Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy

''This article is about the major U.S. city. For other uses, see Boston (disambiguation).''

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the town and city of Boston. You will find help with town histories, vital records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, deeds (i.e. land records), town and city records, newspapers, maps, and libraries. There are general history and genealogy topics such as ward boundaries, census, street guides, and much more. There are detailed guides for the towns Boston annexed: Brighton (1807-1874); Charlestown (1630-1874); Dorchester (1630-1870); Hyde Park (1868-1912); Roxbury (1630-1868); and West Roxbury (1851-1874).

Description

 * Boston, Massachusetts at Wikipedia

Historical Boston, then only the land of a peninsula, was a faction of the land mass it is today after massive land-fill projects of the mid- to late-19th century (the rubble from the Great Boston Fire of 1872 help fill in the waterfront) and the annexing of six towns from two counties (as listed above). Boston was first settled by passengers of the Winthrop Fleet of 1630 who first lodged in Charlestown. These first settlers were Puritans, the religious group wanting to change the Church of England from working inside the church. Called the "City on the Hill" by Gov. John Winthrop, the "hub" as we now call it became the center of trade, education, government, wealth, and power. It was the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, then the Royal colony of Massachusetts, and finally the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Shortly after its settlement, Boston had become a major settlement. It was the largest town in British North America for the first hundred years. Because of that, the town and later city became a draw for immigrants from around the world. Though the first two hundred years saw mostly English arrivals, Scots, Irish, and French were found here, too. It was after 1820 that immigrants from other European countries started arriving in large numbers. The gate was opened by the Irish fleeing the potato famine in 1847. The next wave included more Irish (their dominance starting in the early 20th century is a testament to their number), but also Germans, Italians, and Syrians. The end of the century saw French Canadians, Russian and Polish Jews, and Swedes arriving. The 21st century brought African Americans from the South, Southeast Asian immigrants (especially Chinese and Vietnamese), Muslims, and Puerto Ricans. Many other ethnicities can be found in pockets all over Boston, and walking in downtown one will likely here many languages being spoken.

Historical Data
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series with additions from various sources. Associated names Boston at times was called Shawmut, Tremont, and Trimountaine.

Sections (excluding most of the named squares) in downtown Boston [see annexed towns listed above for names in those areas] include Andrew Square, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Boston Common, Boston Harbor, Chinatown, City Point, Copley Square, East Boston (Eastie), Faneuil Hall, Fenway, Financial District, The Flat (i.e. of Beacon Hill), Fort Point, Government Center, Haymarket Square, Kenmore, Leather District, Logan Airport, Longwood, North End, Scollay Square, Seaport, South End, South Bay, South Boston (Southie), Washington Village, and West End. Islands that are currently part of Boston are: Apple Island*, Belle Island (formerly Hog's Island)*, Bird Island*, Breed's Island*, Calf Island (formerly Apthrop Island), Castle Island*, Deer Island*, Gallop's Island, George's Island, Governor's Island, Great Brewster Island, Green Island (or North Brewster Island), Little Brewster Island, Little Calf Island, Long Island, Lovell's Island, Middle Brewster Island, Nixes mate, Noddle Island*, Outer Brewster Island, Rainsford Island, Shag Rocks, Spectacle Island, The Graves, Thompson's Island, and Wood Island*.

[* denotes land-fill has made it part of the mainland now and the others are part of the Boston Harbor Island National Recreation Area] Border changes Top of Page

Historical Events
Top of Page

Town Histories
Works written on the town include: Boston - General Top of Page Back Bay Beacon Hill East Boston Harbor Island North End Top of Page South Boston South End Clubs and Social Registers Guidebooks Top of Page Immigration - Ethnicity [For Italian, also see the North End section]
 * List of Persons, Copartnerships, and Corporations who were taxed on ten thousand dollars and upwards, in the city of Boston in the year (1847-18??). Digital version at Internet Archive (1861) and Hathi Trust (1847-1854 issues). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * New Division of Wards in 1805 (Boston, 1805), broadside, and published in The Bostonian Society Publications, 2nd ser., 3 [1919]: 131-135. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries) (broadside); Not at FHL.
 * Other Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston: Being More Information About the Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston Who Played Such an Important Part in Building up the Commerce of New England Together with Some Quaint and Curious Stories of the Sea (Boston, 1919), 70 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors (Boston, 1917), v, 62 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Some Interesting Boston Events (Boston, 1916), 78 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Some Merchants and Sea Captains of Old Boston: Being a Collection of Sketches of Notable Men and Mercantile Houses Prominent During the Early Half of the Nineteenth Century in the Commerce and Shipping of Boston (Boston, 1918), vii, 53 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Some Ships of the Clipper Ship Era: Their Builders, Owners, and Captains (Boston, 1913), 45 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jacqueline Barbara Carr, After the Siege, A Social History of Boston 1775-1800 (Boston, 2005), xv, 317 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Samuel Gardner Drake, The History and Antiquities of Boston ... from its Settlement in 1630, to the Year 1770 (Boston, 1856), x, 840 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link.
 * Ralph M. Eastman, Pilots and Pilot Boats of Boston Harbor (Boston, 1956), 91 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ronald P. Formisano and Constance K. Burns, Boston 1700-1980, The Evolution of Urban Politics (Westport, Conn., 1980), vii, 296 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jay Mack Holbrook, Boston Beginnings 1630-1699 (Oxford, Mass., 1980), xxi, 295 pp. Compiled from a variety of sources (church, tax lists, etc.), this is an alphabetical list of people in Boston before 1700. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Harold Kirker, Bulfinch's Boston, 1787-1817 (New York, 1964), ix, 305 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Peter R. Knights, The Plain People of Boston, 1830-1860: A Study in City Growth (New York, 1971), xx, 204 pp. This was the first in a planned series of three books [it ended up being two books], and thus was a prologue that is more statistical in nature. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Peter R. Knights, Yankee Destines, The Lives of Ordinary Nineteenth-Century Bostonians (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1991), xxv, 281 pp. The final book that sampled Boston families from four censuses and the research to discover everything about their lives. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Roger Lane, Policing the City Boston 1822-1885 (Cambridge, Mass., 1967), x, 299 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Douglas Philip, Who Fought? Boston Soldiers in the Revolutionary War (Medford, Mass., Honors Thesis, 1981), 273 pp. Not on WorldCat or at FHL; New England Historic Genealogical Society Library.
 * Darrett B. Rutman, Winthrop's Boston, Portrait of a Puritan Town, 1630-1649 (Williamsburg, Va., 1965; rep. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1975), x, 324 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Robert Francis Seybolt, The Public Schools of Colonial Boston 1635-1775 (Cambridge, Mass., 1935), ix, 101 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Caleb H. Snow, A History of Boston, the Metropolis of Massachusetts, from its origin to the present period with some account of the environs (Boston, 1825; Boston, 2nd ed., 1828), iv, 398 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive (1825), Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Jack Tager, Boston Riots, Three Centuries of Social Violence (Boston, 2000), xi, 289 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jim Vrabel, When in Boston, A Time Line &amp; Almanac (Boston, 2004), xx, 415 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Justin Winsor, The Memorial History of Boston, Including Suffolk County Massachusetts, 1630-1880 (Boston, 1880-1881), in 4 vols. Digital version at Internet Archive (v. 3 only), Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital links.
 * Boston Wikipedia page.
 * also see Beacon Hill
 * William A. Newman and Wilfred E. Holton, Boston's Back Bay: The Story of America's Greatest Nineteenth-Century Landfill Project (Boston, 2006), xiv, 228 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Allen Chamberlain, Beacon Hill: Its Ancient Pastures and Early Mansions (Boston, 1925), xiv, 309 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive, Hathi trust, and on Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ted Clarke and Theodore G. Clarke, Beacon Hill, Back Bay and the Building of Boston's Golden Age (Charleston, S.C., 2010), 125 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Victor F. Casaburi and William H. Sumner, A Colonial History of East Boston (East Boston, Mass., 1975), 145, [79] pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * William H. Sumner, A History of East Boston, with Biographical Sketches of its Early Proprietors (Boston, 1858), viii, 798 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust, and on Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Julia Knowlton Dyer, "The Islands of Boston Harbor" in The Bostonian Society Publications, 2: 107-131. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Edward Rowe Snow, The Islands of Boston Harbor, Their History and Romance 1626-1935 (Andover, Mass., 1935), 367 pp. with map. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Alex R. Goldfled, The North End: A Brief History of Boston's Oldest Neighborhood (Charleston, S.C., 2009), 190 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Stephen Puleo, The Boston Italians (Boston, 2007), xv, 323 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Anthony V. Riccio, Boston's North End, Images and Recollections of an Italian-American Neighborhood (Guilford, Conn., 2006), xii, 180 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Arnold A. Wieder, The Early Jewish Community of Boston's North End (Waltham, Mass., 1962), 100 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * C. Bancroft Gillespie, Illustrated History of South Boston (South Boston, Mass., 1901), 258 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Patrick J. Loftus, That Old Gang of Mine: A History of South Boston (South Boston, Mass., 1991), xxiv, 632 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Thomas H. O'Connor, South Boston: My Home Town, The History of an Ethnic Neighborhood (Boston, 1988, rep. 1994), xiii, 259 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Thomas C. Simonds, History of South Boston: formerly Dorchester Neck; Now Ward XII of the City of Boston (Boston, 1857; rep. New York, 1974), 331 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John J. Toomey and Edward P. B. Rankin, History of South Boston (Its Past and Present) (Boston, 1901), xxxii, 570 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Russ Lopez, Boston's South End: The Clash of Ideas in a Historic Neighborhood (Boston, 2015), xiv, 286 pp. Not WorldCat entry; Not at FHL.
 * Search online for the histories and directories of the many social clubs in Boston.
 * Social Register, Boston (New York, various years). Digital version at Internet Archive various editions. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * The Clubs of Boston containing a complete List of Members and Addresses of all Boston Clubs of Social and Business Prominence (Boston, 1891), 442 pp. with map. Digital version at Internet Archive (1888 ed.). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Bowen's Picture of Boston, or the Citizen's and Stranger's Guide to the Metropolis of Massachusetts, and its Environs. To which is prefixed the Annals of Boston (Boston, 2nd ed., 1833), 316 pp. with map. Digital version at Internet Archive and Ancestry ($) (1838 ed.). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Edwin M. Bacon, King's Dictionary of Boston (Cambridge, Mass., 1883), xvi, 518 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ann S. Lainhart, "Research in Boston through the Centuries" in New England Ancestors, 2 [Spring 2001]: 11-17. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ann S. Lainhart, A Researcher's Guide to Boston (Boston, 2003), xii, 160 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Sunny McClellan Morton, "Boston: City Guide" in Family Tree Magazine, 12, no. 2 [March 2011]: 33-36. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Dexter Smith, Cyclopedia of Boston and Vicinity (Boston, 1886), [18], 298 pp. with map. Digital version at Internet Archive (1887 ed.) and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Top of Page Topographical - Pictorial Top of Page
 * Germans in Boston (Boston, 1981), 95 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * James Bernard Cullen, The Story of the Irish in Boston (Boston, 1889), v, 443 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Isaac M. Fein, Boston - Where it all Began, An Historical Perspective of the Boston Jewish Community (Boston, 1976), iii, 83 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Allan Forbes and Paul F. Cadman, Boston and Some Noted Emigres: A Collections of Facts and Incidents with Appropriate Illustrations Relating to Some Well-Known Citizens of France who Found Homes in Boston and New England (Boston, 1938), 98 pp. Digital version at Hathi Trust for searching only. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Oscar Handlin, Boston's Immigrants, A Study in Acculturation (Cambridge, Mass., rev. and enl. ed., 1979), xvii, 382 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton, Black Bostonians, Family Life and Community Struggle in the Antebellum North (New York, 1979), xv, 175 pp. This study of the Black community focuses on those before the Civil War who were never part of the slave history of the south. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Charles W. Hurst, "French and German immigrants into Boston 1751" (Milford, Conn., mss., 1968), 15 leaves. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * George A. Levesque, Black Boston: African American Life and Culture in Urban America, 1750-1860 (New York, 1994), xviii, 537 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Thomas O'Connor, The Boston Irish, a political history (Boston, 1995), xix, 363 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not a FHL.
 * Jonathan D. Sarna, Ellen Smith, and Scott-Martin Kosofsky, The Jews of Boston (New Haven, Conn., 2005), xiv, 370 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Walter Muir Whitehill, Boston, A Topographical History (Cambridge, Mass., 2nd ed., 1968), xl, 299 pp. [3rd ed. With Lawrence W. Kennedy, 2000]. WorldCat (Other Libraries) (2nd ed.); Not at FHL.
 * William H. Whitmore, Port Arrivals and Immigrants to the City of Boston 1715-1716 and 1762-1769 (Boston, 1900; excerpt rep. Baltimore, 1973), 111 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive (original, pp. 229-317), Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Arnold A. Wieder, The Early Jewish Community of Boston's North End (Waltham, Mass., 1962), 100 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston's Growth. A Bird's Eye View of Boston's Increase in Territory and Population From Its Beginning to the Present (Boston, 1910), 45 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL.
 * Boston - One Hundred Years a City. A Collection of Views Made from Rare Prints and Old Photographs Showing the Changes Which Have Occurred in Boston During One Hundred Years of its Existence as a City, 1822-1922 (Boston, 1922), xii, 49 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Thomas Pemberton, "A Topographical and Historical Description of Boston, 1794" in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, for the year 1794, 3: 241-[304]. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Nancy S. Seasholes, Gaining Ground A History of Landmaking in Boston (Cambridge, Mass., 2003), xiv, 533 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Charles Shaw, A Topographical and Historical Description of Boston, from the first settlement of the town to the present period : with some account of its environs (Boston, 1817), 311 pp. Digital version at Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, A Topographical and Historical Description of Boston (Boston, 1871; 3rd ed., 1890), lvi, 720 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive (1871 ed.). WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1871 ed.); Not at FHL.
 * Annie Haven Thwing, The Crooked and Narrow Streets of the Town of Boston (Boston, 1920; 2nd ed., 1925; Tercentenary ed., 1930), xi, 282 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); with in-library link.

Vital Records
To understand the issues with the vital records for Boston, we need to understand its history. Massachusetts Bay enacted laws early on for the recording of vital events. The town of Boston dutifully recorded these events. From a study by Lemuel Shattuck using the baptismal records, he determined that the practice of civil recording of births saw a slow and steady decline since 1725 when the reported rate of was 3.3% (religious baptisms were near 5%) and down to 2.0% by 1845 (i.e. less than half of what should be expected). Turning to marriages, Shattuck found that the rate of marriages was relatively unchanged all the way up to 1845. He observed two gaps that should be noted. From 1663 to 1689, not one marriage was recorded in the civil records, and from 1751 to 1761 only a few marriages were found. Deaths were well recorded in the early years, but like the marriages, none appear from 1663 to 1689. A separate volume was used after this period and seem to be representative until 1719. But, from 1719 to 1810, few deaths were recorded. In 1810, recording was done by the Superintendent of Burials so then appear complete from then forward. Shattuck found that from 1704 to 1774, sextons made weekly returns to the newspapers for the number who died each week. In this period as the town grew, the annual average death toll rose from 334 to 521, so many thousands of deaths were not recorded. These gaps and issues should be kept in mind when using Boston vital records. [See Lemuel Shattuck, Report to the Committee of the City Council Appointed to Obtain the Census of Boston for the Year 1845 (Boston, 1846), 126-133, Ap. 71-73.]

For an understanding on the creation of the earliest vital records for Boston, see the articles "Boston Vital Records: 1630-1650" and "Boston Vital Records: 1651-1657" in the Great Migration Newsletter, 12 [2003]: 19-22; 18 [2009]: 9-10, 16, available in many libraries and online only to subscribers at GreatMigration.org ($).

To search the state copy of these city vital records, see Massachusetts Genealogy Guide to Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1920.

The town's vital records are available in many locations: Online records


 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection (browsable but not yet indexed as of July 2014):
 * Births, 1630-1920.
 * Marriages, 1646-1910.
 * Deaths, 1849-1910.
 * Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($) [Indexed]:
 * Births, 1630-1895.
 * Marriages, 1630-1890.
 * Deaths, 1630-1890.
 * Massachusetts Vital Records (Boston) at fold3.com ($) [Indexed and browsable]:
 * Vital Records, 1630-1849 (101 different volumes).
 * Births, 1849-1881 (individual years, addendum, and indexes).
 * Births, 1882-1895 (individual years and indexes).
 * Marriages, 1849-1895 (individual years and indexes).
 * Out-of-town marriages, 1858-1895 (individual years and indexes).
 * Deaths, 1849-1890 (individual years and indexes, plus out-of-town deaths, removals, interment, and stillborns).

Additional Databases
 * 1700-1809 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., Marriages, 1700-1809 at Ancestry - index ($); Also at: American Ancestors ($)

Original records Boston City's Registry Division 1 City Hall Square - Rm. 213 Boston MA 02201-2006 Phone 617-635-4175

Microfilm of the originals created by the Family History Library: Note: These records below (except for births after 1920) are browsable (i.e. not yet indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch.


 * Birth records
 * 1630-1799, 1849-1900; Birth Index, 1630-1869,.
 * 1728-1897; Birth Index, 1870-1900,.
 * 1870-1910,.
 * 1911-1958,.
 * Marriage records
 * 1646-1900, registers, 1891-1892, and indexes, 1646-1869,.
 * 1883, cert. nos. 3501-4342 (retake),.
 * Birth and Marriage certificates
 * 1901-1910, out-of-town marriages, 1906-1910,.
 * Out-of-town marriages
 * pre-1800, 1858-1895, index, 1858-1892,.
 * 1896-1905,.
 * Marriage indexes
 * 1870-1910,.
 * Death records
 * No death records filmed before 1849.
 * 1849-1895 records and certificates, out-of-town, 1889-1895 (except 1892), stillborn, 1889-1895, index (several), 1630-1891,.
 * 1896-1905 certificates, index, 1892-1955, Death index of annexed towns, 1629-1912,.
 * 1905-1910 certificates, out-of-town, 1905-1909, stillborn, 1906-1910, "burials and deaths," 1905-1910,.
 * Out-of-town deaths
 * 1892, 1896-1904, stillborn, 1896-1905,.
 * Death indexes
 * 1700-1869,.
 * Boston Female Asylum, records (inc. names, finance, minutes, some baptisms, deaths, and subscribers), 1800-1866,.
 * Note: The "Register of Births, British Consulate at Boston, United States" on are births, 1871-1902, in Mass. (mostly Boston); births, 1903-1932, mostly in Mass.; and deaths, 1902-1929, most all at sea.

Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering town records: Note: All are part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index.


 * Boston Vital Records, 1630-1849 (inc. all Suffolk Co., 1643-1660, county marriages, 1716-1731, church marriages, 1751-1761), marriage intentions, 1707-1849, including early deaths, 1630-1848 (not found in above originals), and many indexes, on 540 fiche.
 * Boston Births and indexes, 1849-1881, on 234 fiche.
 * Boston Births and indexes, 1882-1895, on 325 fiche.
 * Boston Marriages and indexes, 1849-1890, on 310 fiche.
 * Boston Out-of-town marriages and indexes, 1858-1895, on 41 fiche.
 * Boston Deaths and indexes, 1849-1890, on 369 fiche.

Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841: [Caveat: Boston did not start submitting records to the state until 1850.] 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. Published records - Original Published records - Derivative Other Manuscript Records Top of Page
 * Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699 (Boston, 1883; rep. 1908), vii, 281 pp. This volume includes baptisms from the First Congregational Church only. This volume was microfiched by the Family History Library, and in digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries), 1883 ed., 1908 ed.; . Sanford Charles Gladden, An Index to the Vital Records of Boston, 1630-1699 ([Boulder, Colo.], 1969), ii. 188 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Boston Births from A.D. 1700 to A.D. 1800 (Boston, 1894), iv, 379 pp. This volume was microfiched by the Family History Library, and in digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699. Boston Births, 1700-1800: Two Volumes in One (Baltimore, 1978; rep. 1994), vii, 281, iv, 379 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Boston Marriages from 1700 to 1751 (Boston, 1898; rep. several times), 468 pp. This volume was microfiched by the Family History Library, (with digital link) and in digital versions at Internet Archive (title listed incorrectly),  Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($) (combined with next volume below). WorldCat (Other Libraries);  (with digital link).
 * Boston Marriages from 1752 to 1809 (Boston, 1903), vii, 710, [3] pp. This volume should end in an unpaginated two pages of corrections and also an Addenda insert for page 505. This volume was microfiched by the Family History Library, and in digital versions at Internet Archive and Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($) (part of a larger marriage database). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Boston Marriages from 1700 to 1809 (Baltimore, 1977), 2 vols. (rep. of above two titles into one volume). Digital version at Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * Robert J. Dunkle and Ann Smith Lainhart, comp., John Haven Dexter's Memoranda of the Town of Boston in the 18th &amp; 19th Centuries (Boston, 1997), iv, 713 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, Deaths in Boston 1700 to 1799 (Boston, 1999), in 2 vols., xxviii, 1136 pp. This voume draws on the town records, coroner's records, church records, contemporary accounts, bible records, histories and genealogies, newspapers, articles in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and other town vital records. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Boston Records: Marriages 1700-1752 (1909-10). Birth, death and marriage records not yet printer: 1629-1874; 1849-84, indexes, manuscripts held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books. [Ms.B.10.1]
 * Boston Records, Negro births and deaths, 1865-1910, manuscripts held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books. [Ms.B.10.2(7)]
 * List of deaths in Boston, Mass., 1819-1821, Mss C 98, held by the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.

City Directories and Almanacs

 * Various Dates (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Various Dates (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — image
 * 1780 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1789-1842 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images, some years may be missing
 * 1860-1861 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1888 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1823-1981 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Boston at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * 1843-1981 Massachusetts, U.S., City Directories, Boston at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Boston city directories are one of the most complete record of the city's adult male population, business women, and later the widows of the men previously listed. Boston was the third place to start publishing directories (after New York and Philadelphia) in 1789. They were published annually (for the most part) after 1825. The directory evolved from a simple entry (ex. Herring Ebenezer, mason and sexton, Lynde-street) to one of name, occupation and location, residence (boarding or house), and would list you if you worked in the city but lived elsewhere (then it would name the town of residence). Added features were usually a map (often not digitized and missing), lists of a few trades (such as lawyer, physician, etc.), a few civic items (fire companies, justices, etc.), and business advertisements. More categories appeared over time. By the later 1800s, when someone was being dropped because they died, their death date would be given, or moved, their new town of residence was given. By 1930, there was a very helpful reverse directory added (arranged by street). This resource ceased publication in 1981. The years published are:

To see the publishers, page counts, and number of names indexed to 1886, refer to the Boston Record Commissioners' Report, 10: 164-165. The entire run of directories was microfiched at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1992 and made available through many great libraries including the Boston Public Library,, Library of Congress, Massachusetts State Library, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library in Boston.

Online copies of these Boston directories can be found on:


 * Internet Archive
 * Google Books
 * Boston Athenaeum, 1789-1900 (in progress)
 * Ancestry ($). This is the first one everyone turns to as they created a large library of U.S. city directories from 1821 to 1989. The first caveat is that they do not have the earliest years and some of the "directories" are actually "almanacs."
 * fold3 ($), 1789-1926

The Boston Almanac started publication in 1836 as a simple almanac of climate, astrological, farm, and other tables along with a calendar. Soon, city and state officials were added along with history sections for the previous year and listings of all the streets, wharves, ward boundaries, public buildings, stage coach tables, societies and institutions, newspapers, and other handy information. The contents can change annually. The title changed over time:

Top of Page
 * Boston Almanac for the year XXXX from 1836 (v. 1, no. 1) to 1871 (v. 26, no. 31) WorldCat (Other Libraries); (1849 only)
 * Boston Almanac and Business Directory from 1872 (v. 37) to 1894 (v. 59) WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL
 * Boston Register and Business Directory from 1895 (v. 60) to 1926 (v. 89) WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

List of Residents
For list of residents age 20 years of age and over, starting in year 1901 through 1946. Each precinct separately arranged with streets and places in alphabetical order of street name.

