. 6 - Charlestown (Boston Wards 20-22); v. 7 - Brighton (Boston Ward 19). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John H. Long, ed., Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Connecticut-Maine-Massachusetts-Rhode Island (New York, 1994). Digital version online from the Newberry Library (Chicago) - Massachusetts Historical County Boundaries. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Suffolk County included:
 * Atlantic Ocean
 * Bay Road about 1652 from Boston, Massachusetts to New Bedford, Massachusetts
 * Coast Path 1630 from Boston, Massachusetts to Plymouth, Massachusetts
 * Kennebunk Road 1620 from Boston, Massachusetts to Plymouth, Massachusetts
 * King's Highway, also known as the Boston Post Road, 1650s from Boston, Massachusetts to Charleston, South Carolina
 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail 1722 from Boston, Massachusetts to Fort Oswego, New York
 * Old Connecticut Path 1630 from Boston, Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut
 * Old Roebuck Road 1636 from Boston, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island

Military Records
Revolutionary War
 * 1775-1783 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1805-1845 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
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. NOTE: The only court hearing naturalizations in Suffolk County from Sept. 1906 to 1991 was the U.S. Federal District Court

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records - Covering Multiple Courts
 * 1871-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1906-1817 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Federal Naturalization Records for Suffolk County Suffolk County Naturalization Records to 1906

Newspapers

 * 1785-1794 U.S. Marriage Notices, 1785-1794 at Ancestry ($). Compiled from two newspapers in Boston, these marriage notices are mostly of wealthy or prominent people. Over six thousand names.
 * 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1827-1828 Boston Recorder and Telegraph: Death Reports, 1827-1828 at American Ancestors - Index ($)
 * 1827-1828 Boston Recorder and Telegraph: Death Reports, 1827-1828 at American Ancestors - index ($)
 * 1831-1920 Boston Pilot: Irish Immigrant Advertisements (Search for Missing Friends), 1831-1920 at American Ancestors - index and images ($)

Other Records
Voting Records
 * 1857-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

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 page.

Suffolk County Probate and Family Court PO Box 9667 24 New Chardon Street - 3rd Floor Boston MA 02114 Phone 617-788-8300 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]

Online Probate Indexes and Records Published Indexes
 * 1635-1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, ($)
 * 1636-1893 Suffolk County, MA: Index to Probate Records, 1636-1893 at American Ancestors - index & images, ($)
 * 1636-1899 (*) Suffolk County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1636-1915 (*) Suffolk County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1679-1808 (*) Suffolk County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1900-1916 (*) Suffolk County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1910-1922 (*) at Suffolk County Probate Court and Court of Insolvency at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers [First Series] at American Ancestors - index & images, ($)
 * First series, 1636-1893: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1636 to and including the year 1893 (Boston, 1895), 3v.; Digital version of all three volumes at Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Second series, 1894-1909: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1894 to and including the year 1909 (Boston, 1911-1913), 2v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Third series, 1910-1922: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1910 to and including the year 1922 (Boston, 1927), 2v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Fourth series, 1923-1935: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1923 to and including the year 1935 (Boston, 1941), 3v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Fifth series, 1936-1947: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1936 to and including the year 1947 (Boston, 1951), 3v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Sixth series, 1948-1958: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1948 to and including the year 1958 (Boston, 1961), 2v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Seventh series, 1959-1968: Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1959 to and including the year 1968 (Boston, 1969), 3v.WorldCat (Other Libraries);
 * Eighth series, 1969-1979: Suffolk County Probate Court 10 Year Index, 1969-1979 (Boston, 1995?), 3v. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FS Library, but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Ninth series, 1980-1997: Public Index of Matters Concerning Probate, 1980-1987 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Suffolk Probate &amp; Family Court (Boston, 2000), 3v. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FS Library, but at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Original Microfilmed Records at Massachusetts Archives and American Ancestors ($)
 * Probate records, 1636-1899, with published index (1636-1893, 1894-1909), miscellaneous docket (1636-1923) [lists estates not appearing in files, etc.], docket books nos. 1-118206 (1636-1901), record books v. 1-769 (1628-1899), New Series record books v. 1-42 (1636-1766).
 * Probate records, 1901-1916, docket books v.95-144, no. 118207-172206 (1901-1916) and record books v. 770-1102 (1900-1916).

Published Records
 * Winifred Lovering Holman and Mary Lovering Holman, "Suffolk County Probate (1686-1692)" in The American Genealogist. These were the probate records during the unpopular Andros Administration, which combined several colonies into one seated at Boston. This article starts with a Miscellaneous Index of estates that do not appear in the probate file papers. The bulk is the regular docket entries. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). Volume and page numbers (see below):
 * 12 [1935-36], 175-184, 222-234
 * 13 [1936-37], 98-106
 * 14 [1937-38], 34-45
 * Also at ; WorldCat (Other Libraries).


 * Suffolk County Wills: Abstracts of the earliest wills upon record in the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts: from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (Baltimore, 1984), 432 pp. Digital version at Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Miscellaneous Docket Index, Suffolk County, Mass. Probate Records, 1639-1866 (Derry, N.H., 1997 or Rockport, Me., 1997), 31 pp. This booklet indexes several hundred early Suffolk County probate records where the original file papers were lost prior to the Civil War and only the entries in the copybook remain today. The booklet includes the individual's name, date of the earliest entry, type of entry, and volume and page reference in the copybook series. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Town Records
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy


 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Guide - Guide to Massachusetts State-wide Records

Birth

 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1753-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1840-1910 Massachusetts, Birth Index, 1840-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Marriage

 * 1600-1961 Massachusetts, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1841-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Death

 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1840-1910 Massachusetts Death Index at MyHeritage - index only ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Divorce
Jurisdiction over divorce matters changes over time. The Governor and Council heard cases before 1785, then it was the Supreme Judicial Court until 1887, followed by the Superior Court until 1922, and presently this is a matter for the Probate and Family Court (with minor exceptions in all periods). See the various court records above and learn more about divorce on the Massachusetts state page.

Archives
For information on additional archives and repositories, see:
 * Massachusetts Archives for information on additional archives and repositories

FamilySearch Centers

 * Mount Hope Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * Cary Memorial Library - an affiliate library
 * Harvard-Yenching Library - an affiliate library
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Thomas Crane Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Suffolk County MA Historical Societies CountyOffice.org[https://www.countyoffice.org/ma-suffolk-county-historical-society/#:~:text=Suffolk%20County%20Historical%20Societies%20are%20local%20organizations%20and,preservation%20of%20historical%20artifacts%2C%20photographs%2C%20and%20personal%20stories. Website]
 * Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston MA 02215 Phone 617-536-1608 Website This is the oldest historical society in the country founded in 1791. It is a private library with no fee for access. They are not a genealogical library, though they hold historical material useful for genealogical research. Their strength is their vast manuscript holdings and pre-1820 print collection. They are the home for the Adams Family Papers. The library has free wifi access and their catalog is online
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society 99-101 Newbury Street Boston MA 02116 Phone 617-536-5740 American Ancestors ($) This is the oldest genealogical society in the United States founded in 1845 by members of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Its strengths are colonial period, New England, northeast United States, Eastern Canada, and United Kingdom. They have an extensive manuscript collection and a large genealogical database online that includes the Massachusetts Vital Records from 1841 to 1920. It is a private membership organization which grants the user access to their library holdings and online databases. There is free wifi in the library and their catalog is online.

Websites

 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * Massachusetts Genealogy Guide