Essex County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States &gt; Massachusetts &gt; Essex County

County Courthouse

 * In 1997, the county governments of Essex, Berkshire, Hampden, Middlesex and Worcester were abolished.
 * Their functions were turned over to state agencies.
 * Sheriffs in these counties still administer jails but their employees are state employees.
 * The legislation to abolish these county governments transferred Registeries of Deeds to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
 * Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk county governments remain substantially unchanged.

Parent County

 * Created 10 May 1643 from the Massachusetts Bay Colonial lands.

Populated Places

 * Cities: Amesbury . Beverly . Gloucester . Haverhill . Lawrence . Lynn . Methuen . Newburyport . Peabody . Salem
 * Towns: Andover . Boxford . Danvers . Essex . Georgetown . Groveland . Hamilton . Ipswich . Lynnfield . Manchester-by-the-Sea . Marblehead . Merrimac . Middleton . Nahant . Newbury . North Andover . Rockport . Rowley . Salisbury . Saugus . Swampscott . Topsfield . Wenham . West Newbury
 * Communities: Andover . Boxford . Essex . Ipswich . Rockport . Rowley . Salisbury . Topsfield
 * Villages: Annisquam . Ballardvale . Beverly Farms . Bradford . Byfield . Clifton . Plum Island

Neighboring Counties
Middlesex | Suffolk | Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Web Sites

 * The Essex County MAGenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Essex County
 * FamilySearch.org Family History Library catalog for Essex County