Historical Maps
This is a list of map resource sites of particular interest to genealogists, and is not an effort to trace the vast cartographic history of Boston in full. There will be many maps of Boston in every major library including the Family History Library. Consult the catalog for the particular holdings of a library. The earliest map specifically of Boston is by Capt. John Bonner in 1722. There are many versions available on the internet, one is at Boston Public Library. Since Boston covers a majority of Suffolk County, look for Suffolk County Atlases. Reference Books Maps Online Top of Page
 * "List of Maps of Boston, Published Between 1614 and 1822" printed as Appendix J of the Thirty-fifth Annual Report of the City Engineer Boston for the year 1901 (Boston, 1902), pp. 129-161. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries) [rep.]; Not at FHL.
 * List of maps of Boston published subsequent to 1600, copies of which are to be found in the possession of the city of Boston or other collectors of the same ... February 1, 1904 (Boston, 1904), 95 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. This is another reprint of the 1902 list with supplementary list. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Alex Krieger and David Cobb, Mapping Boston (Cambridge, Mass., 1999), xiv, 278 pp. A series of historical and current maps with essays by Anne Mackin discussing the important events and landmarks of the day. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library. This is the largest single collection of Boston maps with a listing of 584.
 * Boston Redevelopment Authority, The Boston Atlas. This can be a complicated site for the first time user. Click on one of the three viewer choices and wait for the new window to open and fill in with a map. Any of the three will allow a search of a specific address. Here, we are concerned about the historical overlays only. The user can select (or unselect) any overlay desired. For the Flash viewer, unselect all except the historic map (choice of 1775, 1814, 1826, or 1881). The two Java viewers are similar. Unselect all items in the menu except the last. Click on the named box and an extensive menu with sub-menus will appear. The largest collection of historical maps is under "Future Boston Map Collection". Play around until you find what you need.
 * Library of Congress, American Memory project, Boston maps.
 * David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. Scroll part way down to the Boston section and then click on "Launch GIS Professional Browser" to view historical maps.
 * Sanborn maps, Boston, 1885.
 * Tufts Digital Collections and Archives, Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data

Historical Wards
Introduction The town of Boston was divided into companies, or districts, to help keep the order, fighting fires, etc. The concept of the Ward was first codified in 1735. The Overseers of the Poor were having difficulty covering the whole town and proposed to divide the town into twelve wards. The freemen agreed and added that these wards would be the districts for "military considerations," too. The division was given to the Overseers to create and the resulting report for such divisions was accepted by the freeman with the caveat that these boundaries would stay in force until the town decided to change them.[See A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston Containing the Boston Records from 1729 to 1742 (Boston, 1885) [i.e. v. 12], 127, 131-133.] The next change in the ward boundaries came in 1805. [See Lemuel Shattuck, Report to the Committee of the City Council Appointed to Obtain the Census of Boston for the Year 1845 (Boston, 1846), Ap. 4-10, wrongly dating the first division as 1746.] When Boston incorporated as a city in 1822. Wards were drawn and redefined in 1822, 1838, 1850, 1865, 1875, 1895, 1914, and 1924. The 1875 was set aside by the court and never officially used. These ward boundaries were defined in A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1890, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown, 1847-1873 and of the selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822, also of various other town and municipal officers (Boston, 1891), xxxix, 270 pp. (Boston, 2nd ed., 1909), 402 pp., at pages 7 through 40 [see WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL; online at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust (1909 ed.); and in the Municipal Register for 1912, 1924, and 1927 [WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL; online links for all years, see the Boston Public Library].

It is important to understand these changes ward boundaries as they are referenced in city directories, census, tax records, and other documents. Voter lists and governmental representation was established by wards. The following is a description and associated map to help learn where these boundaries were. Note that the descriptions are the official boundary and the maps sometimes vary from the descriptions (Note: boundaries and colored areas may differ). Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Boston Wards in 1735 A New Plan of ye Great Town of Boston (1743) with ward boundaries Note: 15 churches in the city Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards Boston Wards in 1805 A New Plan of Boston (1806) Note: 19 churches in the city Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1822 Plan of Boston (1826) with ward boundaries - colored section were proposed new wards for 1832 Note: 35 churches in the city Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1838 A New &amp; Complete Map of the City of Boston (1839) [colorized by wards] Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1850 Plan of Boston Comprising a Part of Charlestown and Cambridge (1851) [colorized wards] [http://maps.bpl.org/id/10953 New Map of Boston ... with the new boundaries of the wards] (1851) Note: 83 churches in the city Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1865 Plan of Boston (1867) Note: 114 churches in the city in 1867 Note: 127 churches in the city in 1869 (with addition of Roxbury)

Roxbury annexation adds Wards 13-15 in 1868 Plan of Boston with Additions and Corrections (1869) Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Dorchester annexation adds Ward 16 in 1870 Map of Boston from the Lastest surveys (1870) Brighton, Charlestown, and West Roxbury annexation adds Wards 17-22 in 1873 Map of Boston, for 1874 (1874) Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1875 Map of Boston (1876) [includes the amended border change in 1876 and shows the old borders with Roxbury and Dorchester] Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1895 Map of the City of Boston and Vicinity (1896) An Outline Map of Boston showing the old &amp; new ward lines also the old Congressional lines (1896) - no streets Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Hyde Park annexation adds Ward 26 in 1912 The entirety of the former town of Hyde Park constitutes the whole of Ward 26

Boston Wards in 1914 No ward map found online You can use the Boston Atlases, 1873-1938, by neighborhood By this time, the wards come more neighborhood centric and so only the neighborhoods will be given from here forward to describe the ward geography.

Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Boston Wards in 1924 No ward map found online You can use the Boston Atlases, 1873-1938 by neighborhood This redistricting for the first time reduced the number of wards from 26 down to 22. Also, the harbor island were not included in any ward, so it is assumed no one was then living there.

Wards Defined in Years: Introduction | 1735 | 1805 | 1822 1838 | 1850 | 1865 | 1868 | 1870 | 1875 | 1895 | 1912 | 1914 Top of Page || Top of Wards

Historical City Streets
Introduction With Boston's aggressive program of landfill and annexation of neighboring towns, the city landscape of streets was ever-changing. This is the researcher's guide to these streets, the additions, but also the deletions or moving of a name from one area to another.

The first listing of streets for the town of Boston was published as a broadside called The Names of the Streets, Lanes &amp; Alleys within the Town of Boston, in New England (Boston, 1708). The Vade Mecum for America (Boston, 1732) was the first commercial guide designed for travellers. After the Revolution, some names of English or Royal bent were changed. The town ordered a new list made and it was recorded in the Town Records in 1788 that was recorded in book 8 starting on page 81. A second unofficial list was published called Names of the Streets, Lanes and Alleys in the Town of Boston in 1800. Street lists began to appear in the Boston City directories starting in 1803. The next official list came in 1834 when the 1708 and 1788 lists were reprinted and then updated with streets in the annexed South Boston, formerly Dorchester Neck. This was reprinted later the same year. An update to this report was published in 1842. As a byproduct of a project to index plans at the Suffolk Registry of Deeds in 1860, Francis Lincoln found it necessary to prepare a list of streets and their changes. This can be found there in manuscript form.

Because of the annexation of Roxbury, a list of changes in names for street in Boston proper and Roxbury was given in 1868 to eliminate the confusion caused by the duplication of names [see Municipal Records, Vol. 46, pp. 286-408, city Doc. No. 49, 1868]. The great study of street names and their history post-1708 was published in 1879 [see City Doc. No. 119 for 1879, Appendix J]. This included the work in 1860, but the problem was it only focused on Boston proper and many more towns had been annexed by that time. The Street Commissioners reported on 27 December 1880 to the city Council a Report of the Street Commissioners on the Nomenclature of the City's Streets [see City Doc. No. 141 for 1880] of suitable names the duplicate streets could be given. The rest of the publication history is presented in the lists to follow. Introduction | Early Lists | Official Lists | Database Unofficial lists (early)
 * Vade Mecum for America; or a companion for traders and travellers (Boston, 1732), pp. 206-214. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets, Wards and Landmarks (Boston, 1826-1873) - 24 issues. No known digital versions. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A List of Boston Streets, etc., etc. (Boston, 1868), 52 pp. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Street Directory, a complete pocket guide to the streets, avenues, places, parks, squares, wharves, etc., containing also hotels, etc. (Boston, 1876), p. 24to. No digital version found. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Street Directory, a complete pocket guide to the streets, avenues, places, parks, squares, wharves, etc., containing also hotels, etc. (Boston, 1885), unknown pagination. No digital version found. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Official lists
 * The Names of the Streets, Lanes &amp; Alleys within the Town of Boston, in New England (Boston, 1708), broadside, Note: This was reproduced in the front of the records of streets published in 1910 (below). No digital version found of original, but see the 1910 reprint. WorldCat (Other Libraries - one of many versions); Not at FHL.
 * The 1788 street name list published in the Documents of the City of Boston for the year 1903. Digital version at Google Books. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL.
 * By a committee of the Board of Alderman, a third official list of streets was created in 1834 that utilized the first two lists and additions and deletions to 1834. This work included the streets from the recently annexed South Boston (in 1804). See city Records, Vol. 12, p. 179. This listed was formally submitted and adopted later in the year.
 * The Committee on Laying Out and Widening Streets submitted a list an update to the previous report in 1842. See Municipal Record, Vol. 20, p. 297.
 * Francis Lincoln who was preparing an index to plans at the Suffolk Registry of Deeds found it necessary to prepare a list of streets with their various names in 1860. This file was placed at the registry (so noted in 1910).
 * An order was present to the Board of Aldermen in 1868 providing for changes in the names of a number of streets in Boston proper and Roxbury that was intended to eliminate the confusion caused by the duplication of names in the newly annexed Roxbury bearing the same names as streets in Boston proper. See Municipal Records, Vol. 46, pp. 286-408, city Doc. No. 49 for 1868.
 * The Joint Standing Committee on Ordinances in 1879 submitted a report consisting of a statement of the manner in which the streets of the city had been named and their names changed, together with the reasons of the committee for limiting their research into the history of the streets to the period subsequent to 1708, and explanation of the difficulty of the work and the process by which the committee had arrived at the result, being appendix J of their report. See City Doc. No. 119 for 1879. Note: This study was only for Boston proper and thus left the rest of the city unstudied.
 * Report of the Street Commissioners on the Nomenclature of the City's Streets which was a list of the public streets in different parts of the city with similar names and "the title which the Commissioners have suggested to themselves as suitable for such of those streets as in their opinion should be renamed and appended to them." See city Doc. No. 141 for 1880.
 * List of Streets, Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc. showing the number and divisions of those extending through more than one ward by the Board of Registrars of Voters. Digital versions at 1880 ed. and 1888 ed. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * James R. Carret agreed to prepare for the city a record of names of the streets in the city as found in its records, alphabetically arranged, showing the dates of laying out and the date of change in name of any streets which had taken place from 1871 to 1894. See city Doc. No. 35 for 1894.
 * The above work was continued by J. H. Jenkins, John W. Morrison, and Irwin C. Cromack and appeared as Appendix B in the report of the Street Laying-Out Department for 1894. See city Doc. No. 35 for 1895.
 * List of Streets, Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc. showing the number and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct together with the location of hotels, apartment-houses, etc. by the Board of Election Commissioners (Boston, 1896), 128 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc. in the City of Boston compiled under the Direction of the Street Commissioners and Printed by Order of the City Council with an Appendix containing a description of the Boundary, Wards and Aldermanic Districts of the City ... by the Street Laying-out Department (Boston, 1902), 466 pp. No digital version found. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets also its Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc., showing the numbers and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct, together with the location of hotels, apartment-houses, etc. by the Board of Election Commissioners (Boston, 1906), 156 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc. in the City of Boston ... with an Appendix containing a description of the Boundary Line of the City and also a Description of the Changes which have been made in it by Annexations, etc., from the date of the Settlement of the Town to 1910 by the Street Laying-out Department (Boston, 1910), xvi, 543 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets also its Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc., showing the numbers and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct, together with the location of hotels, apartment-houses, engine houses, school houses, institutions and hospitals by the Board of Street Commissioners (Boston, year varies). Digital versions by year: 1913; 1916; 1919; 1921; 1923; 1925; 1926; 1928; 1930; 1932; 1933; 1935. WorldCat (Other Libraries) - choose year; Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets also its Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc., showing the numbers and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct, together with the location of hotels, apartment-houses, engine houses, school houses, institutions, hospitals and Squares named in honor of World War veterans by the Board of Street Commissioners (Boston, year varies) Digital versions by year: 1936; 1939; 1941; 1944; 1948; 1951. WorldCat (Other Libraries) - choose year; Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets also its Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc., showing the numbers and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct, together with the location of Squares named in honor of World War veterans, hotels, fire stations, schools, institutions and hospitals, public libraries, parks and playgrounds by the Public Works Department (Boston, year varies). Digital versions by year: 1955; 1957 (supp. only); 1958; 1959 (supp. only); 1960 (supp. only); 1963. WorldCat (Other Libraries) - choose year; Not at FHL.
 * Boston Streets also its Avenues, Courts, Places, Etc., showing the numbers and divisions of those extending through more than one ward or precinct, together with the location of Squares named in honor of veterans, hotels, fire stations, police stations, schools, institutions and hospitals, public libraries, little city halls, parks, playgrounds, public buildings, historical sites, parking locations, and places of religious worship by the Public Works Department (Boston, year varies). Digital versions by year: 1971; 1976; 1982; 1989. WorldCat (Other Libraries) - choose year; Not at FHL.
 * Street Directory including location of all streets with numbers at which other streets intersect by the Boston Transportation Department (Boston, year varies). Digital versions by year: 1993; 1999. Not in WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Introduction | Early Lists | Official Lists | Database   Official database
 * Online database that gives the street's beginning and end, whether public, ward, precinct, district, Public Works Department section, and zip code.

Top of Page

Cemeteries
The following is a chronological list of cemeteries in present-day Boston proper, Boston Harbor, East Boston, and South Boston. For information on the areas annexed to Boston, see those separate town pages. For more details regarding these cemeteries, see the state guide under cemeteries for books on the subject. The city's Parks and Recreation Department runs a public / private cooperative program called the Historic Burying Grounds Initiative. From their website, you can learn more about the eighteen historic burying grounds in their oversight, find maps of them, newsletters of the program, and a mid-1980s database of fourteen of the cemeteries (missing Evergreen, Fairview, Mount Hope, and South End) giving the name, death date, cemetery, and location for each entry.

A general guide to cemetery inscriptions is Henry Ashley May, "Boston Cemetery Inscriptions and records" (Boston, ca. 1895-1908), ms., 12v. in 34, held by Boston Public Library Rare Books [Ms.Am.1812]:


 * v. 1 - Bunker Hill Burying Ground
 * v. 2 - Central Burying Ground (3 pts.)
 * v. 3 - Christ Church crypt
 * v. 4 - Copp's Hill Burying Ground (6 pts.)
 * v. 5 - Dorchester Old North Burying Ground (4 pts.)
 * v. 6 - Dorchester South Burying Ground (2 pts.)
 * v. 7 - East Boston Cemetery
 * v. 8 - Granary Burying Ground (6 pts.)
 * v. 9 - Hawes Cemetery
 * v. 10 - King's Chapel Burying Ground
 * v. 11 - Phipps Street Burying Ground (5 pts.)
 * v. 12 - St. Paul's Church crypt.

and "City of Boston : military record and burial location of Revolutionary War veterans," Mss C 4044, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. A statewide guide, but very useful here is: David Allen Lambert, A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries (Boston, 2002, 2nd ed., 2009), xvii, 345 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (both for 2nd ed.).

Boston proper cemeteries

1. King's Chapel Burying Ground, Tremont St., 1630. (B, C)


 * Note: There are interior tombs in the chapel dating back to 1749. Wikipedia entry.


 * Graves with and without stones on the east end of the chapell, also a formal consent, 20 April 1748, for reburial in the new chapel, Mss C 1021, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Thomas Bridgman, Memorials of the Dead in Boston; containing exact transcripts of inscriptions on the sepulchral monuments in the King's Chapel burial ground, in the city of Boston (Boston, 1853), 339, 17 pp. [various editions] Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Annual Report of the Cemetery Dept. of Boston, Fiscal Year 1902-1903 (Boston, 1903), p. 35-82. Also published separately. Digital versions at Internet Archive (reprint) and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Alphabetical Indexes to Boston Burying Grounds (Boston, 1984), Six parts in one. Not on WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL; New England Historic Genealogical Society Library.

2. Copp's Hill or North Burying Ground, between Hull St. and Charter St., 1660. (B)


 * City of Boston cemetery website. Wikipedia entry.


 * "Burials in Boston's North (Copp's Hill) burial ground, 1707-1709," Mss C 1041, 10 items, R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Book of records for burying grounds, 1810-1813, North District, Mss C 91, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Josiah Snelling, "Record book for North Burial Ground," 1810-1813, Mss C 5900, [70 p., R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society], Boston.
 * Thomas Bridgman, Memorials of the dead in Boston; containing an exact transcript from inscriptions, epitaphs and records on the monuments and tombstones in Copp's Hill Burying Ground, in the city of Boston (Boston, 1852), xxiii, 252 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archives and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * William Henry Whitmore, The Graveyards of Boston: First Volume, Copp's Hill Epitaphs (Albany, N.Y., 1878), xxiii, 116 pp. Digital version at Internet Archives. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * E. MacDonald, Old Copp's Hill and Burial Ground: With Historical Sketches (Boston, 1882), 47 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archives. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * Historical Sketch and Matters appertaining to the Copp's Hill Burial-Ground (Boston, 1901), 26 pp., [9] leaves. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Annual Report of the Cemetery Dept. of Boston, Fiscal Year 1900-1901 (Boston, 1901), 131 pp. No digital version online. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John Norton, Historical Sketch of Copp's Hill Burying Ground with inscriptions and quaint epitaphs ([Boston]: 17th ed., 1921), 32 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * "Tombstone inscriptions, Copp's Hill, Boston, Mass." (typ., 1937), (Mss C 4067), 107, 34 leaves, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * "Inscriptions from Copp's Hill Burial Ground, Boston", Massachusetts DAR GRC Report, s1, v076 (typ., 1937), p. 1-107, NSDAR Library.
 * Historic Burying Grounds Report and Inventory, October 1986 (Boston, 1986), v. 2. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Charles Chauncey Wells, Boston's Copps Hill Burying Ground Guide (Oak Park, Ill., 1998), 64, xxiii, 106, 108 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Top of Page || Top of Cemeteries

3. 'Granary Burying Ground, Common [now Tremont''] St., 1660. (B, C) '''


 * City of Boston cemetery website. Wikipedia entry.
 * "Headstones found in Granary Cemetery with letter from L. W. Ross, 1891," manuscript held by Boston Public Library Rare Books. [K.11.39]
 * "Burials in Boston's South (Granary) burial ground, 1708-1710" (Mss C 1040), 14 items, R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Thomas Bridgman, The Pilgrims of Boston and their Descendants: also, inscriptions form the monuments in the Granary Burial Ground, Tremont Street (New York, 1856; rep. West Jordan, Utah, 1984), xvi, 406 pp. Note: Reprint printed with six original pages on one reprinted page. Digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); WorldCat (Other Libraries) (reprint); (with digital link).
 * A Sketch of the Original and History of the Granary Burial Ground: With a list of the past and present owners of tombs (Boston, 1879), 21 pp. Digital version at Google Books. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL.
 * William Henry Whitmore, The Graveyards of Boston: Second Volume, Granary and Boston Common Epitaphs (Albany, N.Y., 188-), 128 pp. No digital version available. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL; NEHGS Library, Boston.
 * "Historical Sketch and Matters Appertaining to the Granary Burial-Ground" in Annual Report of the Cemetery Dept. of Boston, Fiscal Year 1901-1902 (Boston, 1902), p. 35-65. Offprint (Boston, 1902), 37 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ogden Codman, Gravestone Inscriptions and Records of Tomb Burials in the Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Mass. (Salem, Mass., 1918; rep. Bowie, Md., 1997), 255 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link);  (reprint ed.).
 * Alphabetical Indexes to Boston Burying Grounds (Boston, 1984-1985), 6 parts in 1 volume. Note: 6th part is the Granary Burying Ground. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL; NEHGS Library, Boston.

4. Quaker Burying Ground [site], Congress St., 1709. (B)


 * Note: The meeting house was burned in the Great Fire of 1760. Thwing [see History - Topographical above], 145, said the remains were re-interred in Lynn in 1827. Dunkle and Lainhart [see below as item B], 800, say William Mumford bought land on Brattle Square in 1694 for a Quaker meeting house and burying ground. The Society moved to Quaker Lane [now Congress Street] in 1708. This Society voted to discontinue in 1808. After eleven years of non-use, the remains of 111 people were exhumed and removed to Lynn. It was uncommon for Quakers to inscribe stones, so this lost cemetery was likely marked with fieldstones. The source for the later is not given.


 * From an article that was published in Bowen's Boston News-Letter, and City Record, v. 2 [1826], p. 5-6, dated 8 July 1826, this land was purchased in 1709 and 1713 under a trust until 1823 when the law changed to allow the "Friends" to own it directly. Workmen for the group finish exhuming the 111 bodies yesterday in work that took nine days. The site of the burying ground included a ruinous building that was their former meeting house, but had not been occupied for nearly twenty years. The group planned to dispose of this lot.

5. Jewish Burial Ground, Chamber St., before 1734. (B)


 * Note: This burying ground was referenced in a deed of Isaac Solomon in 1735 as a "Burying Ground as it is now fenced in to the Jewish nation." Nothing more is known about this site. See Thwing [see History - Topographical above], 205-206.

Top of Page || Top of Cemeteries

6. Central or Boston Common Burying Ground, Boylston St., 1756. (B, C)


 * Wikipedia entry.
 * William Henry Whitmore, The Graveyards of Boston: Second Volume, Granary and Boston Common Epitaphs (Albany, N.Y., 188-), 128 pp. No digital version available. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL; NEHGS Library, Boston.
 * Ogden Codman, Gravestone Inscriptions and Records of Tomb Burials in the Central Burying Ground, Boston Common, and Inscriptions in the South Burying Ground, Boston (Salem, Mass., 1917), 167 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * Alphabetical Indexes to Boston Burying Grounds (Boston, 1984-1985), 6 parts in 1 volume. Note: 6th part is the Granary Burying Ground. Not on WorldCat; Not at FHL; NEHGS Library, Boston.

7. South Burying Ground or South End Cemetery, Washington St. between East Newton and East Concord Sts., South End, 1810-1866. (A, B)


 * From the city's Historic Burying Ground Initiative: When the South End Burying Ground was opened in 1810, it was located on the narrow strip of marshland, Roxbury Neck, which connected the peninsula of Boston to the mainland. The gallows stood at the east edge of the burying ground, near the tidewaters of South Boston Bay, leading to the persistent myth that primarily hanged pirates and other criminal were buried here. In fact, it is difficult to know exactly who is buried here. In the nineteenth century, people of modest means had recorded, but unmarked graves. They could not afford elaborate headstones or other types of monumentation. While there are only 20 grave markers, records indicate that over 11,000 are buried at this site. Successive filling of the marshy site permitted burials in several tiers. It has been reported that South End Burying Ground contains the graves of paupers from the Alms House and inmates from the House of Industry. Mostly, though, this site is known as a working man's burying ground, where families paid a small fee to the City for burials. Interments ceased in this graveyard in 1866. Note: Others have taken the short list of inscriptions (noted above and given below) into a long lost cemetery on Boston Neck, but in fact there is only one cemetery in this part of the city.
 * Ogden Codman, Gravestone Inscriptions and Records of Tomb Burials in the Central Burying Ground, Boston Common, and Inscriptions in the South Burying Ground, Boston (Salem, Mass., 1917), 167 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).

8. St. Paul's Cathedral Tombs [site], Tremont St., 1823-1914.


 * Note: The tombs were used to the late 19th century and the burials removed in 1914 -- some to Mount Hope Cemetery.

9. Park Street Church Tombs, Park St., 1824-1861.


 * Note: Some burials were re-interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, in 1861.

10. Old Trinity Church Tombs [site], Summer St., burned in the Great Fire of 1872. Many of the burials from this tomb were removed to Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.

10a. Miscellaneous sites.


 * Photograph of three gravestones found by the Street Department of the Boston Gas Light Company, July 19, 1888, in excavating in Bosworth St. (formerly Montgomery Pl.) about 10 or 12 feet from Tremont St., Mss A 2448, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. Image of three tombstones found under Bosworth St. The inscription on the first stone reads "Here lyes ye body / of John Thomson / Aged 57 years / Died August ye 27 / 1720". The inscription on the second stone reads "Rvth Brading / aged one year / and XI monthes / and 27 dayes / Dyed the 3 of / Jvly 1675". The inscription on the final stone reads "Ebenezer Hile / Son to Henry / &amp; Mary Hile / Age 17 years / Decd May the 7th / 1723."

Top of Page || Top of Cemeteries Boston Harbor Island cemeteries

What is known about the cemeteries on the islands comes from Edward Rowe Snow, The Islands of Boston Harbor, Their History and Romance 1626-1935 (Andover, Mass., 1935), 367 pp. with map, WorldCat (Other Libraries), Not at FHL. The only islands with cemeteries there now are "Deer Island" and "Long Island" - neither are technically islands any more.

11. Nix's Mate Island Cemetery [site], Mix Mate Island, Boston, Harbor, 1724-1735.


 * Note: Used for the burial of some pirates.

12. Castle Island Cemetery, now through landfill, the tip of South Boston, 1762.


 * There were several individual sites on the island and the cemetery on the southern point. Some burials were moved to Governor's Island in 1892 and others to Deer Island in 1908.

13. Thompson's Island Cemetery [site], Thompson's Island, Boston Harbor, 1842.


 * A Boston Death record lists a Charles H. Austin who was buried there in 1842.

14. Deer Island Cemetery, Deer Island, Boston Harbor, 1847.


 * This island has a Native American burial site from the King Philip's War in 1675-1676. The island was home to a quarantine station and many immigrants, mostly Irish, who died at the station were buried there in nameless graves. These are two separate sites. The burial grounds are now part of the park and the cemetery listed on maps nearby is Resthaven Cemetery (listed below) but included Waster Water Treatment Facility.

15. Governor's Island Cemetery [site], 19th century.


 * The cemetery was on the north slope of the hill and every grave was moved in 1908 to Deer Island.

16. Rainsford Island Cemetery [site], 1871-1920.


 * Note: The island was home to the adult male Paupers' House from 1871 to 1888. Those residences were moved over to nearby Long Island then and the building housed the adult female paupers. It became the House of Reformation from 1895 to 1920 that was renamed the Suffolk School for Boys. Burials were made from the Paupers' House.

Top of Page || Top of Cemeteries

17. Long Island Hospital Cemetery, Long Island, Boston Harbor, 1893.


 * The Almshouse was here and buried over 2500 there by 1935. These graves are only marked by lot numbers.

18. Resthaven Cemetery, Deer Island, Boston Harbor, 1918.


 * Note: This island was home to a prison, reform school, a fort, and other buildings. There were two cemeteries for these different facilities, one for prisoners and hospital patients and the other for military personnel. The military remains wer re-interred at Fort Devens Cemetery in Ayer, Mass. The others were moved to the New Rest Haven Cemetery.

East Boston cemeteries

19. Bennington Street Burying Ground, Bennington corner of Swift Sts., East Boston, 1819. (A)

20. Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery, Wordsworth St., East Boston, 1844. South Boston cemeteries

21. South Boston Tombs [site], West Seventh and Dorchester Sts., South Boston, 1810.


 * Note from Toomey and Rankin, History of South Boston, p. 127: Fifteen tombs were built on the spot where the Shurtleff school was and it was supposed that it was used only for a short time.

22. Hawes Burying Ground, Old Road now Emerson St., South Boston, 1816. (A, B)


 * Thomas Hill, "The Only Protestant Burial Ground in South Boston" (mss., 1901) (Mss C 3389), 10 p., R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.

23. St. Augustine's Cemetery, West Sixth St. west of Dorchester St., South Boston, 1819.


 * Note: This cemetery was filled not long after 1900.
 * The Archdiocese of Boston Archives holds the lot sales (1840-1859), burials (1850-1859), copies of gravestones (1819-1850), and an undated list of graves copied from the original records.
 * 1819-1859 Boston, MA: St. Augustine Cemetery Records, 1819-1859 at American Ancestors — index & images, ($)

24. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church Tombs [site], Broadway near E St., South Boston, 1819.


 * Note: Tombs were built in the cellar of the church and these were removed in 1864 and re-interred at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Roslindale [a former section of West Roxbury].

25. Union Cemetery, East Fifth St., South Boston, 1841 (A).


 * Note: This is the newest and smallest cemetery in South Boston and adjoins the Hawes Burying Ground.

Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to: (A). Inventories of Some Boston Cemeteries (Boston, 1990) WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. (B). Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, Inscriptions and Records of The Old Cemeteries of Boston (Boston, 2000), xiii, 914 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);. (C). Charles Chauncey Wells and Suzanne Austin Wells, Preachers, Patriots &amp; Plain Folks: Boston's Burying Ground Guide to King's Chapel, Granary, Central (Oak Park, Ill., 2004), 288 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.


 * 1847-1852 Boston, MA: Lists of Alien Passengers to the Port of Boston, 1847-1852 at American Ancestors — index ($)

Top of Page || Top of Cemeteries

Online Databases

 * 1789-1920 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston Archdiocese Roman Catholic Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 at Ancestry - index ($)

The following is a list of churches established in Boston, East Boston, and South Boston by date founded. The earliest list of churches found was from Thomas Prince, The Vade Mecum for America: Or a Companion for Traders and Travellers (Boston, 1732), page 215, with "A List of the Houses of Publick Worship in Boston, with the Streets where they Stand, and the Times of the Foundation of the several Churches." There were fourteen listed then and by all accounts, there nothing established that were closed by then. The next authority used was John Hayward, A Gazetteer of Massachusetts (Boston, 1847), pp. 70-102, and Carroll D. Wright, Report of the Custody and Condition of the Public Records of Parishes, Towns, and Counties (Boston 1889). For information specific to Congregational churches, Harold Field Worthley, An Inventory of the Records of the Particular (Congregational) Churches of Massachusetts Gathered 1620-1805 (Cambridge, Mass., 1970) was consulted.

The best resource for the vital records of the churches of Boston is Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002) on CD [see WorldCat (Other Libraries); ]. The transcribers copied all baptisms, marriages, deaths, admissions, and dismissals from all Boston churches established before 1800 where records were found and include the first three parishes of Roxbury. Some transcriptions go beyond 1800. The only church not giving permission for their records to be included was the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (the oldest Catholic Church in New England). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Another interesting source for early churches is Martin Moore, Boston Revival, 1842: A Brief History of the Evangelical Churches of Boston (Boston, 1842; rep. Wheaton, Ill., 1980), viii, 148 pp., digital versions of the first edition at Internet Archive.

Use the navigation boxes below to jump to the church you want. Realize that this listing uses the most common historical name of the church. If you do not find the name of the church you seek, then open the search feature in your browser to find the name you want.

1. First Church, Old Church or Old Brick Church [now First Church of Boston], 1630.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * King Street [later called State St.] at the corner of Devonshire St., 1632-1639 [see sketch].
 * Cornhill [later called Washington St.], 1639-1808. This building burned in 1711 and a new brick church built on the same spot the following year called the Old Brick Church [see painting of building, 1712-1808]. This building was sold in 1808.
 * Chauncey Place, 1808-1868 [see sketch].
 * 66 Marlborough Street, 1868 to present [see 19th century image or 1920 view].
 * Note:
 * A fire destroyed its building in 1968, and after it merged with the Old North Church to form The First and Second Church of Boston.
 * Voted to change its name to the Society of the First Church in Boston in 2005.
 * Records:
 * First Church in Boston, Records, 1630-1882 at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
 * First Church - Penn Scholarship disbursement records, 1717-1819 at the Harvard University Archives.
 * List of Presiding Ministers, dates and texts of sermons at First Congregational Church, Boston, 1842-1845 at the Boston Athenaeum.
 * First Church in Boston, Records, 1844-1996 (bulk 1923-1953) at the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, Collection bMS 712.
 * First Church, records, 1630-1847,.
 * First Church, accounts, 1711-1788, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Am.2313.
 * List of marriages by Benjamin Wadsworth, 6 Apr. 1713 - 25 Mar. 1714, sent to town clerk, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ch.F.7.61.
 * Online resources:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Boston's First Church - its Historical Heritage.
 * Publications:
 * William Emerson, An Historical Sketch of the First Church in Boston: from its formation to the present period (Boston, 1812), [2], 256 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive, Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jeremiah Colburn, "Marriages in Boston, Mass. from the Original Certificates of the Clergymen Officiating" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 34 [1880]: 94-96, for 1707.
 * Arthur B. Ellis, History of the First Church in Boston, 1630-1880 (Boston, 1881), lxxxviii, 356 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699 (Boston, 1883; rep. 1908), vii, 281 pp. This volume includes baptisms from the First Congregational Church only. This volume was microfiched by the Family History Library, and in digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries), 1883 ed., 1908 ed.; . Sanford Charles Gladden, An Index to the Vital Records of Boston, 1630-1699 ([Boulder, Colo.], 1969), ii. 188 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Anson Titus, "Marriages of Rev. Thomas Foxcroft, A.M., Boston. 1717-1769" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 42 [1888]: 152-155, 250-254.
 * Memorials in the First Church in Boston (Boston, 1926?), [40] pp., photographs with descriptive text. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Richard D. Pierce, ed., The Records of The First Church in Boston, 1630-1868 being vols. 39 to 41 in the Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Collections (Boston, 1961), 1254 pp. Digital version of Vol. 1 only at DigitalCommons for viewing only (this takes a couple minutes to download file) and cannot be saved. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Leo W. Collins, This is Our Church: The Seven Societies of the First Church in Boston 1630-2005 (Boston, 2005), iii, 181 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

2. Second Church or North Church and latter the Old North Church, 1650-1970.


 * Wikipedia pages: Second Church, Boston (historic church) and Second Church in Boston (last building).
 * Locations:
 * North Square [called Church Square in 1732] in the North End, 1650-1776 [see sketch]. Burned in 1676, rebuilt on old site, British troops tear down building for firewood in 1776.
 * Middle Street [became part of Hanover Street in 1824] in the North End, 1779-1849. This was formerly the church for the Seventh Church or so-called New Brick Church and became the Old North Church.
 * Freeman Place on Beacon Hill, 1849-1854.
 * Bedford Street in the Financial District, 1854-1872.
 * Boylston Street at Copley Square, 1874-1914.
 * 874 Beacon Street on the corner with Park Drive, 1914-1970.
 * Notes:
 * Some members left to form the New North Church in 1714.
 * A group of Old Light members led by Samuel Mather seceded in 1742 to form the Tenth Church. When their pastor died in 1785, they rejoined this church.
 * Congregation invited to combined services at the New Brick Church (i.e. Seventh Church ) after British troops destroyed the Old North Church in 1776.
 * This church merged with the Seventh Church [or so-called New Brick Church] to be called the Old North Church in 1779.
 * Church shifts to Unitarian doctrine in 1802.
 * Church building demolished in 1844 and rebuilt on the same site in 1845 and called The Second Church.
 * Church purchased the Freeman Place Chapel and moved there. They sold their Hanover Street building to a Methodist congregation.
 * Church merged with the Church of Our Savior and moved into their building on Bedford Street in 1854. They sold the Freeman Place building.
 * Church on Bedford Street dismantled, the land sold, and reassembled the building with slight modifications in Copley Square that opened in 1874.
 * Brought property at the corner of Beacon Street and Park Drive in 1913 and built a church in 1914.
 * The Second Church joined the First Church to form The First and Second Church of Boston in 1970.
 * Records:
 * A note in the earliest original book state that after 23 years of existence, the church had yet to get a record book and that this sad state of affairs was impossible to restore it to a desirable record. The contemporary records begin in 1673.
 * The church vital records from 1741 to 1768 were lost during the Revolutionary War according to Worthley, but most seem present.
 * Second Church (Boston, Mass.), Records, 1650-1970, held at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
 * John Lathrop, account book, 1780-1802, minister of the Second Church, held by the Baker Library, Harvard Business School.
 * Second Church, records, 1676-1816,.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS($).
 * Publications:
 * Richard Mather, John Cotton, and James Allen, A platform of church-discipline; : gathered out of the Word of God; and agreed upon by the elders and messengers of the churches assembled in the Synod at Cambridge in N.E. : To be presented to the churches &amp; General Court for their consideration &amp; acceptance in the Lord, the 8th. month, anno. 1649 (1649; rep. Boston, 1701, by the Second Church), [26], 64, [6] pp. Digital transcription online. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Henry Ware, Two Discourses containing the History of the Old North and New Brick Churches, united as the Second Church in Boston (Boston, 1821), 61 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Catalogue of Books Belonging to the Library of the Second Church, 1832 (Boston, 1832), 17 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Chandler Robbins, A History of the Second Church, or Old North, in Boston: to which is added a History of the New Brick Church (Boston, 1852), viii, 320 pp. Admissions and baptisms on pp. 226-291. Digital versions available at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Catalogue of Books Belonging to the Library (Boston, 1854), 56 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Jeremiah Colburn, "Marriages in Boston, Mass. from the Original Certificates of the Clergymen Officiating" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 34 [1880]: 94-96, for 1701 and 1715.
 * Francis H. Brown, The Historical and Other Records Belonging to the Second Church in Boston ([Boston, 1888]), 12 pp. Digital versions available at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George Henry Eager, Historical Sketch of the Second Church in Boston (Boston, 1894), 43 pp. Digital Version available at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Three Centuries of Christian Church Life, 1649-1949 ([Boston], 1949), 13 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * John Nicholls Booth, The Story of the Second Church in Boston, the original Old North; including the Old North Church Mystery (Boston, 1959), 92 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

3. Quaker Meetinghouse, 1661-1808, 1870-present.


 * Locations:
 * Brattle Street on the part that was later called Brattle Square, to ca. 1710. The Society of Friends met in Boston as early as 1664. They built the first brick meeting house in Boston in 1694.
 * Leverett's Lane [also called Quaker Lane and later became Congress Street], ca. 1710-1808.
 * Notes:
 * Their meeting house was burned in the Great Fire of 1760 and they rebuilt on the same site.
 * They voted to "laid down" in 1808, though they met informally at Milton Place (in 1847).
 * The Boston meeting was officially restarted in 1870 and became a Monthly Meeting in 1883.
 * Boston Monthly Meeting merged into the Cambridge Monthly Meeting in 1944.
 * Records:
 * Boston Working Group, 1661-1707;
 * Boston Preparative Meeting, 1707-1792;
 * Boston Working Group, 1792-1808;
 * Boston Working Group, 1870-1879; and
 * Boston Preparative Meeting, 1879-1883 are All part of the Salem Monthly Meeting records held by the Rhode Island Historical Society.
 * Boston Monthly Meeting, 1883-1944, held by the Rhode Island Historical Society.
 * Friends' Meeting House, account of losses in fire in 1760, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.Am.1809(45).
 * Society of Friends papers, 1842-1924, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0093.
 * Publications:
 * George Selleck, Quakers in Boston, 1656-1964: Three Centuries of Friends in Boston and Cambridge (Cambridge, Mass., 1976), xii, 349 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Richard D. Stattler, Guide to the Records of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in New England ([Providence, R.I.], 1997), iv, 113 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Top of Page || Church List

4. Annabaptist Church or First Baptist Church, 1665.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * The group first met usually at the home of Thomas Gould, the first pastor, in Charlestown [not then part of Boston] and later at his place on Noodle's Island [now East Boston], 1665-1679.
 * The first meetinghouse built off from Back Street on the shore of the Mill Pond in the North End [later it became Stillman Street], 1679-1771.
 * They built a larger structure on the same site, 1771-1829.
 * They built a brick church on Hanover Street at the corner of Union Street, 1829-1854.
 * They moved to a brick building on Somerset Street on Beacon Hill, 1854-1877.
 * They moved to the Suffolk Street Chapel at the corner of Shawmut Avenue and Rutland Street in the South End, 1877-1882.
 * They moved to the church at 110 Commonwealth Avenue at the corner of Clarendon Street, 1882-present.
 * Notes:
 * This church was formed by two women and seven men in Charlestown in 1665.
 * Its doors were ordered nailed shut in 1680 by order of the Governor and Council for a week.
 * Its pastor Samuel Stillman help to establish Rhode Island College [now Brown University] and the first Baptist Missionary Society in America [now The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts] in 1764.
 * First African Church [now the People's Baptist Church in Roxbury] gathered here in 1805.
 * Established a sabbath school in 1816.
 * Found the Newton Theological School [now the Andover Newton Theological School] in 1825.
 * The congregation sold their church to a new congregation that formed in South Boston and the building was floated over to its new location in 1829.
 * The Shawmut Avenue Baptist Church merged with this church in 1877.
 * The church bought its present building from the Brattle Square Unitarian Society who had it constructed in 1872.
 * Records:
 * First Baptist Church, records, 1665-1960, held by Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Mass., Mss. 1986-2 [search catalog with church as author], and six microfilmed subsets of this collection.
 * First Baptist Church, records, 1665-1879,.
 * First Baptist Church, record book, 1665-1797 (microfilm), 217 leaves, WorldCat (Other Libraries) and WorldCat (Other Libraries).
 * First Baptist Church, records, 1771-1960 (microfilm), held by the American Baptist - Samuel Colgate Historical Library, Mercer University, Atlanta, Ga.
 * First Baptist Church, records, 1665-1838, transcription by James S. Loring in 1848 of the list of members with baptisms and deaths, held by Massachusetts Historical Society.
 * Membership list for the First Baptist Church of Boston, Mss 1104, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. Membership list 1665-1846 for the First Baptist Church of Boston written in pencil on the first 123 pages. List is arranged alphabetically by surname with date admitted, method (baptism, letter, etc.), and notes. The notes concern dismissal, marriage, death, etc. End sheet has First Baptist church constituted AD 1665 Boston" in ink .There is a note by Cyrus Pitt Grosvenor dated Boston Dec 17 1828 concerning the intention to copy the early records of the church followed by "copy of the original records of the First Baptist Church" on the gathering of the church in 1665 and baptisms in 1665 and 1669 [records end with this single page]. The remainder of the ledger is blank.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * James M. Winchell, Jubilee Sermon: Two Discourses Exhibiting an Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church in Boston from its First Formation in Charlestown 1655 to the Beginning of 1818 (Boston, 1819), 47 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. 
 * A Brief History of the First Baptist Church in Boston, with a list of its present members (Boston, 1839), 36 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A Brief History of the First Baptist Church in Boston, with a list of its present members (Boston, 1843), 36 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A Brief History of the First Baptist Church in Boston, with a list of its present members (Boston, 1853), 36 pp. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church, Boston: With the Church covenant, articles of faith, and a list of present members (Boston, 1891), 64 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Nathan E. Wood, The History of the First Baptist Church of Boston (Philadelphia, 1899), x, 378 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John W. Brush, Legacy of Faith: A Short History of the First Baptist Church of Boston (Groveland, Mass., 1965), 68 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

5. Third Church or South Church [now called Old South Church in Boston officially or the New Old North Church], 1669.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * Cedar Meeting House, 1670-1729. This was on Marlborough Street [between Summer and School Streets and became part of Washington Street in 1824 at the corner of Milk Street']. This building was torn down as it was no longer big enough, and the new brick meeting house (below) constructed on the same spot.
 * Old South Meeting House, 1729-1875.
 * 645 Boylston Street (at the corner of Dartmouth St.) on Copley Square, 1875-present.
 * Note:
 * This church was organized by twenty-eight members from the First Church who believed in the Halfway Covenant in 1669.
 * This congregation occupied King's Chapel from 1777 to 1782 during the Revolutionary War when that church's ministers fled.
 * This church joined with the Park Street Church to form the City Mission Society for the purpose of serving the city's poor in 1816. These records are held by the Congregational Library, RG 1031, Boston.
 * Records:
 * Old South Church, Records, 1669-1997, held by the Congregational Library. Old South Church, records, 1669-1875,.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * John Hull, "Narrative of the separation of the Old South (Third) Church from the First Church, 1670's". WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Benjamin B. Wisner, History of the Old South Church (Boston, 1830) [in four sermons], 122 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * The Confession of Faith and Form of Covenant, of the Old South Church, in Boston, Massachusetts, with Lists of the Founders, the Pastors, the Ruling Elders and Deacons, and the Members (Boston, 1841) [earlier and later editions'], 88 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * List of Pastors, Officers, and Members of the Old South Church, in Boston, June 1, 1870: also, a list of members admitted since January 1, 1855 (Boston, 1870), 34 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Elizabeth Putnam Sohier, History of the Old South Church of Boston (Boston, 1876), 73 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Everett W. Burdett, History of the Old South Meeting-House in Boston (Boston, 1877), 106 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * An Historical Catalogue of the Old South Church (Third Church) Boston (Boston, 1883). Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * Hamilton A. Hill, History of the Old South Church (Third Church) Boston 1669-1884 (Boston, 1890), 2v. Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Richard B. Stanley, Old South Church in Boston: its history in outline, 1669-1927 (Boston, 1927?), 29 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * History of the Old South Church of Boston (Boston?, 1929), 71 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

6. French Huguenot Church, 1686-1748/1764.


 * Locations:
 * Boston offered the use of the Boston Latin School on School Street for as long as they needed, 1685-1715.
 * They purchased land on School Street in 1704 but were not allowed to build their church until 1715.
 * Note:
 * They sold their building to the Eleventh Congregational Church in 1748 as there were only seven congregants left.
 * Commemorative plaque about their church [no location given].
 * Records:
 * No extant records.
 * Publications:
 * Abiel Holmes, Memoir of the French Protestants, who Settled at Oxford, Massachusetts, A.D. 1686; with a Sketch of the Entire History of the Protestants of France (Cambridge, Mass., 1826), iv, 84 pp. Digital version at online. Reprinted in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 3rd Series, 2 [1830]: 1-83. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * E. T. Fisher, trans., Report of a French Protestant Refugee, in Boston, 1687 (Brooklyn, 1868), 42 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Charles C. Smith, "The French Protestants in Boston" in Justin Windsor, ed., Memorial History of Boston (Boston, 1880-1881), 2: 249-268. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (with digital link).
 * Charles W. Baird, History of the Huguenot Emigration to America (New York, 1885; rep. Baltimore, 1966), 2: 220-254. WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1966 ed.); (1966 ed., with digital link) and.
 * Worthington C. Ford, "Ezechiel Carre and the French Church in Boston" in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 52 [1918-1919]: 121-132. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Percival Merritt, "The French Protestant Church in Boston" in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Transactions, 26 [1927]: 323-347, and published privately in 1927. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

7. King's Chapel, 1688.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Location:
 * 58 Tremont Street at the corner with School Street has been its only location.
 * Note:
 * The first building was a small wooden meeting house where the current building now standing, 1689, see sketch.
 * Box pews were built in 1712.
 * First church organ in New England installed here in 1714.
 * A larger building of Quincy granite replaced the dilapidated wooden structure. The lot to the east was purchased for the expansion. Work began in 1749 and the church opened in 1754. See a view in 1843 in a Philip Harry painting.
 * There was no minister for this church when the British were driven out in 1776. The building, then called the Stone Chapel, was used by the Old South Meeting House congregational with some of the old parishioners until the church settled a minister in 1782.
 * The Minister Rev. Henry Caner left for Halifax, N.S., with the church records in 1776. Seemingly these have been returned.
 * This congregation temporarily merged with Trinity Church from 1777 to 1781.
 * This church severed its ties with the Church of England in 1785, it has kept a quasi-Episcopalian form of church government, and considered Unitarian.
 * Records:
 * King's Chapel, records, 1686-1942, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1867.
 * "Graves with and without stones, King's Chapel, Boston, Mass.," Mss C 1021, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * King's Chapel, pew owners' list, n.d. (but before 1775), Mss C 1004, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * King's Chapel, records, i.e. baptisms (1703-1824), marriages (1718-1842), and burials (1714-1844),.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Francis William Pitt Greenwood, A History of King's Chapel, in Boston: The First Episcopal Church in New England (Boston, 1833), xii, 215 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Henry Wilder Foote, King's Chapel and the Evacuation of Boston: A Discourse (Boston, 1876), 23 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Henry Wilder Foote, Annals of King's Chapel from the Puritan Age to the Present Day (Boston, 1882-1896), 2v. Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * A Brief Sketch of the History of King's Chapel ([Boston, 1898]), 9 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * John Carroll Perkins, Some Distinguished Laymen in King's Chapel History (Boston, [1936]), 17 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * John Carroll Perkins, Annals of King's Chapel from the Puritan Age to the Present Day (Boston, 1940), 3rd v. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Andre Mayer, King's Chapel: The First Century, 1686-1787 (Boston, 1976), 36 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Carl Scovel, Deborah A. Cozart, Nancy L. Kessner, Guide to the Archives of King's Chapel, 1686-1899 (S.l., 1979?), 110 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Karen E. McArthur, Of Paramount Importance: The Women of the Chapel, 1686-1986 (Boston, 1990), 22 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Carl Scovell and Charles C. Forman, Journey Toward Independence: King's Chapel's Transition to Unitarianism: The 1989 Minns Lecture (Boston, 1993), 103 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

8. Fourth Church, Brattle Street Church, and last the Church in Brattle Square, 1698-1876.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * Brattle Street at Brattle Square.
 * Wood church building replaced by a brick building in 1772. See 1853 image of church.
 * Church building demolished on Brattle Street in 1872.
 * Started building a building at 110 Commonwealth Avenue at the corner of Clarendon Street in 1873. See image of church.
 * Opened the church at the new location in 1875 as the Brattle Square Church and then closed in 1876.
 * Notes:
 * The church was organized as a Congregational Church in 1698.
 * This church was also called the Manifesto Church for publishing its practice that differed from other Puritan churches in 1699.
 * This church at one time was called the Brattle Square Church.
 * The church moved to Unitarianism in 1805.
 * The church was rebuilt in 1872, but this proved financially burdensome that it was sold in 1876 and the society ended.
 * Church building on Commonwealth Avenue sold to the First Baptist Church in 1882.
 * Records:
 * The Brattle Street Church records, 1841-1872, burned in the Great Fire of 1872 according to the 1885 survey of public records.
 * Original church record book, 1699-1804, missing per Harold F. Worthley in 1970.
 * Church in Brattle Square, records, ca. 1699-1887, held by Boston Public Library, Rare Books, Mss. Ms.Bos.Z15.
 * Church in Brattle Square, records, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 1, 1855-1884.
 * Part of "Index to Church records," card index to church records held by the City Clerk, this card index held by Boston City Archives.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Samuel Kirkland Lothrop, A History of the Church in Brattle Street, Boston (Boston, 1851), vi, 217 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * The Manifesto Church: Records of the Church in Brattle Square, Boston, with Lists of Communicants, Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals, 1699-1872 (Boston, 1902), xvi, 448 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * "[John] Boyle's Journal of Occurrences in Boston, 1759-1778" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 84 [1930]: 142-171, 248-272, 357-382; 85 [1931]: 5-28, 117-133. Boyle was a member of this church and referenced it frequently. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Thaddeus W. Harris and John L. Sibley, "Memoranda from the Rev. William Cooper's Interleaved Almanacs" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 30 [1876]: 435-441; 31 [1877]: 49-55. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.


 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

9. Fifth Church or New North Church, 1714-1863/1884.


 * Location:
 * North Street and became part of Hanover Street in 1824, now 401 Hanover Street. See 1843 sketch.
 * Notes:
 * This church was founded by members from the Second or Old North Church and built in 1714.
 * This church was rebuilt in 1730.
 * This church started building a brick church on North Street [now 401 Hanover Street] in the North End in 1802 and opened in 1804.
 * The building was sold to the Roman Catholics and renamed St. Stephen's Church in 1862.
 * This church merged with the Bulfinch Street Church in 1863 though this church society was active until 1884. The merged church ceased not long after this date.
 * Records:
 * New North Church, records of minutes, baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1714-1870, being church registers, v. 1 (1714-1797) and v. 2 (1813-1870), held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z2.
 * New North Church, minutes of the New North Religious Society, 1860-1884, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z2.
 * New North Church, records, 1714-1863 (microfilm),, being church registers, 1714-1797 and 1800-1863.
 * New North Church, Record of the sales of pews, 1799-1813, [50] pp., held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.F.4.4.
 * Minutes of the New North Religious Society, 1860-1884 (microfilm), held by the Boston Public Library. Are original records held by the Rare Books and Manuscript Department? WorldCat (Other Libraries).
 * "A list of marriages performed by John Webb," Mss C 1025, R Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * New North Church (Boston, Mass.) records, 1798-1813, Mss A 5367, R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society. End sheet has "2d volume of records of the New North Church" and include meeting minutes, baptisms, marriages, lists of councils and ordinations, and deaths.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Ephraim Eliot, Historical Notices of the New North Religious Society in the Town of Boston, with Anecdotes of the Reverend Andrew and John Eliot &amp;c. &amp;c.' (Boston, 1822), 51 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Thomas Bellows Wyman, comp., Robert J. Dunkle, trans., and Ann S. Lainhart, ed., The New North Church Boston 1714 (Baltimore, 1995), [5], 132 pp. This was a manuscript made by Thomas Bellows Wyman in 1867. A copy of this transcript at . A digital version of the book at Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

10. Sixth Church or New South Church, 1719-1866.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * The group built their wooden church on the Summer Street at Blind Lane [later Pond Street and now Bedford Street] in 1719 on land deeded by the town in 1715.
 * A new building of granite was erected on the same site in 1814. See circa 1850 image.
 * Conflicting facts say the building was either demolished in 1868 or destroyed by the Great Fire of 1872.
 * 101-113 Summer Street where the church stood was designated the Church Green Historic District in 1999.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Suffolk Street Chapel and the Concord Street Chapel and reorganized in 1867 as a Unitarian church. The new church did not survive long after the merger per Harold Worthley (1970), but it appears as the New South Church in the 1885 survey.
 * Records:
 * New South Church, records, 1714-1866, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z1.
 * New South Church, baptisms and marriages, 1719-1812,.
 * New South Church (Boston, Mass.), records, 1800, 1815-1846, correspondence and pew deeds, Mss 826, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Marriages performed by Rev. Samuel Checkley, pastor of the New South Church, 1721-1762, copied by Hattie Haush, [1953?], Mss C 1045, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * New South Church, minutes of meetings, 1719-1868 (microfilm), held by the Boston Public Library, being a transcription from the manuscript Minutes of meetings of the church and society, 1719-1868. Consists of records of members admitted into the church, notes and transactions of the church, children and adult persons baptized, persons that renewed covenants of baptism, and lists of marriages by the ministers of the church, ca. 1719-1811.
 * New South Church, charity books, 1812-1824, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z1.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * "Diary of the Rev. Samuel Checkley, 1735" in the Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Transactions, 12 [1909]: 270-306. Digital version at Hathi Trust and in the form of an offprint at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

11. Seventh Church or New Brick Church, 1722-1779.


 * Locations:
 * Middle Street [now part of Hanover Street] at the corner of Wood Lane [later called Word Street on 1775 map, Proctor's lane by 1796, and now Richmond Street since 1824].
 * Note:
 * This church was organized by seceding members of the Fifth Church in 1722 and shown on the Bonner's Boston map of 1722 called New No. Brick Church, 1721.
 * It was called the Middle Street Church on Middle Street [later Hanover Street] in a travel guide of 1732.
 * After the destruction of the Second Church by British troops in 1779, this church merged with and became the Second Church.
 * Records:
 * Agreement among subscribers to build New Brick Church, 1720, Mss C 5144, R Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, with online copy ($).
 * New Brick Church, records, 1722-1775, bound volume, [34 pp.], containing various records: church records (1722-1754), baptisms (1722-1775), owners of covenant (1728-1757), and admission to full membership (1722-1773), held by Boston Public Library - Special Collections.
 * New Brick Church, records, 1722-1776,.
 * New Brick Church, committee book, 1761-1800 [sic], one stitched quire, [76 pp.], held by Boston Public Library - Special Collections.
 * New Brick Church, committee records, 1761-1800, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.Bos.Z16(2).
 * New Brick Church, records of covenant (1728-1757), admissions (1722-1773), church records (1722-1754), and baptisms (1722-1775), held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.Bos.Z16(1) fol.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Henry Ware, Two discourses containing the history of the Old North and New Brick Churches, united as the Second Church in Boston: delivered May 20, 1821, at the completion of a century from the dedication of the present meeting-house in Middle-Street (Boston, 1821), 60 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Chandler Robbins, A History of the Second Church, or Old North, in Boston: to which is added a History of the New Brick Church (Boston, 1852), viii, 320 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Thomas B. Wyman, "New Brick Church, Boston List of Person connected therewith from 1722 to 1775" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 18 [1864]: 237-240, 337-344; 19 [1865]: 230-235, 320-324.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

12. Christ's Church, but commonly called the Old North Church, 1722.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Location:
 * The church was built at what is now numbered as 193 Salem Street in the North End at the foot of Copp's Hill in 1732. The is Boston's oldest church building.
 * Notes:
 * Organized as the second Anglican church in Boston in 1722.
 * They built a stone church on Salem Street that opened in 1723.
 * The church was closed during the Revolution from April 1775 to August 1778.
 * The church steeple used by Sexton Robert Newman who hangs two lanterns at the request of Paul Revere to warn that the British were sailing up the Charles River to Cambridge to march on Lexington.
 * The steeple was blown down in October 1804 and replaced in 1806.
 * The church built the Salem Street Academy on the north side of its property in 1810 and the schoolhouse begins Boston's first Sunday school in 1815.
 * A building on the east side of the church is built for Sunday school in 1834.
 * The Italian Protestant Chapel of St. Francis is built on the south side of the church property for the Italian Waldensians.
 * Christ Church modified its administrative structure and as such was no longer organized as a parish.
 * The church is re-incorporated as Christ Church in the City of Boston in 1947.
 * The steeple was blown down by Hurricane Carol in August 1954 and rebuilt in May 1955.
 * The church crypt was in use from 1732 to 1853 containing 37 tombs holding an estimated 1100 bodies and archeologists began examining this in 2009.
 * Records:
 * Records prior to 1806 report lost in 1885 survey, but that has been proven inaccurate.
 * Old North Church (Christ Church in the City of Boston), records, 1569-1997, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-2249.
 * Christ Church (Boston, Mass.) records, 1724-1851, copies of vital records from the original held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1864.
 * Christ Church, Boston, records [1723-1774], contributed by M.K D. Babcock ([Boston?, 1945?]), held by the Boston Athenaeum, 964B6.C46.a.
 * The Clark's register of Christ Church Boston [manuscript], 1723-1851, held by the Boston Athenaeum, $964+C483+c.
 * The Clark's register of Christ Church Boston [photocopy of manuscript], 1723-1851, Mss 990, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Asa Eaton, Historical account of Christ church, Boston: A discourse in said church, on Sunday, December 28, 1823 (Boston, 1824), 39 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Henry Burroughs, A historical account of Christ Church, Boston: an address, delivered on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the church, December 29, 1873 (Boston, 1874), 44 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * [Charles Knowles Bolton], Christ Church, Salem Street, Boston, 1723, a guide (Boston, 1912)[many editions], [68] pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive (1923). WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1941); (1927?).
 * Percival Merritt, The parochial library of the eighteenth century in Christ Church, Boston (Boston, 1917-1923), 86 pp. Note: Appendix C (p. 83-86) published separately in 1923. Digital versions at Internet Archive (orig. 1917 ed.), Internet Archive (with 1923 supp.). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Rectors: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

13. Trinity Church [and now officially Trinity Church in the City of Boston], 1728/1734.


 * Wikipedia page.
 * Location:
 * The first church building was made of wood was erected in 1734 and stood on Summer Street at the corner of Hawley Street. [See wood engraving].
 * The wooden building was torn down in 1828 and a Gothic church of unhewn granite was built on the same site that opened in 1829. [See 1870 photo].
 * The church was moved to 206 Clarendon Street in Back Bay in 1877. [See photo].
 * Note:
 * This is the third Anglican church in Boston.
 * The church is a Episcopal "low church."
 * A gift of land on Summer Street was given in 1728.
 * The Vestry voted to move the church in 1870.
 * The lot in Back Bay is purchased in January 1872 and the building planning started.
 * The Great Fire of 1872 destroyed the second building on Summer Street in November (see image). The congregation used Huntington Hall of the Institute of Technology.
 * The third church at its present location is opened 9 February 1877.
 * Records:
 * Trinity Church records, have been deposited at the Massachusetts Historical Society, unprocessed, and thus no access.
 * Trinity Church records, 1820-1869,.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Stephen Grant Deblois, Trinity Church in the City of Boston (Boston, 1883), 59 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Arthur Herbert Chester, Trinity Church in the city of Boston; an Historical and Descriptive Account, with a guide to its windows and paintings (Cambridge, Mass., 2nd ed., 1888), 76 pp. Digital version at Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Trinity Church in the City of Boston, Massachusetts: 1733-1933 (Boston, 1933), x, 219 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ruth Tucker, Bettina A. Norton, et al, Trinity Church: The Story of an Episcopal Parish in the city of Boston (Boston, 1978), 80 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Andrew Oliver and James Bishop Peabody, The Records of Trinity Church, Boston 1728-1830 being vols. 55 and 56 of the Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Collections (Boston, 1980-1982), 2v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Rectors: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

14. Long Lane Church [later the Federal Street Church and now the Arlington Street Church], 1729.


 * Wikipedia pages: Federal Street Church and Arlington Street Church.
 * Locations:
 * A barn on Long Lane [called Federal Street since 1788] at the corner of Bury Street [called Berry Street in 1803 and finally Channing Street since 1845] was converted into a meeting house in 1729.
 * A wooden church building was erected on the same spot in 1744.
 * A brick church building was erected on the same spot in 1809. [See photo].
 * The congregation moved and built a new church on Arlington Street at the corner of Boylston Street in Back Bay in 1862. [See photo of new building].
 * Note:
 * This church was organized by Irish immigrants and governed it in the Presbyterian style of church governance in 1729. It was known as the Long Lane Church on Long Lane [later named Federal Street] in 1732 and sometimes called The Church of the Presbyterian Strangers.
 * The church dismissed the three men governing the church in 1774. William McAlpine, one of the three, refused to relinquish the records and took them with him to Halifax, N.S., and then to Glasgow, Scot., where he died in 1788. These early records have been presumed lost.
 * The church adopted the congregational form of church governance in 1787.
 * Massachusetts Convention held at this church where the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
 * William Ellery Channing, pastor of this church, defines "Unitarian Christianity" in a sermon delivered in Baltimore that launched the Unitarian movement in the United States.
 * The American Unitarian Association was founded at this church in 1825.
 * The Benevolent Fraternity, a first-ever social agency of this kind, formed at the church.
 * The congregation voted to build a new building in Back Bay in 1859. They move there in 1862 and the congregation was renamed the Arlington Street Church.
 * The Second Universalist Church (1817) merged with this church in 1935.
 * Church members found the Freedom Center in 1970.
 * The Samaritans started at this church in 1970
 * Records:
 * Church records before 1786 were said to be missing (see note above) in 1885 survey, but they seem to have been located as listed below.
 * Arlington Street Church (Boston, Mass.), records, 1730-1979, held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School. Note: Jermey Belknap's list of families in the parish with information about "inoculation" of members, and records of deaths from smallpox in Boston, 1702-1792, available online.
 * Federal Street Church, records, 1774-1803, 1 v., held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-81.
 * Federal Street Church (Boston, Mass.), records, 1787-1830, 1 v. ([33] pp.), Mss A 5368, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Federal Street Church, pew records, 1803-1804, 1 v., held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1865.
 * Arlington Street Church (Boston, Mass.), records, 1927-1980, held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Memoir of the Federal Street Church &amp; Society ([Boston, 1824?]), [33]-47 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Harriet E. Johnson, "The Early History of Arlington Street Church" in Unitarian Historical Society Proceedings, 5 [1937]: 15-37. Journal: WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. Reprinted, n.d.: WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Bertha Langmaid, A Brief History of Arlington Street Church: delivered before the New England Associate Alliance, January 15, 1953 ([Boston], 1953), [12] pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * The Century and the Quest: Commemorating the Centennial Celebration of the Arlington Street Church, Unitarian-Universalist, Boston, Mass. 1861-1961 ([Boston, 1961?]), [14] pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served] Code to Ministers: [C] Congregational; [P] Presbyterian; [U] Unitarian; [UU] Unitarian Universalist

Top of Page || Church List

15. Eighth Church, Harvard Street Church, South Meeting House, but later known as Hollis Street Church, 1732-1887.


 * Hollis Street Church Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * A wooden church building was built on Hollis Street [called Harvard Street in 1732].
 * The church was burnt in 1787 and a new one rebuilt in its place in 1788.
 * This building was sold, taken down, and removed to Braintree in 1810.
 * A new brick building was built on the same spot in 1811. [See sketch of the Hollis Street Church.]
 * A new building was erected at 180 Newbury Street on the southeast corner of Exeter Street in 1884.
 * Notes:
 * The church became Unitarian in 1800.
 * Some congregants left to form the South Congregational Society in 1825.
 * This church merged with the South Congregational Church that took over the building in 1887 and that ultimately merged with the First Church of Boston in 1925.
 * Records:
 * Records, 1732-1789 said by Harold Worthley to be held by the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1970, but they could not be located in their catalog.
 * Hollis Street Church (Boston, Mass.) account ledger, 1787-1788, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1407 (Tall).
 * Hollis Street Church records, [1787-1879], Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 5, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Hollis Street Church, proprietors' records, 1809-1887, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z4.
 * Hollis Street Church, membership, meetings, and baptisms, 1732-1739 (by Mather Byles), held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.q.Am.2290.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * John Pierpont, Proceedings in the controversy between a part of the proprietors and the pastor of Hollis Street Church: 1838 and 1839 (Boston, [1839]), 60 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George Leonard Chaney, Hollis Street Church from Mather Byles to Thomas Starr King, 1732-1861: two discourses given in Hollis Street meeting-house, Dec. 31, 1876, and Jan. 7, 1877 (Boston, 1877), 70 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ogden Codman, Robert J. Dunkle, and Ann S. Lainhart, Hollis Street Church, Boston : records of admissions, baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1732-1887 (Boston, 1998), 295 pp. Note: Based on Ogden Codman, "Hollis Street Church, Boston: records of admissions, baptisms, marriages and deaths, 1732-1887" (ms., 1918), Mss 293a, Manuscripts Dept., New England Historic Genealogical Society that was microfilmed, . WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 16. Ninth Church, West Church or Lynde Street Church, 1737-1889.


 * Locations:
 * The first church was built of wood on Lynde Street at the corner of Cambridge Street in 1737.
 * The wooden structure was torn down and an enlarged brick building constructed in its place all during 1806. The church now faced 131 Cambridge Street. [See an image of the West Church of Boston].
 * Notes:
 * British troops occupying the town during the Revolution used this church as a barracks.
 * The church was reorganized as a Unitarian Church in 1806.
 * The congregation's 1806 building was deeded to the city in 1894 and served as a branch of the library. The First Methodist Church and Copley Religious Society merged in 1962, bought this building from the city, and became Old West Church, a United Methodist congregation.
 * Records:
 * West Church, records, 1736-1889, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z3.
 * West Church, records, 1826-1876, Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 10, Harvard Divinity School. Note: There are no vital records in this collection.
 * West Church records, baptisms, marriages, 1737-1880,.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Brief history of the First Free Congregational Church: with the articles of faith, and covenant, ecclesiastical regulations and a list of its members (Boston, 1840), 48 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Edward Wheelwright, "Records of the West Church, Boston, Mass. Baptisms, 1737-1854" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 91 [1937]: 340-354; 92 [1938]: 10-28, 116-134, 242-260, 342-358; 93 [1939]: 58-66, 114-124, 250-263, 314-326; 94 [1940]: 38-47, 155-163, 290-297, 373-380. Note: Plates were struck for the publication of the records of this church by The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, but the project was abandoned and some proof pages were lost. The remaindered were offered to the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1935, the gaps filled in and published to 1854.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 17. Tenth Church, Bennett Street Church, or Samuel Mather's Church, 1742-1785.


 * Locations:
 * The church was built at the corner of Bennett and North [now Hanover] Streets in the North End in 1742.
 * Notes:
 * Old Light members of the Second Church gathered to form this church with Samuel Mather, its only minister. Per his dying wishes, the members returned to the Second Church at his death. No records survive except the few marriages mentioned below.
 * The church was sold to the First Universalist Church as their first building.
 * Records:
 * Jeremiah Colburn, "Marriages in Boston, Mass. from the Original Certificates of the Clergymen Officiating" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 34 [1880]: 96, for 1742.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * See above under records.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 18. Second Baptist Church, then Baldwin Place Baptist Church, and finally Warren Avenue Baptist Church, 1743-1912.


 * Locations:
 * Built on the eastern side of Mill Pond in 1746, this wooden structure of was the southern one of two meeting houses there off of Back Street [now Salem Street in the North End] that since 1829 is now called Baldwin Place.
 * A new building was erected on the same spot in 1811.
 * The congregation built a Gothic red brick church on Warren Avenue in the South end in 1866.
 * Notes:
 * The church changed its name to Baldwin Place Baptist Church between 1832 and 1841.
 * The church merged back with the First Baptist Church in 1920.
 * The South End building was sold at that time and was abandoned in the 1960s when arsonists burnt the building in 1967. The land was cleared and is now the beautiful James Hayes Park.
 * Records:
 * Second Baptist Church, records, 1743-1787, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.Bos.Z9.
 * Second Baptist Church, records, 1743-1787, 0824 Microfilm held by the Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Mass., and also at the Boston Public Library (who had the records microfilmed - and thus likely hold the originals),.
 * Baldwin Place Baptist Church, records, 1769-1881,.
 * Second Baptist Church, records, 1787-1793, 0825 and 0826 Microfilm held by the Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Mass.
 * Second Baptist Church, records, 1789-1811 (transcript),.
 * "Record of marriages in Boston by Thomas Baldwin, pastor of the Second Baptist Church, 1790-1826", Mss A 1586, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Second Baptist Church, records, 1788-1920, 42 volumes, held by the Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Mass., but not in their online catalog.
 * Online:
 * Part of Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, trans., The Records of the Churches of Boston (Boston, 2002). Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Publications:
 * Thomas Ford Caldicott, Concise history of the Baldwin Place Baptist Church, together with the articles of faith and practice; also ... calendar of the present members (Boston, 1854), 96 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * "Marriage records of the Rev. Thomas Baldwin, Pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Boston, Massachusetts" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 125 [1971]: 99-109, 214-223, 287-294; 126 [1972]: 64-68, 141-145, 204-209.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 19. Eleventh Church, School Street Church, or Rev. Andrew Croswell's Church, 1748-1785.


 * Locations:
 * This congregation bought the French Huguenot Church on School Street in 1748 just two-thirds a block south and across the street from King's Chapel.
 * Notes:
 * This church was the gathering of New Lights from several Boston Congregational churches under Rev. Andrew Croswell. After Croswell's death in 1785, the congregation disbanded and sold their church building to Roman Catholics to serve as their first church building.
 * Records:
 * None known to exist.
 * Online:
 * None.
 * Publications:
 * Andrew Croswell, A Narrative of the Founding and Settling The New-gathered Congregational Church in Boston (Boston, 1749), 37, [3] pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 20. Sandemanian Society, 1764-ca.1823.


 * Locations:
 * Their meeting house was off of Middle Street [now Hanover Street] in the North End, between Richmond's Lane and Cross Street.
 * Notes:
 * From several maps of the period consulted, only "A New Plan of Boston" (Boston, 1806) published by W. Norman actually showed the building.
 * Little has been written on this group started in the United States by the childless Robert Sandeman (1718-1771) who brought the teachings of his father-in-law John Glas (known as Glasites) to America. They were considered pacifist Loyalists.
 * For more information, see the publications below.
 * Records:
 * There are no known records from this group.
 * Publications:
 * Glasite Wikipedia page.
 * Caleb H. Snow, A History of Boston (Boston, 2nd ed., 1828), Chap. XLV, p. 256-257.
 * Henry H. Edes, "The Places of Worship of the Sandemanians in Boston" in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Transactions, 1899-1900, 6 [1904]: 109-123.
 * Ministers:
 * No known ministers used by this group.

Top of Page || Church List 21. First Universalist Church, 1785-1864.


 * Locations:
 * This congregation bought their first church from the Tenth Church otherwise known as Samuel Mather's Church on the corner of Bennet and North [now Hanover] Streets in the North End in 1785.
 * Notes:
 * Their wooden church (the last one standing in Boston) was torn down in 1838 and a new structure built.
 * Records:
 * First Universalist Church, proprietors' records, 1792-1815, on microfilm at the Massachusetts Historical Society (but not in their online catalog).
 * First Universalist Church, records, 1792-1909, Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 302, Harvard Divinity School. Note: There are no vital records in this collection and most of the post-1864 records are from the Sunday school.
 * First Universalist Church, proprietor's meetings, 1834-1864, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z11.
 * First Universalist Church, marriages, 1813-1840,.
 * Online:
 * None.
 * Publications:
 * Thomas W. Silloway, An Historical Discourse delivered in the First Universalist Meeting-House, Boston, Sunday, May 29, 1864, on the occasion of taking final leave of the premises (Boston, [1864?]), 42 pp. No Digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.


 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 22. Church of the Holy Cross and now Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1788.


 * Wikipedia page for Holy Cross Boston; Wikipedia page for the Cathedral.
 * Locations:
 * They bought a church building on School Street from the Eleventh Church or School Street Church in 1788 that was built by the French Huguenot Church in 1715.
 * They built a chapel on the southern end of Franklin Place at what would now be 214 Devonshire Street in 1803. [See an image of the Cathedral in 1859.]
 * Built a new cathedral building at 1400 Washington Street in the South End in 1875.
 * Notes:
 * Outgrowing the old building on School Street and their lease being up, a committee was formed in 1799. They found a spot with the help of Charles Bulfinch at the southern end of his first of its kind urban designed city block in the United States, Franklin Place (sometimes called the Tontine Crescent). They broke ground in 1800 and the chapel opened in 1803.
 * When the Diocese of Boston was established, the chapel became the Cathedral for the diocese in 1825.
 * The last mass in the Cathedral was in 1860 and the building demolished in 1862.
 * After the delay caused by the Civil War, ground was broken for the new cathedral in 1866. It was dedicated in 1875 as the largest church in New England.
 * Records:
 * Cathedral of the Holy Cross, baptisms, 1789-1928, marriages 1789-1925, confirmations, 1803, 1810-1823, 1864-1926, burials, 1789-1822, and ordinations, 1815-1822, held by the Archdiocese of Boston Archives.
 * All other records are held by the Cathedral.
 * Online:
 * None.
 * Publications:
 * Robert H. Lord, John E. Sexton and Edward T. Harrington, History of the Archdiocese of Boston in the various stages of its development, 1604 to 1943 (New York, 1944), 3 vols. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Thomas H. O'Connor, Boston Catholics: a history of the church and its people (Boston, 1998), xvi, 357 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Priests associated with this church before 1900: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List 23. First Methodist Episcopal Church (1792-1828), North Bennett Street Methodist Episcopal Church (1828-1849), later the Hanover Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and since 1873 called Grace Church, 1792-1962.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation erected a small church off of North Street [now Hanover Street] called Methodist Alley across from Charter Street in the North End in 1796.
 * They built a second church a couple blocks away on North Bennett Street in 1828.
 * They moved to the Cockerel Church on Hanover Street in 1849.
 * After merging, the church moved to Temple Street in 1873.
 * Notes:
 * The Richmond Street Methodist Episcopal Church (1842) merged with this church in 1849.
 * They sold their North Bennett Street location to the Freewill Baptist Society in 1850.
 * The front of the church was demolished in 1869 for the widening of Hanover Street.
 * The Four Methodist Episcopal Church or North Russell Street Methodist Episcopal Church (1837) merged with this church in 1873.
 * This church merged with the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in 1873 to form the First Methodist Episcopal Church (Temple Street) but variously called First Methodist Church, Grace Methodist Church, or the Temple Street Methodist Church(sometimes using all three names). 
 * This church merged with Copley Methodist Church in 1962 and formed a new church called First-Copley Methodist Church (that later became Old West Methodist Church).
 * Records [most records missing before 1873, but what survives follows]:
 * Methodist Alley, records, 1792-1828, held by School of Theology Library, Boston University, CAH CH-MA B6 M4.
 * North Bennett Street, records, 1828-1850 (some vital records), held by School of Theology Library, Boston University, CAH CH-MA B6 B38.
 * Hanover Street, records, 1851-1873 (mostly Sunday School), held by School of Theology Library, Boston University, CAH CH-MA B6 H3.
 * First, Grace, Temple Street Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1859-1925 (no vital records), held by School of Theology Library, Boston University, CAH CH-MA B6 T4.
 * Bennett Street Methodist Episcopal Church, membership records, 1830-1849,.
 * Hanover Street Methodist Episcopal Church, membership list, 1863-1872, and brief history, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z5.
 * Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, baptisms, marriages, and membership, 1863-1881, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z8.
 * Online:
 * None.
 * Publications:
 * None researched.
 * Ministers [very incomplete - help needed]: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List [NOTE: Churches after 1800 have had less research done on their entries.]

24. First Christian Church, 1804.


 * Locations:
 * They built a building at the corner of Summer and Broad Streets in 1825.
 * By 1855, they were on Tyler Street and the corner of Kneeland Street.
 * There was no listing for this church after 1895.
 * Records:
 * Original records not yet located.
 * First Christian Church records, 1803-1870,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

25. African Baptist Church, Independent Baptist Church, and the Belknap Street Church, 1805.


 * African Meeting House Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * Their church was on Belknap Street [now called 46 Joy Street] on Beacon Hill in 1806 and commonly called the African Meeting House.
 * Notes:
 * This is the oldest Black church in the United States.
 * The New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded here by William Lloyd Garrison in 1832.
 * The Massachusetts 54th Regiment recruited here in 1863.
 * The church was there as late as 1872.
 * The building was purchased and used as a Jewish synagogue until 1972.
 * The church was at Smith Court [Note: The Beacon Hill court is behind 46 Joy Street and a second one is in Roxbury] in 1885.
 * The church was not listed in the city directory in 1888.
 * The Joy Street building was acquired by the Museum of African American History in 1972
 * The Joy Street building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
 * The Joy Street building was renovated back to its 1854 design in 2011.
 * Records:
 * No records have been located at this time.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

26. Second Methodist Church and later Bromfield Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 1806-1913.


 * Locations:
 * They built a chapel on Bromfield Street in 1806.
 * Notes:
 * Black congregants were given their own minister in 1818 and a separate church on May Street in 1823.
 * The church became independent in 1831 and listed as Boston South until 1835.
 * The church was remodeled in 1848.
 * The church was burned and rebuilt in 1864.
 * The church was repaired in 1895.
 * The church merged with Tremont Street Methodist Church to form the Bromfield-Tremont Methodist Church on Tremont Street in 1913.
 * Records:
 * Bromfield Street Methodist Church records, 1790-1922, held by the School of Theology Library, CAH CH-MA B6 B7, Boston University.
 * Bromfield Street, Tremont Street, and People's Temple Methodist Church records (Boston, Mass.), 1856-1922, held by the Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library, Syracuse, N.Y., that include offerings and accounts, 1886-1901, for this church.
 * Bromfield Street Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1806-1922, includes baptisms and marriages, 1879-1882, 1890-1922,.
 * Bromfield Street Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1838-1854 (transcript),.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

27. Third Baptist Church and later Charles Street Baptist Church, 1807-1877.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Charles Street in 1807.
 * Notes:
 * The church was disbanded in 1877.
 * The church was officially dissolved on 6 June 1889.
 * Records:
 * Charles Street Baptist Church records, 1807-1877, 5 vols., held by the Andover Newton Theological School, Mss. 1986-6, Newton, Mass.
 * Charles Street Baptist Church record book, 1812-1853, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0154. This is the record for the term of Rev. Daniel Sharp that includes the vital records.
 * Charles Street Baptist Church records, marriages and deaths, 1807-1865,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

28. Park Street Church, 1809-present.


 * Park Street Church Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * This church was built at One Park Street at the corner of Tremont Street in 1810.
 * Notes:
 * The cellar of this church was designed as a cemetery.
 * The Handel and Haydn Society of Boston was organized here in 1815.
 * The church started a Sunday school program in 1816.
 * Major renovations to the interior were done in 1840.
 * America's first radio ministry began here in 1923.
 * Records:
 * Park Street Church records, 1804-1976, held by the Congregational Library, RG 1284.
 * Park Street Church records, baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1810-1877,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

29. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 1816-1948.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Broadway in South Boston in 1818.
 * They built a new church at 408/410 West Broadway near E Street in 1861.
 * Notes:
 * The first two years, services were held in a school house conducted by lay readers.
 * The cemetery and tombs for this church were removed in 1864 and re-interred at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Roslindale [a former section of West Roxbury].
 * The church merged with the Church of the Redeemer to form the new St. Matthew the Redeemer utilizing the building of the latter at 825 E Street in 1948 and then with Grace Church in 1961.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely at the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
 * St. Matthew's Church, baptisms (1817-1884),, marriages (1821-1884), and burials (1818-1884),.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

30. Second Universalist Church and later Church of the Redemption, 1816-1935.


 * Locations:
 * The church was dedicated on School Street in 1817.
 * They built their second church on Columbus Avenue in the South End in 1872.
 * They built a third church at 1101 Boylston Street on the corner of Ipswich Street by 1925 and called the Church of the Redemption.
 * Notes:
 * The church no longer was listed as owning a church in 1920 and was not listing in 1915.
 * Renamed the Church of the Redemption between 1920 and 1926.
 * The church merged with the Arlington Street Church in 1935.
 * Its last building is now the St. Clement Charistic Shine [Roman Catholic].
 * Records:
 * Second Society of Universalists records, 1817-1945 (no vital records included), held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 582, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Second Universalist Church records, 1815-1855,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

31. The New Jerusalem Church [Swedenborg] and now called Church on the Hill, 1818-present.


 * Locations:
 * The group rented a hall on Phillip's Place and other places.
 * They built a church at 140 Bowdoin Street on Beacon Hill in 1845.
 * Records:
 * Records are assumed to be at the church.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

32. First African Methodist Episcopal Society or May Street Mission (1818-1860),


 * Revere Street Methodist Episcopal Church (1860-1911), Fourth Methodist Church (1911-1949), and Union United Methodist Church (1949-present), 1818-present.


 * Locations:
 * Their church was on May Street and dedicated on 1824.
 * They moved several doors down to 79 Revere Street [formerly May Street] by 1885.
 * They moved to 712 Shawmut Avenue in the South End in 1911.
 * They moved to Columbus Avenue at Rutland Street in 1949.
 * Notes:
 * May Street was renamed Revere Street in 1855.
 * By 1860, the church was just called Methodist Episcopal Church.
 * By 1880, the church was called the Revere Street Methodist Episcopal Church at 73 Revere Street.
 * In 1885, the address was listed at 79 Revere Street with no minister given.
 * This church moved to the South End and became the Fourth Methodist Episcopal Church at 712 Shawmut Avenue when the Missionary Society purchased this building for the congregation from the Swedish Baptist Church in 1911, but only had constructed a basement with a roof over it by 1929.
 * The congregation purchased the Union Congregational Church listed below at 485 Columbus Avenue at West Rutland Street, moved there, and became the Union Methodist Church in 1949.
 * Records:
 * Location of the original records is unknown, but likely reside with the church.
 * Ministers [very incomplete]: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

33. Hawes' Place Church, 1819-before 1888.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on the corner of K and East Fourth Street in South Boston in 1832 and dedicated in 1833.
 * NOtes:
 * This was a Unitarian church.
 * This church was not listed as existing or extinct in the 1885 or 1898 records surveys.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Hawes Place Congregational Church records, 1823-1878 (transcript),.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

34. Essex Street Church or Union Church, 1819-1948.


 * Locations:
 * Their church on Essex Street on the corner of Rowe Street [later Chauncy Street] was dedicated in 1819.
 * The church had moved to 485 Columbus Avenue at West Rutland Street in the South End by 1872.
 * Notes:
 * The church was re-formed out of Sabine's church and called the Union Church.
 * This was an Orthodox Congregational Church.
 * The church had major renovations in 1841.
 * This church was called Congregational Trinitarian in 1860.
 * This church was for the first time called solely Union Church in 1870.
 * This church was purchased by the Fourth Methodist Church listed above in 1949.
 * Records:
 * Union Church records, 1822-1948, are held by the Congregational Library, Boston.
 * Ministers [incomplete list with years served]:

Top of Page || Church List

35. St. Augustine's Church, 1819. [Catholic]


 * Locations:
 * The church was built at 181 Dorchester Street in South Boston in 1819.
 * Notes:
 * The church was enlarged in 1825.
 * The church was consecrated in 1833.
 * A Catholic cemetery surrounds this church and the building was primarily used for funerals by 1847.
 * The church was listed in 1850, but not in 1855.
 * It was now, since the opening of Saints Peter and Paul's in 1845, been considered a cemetery chapel.
 * Records:
 * No records are known to exist. Sacraments for here may at the Cathedral and after 1847, Sts. Peter and Paul.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

36. St. Paul's Episcopal Church and now called The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 1820-present.


 * Cathedral Church of St. Paul Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * They built a stone church on Tremont Street near Winter Street in 1820.
 * Notes:
 * The church was designated the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in 1912.
 * Records:
 * Location of original records are likely at the church.
 * St. Paul's Church, baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1820-1859,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]
 * [Note: For a list of Bishops at this church, see the Diocesan history].

Top of Page || Church List

37. Bulfinch Street Church, 1822-1863.


 * Locations:
 * They built their church on Bulfinch Street in 1823.
 * Notes:
 * This Society was formed as Universalist and changed to a Unitarian Society.
 * Records:
 * Bulfinch Street Society records, 1838-1863, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.f.Bos.Z6.
 * Bulfinch Street Church records, 1839-1854,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

38. Leyden Church or Green Street Church, 1823-1844.


 * Locations:
 * This church was located on Green Street in the West End and dedicated in 1826.
 * Notes:
 * This was a Trinitarian church.
 * This church merged with the Garden Street Church and took their minister from 1844 to 1845.
 * This church had some of the congregation of the Leyden Church join them, including their minister, in 1845 to form the Messiah Church in 1844 and disbanded in 1846.
 * Records:
 * Green Street Church records, 1822-1844, 1 vol., held by the Congregational Library, Boston.
 * Green Street Church (Boston, Mass.) records, 1826-1865, 1 vol., Mss C 5645, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

39. Evangelical Congregational Church or Phillips' Church, 1823-present?


 * Locations:
 * On Fourth Street near C Street in South Boston from 1823 to 1825.
 * The church moved to a small brick church building at the corner of Broadway and A Street from 1825 to 1836.
 * A new and larger building was erected on the same spot in 1836.
 * The built a new church on Broadway near Dorchester Street in 1859.
 * An addition building called Phillips Chapel was dedicated at East 7th Street near I Street in 1883.
 * The congregation worshipped at the Presbyterian Church at Silver and Dorchester Streets from 1948 to 1954.
 * They bought a building on Atlantic Street and Fourth Street in 1954.
 * The congregation bought a second building at 381 West Broadway near E Street in 1983 as their Winipress Christian Resource Center.
 * The church was listed at 2 Atlantic Street in 2000.
 * Notes:
 * This was a Trinitarian church.
 * The church was renamed the Phillips' Church in 1835.
 * They sold their building on Broadway and A Street in 1858.
 * They sold their building in 1948.
 * The church is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference since 1960.
 * The is no current listing for this church, but it is likely the "Phillips Church in South Boston" located at 68 Eustis Street, Revere, Mass.
 * Records:
 * Phillips Church records, 1823-1913, 1981-2002, held by the Congregational Library, RG 1228, Boston.
 * Phillips Church records, 1825-1884 (transcript),.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

40. Twelfth Congregational Church, 1825-1863.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation built a church at 40 Chambers Street between Allen and McLean Streets in the West End [now a Mass. General Hospital building].
 * Notes:
 * This was a Unitarian church.
 * The church building was updated from its rather plain state in 1831.
 * Hayward's 1847 guide mixed this church with the Chambers Street Church.
 * Church was sold to the Boston Roman Catholic Diocese in 1862 after the court upheld the sale against the wishes of the congregation. The church became St. Joseph Catholic Church.
 * This church was dissolved on 5 Mar. 1863.
 * Records:
 * The original records were with the City clerk in 1899.
 * 12th Congregational Church, records, 1824-1861,.
 * Publications:
 * Lewis G. Pray, Historical Sketch of the Twelfth Congregational Society in Boston (Boston, 1863), xii, 123 pp. Digital versions at Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

41. Hanover Street Church and later Bowdoin Street Church, 1825-1861.


 * Locations:
 * Their house on Hanover Street in the North End was burnt in 1830.
 * The church was found on Bulfinch Street on Beacon Hill in 1830.
 * The group built a new stone church on Bowdoin Street across from Bulfinch Place on Beacon Hill in 1831.
 * Notes:
 * When the congregants moved to Bowdoin Street, they renamed their church the Bowdoin Street Church.
 * The last minister was dismissed in 1861.
 * The church was dissolved in 1863 and the building sold to the Church of the Advent. The records were donated to the Congregational Library on dissolution.
 * The building is currently [2013] the St. John the Evangelist Church.
 * Records:
 * The survey of 1885 said these records burnt in the Great Fire of 1872.
 * Bowdoin Street Church records, 1825-1865 (gaps), held by the Congregational Library, RC 0806, Boston.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

42. Thirteenth Congregational Church or Purchase Street Church, 1825-ca. 1858.


 * Locations:
 * The first building was on Purchase Street near the weaterfront and Custom House.
 * The group moved to Harrison Avenue at the corner of Beach Street between 1845 and 1850.
 * Notes:
 * The house was dedicated in 1826.
 * The first minister Ripley left to start the Utopian community of Brook Farm in West Roxbury in 1841.
 * The second minister Coolidge became an Episcopalian after leaving this church.
 * This church was dissolved soon after 1858.
 * Records:
 * Thirteenth Congregational Society records, 1836-1860, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS8, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Purchase Street Church records, baptisms, marriages, deaths, 1826-1858,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

43. Tuckerman Chapel, Bulfinch Place Church or Pitts Street Chapel, 1826-1943.


 * Locations:
 * Not mentioned in city directories during Tuckerman's tenure.
 * The group worshipped in the Friend Street Chapel from 1828 to 1836.
 * The group worshipped in the Pitts Street Chapel from 1836 to 1869.
 * The group moved to Bulfinch Place after that until their merger.
 * Notes:
 * Joseph Tuckerman was a minister-at-large in the city of Boston.
 * The group was called the Bulfinch Street Society in 1840.
 * This church merged with the Theodore Parker Memorial in 1943.
 * Records:
 * Bulfinch Place Church records, 1826-1957 [mostly Howard Sunday School - no vital records], held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 2, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Bulfinch Place Church records, 1827-1957 [mostly Howard Sunday School - no vital records], held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 140, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Pitts Street Chapel records, 1835-1845,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

44. Salem Street Church, 1827-1879.


 * Locations:
 * On Salem Street in the North End.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Mariner's Church in 1887.
 * Records:
 * Salem Street Church records, 1827-1879, held by the Congregational Library, Boston.
 * Salem Street Church records, 1834-1867, held by the Congregational Library, Boston, part of RG 160.
 * Salem Street Church, Examination Committee records, 1827-1837 [includes members and residences], Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston.
 * Salem Street Church records, 1848-1862, Mss A 5549, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Publications:
 * Stephen H. Hayes, Memorial Volume of Salem Church, Boston, Mass. (Boston, 1874), 52 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

45. Pine Street Church, Berkeley Street Church, or Berkeley Temple, 1827-1907.


 * Locations:
 * This church was building on Washington Street at the corner of Pine Street in Chinatown.
 * They built a church on Berkeley Street at the corner of Third Avenue [now Warren Avenue] in the South End by 1860.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Union Church in 1907.
 * By 1865, it was called the Berkeley Street Church.
 * By 1888, it was called the Berkeley Temple.
 * Records:
 * Pine Street Church records, 1827-1907, held by the Congregational Library, Boston.
 * Pine Street Church records, 1834-1865 (transcript), [mislabeled as Methodist Episcopal].
 * Berkeley Street Church, records, 1888-1907, 1v. (ca. 200 p.), includes minutes of meetings and membership lists held by held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

46. South Congregational Church and sometimes Hale's Church, 1827-1929.


 * Locations:
 * The church was built on Washington Street at the corner of Castle Street in 1828.
 * The congregation built a new church on Union Park Street in 1861.
 * The merged congregation moved to the southeast corner of Exeter and Newbury Streets in Back Bay in 1887.
 * Notes:
 * This church was formed from three groups: people of the new South End, members of the over-crowded Hollis Street Church, and friends and supports of Dr. Horace Holley (a former minister of the Hollis Street Church) in 1825.
 * The congregation sold the Union Park Street building to a Jewish organization who turned it into a synagogue in 1887 [it is now St. John the Baptist Greek Church].
 * The congregation merged with its mother church the Hollis Street Church to form the South Congregational Society in 1887.
 * The church merged into the First Church of Boston in 1925.
 * The South Congregational Society was dissolved on 13 May 1929.
 * Records:
 * South Congregational Church records, 1828-1929, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-304, Boston.
 * South Congregational Church records, 1825-1924, held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School.
 * South Congregational Church records, 1823-1887 [mostly Sunday School Library records and of the South Friendly Society], held by Mss 12, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * South Congregational Church marriages, baptisms, burials, 1828-1885,.
 * South Congregational Church, day book, 1875-1885, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.q.Bos.Z14.
 * South Congregational Church, records, 1827-1870, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Msq.Am.2287.
 * South Congregational Church, meeting records, 1828-1842, register of the poor in the neighborhood, 1856-1859, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books, Ms.q.Am.2287(2).
 * Publications:
 * Edward Everett Hale, Memorials of the History for Half a Century of South Congregational Church, Boston (Boston, 1878), 119 pp. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

47. Federal Street Baptist Church, later Rowe Street Baptist Church, and finally Clarendon Street Baptist Church, 1827-1982.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation built a church on Federal Street near Milk Street in 1827.
 * The congregation built a new church on Rowe Street [now Chauncey Street] at Bedford Street just north of present-day Chinatown in 1845.
 * The congregation met at the Baldwin Place Baptist Church from June 1868 until April 1869.
 * The congregation built their third church on Clarendon Street at Montgomery Street in the South End in 1869.
 * Notes:
 * This was Boston's fourth Baptist church called the Federal Street Baptist Church in July 1827.
 * It was called the Rowe Street Baptist Church in April 1846.
 * It was called the Clarendon Street Baptist Church in December 1868.
 * Pastor A. J. Gordon founded the Boston Missionary Training School at the church in 1889 that became Gordon College.
 * The church was burned to the ground in 1982. The front facade with its rose window survived and was incorporated into the new condominiums rebuilt there.
 * Records:
 * Clarendon Street Baptist Church records, 1827-1990, held by Jenks Library, RG 310, Gordon College, Wenham, Mass..
 * Publications:
 * A brief history of the Clarendon St. Baptist Church, (formerly Federal Street, afterwards Rowe Street Church) Boston : with the declaration of faith, church covenant, list of members, etc. (Boston, 1872), 126 pp. No digital version available. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

48. Bethel Church, 1828-present.


 * Locations:
 * The group was met on Hanover Avenue in 1830.
 * The church was on North Square in the North End after 1830 [see image of Bethel Church in 1853].
 * Notes:
 * The Mariners' Bethel Church was erected on North Square in the North End by the Boston Port Society in 1830 as a Methodist Episcopal church.
 * Another Methodist church called Bethel Church was formed in 1848.
 * This Bethel Church was listed in the city directories in North Square from 1835 to 1875.
 * This church was called the Mariners' Bethel Church by 1878.
 * The building became the Italian's Church of the Sacred Heart by 1900.
 * Records:
 * Boston University's Methodist churches of Boston guide say that this group is still active, so perhaps the records of the church might be found with the Boston Port and Seamen's Aid Society who founded the church in 1828.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

49. Mariner's Church, 1828-1871.


 * Locations:
 * The church was built on Purchase Street in 1829 [see image of the Mariner's Church in 1843].
 * The congregation had moved to Summer Street at the corner of Sea Street [no longer existing] by 1855 and had no settled minister then.
 * The location in 1860 and 1865 was given as Summer Street at the corner of Federal Street [which is likely the same place as before].
 * Notes:
 * The patrons of this church were connected with the Sailor's Home Society.
 * Record book 1 burned with home and church on 10 July 1852.
 * This church merged with the Salem Street Church in 1871.
 * Records:
 * Mariners' Church records, 1837-1865, held by the Congregational Library, boston.


 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

50. St. Stephen's Chapel and later St. Stephen's Church [Episcopal], 1829-1872/1880?


 * Locations:
 * The congregation built their church on Purchase Street in 1845.
 * The congregation moved to D Street near West Broadway in South Boston by 1875.
 * The congregation moved to Tyler Street at the corner of Kneeland Street in present-day Chinatown by 1880.
 * Notes:
 * The church was dissolved on 9 Nov. 1872.
 * The name switched from Chapel to Church by 1880.
 * A new church called St. Stephen's Episcopal Church was the re-organization of this chapel in 1891.
 * Records:
 * Original records at the Diocesan Archives, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Boston.
 * St. Stephen's Chapel records, 1843-1873,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

51. Grace Church [Episcopal], 1829-1865(?).


 * Grace Church Wikipedia page.
 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at a building on Piedmont Street [now Church Street] from 1829 to 1834.
 * The congregation moved to a building on Bedford Street in 1834.
 * The congregation moved to a building on Temple Street in 1836 [see an image of Grace Church in 1836].
 * Notes:
 * The incorporated name was Grace Church in the City of Boston.
 * This church was dissolved in 1864.
 * Their building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Society of North Russell Street in 1865.
 * Seemingly part of a merger with the Church of The Redeemer (1875) in 1961.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original church records is unknown, but likely with the Diocesan Archives, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Boston.
 * Grace Church (Boston, Mass.) papers, 1839, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. S-480.
 * Grace Church records, 1828-1865,.
 * Grace Church vital records, 1831-1864,.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List [NOTE: Churches after 1830 are a list derived from John Hayward's A Gazetteer of Massachusetts (Boston, 1847) and city directories with locations given then to which was added the known records found in major Boston repositories and the microfilm holdings of the Family History Library]

52. Fourth Universalist Society, Broadway Universalist Society, and Church of Our Father, 1830-1920.


 * Locations:
 * At 540 East Broadway in South Boston.
 * Notes:
 * The names changed to Church of Our Father by 1880.
 * The church was not listed in the 1920 city directory.
 * Records:
 * Broadway Universalist Society records, 1833-1920, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 250, Harvard Divinity School.

53. South Baptist Church, 1831-present.


 * Locations:
 * This group purchased the unoccupied Methodist Religious Society on the southwest corner of Broadway and C Street in South Boston.

54. Third Methodist Episcopal Church or Church Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 1834-1879.


 * Locations:
 * Church Street in Bay Village.
 * Notes:
 * Under the leadership of Rev. John W. Hamilton, the congregation developed into the People's Temple in 1877.
 * Records:
 * Church Street Methodist Church records, 1835-1874, 1899-1908, 4 vols., held by the School of Theology Library, CAH CH-MA B6 C3, Boston University. The newer records were from the People's Temple.

55. Free Will Baptist Church, 1834-bef. 1850.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in Bethel Hall on Union Street near Dock Square.
 * On Fourth Street in South Boston in 1845.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records of this church are unknown.

Top of Page

56. First Methodist Society, then D Street Methodist Episcopal Church or Fifth Methodist Episcopal Church, next Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, and finally Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church, 1834-1885.


 * Locations:
 * Founded in South Boston in 1834 renting Harding Hall.
 * Moved to rented Franklin Hall in 1836.
 * Built a church on D Street in South Boston in 1840.
 * Moved to Broadway in South Boston in 1870.
 * Notes:
 * The name was change to Centenary in 1850 and due to the building being planned in 1839, the centenary of Methodism.
 * Records:
 * Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1837-1882, 6 vols., held by the School of Theology Library, CAH CH-MA B6 C2, Boston University.
 * Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1843-1885, 5 vols., held by the School of Theology Library, CAH CH-MA B6 B6, Boston University.
 * Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1835-1872,.
 * Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1835-1885,.

57. Warren Street Chapel, Barnard Memorial, Warrenton Street Chapel, and Barnard Memorial Church [Unitarian], 1834-1925.


 * Locations:
 * Warren Street [now Warrenton Street] in the present-day Theater District.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Christ Church or Third Unitarian Society in Dorchester in 1925.
 * Records:
 * Warren Street Chapel records, 1863-1892, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 9, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

58. Fifth Universalist Society, Shawmut Universalist Society, (unofficially as) Every-Day Church, and Beacon Universalist Parish, 1835-1943.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at Boylston Hall from 1835 to 1838.
 * They built a brick church on Warren Street [now Warrenton Street] in the present-day Theater District in 1838.
 * They worshipped at the Concord Street Chapel of the South Church for several months in 1863.
 * They bought a church on Shawmut Avenue in the South End in 1863.
 * They move to Harvard Avenue in Brookline in 1905, but sold this building in 1906.
 * They held occasional services in a rented chapel for many years and then were ministered by the Church of our Savior in Waltham from 1939 to 1941.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged with the Church of the Paternity sometime after 1859.
 * The congregation changed its name to Shawmut Universalist Society in 1863.
 * They were joined with the South Universalist Church in 1863.
 * This congregation created the Bethany Union in 1890 to provide a supportive, stable environment for young women.
 * The congregation changed its name to Beacon Universalist Parish' in 1905.
 * The congregation merged with the Church of our Savior in Waltham in 1943.
 * Records:
 * Beacon Universalist Parish records, 1837-1944, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 357, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Record of marriages and baptisms performs by George Richards, 1845-1851, Mss A 5848, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. Transcribed version by Michael Leclerc published as "Baptisms and marriages performed by George Richards of the Central Congregational Church in Boston, 1845-1851" in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 159 [2005]: 365-370.
 * Examining Committee, confessions of faith, 1842, part of the Aaron Hobart Papers, Mss 206, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.


 * Ministers: [with years served]

59. Franklin Street Church and later Central Church or Central Congregational Church [Trinitarian], 1835-1931.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the Federal Street Theatre [later called the Odeon] until 1841.
 * They built a church on Winter Street in 1841 [see image of the Central Congregational Church in 1843].
 * They moved to Berkeley Street at the corner of Newbury Street in 1875, which is now numbered as 67 Newbury Street.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the First Presbyterian Church in 1931 to form the federated Church of the Covenant.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is likely with the federated church.

Top of Page || Church List

60. First Free Church or Marlborough Chapel [Trinitarian], 1835-1843.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at Congress Hall and Amory Hall from 1835 to 1838.
 * They built the Marlboro Chapel on Washington Street in 1838.
 * Notes:
 * The largest hall of the several in the new church held 2000 people.
 * The church was split over the doctrine of perfection. A number following the Orthodox view along with the minister William R. Chapman dismissed themselves and organized the new Garden Street Chapel in 1841.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

61. North Baptist Church, 1835-ca. 1840


 * Locations:
 * No known location.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

62. East Boston Unitarian Church or Church of Our Father, 1835-1974.


 * Locations:
 * On Maverick Street in East Boston in 1865.
 * At 50 Meridan Street in East Boston in 1870 through 1875.
 * At 54 Meridan Street in East Boston in 1880 through 1900.
 * At 85 Marion Street in East Boston in 1905 through 1925.
 * Notes:
 * The name was changes by 1870.
 * The church building was sold in 1901.
 * The congregation built a new church in 1904.
 * The church was not listed in the city directory from 1931 forward.
 * Records:
 * Church of Our Father records, 1835-1974, held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 138, Harvard Divinity School.

Top of Page || Church List

63. St. Mary's Church [Roman Catholic], 1836-1992.


 * Locations:
 * The church built on Endicott Street in the North End was consecrated in 1836.
 * Notes:
 * This church was suppressed on 1 Aug. 1992.
 * Records:
 * St. Mary's Church, baptisms (1836-1921), marriages (1836-1921), first communions (1866-1915), and confirmations (1866-1911) held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, Braintree, Mass.
 * All records not listed above have been moved to St. Leonard of Port Maurice in Boston.

64. St. Patrick's Church [Roman Catholic], 1836-present.


 * Locations:
 * The church built a wooden church on Northampton Street in the South End was consecrated in 1836.
 * The church moved to 10 Magazine Street and the corner of Dudley Street in Roxbury between 1872 and dedicated in 1880.
 * Records:
 * The identity of this church and thus location of the original records is unknown.

65. Maverick Church [Trinitarian], 1837-bef. 1936.


 * Locations:
 * The worshipped in a building they built in East Boston in 1837 [the exact location is unknown].
 * They built a church on Maverick Street at Havre Street in East Boston in 1845.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Baker Congregational Church to form the Baker-Maverick Congregational Church sometime around 1936. That church federated with the St.Andrew's-St. Johns Episcopal Church to form Grace Church Federated in 1949.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records are unknown, but likely to be with Grace Church Federated.

Top of Page || Church List

66. St. Mary's Free Church for Sailors or Free Church of St. Mary (for sailors), 1837-1878, 1891-1942.


 * Locations:
 * On Cottage Street at the corner of Marginal Street in East Boston in 1895.
 * Notes:
 * This church was not listed in the city directories for the earlier period, nor mentioned in John Hayward's A Gazetteer of Massachusetts (Boston, 1847).
 * Records:
 * There is no explanation for the gap in the records below.
 * St. Mary's Free Church for Sailors records, 1837-1878, 1891-1942, held by the Diocesan Archives, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Boston.
 * St. Mary's Free Church for Sailors records, 1837-1878, 1891-1903 (microfilm of the above records),.

67. Suffolk Street Unitarian Chapel, 1837-bef. 1865.


 * Locations:
 * On Suffolk Street [now Shawmut Avenue] likely near Canton Street in the South End.
 * Notes:
 * This church was gone by 1865.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

68. Second African Methodist Episcopal Church or Zion Church and now Columbus Avenue African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1838-present.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a house on West Centre Street [now Anderson Street] on back side of Beacon Hill in 1841.
 * The congregation moved to the nearby 28 North Russell Street in 1866.
 * The congregation moved to Columbus Avenue at the corner of Northampton Street in the South End in 1902.
 * Notes:
 * This Methodist Episcopal church was a church of black congregants that left the Revere Street Methodist Church.
 * The name changed when the church moved to Columbus Avenue.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely to be with the church.

Top of Page || Church List

69. Fourth Methodist Episcopal Church or North Russell Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 1839-1873.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation built a church on North Russell Street in the West End in 1839.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged with the First Methodist Episcopal Church (1792) in 1873.
 * Records:
 * Originals of the microfilmed records below are at the School of Theology Library, CAH CH-MA B6 R8, Boston University.
 * North Russell Street Methodist Episcopal Church, membership records, 1837-1864,.

70. Harvard Street Church [Baptist], 1839.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation first worshipped at Boylston Hall and then Meldeon Hall.
 * They built a church on Harvard Street at the corner of Harrison Avenue in present-day Chinatown in 1842 through 1905.
 * Notes:
 * The church was not listed in the 1910 city directory.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

71. First Baptist Free Church or Tremont Street Baptist Church, 1839-1863.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation first worshipped at a hall on Tremont Street at the corner of Bromfield Street.
 * They bought the Tremont Theater and converted it into Tremont Temple in 1843.
 * Notes:
 * This church changed its name to the Tremont Street Baptist Church in 1844.
 * The building was completely destroyed by fire on 31 Mar. 1852.
 * The burden of rebuilding their church forced the society to deed the church to thirty-seven men in 1855 who formed the Evangelical Baptist Benevolent and Missionary Society to hold this asset.
 * This church merged with the Union Baptist Church to form a new Union Temple Baptist Church on 5 Dec. 1863. This is today's Tremont Temple Baptist Church at 88 Tremont Street.
 * Records:
 * The records were held by the Baptist Missionary Union per the 1885 survey.

Top of Page || Church List

72. Chardon Street Chapel [Christian], 1839.


 * Locations:
 * They worshipped at the Chardon Street Chapel by the present-day courthouse.
 * Notes:
 * The church hosted the "Chardon Street Convention" in Nov. 1840, Mar. 1841, and Nov. 1841.
 * It was described in 1847 as being "blended with Millerites, who worship in a hall on Milk Street, and the chapel belongs to the West Society of Universalists."
 * This church was not listed in the city directory for 1840 or 1845.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

73. German Lutheran Church or German Evangelical Lutheran Church, then Zion's Church, Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1839-aft. 1946.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at a building on Suffolk Street [now Shawmut Avenue] near Dover Street [now East Berkeley Street] in 1839.
 * The congregation had a church on Shawmut Avenue at the corner of Waltham Street by 1855.
 * The congregation moved to 87 West Newton Street in the South End by 1900.
 * By 1905, the church was listed at 91 West Newton Street.
 * Notes:
 * Called Evangelical by 1850.
 * Called Zion's Church by 1875.
 * Called Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church by 1880.
 * Called Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1900.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

74. Bowdoin Square Baptist Church, 1840-1876.


 * Locations:
 * The church was built in Bowdoin Square at the corner on Chardon Street.
 * Records:
 * Bowdoin Square Baptist Church records, 1840-1876, held by the American Baptist - Samuel Colgate Historical Library, Atlanta, Ga.
 * Bowdoin Square Baptist Church of Christ, minutes, 1840-1876,.

75. Sixth Universalist Church or East Boston Universalist Church, then Central Square Universalist Church, 1840-1948.


 * Locations:
 * They built their church on Webster Street at the corner of Orleans Street in East Boston in 1842.
 * The congregation was renting Sumner Hall in 1865.
 * They had moved to Central Square by 1870.
 * Notes:
 * The church changed its name to Central Square Universalist Church by 1875.
 * Records:
 * East Boston Universalist Parish records, 1842-1948, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 259, Harvard Divinity School. These records include those for All Souls Universalist Church, 1897-1948.

Top of Page || Church List

76. German Evangelical Church or German Reformed Church, 1840-bef. 1880.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a building at 8 Shawmut Street near Pleasant Street in Bay Village in 1840.
 * Notes:
 * Did this church merge with the Zion's Church (a Lutheran church at the corner of Shawmut Avenue and Waltham Street in the South End) to form the Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church at the same location by 1880?
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

77. Church of the Disciples [Unitarian], 1841-1942.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the Masonic Temple in 1841.
 * Their chapel at Freeman Place was dedicated in 1848.
 * Notes:
 * The Indiana Street Church (1841) merged into this church in 1855.
 * This church merged with the Arlington Street Church in 1942.
 * Records:
 * Church of the Disciples records, 1855-1884, held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 3, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

78. Garden Street Chapel and later Garden Street Church, 1841.


 * Locations:
 * On Garden Street on Beacon Hill.
 * Notes:
 * The church was created from part of the congregation from the First Free Church split off with their minister William R. Chapman because of their Orthodox views on perfection in 1841.
 * The Green Street Church (1823) congregation merged with this church in 1844.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

Top of Page || Church List

79. Mount Vernon Church [Trinitarian], 1842-1970.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the Masonic Temple from 1842 to 1843.
 * They built their church on Somerset Place [later Allston Street, but since the 1960s is a government building] on Beacon Hill in 1844.
 * At some later point, they built a church on the corner of Beacon Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Back Bay.
 * Notes:
 * This church was formed by a group interested in "fighting the indifference and Unitarianism."
 * The church merged with the Old South Church or Third Congregational Church in 1970.
 * Their old building was burned in the summer of 1977.
 * Records:
 * Mount Vernon Congregational Church records, 1842-1970, held by the Congregational Library, RG 0026, Boston.

80. Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church (1842-1880) and later Meridian Bethel Mission (1880-1917), 1842-1917.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the corner of Meridian and Paris Streets in East Boston.
 * They soon moved to Meridian and Decatur Streets in East Boston.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged with the Saratoga Street Methodist Church to form the Union Methodist Church in 1917.
 * Records:
 * Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1844-1909, 9 vols. (includes baptisms, 1856-1857, 1861-1909, and marriages 1859-1908), held by the School of Techology Library, CAH-CH-MA E3 M4, Boston University.
 * Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1844-1909 (microfilm of the above),.

81. Richmond Street Methodist Episcopal Church, 1842-1849.


 * Locations:
 * On Richmond Street in the North End.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged with the First Methodist Episcopal Church (1792) [then called the North Bennett Street Methodist Episcopal Church] in 1849.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely part of the First Methodist Episcopal Church (1792) descendancy.

Top of Page || Church List

82. West Universalist Society, 1843-1847?.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation purchased the Chardon Street Chapel as their church at Chardon Street.
 * Notes:
 * Listed in the 1845 through 1847 city directories, but not after that.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

83. Church of the Messiah [Episcopal], 1843-1928.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a building at the corner of Washington and Common Streets in the present-day Theater District.
 * Records:
 * Church of the Messiah records, 1843-1923, held by the Diocesan Archives, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Boston.
 * Church of the Messiah records, 1843-1864 (includes communicants, confirmations, baptisms, burials, and marriages being microfilm of part of the above),.
 * Church of the Messiah records, 1843-1923 (includes lists of families, officers, records of meetings, communicants, marriages, confirmations, baptisms, burials, offerings, historical notes, transferals being microfilm of part of the above),.

84. The Third Christian Church, 1843-1843?.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a chapel in the Coliseum on Tremont Street.
 * Notes:
 * Never listed in the city directories for 1843 through 1848.
 * Several members were received by the Maverick Church in East Boston in 1847 through 1849.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

85. East Boston Baptist Church or Central Square Baptist Church, 1844-1916.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a hall in East Boston.
 * Records:
 * Central Square Baptist Church records, 1843-1916, held by the American Baptist - Samuel Colgate Historical Library, Atlanta, Ga.

86. Leyden Church [Congregational], 1844-1846.


 * Locations:
 * The location of this church is unknown.

87. Church of St. Peter and St. Paul [Roman Catholic], 1844-1995.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Broadway in South Boston in 1847.
 * Notes:
 * The parish was suppressed on 1 Jan. 1996 and all current records sent to St. Vincent de Paul Parish in South Boston.
 * Records:
 * Baptisms (1847-1917), Marriages (1847-1910), and confirmations (1865-1905) held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, Braintree, Mass.

Top of Page || Church List

88. Free Church, St. John's Church, and then St. Stephen's Church [Roman Catholic], 1844-1992.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Moon Street in the North End in 1844.
 * They bought a church at 401 Hanover Street in the North End from the New North Church (1714) in 1862.
 * Notes:
 * Called St. John's Church by 1847.
 * The church changed from St. John the Baptist to St. Stephen's Church in 1862.
 * This parish was suppressed and current records sent to St. Leonard of Port Maurice parish in the North End.
 * Records:
 * Baptisms (1842-1947), marriages (1842-1928), first communions (1875-1930), and confirmations (1875-1930) held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, Braintree, Mass. Records after 1930 are closed to the public.

89. Church of the Advent [Episcopal], 1844.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a hall on Merrimack Street near North Station.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely at the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
 * Church of the Advent, baptisms (1844-1923), marriages (1889-1904), and burials (1889-1919),.

90. Messiah Church [Congregational], 1844-1846.


 * Locations:
 * The location of this church is unknown.
 * Notes:
 * This church was formed from the merger of the Garden Street Church (1841) and the Green Street Church (1823) in 1844.
 * Records:
 * Likely part of the Green Street Church (Boston, Mass.) records, Mss C 5645, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.

Top of Page || Church List

91. Church of the Pilgrim or Pilgrim Congregational Society [Trinitarian], 1844-1852.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the Tremont Temple in downtown.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation was associated with the Messiah Church (1844) listed above.
 * This congregation was dissolved in 1852.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

92. Church of the Holy Trinity [Roman Catholic], 1844-2008.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Suffolk Street [now Shawmut Avenue] in the South End in 1844.
 * Notes:
 * This was a German congregation.
 * The church was suppressed on 30 June 2008.
 * The Archdiocese of Boston tried to sell the building in 2011, but after an uproar, it took the building off the market.
 * Records:
 * Baptisms (1836-1921), marriages (1836-1914), and deaths (1856-1877) held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, Braintree, Mass.
 * The remainder of records are with the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

93. Church of St. Nicholas and later Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer], 1844-present.


 * Locations:
 * They bought the Maverick Congregational Church at 72 Maverick Street in East Boston in 1844.
 * Notes:
 * Irish immigrants established this church in 1844 as the first Catholic church in East Boston.
 * The name was changed to Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1856.
 * Records:
 * Baptisms (1844-1926), marriages (1844-1939), and confirmations (1851-1956) held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, Braintree, Mass. All records after 1930 closed to the public.

Top of Page || Church List

94. St. Stephen's Chapel of the Mission to the Poor, 1844-1875.


 * Locations:
 * The mission was on Purchase Street.
 * Records:
 * The Mission records, 1844-1875, are held by the Diocesan Library and Archives, Boston.

95. St. John's Episcopal Church, 1845-1979.


 * Locations:
 * The church was at 80 Lexington Street, East Boston.
 * Notes:
 * This church building is now [2011] the East Boston Headstart, see image.
 * Records:
 * St. John's Church records, 1845-1979, held by the Diocesan Library and Archives, Boston.

96. Union Baptist Church, 1845-1863.


 * Locations:
 * On Merrimack street near North Station.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the Tremont Street Baptist Church (1839) to form the Union Temple Church in 1863 and now called Tremont Temple Baptist Church at 88 Tremont Street.
 * John Hayward, A Gazetteer of Massachusetts (Boston, 1847), called this Friend Street Baptist Church who worshipped at a building at the corner of Friend Street and Deacon Street [now near New Sudbury Street] in downtown. The minister, William Howe, matched this church in the city directories from 1846 through 1848.
 * Records:
 * The records were held by the Baptist Missionary Union per 1885 survey.
 * Perhaps the records still reside with the merged church.
 * Publications:
 * A history of the Union Baptist Church, Boston : the declaration of faith, the Church covenant, and list of members (Boston, 1857), 32 pp. No digital copy available. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Top of Page || Church List

97. Church of the Saviour [Unitarian], 1845-1863.


 * Locations:
 * They purchased the site of Judge Prescott's mansion and built their church on Bedford Street in downtown.
 * Notes:
 * The congregation merged into the Second Church (1650) in 1863.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely with the succession of merged churches.

98. Broadway Church [Unitarian], 1845-bef.1870.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped on Broadway in South Boston.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

99. Payson Church [Trinitarian], 1845-1860.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on West Broadway at the corner of B Street in South Boston.
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged into the E Street Congregational Church in 1860.
 * Records:
 * The original records of the church have not been located, but like were given to the merged church.

Top of Page || Church List

100. Boston Baptist Bethel, 1845-1921.


 * Locations:
 * They built a church on Commercial Street at the corner of Lewis Street in the North End across from Lewis Wharf.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged with the City Mission Society (1898) to form the Boston Baptist Bethel City Mission Society in 1921 (with later merged with the Massachusetts Baptist Convention to form The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts in 1969).
 * Another entity called Boston Baptist Bethel was founded in 1970.
 * Records:
 * Boston Baptist Bethel City Mission Society records, 1846-1969, held by the Andover-Newton Theological School, Newton, Mass.

101. South Universalist Society, 1845-ca. 1855.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in a hall on the corner of Canton and Suffolk [now Shawmut Avenue] Streets in the South End.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

102. Universalist Free Church, 1845-ca. 1848.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped in the Samaritan Hall at the corner of Purchase and Pearl Streets just east of South Station.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

103. Seamen's Chapel [Episcopal], 1845-bef. 1870.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped at the corner of Ann Street [now North Street] and Ferry Street [no longer extant - just southeast of the Sumner Tunnel entrance].
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but perhaps with the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

104. Suffolk Street Union Church and soon after the Shawmut Avenue Church [Trinitarian], 1845-1954.


 * Locations:
 * Their chapel was on Suffolk Street [now Shawmut Avenue] in the South End.
 * By 1865, the congregation moved to Tremont Street at the corner of [now West] Brookline Street in the South End.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged into the Park Street Church (1809) in 1954.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Park Street Church records, 1804-1976, held by the Congregational Library, RG 1284, Boston, include a few records from the Shawmut Avenue Church, 1876-1954.

Top of Page || Church List

105. Indiana Street Church [Unitarian], 1845-1856.


 * Locations:
 * On Indiana Place at the corner with Calflen Place [neither now extant].
 * Notes:
 * This congregation merged into the Church of the Disciples (1841) in 1855.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.

106. Twenty-Eighth Congregational Church, 1846-1888.


 * Locations:
 * They worshipped at The Melodeon on Washington Street near Boylston Street [where the Paramount Theater is today].
 * Notes:
 * The Theodore Parker Memorial Church (1873) was considered a continuation of this church.
 * This church was officially dissolved in 1888.
 * Records:
 * Twenty-eighth Congregational Society records, 1845-1889, [no vital records but has membership lists] held by the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, bMS 7, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Twenty-Eighth Congregational Society records, 1845-1888, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1871, Boston.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

107. First Presbyterian Church, 1846-1932.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation worshipped on Phillips Place across from King's Chapel, 1848.
 * This church was known to have moved many times.
 * Notes:
 * This church merged into the Central Congregational Church (1835) [commonly called the Central Church] and renamed the Church of the Covenant in 1931 after a fire in the Presbyterian Church.
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown, but likely with the merged church.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

108. First Independent Irish Protestant Church, 1846-1848.


 * Locations:
 * The congregation rented a hall on Chapman Place off School Street in 1847.
 * The congregation moved to Cross Street in 1848.
 * Notes:
 * The Christian Examiner reported in January 1847 on page 151, "In our last number we spoke of an attempt which had been made to gather a congregation of Irish Protestants in this city, under the care of Rev. Mr. Fisher, formerly pastor of a congregation at Markethill, in the North of Ireland. Although commenced only a few weeks since, the undertaking has been successful, and a society has been organized under the name of "The First Independent Irish Protestant Church and Society." They have removed from their former place of worship to a much more commodious and central hall in Chapman Place, School Street. -- We find in the "Harbinger" of December 19th the following notice: -- "We learn that Rev. William H. Channing has accepted the invitation to hold religious services in Boston this winter, with a view to the establishment of a church on the broad, humanitary principles of the Gospel, irrespective of creeds or dogmas."
 * Records:
 * The location of the original records is unknown.
 * Ministers: [with years served]

Top of Page || Church List

[NOTE: This section will be worked on at a later point to fill in the above and hopefully to add the churches after 1846.]

Town records
The records for the town of Boston, 1630 to 1822, are mostly with the Boston Public Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Department at the central library. Miscellaneous early records may be found in other local repositories as well. The call numbers are found within square brackets.

Boston Town Papers [Ms.f.Bos.7] These records are in seven bound volumes. They are not in the catalog, but there is a finding aid in the department.


 * 1637-1712: Earliest town record, indentures, accounts, probate matters, taxes, notices, meeting minutes, petitions, bills, boundaries, land issues, etc.; over 350 individual documents.
 * 1713-1733: Bills, selectmen actions, petitions, notices, accounts, meeting minutes, court documents, list of ship arrivals, warnings out, votes, indentures, receipts, land issues, etc.; over 350 individual documents.
 * 1734-1740: Bills, petitions, votes, receipts, accounts, memorial, contracts for settlements for 1736 beyond the Connecticut River, meeting minutes, etc.; over 375 individual documents.
 * 1741-1748: Accounts, bills, receipts, debts, petitions, reports, oaths, etc.; over 375 individual documents.
 * 1749 [i.e. 1720]-1758: Bills, accounts, petitions, letters, votes, reports, receipts, leases, lists, court records, oaths, etc.; over 350 individual documents.
 * 1759-1764: Petitions, accounts, leases, reports, bills, lists, accounts (esp. of 1760 fire damage), agreements, smallpox of 1764, etc.; about 350 individual documents.
 * 1765-1776: Accounts, bills, petitions, reports, receipts, warnings out, lists, letters, etc.; over 375 individual documents.

Top of Page || Town Records Boston Town Papers [Ms.Bos.11] Loose papers, 1686, 1709/10-1767, 1 box, chronologically arranged, bulk after 1733, miscellaneous town records coming before the selectmen - calendar of contents in Department. These papers, folded and tied or sealed and kept in several large boxes, were discovered at the Old City Hall around the time of the opening of the New City Hall, ca. 1970. They had been stored in the basement undisturbed since the 1830s. They were brought to the Boston Public Library but forgotten again until late 1983, when they attracted a research librarian's attention and were assigned to the Rare Book Department. Top of Page || Town Records

Boston Town Records [Ms.f.Bos.1] This collection has no finding aid. It was microfilmed in 1941 and previously published verbatim in the Boston Record Commissioners Series listed below. There are ten bound volumes:


 * p. 58 [in pencil] This copy was made by Charles Shaw in 1814; p. 60-303 [noting original page numbers] Boston Town Records, 1634-1660, published as first part of BRC, 2: 1-159 [also 1855 copy on vellum with extensive index used for publication, Vol. 1B]. Original volume 1 at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * 1661-1728, 20 leaves in reverse direction, one undated 1600s, one 1652, rest 1717-1728 not in chronological order.
 * 1728-1743.
 * 1743-1767.
 * 1767-1774.
 * 1774-1781.
 * 1781-1786.
 * 1786-1796.
 * 1796-1813.
 * 1813-1822 [brief one-page notes of annual citizen's meetings from 1822-1847].

Bylaws and town orders, 1786, 1801, and 1818, along with a cattle book (1693), immigrants book (1763-1769), and port receipts (1773-1775) held by the City Archives, Collection 1000.001. Top of Page || Town Records

Boston Selectmen's Minutes [Ms.f.Bos.3] This collection is in 23 bound volumes covering 1701 to 1822. It was published verbatim in the Boston Record Commissioners Series listed below.

Miscellaneous papers, 1634-1813, found at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001. Top of Page || Town Records

Boston Book of Possessions [Ms.f.Bos.2 and 2A] The first is the original disbound volume that was encapsulated in tissue paper and rebound. The second is a copy of the first on vellum pages. This record of land holdings of the residents of Boston was undated but very likely compiled in the summer of 1652. Though not the official record of deeds, it establishes the ownership of land at this time when the original deeds only reach back to 1640 with some gaps. It was published verbatim in the Boston Record Commissioners Series, v. 2, listed below. Top of Page || Town Records

Boston Tax and Assessor's Records [no call number] Online Records
 * Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., Tax Records, 1822-1918 at Ancestry - images, ($)

The tax records before 1782 were destroyed by fire except for 1673-1698 [original at BPL, Ms.Bos.5 and Ms.q.Bos.5; published in BRC, v. 1]. This collection was microfilmed by the library in 2002. As part of the collection, there are "Directions for Assessing Taxes" - 1860, etc., printed for every ten years (but from what source?).

There are three books for each tax years:


 * Taking books - arranged by ward, then entries by date of assessment containing the name of resident, street, occupation, real estate value, personal value, owner, to whom assessed.
 * Transfer books - arranged by ward, then entries alphabetically by name of resident with same information as above.
 * Tax books - arranged by ward, the entries alphabetically by resident recording assessed values and amount of state, poll, town, and county taxes paid.

To find a person in these records, you must know the ward of the town they lived in. If you do not know this information, you can use city directories (after 1789), census (after 1790), or Suffolk County deeds to help you identify the street. From there, you can use the ward boundaries with maps or guides to streets. All these resources are mentioned in this guide above. Realize a person can own land in every ward, so you might need to check each ward separately.

The complete Taking books for 1780 were published in the Bostonian Society Publications, 9: 9, 137. Notable but exclusively missing records are:


 * 1687 - Boston tax list, division 4, 1687, Mss C 1032, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, with digital image.
 * 1780 - Assessments and accounts for certain wards [i.e. 4-8, 10, 12], Boston, Mass., 1780, Mss C 1024, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * 1782-1783 - Taking books complete (3 vols.), tax books (2 vols. - tax abatement book, 1782, Ms.B.10.2 (10)), also "Selectman" valuation book 10, 1783 [Ms.Qto.6014].
 * 1784 - Return made on form provided to the Assessors of the Town of Boston by John Kneeland, Jr., and John Ballard, 1784, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0119-DC1276; Property return lists of Samuel Blodgett and Robert Rogerson made to the Assessors of the Town of Boston, 1784, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0119-DC1277.
 * 1785 - Ward 12 taking book, 1785, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. S-265. Taking Book Ward 5 and 6 at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * 1786 - Taking books Wards 6 and 11 only. Taking Books Wards 2, 4, 5, and 9 at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * 1794 - Houses in Boston, 3 Sept. 1794, Mss C 1003, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * 1795 - Taking books Wards 1-5 at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * 1803 - Transfer books only.
 * 1809 - missing Taking books for Wards 5-8.
 * 1820 - Taking Book without the Neck at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.

Top of Page || Town Records

Overseers of the Poor


 * Overseers of the Poor, Indentures, 1734-1805, 6v. [Ms.Bos.W1(5)] Together with photocopy of Lawrence W. Towner, "The Indentures of Boston's Poor Apprentices, 1734-1805" in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, v. 43, Transactions, 1956-1963, p. 417-468 (text part up to p. 434 is online). Microfilm of the original records at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * Overseers of the Poor, records, 1792-1853. [Ms.qBos.W1(2)]
 * Overseers of the Poor, vote book, 1788-1809, actions taken. [Ms.qBos.W1(1)]
 * Overseers of the Poor, vote book, no. 2, 1809-1820. [Ms.qAm.2322(1)]
 * Overseers of the Poor, vote book, no. 4, 1827-1838. [Ms.qAm.2322(2)]
 * Overseers of the Poor, register of gaol paupers, 1806-1816. [Ms.fAm.2323]
 * Overseers of the Poor, loose papers, 171?-1874. [Ms.Bos.W2]
 * Inspector of the Poor, report, 26 Sept. 1711, describing health, living conditions, and apparent character of about twenty Boston residents, held by Mss C 5145, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Boston Overseers of the Poor records, 1733-1925, held by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms. N-1879, also microfilmed as P-368 with an online guide to this edition. Eric Nellis and Anne Decker Cecere, eds., The Eighteenth-Century Records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor (Boston, 2007), being part of the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, v. 69, 1041 pp. Note: This book transcribes the records of the overseer held by MHS only, so to be comprehensive, check the records at the Boston Public Library above. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Records of the Overseers of the Poor, 1755-1756, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0119-DC1565.
 * Records of the Overseers of the Poor, December 9, 1777, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0119-DC1567
 * Records of the Overseers of the Poor, 1777-1779, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0119-DC1566.
 * Records of the Overseers of the Poor for the City of Boston, 1803-1877, held by The Bostonian Society, MS0070.

Published resources:


 * Peter C. Holloran, Boston's Waywards Children: Social Services for Homeless Children, 1830-1930 (Boston, 1989; rep. 1994), 330 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Online resources:


 * PrimaryResearch.

Top of Page || Town Records

Miscellaneous Boston town records at Boston Public Library and other repositories


 * Bonds, 1679-1700, For security against strangers (1v., ca. 100p.), includes list of French people admitted to the colony. [Ms.qBos.679.1]
 * Bonds, 1749-1807, Collector's bonds from the treasurer or selectmen, no index. [Ms.Bos.749B folio]
 * Boundaries, extract from the General Court relating to the boundary between Charlestown and Boston by Edward Rawson, 1635. [Ms.228]
 * Census for 1790, Inhabited islands in the harbor of Boston, Roxbury, Brookline, Dorchester, Milton, Hingham, Cohasset, Hull, and Chelsea (1v., 92p.), Boston section published in BRC, v. 22. [Ms.pfBos.4]
 * Census of 1810, includes wards 1-12, South Boston, Chelsea, and island within and without jurisdiction by Boston (1v., 131p.). [Ms.f.Bos.810.11.13]
 * Deeds, 1726-1748, Deeds to and from Selectmen and Town Treasurer at the end (noted an early Indian deed on folio 5), first few are late recording of earlier deeds, with index. [Ms.Bos.726D folio]
 * Distribution of the town of Boston into wards, 1713 and 1715; published in BRC, 1: 15-19. [Ms.Bos.6]
 * Fire Department - various listings for journals and log books of several Engine companies, but not the department records - see catalog.
 * Fire of 30 July 1794, Losses, moneys collected from churches and inhabitants, allowances, general account. [Ms.fBos.795.1]
 * Names of heads of families, n.d. [Ms.B.10.2(4)] Being the number with small pox, number in the natural way, died, by inoculation, died, strangers, now sick, removed, and exposed - copy, not original, likely recording an event from the mid-1700s.
 * Original papers, 1634-1734, 2v., uncataloged. [Ms.f.Bos.9] Contemporary copies of town records, county deeds, and county court records along with original deeds, petitions, requests, bills, reports, etc. brought before the town meeting or selectmen some with signatures and seals, and notes used for said meetings; v. 1 index in back and v. 2 index in front.
 * Treasurer's accounts, 1688-1691/2. [Ms.Bos.Tr.1.Folio]
 * [Children between the ages of 4 and 7 years who do or do not receive instruction, Boston, Mass.], Mss C 1022, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Vote, 11 Mar. 1727, and petition, 24 June 1729, concerning a town granary, Boston, Mass., Mss C 1027, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Town of Boston, Mass., papers, 1780-1785, Mss C 3235, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * A list of subscribers for supplying the town treasury, Boston, 3 July 1780, Mss C 1042, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Subscriptions for the Boston almshouse, 11 Apr. 1781, Mss C 87, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, with online image.
 * List of men belonging to Engine No. 2, 16 June 1780, Mss C 100, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, with image ($).
 * [Abatements on account of loss by fire, Wards 10 and 11, Boston, Mass., August 1794], Mss C 1023, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Records for Hose Company No. 3, 1870-1875, Mss A 5389, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Proceedings of the Committee on Necklands, 1823-1829, Mss A 1117, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Miscellaneous records, 1785-1821 at the City Archives, Collection 1000.001.
 * Boston Warnings out, 1763-1779, and other towns, see the Adlow Collection.

Top of Page || Town Records

Boston Record Commissioners Series (Vols. 1-39) In 1875 the City of Boston appointed Record Commissioners to “directly assist in perfecting the record of the vital statistics of Boston.” Their duty was “to complete, so far as practicable, the record of births, marriages and deaths, in the town and city of Boston, prior to A.D. 1849, and to receive and collect all documents obtainable therefor [sic].” As a result of the hard work and dedication of the Record Commissioners, thirty-nine volumes of records relating to the town and city of Boston were published between 1876 and 1909. Six of the volumes (for Boston, v. 9, 24, 28, 30; for Dorchester, v. 21, 36) pertain to vital records. The remaining thirty-three volumes are comprised of an assortment of record which includes town records, selectmen’s records, tax lists, censuses, directories, notarial records, warnings out, and miscellaneous papers. Also included are town records for Charlestown, Dorchester, and Roxbury. They are all verbatim transcriptions.

All thirty-nine volumes of the record commissioners’ series can be accessed for free online in various digital formats. They are available from Heritage Quest Online ($), and Internet Archive. The Boston Public Library has an online list with note on content and a link to an online version. In the Family History Library, they are with digital links. There are separate catalog records for individual volumes that were microfilmed.

Below is a description of each record volume, year published (with other editions), contents, and a link to a free digital version of the book. The title started out as [report number] Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston and by the sixth volume the title was simply A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston usually followed by the subject of that volume. This is the verbatim publication of the Boston town records to 1822.

Top of Page || Town Records Miscellaneous Published Boston town and other early records


 * Thomas Lechford, Edward Everett Hale, ed., Note-book kept by Thomas Lechford, Esq., Lawyer, in Boston, Massachusetts Bay, from June 27, 1638, to July 29, 1641 (Cambridge, Mass., 1885; rep. Camden, Me., 1988), xxciii, 480 pp. Note: Original manuscript at Yale Law School Library. Digital versions at Internet Archive being Transactions and Collections of the American Antiquarian Society, Vol. 7. First edition: WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Reprint edition: WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Brigitte Burkett, Genealogical Data Extracted from the Boston Selectmen's Minutes 1736-1775 (Bowie, Md., 1993), ii, 486 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, Boston Taxpayers in 1821 (Camden, Me., 1988), 256 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link.

Top of Page || Town Records

City records
Boston was incorporated as a city on 4 Mar. 1822. The original Boston City Charter is held by the Massachusetts State Archives under the records for Statute 1822, Chapter 10, in flat case, on parchment (4pp.). A photocopy of this records is with the Boston Public Library Rare Books. [xxb6200A.135]

The records of each department is held in the department unless they transferred their older records to the City Archives. For a list of all stored records, see the City Archives guide. Below is a sampling of records held by the archives with occasional references to material held elsewhere as noted. For a listing of officials and employees, 1905-1937, see the online published reports.

Assessing Department Collection 2100 Section 15 of Chapter 110 of the Acts of 1821, “An Act Establishing the City of Boston,” provided the City Council with the power to assess taxes. The same section provided for the election by the City Council, Mayor and Alderman, or by the citizens of Assessors and Assistant Assessors. Prior to 1854, the Assessors were located within the Treasury Department. Assessors, as well as, Assistant Assessors were chosen by concurrent vote of the City Council until 1885. In 1885, the power to appoint Assessors was transferred to the Mayor subject to confirmation by the Board of Aldermen. Chapter 93 of the Special Acts of 1918 reorganized the Assessing Department and created a Board of three Assessors appointed by the Mayor and subject to his removal.

The Assessing Department operates under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Assessing and is divided into three programs: Tax Administration, Valuation, and Abatement. The Department determines the fair cash value and classification of all real and personal property located in the city. The department maintains official maps, property description data, ownership records and assessment, abatement and exemption records.

A partial list of the holdings:


 * Real estate, personal estate, and poll tax records, 1822-1985, approx. 2950 lf. [2100.004] Records of taxes assessed for real estate, personal estate and poll taxes. Includes real estate valuations, 1822-1973; personal estate valuations, 1822-1985; and poll tax assessments, circa 1822-1963. The assessment of poll taxes was abolished in 1963. There are four types of records: Street Book, Transfer Book, Tax Book and Assessor’s List. The Street Book, Transfer Book and the Tax Book within each year are all arranged by ward number. Over time, the City of Boston grew from 12 wards to 26 wards. The Assessor’s List is arranged alphabetically by last name. We believe the Street Book was the book that the Assessor carried around with him as he went house to house to make the assessment. Often there are instructions for the Assessors included at the beginning of the books. The street books are arranged in the manner in which the Assessor went up and down the streets within the ward. In the later volumes, the street books are arranged by block number. Beginning in the mid-1860s, the street books are indexed at the front of each book by street name. The three other types of books all reference the page in the street book. For the period 1822-1868, in addition to the Street Book, there are two other books: Transfer Book and Tax Book. The Transfer Book includes similar information to the Street book except it is arranged alphabetically by last name. The Tax Book is also arranged alphabetically by last name but includes only the name person and the amount of the tax assessed. Both the Transfer Book and the Tax Book reference the corresponding page in the Street Book. Beginning in 1869, the information in the Transfer Book and the Tax Book were combined into one book called Tax Book. These Tax Books are arranged alphabetically by last name and include name, residence, occupation and amount taxed. The Assessor’s List begins in 1844. It is basically a master index arranged alphabetically by last name. From 1844-1858, the Assessor’s List references the ward number in which the individual was assessed. From 1859-1918, the Assessor’s List references the ward number and the page number in the Street Book. 'These records are now [2013] in the process of being digitized., browsable only (includes records up to roughly 1870 as of July 2014'') - How to Use this Collection.
 * Abatements, 1819-1985, 363 volumes. [2100.005] Records of abatement of real estate, personal estate and poll taxes. The majority of the volumes are registers including names, assessed amounts, amount abated, and reason for the abatement. Also includes certificates of abatement, applications and petitions.
 * List of women returned by the Assessors, circa 1880-1890, 80 volumes. [2100.006] Lists of women's names and addresses arranged by ward and precinct.
 * Plans, circa 1918-1985, 36 flat file drawers. [2100.016] Large format plans arranged by ward number and block. Includes the block numbers, street names, plot dimensions, and building footprints. These plans were used for reference purposes only.
 * Surveyor plans, 1877, 3 record cartons. [2100.017] In November of 1876, the Board of Assessors requested an appropriation of $1500 for the purpose of causing the preparation of a set of reduced copies, on tracing cloth, of surveyors' plans of estates, to be used in street and office work in the Assessors' Department. Includes copies of surveyor plans, arranged by neighborhood, which were drawn circa 1856-1877.
 * Annual reports and publications, 1838-1989, 21 volumes. [2100.022] Includes copies of Annual Reports of the Assessing Department for the years 1894, 1921, 1923-1924, 1926-1937, 1941, 1943, 1945 and 1981; List of Persons, Copartnerships and Corporations Who were Taxed Twenty-five Dollars and Upwards in the City of Boston in 1838; List of Persons, Copartnerships and Corporations Who were Taxed Twenty-five Dollars and Upwards in the City of Boston in 1842; Boston's Tax Rate for 1926; Rules of Procedure in the Abatement of Taxes, 1940; User's Manual for the Equalization of Boston Assessments, 1979; Annual Report of the Tax-Exempt Property Steering Committee, 1988-1989. Annual reports can also be found in the City Documents series. For published tax lists, 1826 to 1865, see Boston Public Library Government Documents online list.
 * The real estate valuation lists from 1869 to 1897 in 958 vols. held by Boston Public Library Rare Books, [9317.446a8]

Online resources:

Top of Page || City Records City Clerk Collection 0300 The first mention of a Town Recorder is the following action of the Selectmen, July 5, 1641: “Our brother John Oliver (a selectman) is chosen Treasurer for the Towne, and to keep the Towne’s booke.” From 1693 to 1822, the custodian of the Town records was called the Town Clerk. Section 10 of Chapter 110 of the Acts of 1821 stated that the City Clerk shall have all the powers, and perform all the duties belonging to the Town Clerk of the Town of Boston.
 * Boston Tax Lists, 1826-1865, published lists.

As provided by the City Charter, the City Clerk of Boston is elected by the City Council for a term of three years. The Office of the Clerk, under the direction of the City Clerk, accepts, files, records, and maintains all municipal records. The City Clerk publishes the agenda for all City Council meetings, records all Council and related Mayor actions, and edits and compiles the minutes of Council meetings. The Department also maintains the City Council document system database and publishes, on a yearly basis, all ordinances and amended codes. The City Clerk is also responsible for overseeing the work of the Archives Commission.

Services to the public include the sale of various licenses and permits, notarizing and attesting to documents and filing, recording and copying papers in the custody of the Clerk. Services to City government consist of providing informational resources and technical assistance, administration of the state's open meeting law, administration of oaths of office, attestation of various legal papers and custody of records. The Archives Commission oversees the protection of City records, files and other items of historic interest.

The city clerk has two divisions under the department:


 * Archives Division. The City Archives, administered by the Archives and Records Management division of the City Clerk's Office, is charged with a special role in protecting and managing the recorded information of the City of Boston. Established by the Statutes of the Commonwealth, Chapter 68, Acts of 1988, the mission of the City Archives is to protect and preserve the permanent official public records of Boston municipal government including those of "any city department, agency, board, office, commission or public corporation" since its founding in 1630; to document, arrange and provide day to day access to these archives; and to assist city departments with cost effective records management practices.
 * Registry Division. The City Registrar keeps the records of births, deaths and marriages, issues certificates of the same and marriage licenses, receives and records affidavits of, additions to, and amendments and corrections of said records, and forwards copies of all records to the office of the Department of Public Health and to outside cities and towns when nonresidents are involved. By Sections 5-8 of Chapter 2 of the Ordinances of 1954, the Registry Department became a division under the Health Department. By the Section 7 of Chapter 656 of the Acts of 1965, the Registry Division was transferred to the Office of the City Clerk.

A partial list of the holdings:


 * Census records, 1820-1855, 3 record cartons. [0300.010] Census return books kept in the custody of the City Clerk's Office. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts required censuses in order to apportion representatives to the state government through the first half of the 19th century including 1800, 1810, 1820, 1825, 1835, 1837, 1840, 1845, 1850, and 1855. After 1855, the National census was used to determine the population of the City of Boston. This collection includes census books recording the returns for the censuses of 1820, 1835, 1837, 1840, 1850, and 1855. The 1820 census records include volumes for wards 5, 9, 11, and 12 only. There is an online guide to city censuses.
 * Personal Records of Members of the City Council, 1861-1890, complied circa 1891-1894, 3 document cases. [0300.013] Biographical questionnaires sent out between 1891-1894 by the Records Commissioner requesting information on name, place and date of birth, family, education, business, official positions, and military service of former City Council members. Includes forms for City Council members who served during the years 1861-1890. In addition to the printed forms, there are also news clippings, business letterhead, and transcribed obituaries for some of the members. There is an online guide.
 * Enrolled Militia, 1844-1867, with gaps 16 volumes. [0300.016] Lists of enrolled militia for the years 1844-1862, 1864 and 1867.
 * Record of Army and Navy enlistments from Boston, 1861-1865, 6 volumes and 1 flat box. [0300.017] Army and Navy enlistments on Boston's quota, 1861-1865 and re-enlistments and transfers of soldiers, seamen and officers, 1861-1865.
 * Religious Societies filings, 1841-1916, 2 volumes. [0301.010] Articles of incorporation of Religious Societies filed with the City Clerk. Filing with the City Clerk was discontinued by Section 15 of Chapter 291 of the Acts of 1918.
 * Married Women doing Business certificates, 1862-1974, 32 volumes, 2 record cartons and 10 card file boxes. [0301.011] According to Section 11 of Chapter 209 of the Massachusetts General Laws, married women doing business on their own account were required to record in the City Clerk's Office a certificate stating her name and name of husband, nature of business and location, and street and number. If she failed to record, the husband could do so. Penalty for failure to record allowed property to be attached as though husbands. MGL c. 209, S. 11 was repealed 1974, 147, Sec. 4. Includes 28 volumes of recordings, 4 index volumes, card index and applications. There is an online guide to certificates.
 * Notices of filing of application to become a citizen, 1885-1900, 0.25 document case and 1 volume. [0301.035] Notices filed with the City Clerk of applications to become a citizen by Section 3 of Chapter 345 of the Acts of 1885. Includes one volume recording filings, 1885-1895 and filings, 1885-1900.
 * Annual reports and publications, 1868-1965, 56 volumes. [0330.003] Includes copies of Annual Reports for the years 1868, 1870-1871, 1873-1883, 1885, 1892-1898, 1900-1905, 1907-1910; indexes to Births in the City of Boston for the years 1923, 1928, 1931, 1934, 1945-1947, 1949-1951, 1953-1959, 1961-1967; index to marriage intentions and marriages recorded in 1894; "Bills of Mortality 1810-1849; "List of Freemen 1630-1678"; "A Series of Plans Showing the Existing Ways and Owners of Property 1630, 1635, 1640, 1645" published in 1909; and "Maps of the Street Lines of Boston Made for the Selectmen in 1819 and 1820" published in 1894. Annual reports can also be found in the City Documents series.

Online resources:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Boston City Business Registration (DBA database).
 * Boston City Council, June 2001-present.

City Council Collection 0100 The City Charter (Chapter 121 of the Acts of 1821) established the form of government as a Mayor; a Board of Aldermen, consisting of eight elected at large; and a Common Council, of forty-eight elected by wards; to be called when conjoined, "the City Council.” The Mayor and Aldermen were vested with the administration of the police, and executive power of the corporation generally, with specific enumerated powers. All other powers belonging to the corporation were vested in the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council exercised by concurrent vote.

Powers related to the administration of the Police were transferred to the Board of Police Commissioners by Chapter 244 of the Acts of 1878. Chapter 266 of the Acts of 1885, an act to amend the charter of the City of Boston, transferred to the Mayor the power to appoint, subject to the approval of the Board of Aldermen, all officers and boards elected by the City Council or Board of Aldermen, and all offices that may be established in the future. All executive powers vested in the Board of Aldermen were transferred to the Mayor to be exercised through the several officers and boards of the City in their respective departments, under the general supervision and control of the Mayor.

Chapter 486 of the Acts of 1909 abolished the City Council and both branches thereof. The act established a City Council consisting of nine members elected at large. The City Council retained the power to approve ordinances and loan orders presented by the Mayor and the budget. All heads of departments and municipal boards, excluding the school committee and those appointed by law by the governor, would be appointed by the mayor without confirmation by the City Council.

Chapter 479 of the Acts of 1924 provided for the election of 22 City Councilors, one from each ward beginning with the biennial election in 1925. Chapter 356 of the Acts of 1951 provided for the election of 9 City Councilors at large.

Chapter 190 of the Acts of 1982 (Tregor Bill) made major changes to the financial operations of the City and to the budgetary powers of the Mayor and City Council. Chapter 605 of the Acts of 1982 provided for a City Council of thirteen members, one each from nine districts and three at large, effective with the preliminary election in September of 1983.

A partial list of the holdings:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Proceedings, 1822-2002, 478 volumes, 908 document cases and 283 record cartons. [0100.001] Proceedings of the Boston City Council from 1822-2002. Includes Board of Aldermen minutes and docket documents, 1822-1909; Common Council minutes and docket documents, 1822-1909; City Council minutes, 1910-1970; City Council published minutes, 1868-2002; and City Council docket documents, 1910-2001. Docket documents consist of all orders, petitions, reports, filings, etc. acted upon by the City Council. There is an online guide of proceedings.
 * Boston City Documents, 1784-1970, 342 volumes. [0100.003] Published series of documents ordered to be printed by the City Council. Includes departmental annual reports, committee reports, orders, ordinances, annual addresses, and other reports.
 * United States Census, 1830, 1 volume. [0100.012] United States Census of Boston presented to the City Council to be kept for public inspection in the City Council room.
 * Committee on Alien Passengers records, 1847-1848, 3 document cases. [0140.011] Records of the Joint Committee on Alien Passengers, 1847-1848. Includes minutes, petitions and memorials, Inspector of Alien Passengers correspondence and reports, and Deer Island Hospital administrative records. There is an online guide to records.

Election Department Collection 4700 The Board of Registrars of Voters was appointed in May of 1874 and was succeeded July 1, 1895 by the Board of Election Commissioners. This department exercises all the powers and duties formerly conferred upon the Board of Registrars of Voters (including the preparation of the jury list), except the power and duty of giving notice of elections and fixing the days and hours for holding the same. The Board also exercises all the powers and duties formerly conferred upon the City Clerk and other officers by chapter 504 of the Acts of 1894. One Election Commissioner is appointed by the Mayor each year, term beginning on the 1st of April. The two leading political parties must be equally represented on the Board and the Chairman is designated annually by the Mayor.

A partial list of the holdings:


 * Voter registrations, circa 1857-1940 with gaps, 382 volumes. [4700.001] Includes indexes to naturalized male voters from 1857-1895; naturalized male voter registrations from 1864-1895; index to naturalized and native male voters, 1896-1900; naturalized and native male voter registrations from 1896-1897; women voter registers, circa 1920-1940. The women voter registers were used to register women in 1920. After 1920, men are also included in these registers.
 * Women voter registrations, 1884-1920, 122 volumes. [4700.002] In Massachusetts, women were allowed to vote in school board elections beginning in 1879. This law (Chapter 223, Acts of 1879) required that they follow the same provisions that were set for men; these included, paying a poll tax, the capabilities to read and write in the English language, and were at least 21 years of age. Includes voter registrations of naturalized and native women for school board elections from 1884-1920. Only the Naturalized Women Voter Registers have an index, all others must be searched by women’s last name and/or by date. Complete entries include a woman’s age, birthplace, citizenship status, and address.
 * Ward and precinct maps, 1878-1925, 8 volumes. [4700.011] Map books showing ward and precinct boundaries for the years 1878, 1886, 1889, 1890, 1895, 1916, 1921 and 1925 printed by the Election Department.
 * Annual Listing of Residents, 1931-1978, with gaps, 34 volumes and 1 pamphlet box. [4720.001] Annual Listing of Residents age 20 and over. Includes listings for 1931, ward 1; 1938, wards 1-2, 9-13, 16-17, 19-21; 1952, wards 9, 11-12; 1959, ward 18; 1961, ward 15; 1965, wards 17-18, 20, 22; 1976, wards 4, 16-22; and 1978, wards 15-17, 20.

Online resources:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Boston Lists of Residents, 1909-1910, published and arranged by ward, precinct, and street.
 * Boston Lists of Residents, 1922-1930, published and arranged by ward, precinct, and street.
 * Boston Lists of Residents, 1931-1940, published and arranged by ward, precinct, and street.
 * Boston Lists of Residents, 1941-1950, published and arranged by ward, precinct, and street.
 * Boston Lists of Residents, 1951-1960, published and arranged by ward, precinct, and street.

Fire Department Collection 0500 The origins of the Boston Fire Department date back to 1678 with the establishment of the first engine company and the receipt of the first hand fire engine in North America. The Board of Fire Wards was established on February 1, 1711. Prominent men were chosen as Fire Wards and were responsible for the operation and maintenance of the equipment assigned to their ward. Chapter 52 of the Acts of 1825, "An Act Establishing a Fire Department in the City of Boston and an Ordinance for the preventing and extinguishing of fires and establishing a fire department" went into full operation in April of 1826. With this legislation, the Board of Fire Wards was dissolved. All records and property belonging to the city were transferred to the Chief Engineer in May of 1826.

By the reorganization in 1837, the Fire Department changed from a partially volunteer to a paid fire department. On June 16, 1851, the City Council passed an order to erect a system of telegraphic fire alarms and the first regular alarm on the new system was received on April 29, 1852. On January 1, 1859, two new steam engines were put in service replacing two hand engines. On October 24, 1873, the City Council passed an ordinance creating a Board of Fire Commissioners to oversee the department. Section 9 of Chapter 449 of the Acts of 1895, an act to amend the City Charter, abolished the Board of Fire Commissioners and placed the Department under the charge of one Fire Commissioner. The Chief Engineer serves as the Executive Officer of the Commissioner and directs the work of the members of the Department.

A partial list of the holdings:


 * Fire records, 1880-1967, 54 oversized volumes. [0500.007] Logs of fires from 1880-1967. Includes location, owners, cause, amount of damages, companies responding, remarks etc. There is an online guide to fire records.
 * Lists of call men, 1837-1858, 2 volumes. [0500.008] Registers recording names of firemen, engine company, date admitted and discharged. Beginning in 1837, compensation was given to firemen who served for six consecutive months with the same engine company.

Online resources:


 * Boston Fire Department Reports, 1870-1990 digitized reports.

Other sources:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Arthur Wellington Brayley, A Complete History of the Boston Fire Department, including the fire-alarm service and the protective department, from 1630 to 1888 (Boston, 1889), xx, 729 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Boston Fire Historical Society Email: [mailto:mail@bostonfirehistory.org mail@bostonfirehistory.org] This unofficial website has an amazing amount of information and well worth visiting. Those people with ancestors who worked for the department will find the list of employees for 1888, 1905-1919, and every odd year to 1937 helpful.

Police Department Collection 0600 Chapter 5 of the Acts of 1761-1762 established a watch for the safety and better securing the good order of the Town of Boston. Chapter 110 of the Acts of 1821 vested in the Mayor and Aldermen the administration of the police formerly exercised by the Selectmen. Chapter 123 of the Acts of 1838 granted the Mayor and Aldermen the power to appoint police officers with all or any of the powers of the constables except the power of serving and executing any civil process.

Chapter 354 of the Acts of 1853 authorized and empowered the City Council to consolidate the Watch and Police Departments into one department. This act was accepted by the City Council on June 2, 1853. A new organization of the Police Department under the authority of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen took effect on May 26, 1854. The two departments were formally united by Ordinance passed May 19, 1855.

Chapter 244 of the Acts of 1878 established a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Mayor. Chapter 323 of the Acts of 1885 established a Board of Police consisting of three citizens appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Governor's Council.

Chapter 291 of the Acts of 1906 placed the department in charge of a single head appointed by the Governor to be known as the Police Commissioner. Chapter 322 of the Acts of 1962 transferred the power to appoint the Police Commissioner back to the Mayor.

A partial list of the holdings:


 * Annual reports and publications, 1870-2007, 78 volumes. [0600.006] Includes annual reports of the Police Commissioner for 1871, 1910, 1927, 1933-1934, 1936, 1939, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1958-1960, 1962-1970, 1974-1976, 1999 and 2007; annual reports of the Boston Police Relief Association for 1911, 1913-1915, 1918-1920, 1922-1925, and 1927-1928; street directory, 1938 and circa 1970s-1980s; and miscellaneous reports and surveys.

Online resources:


 * Boston Police Department Reports, 1885-2000, published reports.

Other sources:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Boston Police Records Manager &amp; Archivist 1555 Hyde Park Avenue Hyde Park MA 02136-2486 Telephone: 617-343-5166 Email: [mailto:SullivanMar.bpd@cityofboston.gov SullivanMar.bpd@cityofboston.gov] No website Holdings include personnel information on individuals who were employed as Boston police officers (bulk dates 1878-1961). The information in any given file might include: date of appointment; transfers; promotions; rewards, awards, and/or medals received; date of retirement of death, etc.
 * Read a brief History of the Boston Police Department online.
 * George H. McCaffrey, "The Boston Police Department" in the Journal of the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, 2 [1912]: 672-690.

School Department Collection 0400 In 1789, the General Court of the Colony granted authority to “trust to appoint School Committees for the control of the Schools.” In accordance with the provisions of this act, the first School Committee for Boston was chosen October 20, 1789, “to exercise all the Powers relating to the Schools and School Masters, which the Selectmen or such Committees are authorized by the Laws of this Commonwealth on the Votes of this Town to exercise.” Under the reorganized plan of 1789, the public schools of Boston were administered by a committee consisting of twenty-one members, nine selectmen and one member from each of the twelve wards. For administrative purposes, the Board of twenty-one members was divided into various sub-committees. Sub-committees included a visiting committee, a committee to fill vacancies in the teaching staff and an examining committee.

Prior to 1818, the public schools admitted only children who had already received some rudimentary instruction. During that year, after considerable agitation on the part of the citizens of the town, primary schools were established. The citizens created in town meeting a special committee distinct and separate from the regular School Committee to safeguard the interests of the primary schools. This committee had a membership ranging from 36 at one time to 196 at another time. The Primary School Committee continued to have exclusive control of the primary schools until 1855, when these schools were placed under the jurisdiction of the general committee.

By terms of the Charter, authorization was granted the School Committee to have the general care and superintendence of the public schools. The number of members and terms of the School Committee fluctuated over the years through several charter revisions.

The office of the Superintendent of Schools was created in 1851. The appointment of teachers, however, still remained the prerogative of the School Committee. In 1876, the rules and regulations were revised and considerable nominal power was granted to the Superintendent and Supervisors, but the appointment of teachers was retained by the district subcommittees. The newly established Board of Supervisors became a board for the examination and certification of teachers. In 1884, the Superintendent was given additional powers. He was to be held responsible to the School Board as the executive in the department of instruction over all supervisors, principals, and other instructors.

With the reorganization of the School Committee in 1906, all sub-committees were discontinued. One of the most important features of the revised rules and regulations of 1906 was the conferring of direct authority and responsibility upon the official staff of the Committee. The Superintendent was designated as the executive officer of the School Committee in all matters relating to instruction and discipline in the public schools; and was given the power, subject to the approval of the School Committee, to appoint, reappoint, transfer and remove all directors, principals and teachers.

Chapter 108 of the Acts of 1991 replaced the elected School Committee with a board of seven members serving four-year terms, appointed by the Mayor from nominees.

A partial list of the holdings:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Student records, circa 1847-1990, 317 volumes, 134 record cartons, 156 card file boxes, 124 document cases, 38 file cabinets and 7 microfilm drawers. [0420.001] Student transcripts, office record cards and attendance records of primarily closed Boston Public Schools. Includes records of the following high schools and programs: Boston Technical High School/Mechanic Arts High School, pre-1952 only; Boston Trade School for Boys, pre 1929 only; Brandeis Vocational High School; Charlestown High School, pre-1917 only; High School of Commerce; Dorchester High School, pre-1946 only; Evening High and Trade Schools, pre-1978 only; Girls' High School; Girls' Trade High School; High School of Practical Arts; (Old) Roxbury High School; (New) Roxbury High School; Roxbury Memorial High Schools for Boys and Girls; South End Vocational School; Vocational High and Opportunity School; and Vocational Technical Institute. Also includes various elementary and middle schools.
 * School Committee, minutes, 1792-1905, 44v., index v. 14a, held by the Boston Public Library Rare Books. [Ms.f.Bos.Sc.1]

Treasury Department Collection 2400 The Collector-Treasurer has the care and custody of the current funds of the City, of all monies, properties and securities placed in his charge by any statute or ordinance, or by any gift, devise, bequest or deposit and pays all bills and demands against the City.

The earlier treasurers were chosen by the Selectmen; from 1660-1690 the choice was made sometimes by the Selectmen, sometimes by the town meeting; afterwards by the latter only. Chapter 7 of the Acts of 1802 established the Treasurer of the Town of Boston as the Collector of taxes. Chapter 176 of the Acts of 1875 established a separate office of Collector. Said Collector received the powers previously possessed by the Treasurer as collector of taxes, and would also collect and receive all assessments, betterments, rates, dues and money payable on any account to the City of Boston or the County of Suffolk. The Collector was required to pay over to the Treasurer within twenty-four hours any and all money received by him.

Section 65 of Chapter 2 of the Ordinances of 1954 reorganized the Treasury Department by abolishing the office of City Treasurer and substituting therefore the office of Collector-Treasurer.

A partial list of the holdings:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Record of Emigrants landing, 1837-1847, 3 volumes. [2400.005] Includes lists of vessels arriving and names of passengers.

Non-City Records Collections donated to the City Archives or used for reference purposes. Includes records not created or maintained by city departments.

A partial list of the holdings:

Top of Page || City Records
 * Atlases, 1873-1938, 44 volumes. [9800.003]

Census
A quick reference for early populations of Boston can be found in A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, vol. 22, iv-v. A detailed study was published by Lemuel Shattuck, Report to the Committee of the City Council Appointed to Obtain the Census of Boston for the Year 1845 (Boston, 1846). A city census was taken in 1820, 1835, 1837, 1840, 1850, and 1855. Most of this data survives today.

Below is a list of the census records for Boston:

Top of Page
 * City census, 1820-1855, with an online guide, held by the City of Boston Archives.
 * Names of the inhabitants of the town of Boston in 1790 by Samuel Bradford, Mss A 5550, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. Transcribed version published in "Twenty-second report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, containing the statistics of the United States" Direct Tax of 1798, As Assessed on Boston; and the Names of the Inhabitants of Boston in 1790, As Collected for the First National Census" (1890): 443-511.
 * Census of Boston Harbor Island and Chelsea, 1800, part of the Sewall-Shattuck Collection, 1638-1844, Spec. Col. 11 S 1-41, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * Census of Boston for 1810, Mss C 5811, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
 * [1810 census of Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts], Mss C 94, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, with database ($).
 * [Abstract of the 1825 Boston census], Mss C 95, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.

Tax Records

 * 1800 Boston, MA: Taking Records, 1800 at American Ancestors — index & images, ($)
 * 1821 Boston, MA: Tax List of Boston, 1821 at American Ancestors - index ($)
 * 1822-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1831 Boston, MA: Tax List of Boston, 1831 at American Ancestors - index ($)

Online Resources
This is a list derived from the microtext holdings of the Boston Public Library and augmented with other sources. For more detailed information on the earliest newspapers, see Check-List of Boston Newspapers 1704-1780 by Mary Farwell Ayer With Bibliographical Notes by Albert Matthews (Cambridge, Mass., 1907) digitally on Internet Archive or and the common offprint without the checklist Albert Matthews, Bibliographical Notes on Boston Newspapers 1704-1780 (Cambridge, Mass., 1907) digitally on Google Books. The reprint book on WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * 1831-1920 Boston Pilot: Irish Immigrant Advertisements (Search for Missing Friends), 1831-1920 at American Ancestors - index and images ($)

It is common for a newspaper title to change over time and also to merge and separate from other newspapers. Be aware of that situation when using this chronological list. Every effort has been made to put obvious continued newspapers together. Newspaper titles in bold italic were published for over thirty (30) years. NEWSPAPER TITLES IN BOLD ITALIC CAPS were published for over seventy-five (75) years. If you want to find ANY title or foreign-language paper, use the search feature of our browser.

Boston Public Library developed a handy Boston Newspaper Chronology (a pdf file) for major newspapers from 1820 to present.

Useful guides and indexes to early Boston newspapers:


 * Ogden Codman, Index of Obituaries in Boston Newspapers, 1704-1800 (Boston, 1968), 3 vols. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Andrew Pollock, Advertisement Index to the Boston Newsletter and Massachusetts Gazette (Duxbury, Mass., 1987), 674 pp. in 2 vols.; WorldCat (Other Libraries) or New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston; not at FHL.
 * Index of Marriages in Massachusetts Centinel and Columbian Centinel, 1784 to 1840 (Boston, 1961), 4 vols. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Index of Obituaries in Massachusetts Centinel and Columbian Centinel, 1784-1840 (Boston, 1961), 5 vols. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * James de T. Abajian, Blacks in Selected Newspapers, Censuses and Other Sources: An Index to Names and Subjects (Boston, 1977), 3 vols., includes The Liberator, 1848-1850. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Clarence Saunders Brigham, "Index to Obituary Notices in the Boston Transcript, 1875-1899 and 1900-1930" [Worcester, typ., 1938-1940; photocopy, 1968], 2 vols. and 3 vols. Note: The earlier volumes in the Boston Daily Advertiser. WorldCat (Other Libraries) [i.e. Boston Public Library]; 1900-1930 volumes: WorldCat (Other Libraries) and New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston; Not at FHL. "Index to Obituary Notices in the Boston Evening Transcript, 1931" (Boston, typ., 1953). WorldCat (Other Libraries) [i.e. Boston Public Library]; Not at FHL.
 * Zimmer Index, 1878-1937, including obituaries, covered the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and the Boston Post, and to a lesser degree, the Boston Advertiser, Boston Journal, Boston Transcript, and other non-Boston papers.
 * Boston Herald Newspaper Morgue, late 1800s-early 1980s, held by the former Beebe Communications Library at Boston University, includes the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Herald Traveller, Boston Post, Christian Science Monitor, and the New York Times.
 * Boston Herald-Traveler Photo Morgue, ca. 1906-1972, about 500,000 images held by the Boston Public Library Print Department.
 * Card Index to the Genealogical Columns of the Boston Evening Transcript, 1915-1935, held by the Boston Public Library Microtext Department Reference Desk.
 * Boston Evening Transcript Obituary Index, 1932-1941, on index cards only at the Boston Public Library Microtext Department Reference Desk.
 * Boston Public Library Obituary index, 1953-2010 (does not include death notices) covering the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.

Newspapers First Published in: Top of Newspapers | 1690-1800 | 1801-1825 | 1826-1840 | 1841-1855 Key to Notes / Online Column

1690 - 1800 Newspapers First Published in: Top of Newspapers | 1690-1800 | 1801-1825 | 1826-1840 | 1841-1855  Top of Page 1801 - 1825 Newspapers First Published in: Top of Newspapers | 1690-1800 | 1801-1825 | 1826-1840 | 1841-1855  Top of Page 1826 - 1840 Newspapers First Published in: Top of Newspapers | 1690-1800 | 1801-1825 | 1826-1840 | 1841-1855  Top of Page 1841 - 1855 Newspapers First Published in: Top of Newspapers | 1690-1800 | 1801-1825 | 1826-1840 | 1841-1855  Top of Page

Archives
City of Boston Archives 201 Rivermoor Street West Roxbury MA 02132 Telephone: 617-635-1195 Fax: 617-635-1194 Email: [mailto:Archives@cityofboston.gov Archives@cityofboston.gov] Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. by appointment only

Genealogy and History Libraries
Boston Athenaeum 10-1/2 Beacon Street Boston MA 02108 Telephone: 617-227-0270 Email: [mailto:reference@bostonathenaeum.org reference@bostonathenaeum.org]

The Boston Athenæum is a membership library, museum, and venue for intellectual exchange. It was founded in 1807 and is one of this country's oldest, continuously-operating cultural institutions. Its rich, well-documented history and its continuing place in American society and culture are made tangible by the historic building on Boston's famed Beacon Street that it has called home since 1849, and the unique, varied collections of books, manuscripts, and art that it contains.

Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 Telephone: 617-536-5400 Email: [mailto:ask@bpl.org ask@bpl.org]

The Boston Public Library is a world-class research center with strong collections on local histories, genealogies, New England newspapers, U.S. city directories, rare books, and manuscripts.

The Bostonian Society 206 Washington Street Boston MA 02109 Telephone: 617-720-1713 Email [mailto:ashley@bostonhistory.org ashley@bostonhistory.org]

The Bostonian Society is dedicated to studying, and preserving Boston’s uniquely important history, embodied in materials, records, and structures such as the Old State House, and in sharing an understanding of the revolutionary ideas born here.

Congregational Library 14 Beacon Street, 2nd Floor Boston MA 02108 Telephone: 617-523-0470 Email: [mailto:circ@14beacon.org circ@14beacon.org]

The Congregational Library has an impressive collection of records documenting the history of American Congregationalism for the last 300 years. Equally impressive is their collection of New England local, town, and family histories. They also have a strong collection of published Massachusetts vital records. Congregational church records include membership lists, dismissals, baptisms, marriages, minutes of meetings, etc.

Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston MA 02215 Telephone: 617-646-0532 Fax: 617-859-0074 Email: [mailto:library@masshist.org library@masshist.org]

Founded in 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the oldest independent research library, is an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture. Its extraordinary collections tell the story of America through millions of rare and unique documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable national treasures. Though a private library, it is free to all.

New England Historic Genealogical Society 99-101 Newbury Street Boston MA 02116-3007 Telephone: 617-536-5740 Email: [mailto:info@nehgs.org info@nehgs.org]

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), the oldest genealogical society in the country, has a substantial collection of published and manuscript works on New England, Quebec, Maritimes, and European genealogies, source material, and local histories. Notable collections include New England probate, land, and vital records; Quebec church and notarial records; censuses; city directories; Bible records; diaries; and immigration records for most of the New England states and neighboring Canadian provinces. Their manuscript department, which is open only to members, houses more than two million manuscript items. Non-members pay a daily fee. Top of Page

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boston at FamilySearch Places
 * Boston at Google Maps
 * Boston at Mapcarta
 * Boundary Map of Boston at HomeTownLocator
 * Massachusetts County Map at Mass.gov
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Massachusetts at Old-Maps.com
 * Massachusetts Maps State Page

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Boston, Massachusetts included:

Top of Page
 * 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 Augusta, Maine
 * 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
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Business and Occupations

 * 1817-1882 Boston, MA: Provident Institution for Savings, 1817-1882 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)

School Records

 * 1797-1822 Boston, MA: Pupils and Teachers of Mrs. Rowson's Academy, 1797-1822 American Ancestors — index & images ($)

Emigration and Immigration Records

 * 1824 Boston, MA: Sea Fencibles' Signal Roll, 1824 at American Ancestors — index ($)

Medical Records

 * 1824 Boston, MA: Smallpox Inoculation Census W. District, Ward 7, 1824 at American Ancestors— index & images, ($)

Boston Massachusetts References
Adjacent towns: Suffolk Co.: Chelsea | Revere | Winthrop | Middlesex Co.: Cambridge | Everett | Medford | Newton | Somerville | Watertown | Norfolk Co.: Brookline | Canton | Dedham | Milton | Needham | Quincy | Plymouth Co.: Hull