Massachusetts Genealogy Guide

Massachusetts Genealogy Guide

United States Massachusetts

This is a genealogical and historical guide to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its state-level records. You will find help with state vital records, histories, church archives, newspaper collections, genealogical libraries, understanding the court system, military records, and immigration and naturalization records.

Massachusetts Brief History
This region of New England was home to many Algonquian-speaking Indians. They had been visited by British and other European countries' fishermen for more than a century before the first permanent European settlement. Not long before this first settlement began, the native population was decimated by a European-borne disease, likely smallpox, that left many of their villages empty. The Separatist Pilgrims were the first to arrive in 1620 to establish Plymouth Colony at Plymouth. There were several early and later attempts for settlement up the coast into Maine (which would be part of Massachusetts until statehood in 1820). The second permanent settlement was by Puritans who arrived in 1629 to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony at Salem.

These two colonies coexisted for many years, but geography and politics were on the side of the Massachusetts Bay. The Royal Province of New Hampshire was created in 1680 that separated the District of Maine off from the center of population of the colony now firmly established at Boston. The British colonies developed more independent practices regarding trade, religion, and governance. King Charles II finally rescinded the charter for Massachusetts Bay in 1684. This action was implemented by King James II. The colony continued as it was until Sir Edmund Andros arrived to become the Royal Governor of the newly created Dominion of New England effectively in 1686. This united the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth. Soon New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Haven, New York, and New Jersey would be added to the Dominion with the government seated at Boston. Andros quickly moved to take away most liberties colonists enjoyed and thus his rule was extremely unpopular. When King James II was overthrown in late 1688 by William and Mary, colonist at Boston overthrew Andros and his administration there in 1689. For lack of guidance by England, the colonies resumed their previous form of governments through 1691.

The next major geo-political event was the merger of the Massachusetts Bay and the Plymouth Colony into the newly rechartered Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691 that began its new government under Sir William Phips in 1692. The territory included what is Maine and the Elizabeth, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Islands (the islands removed from the control of New York). Major border disputes were settled as follows: New Hampshire (1740), Rhode Island (1746 - succeeded towns of Barrington, Bristol, Little Compton, Tiverton, Warren, and the newly created Cumberland to R.I.), Connecticut (1749 - succeeded towns of Enfield, Somers, Suffield, and Woodstock to Conn.), New York (1773 - twenty miles west of the Hudson; 1853 - Boston Corners section of Mount Washington to N.Y.), and Maine (1820 - succeeded as new state in Missouri Compromise).

Massachusetts Historical Data
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Massachusetts Counties
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is divided into fourteen counties. It is there that most court and land records are found. The most of the other commonly used records will be at the town level. Use the guide below to link to the county you want: Barnstable (1685) - Berkshire (1761) - Bristol (1685) Dukes (1683/1695) - Essex (1643) - Franklin (1811) Hampden (1812) - Hampshire (1662) - Middlesex (1643) Nantucket (1695) - Norfolk (1793) - Plymouth (1685) Suffolk (1643) - Worcester (1731) Massachusetts was created from two colonies in 1691. So records before that time would be part of: Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629) - Plymouth Colony (1620) Other extinct jurisdictions:


 * Old Norfolk, 1643-1680, which was all that north of the Merrimack River and south of the Piscataqua River being then the settled part of what became the royal province of New Hampshire in 1680 (except for roughly two to three miles above the Merrimack River).
 * Dominion of New England, 1686-1689, a brief consolidation of several British Colonies into one that was very unpopular and it collapsed.
 * Maine, records for this region called the District of Maine with counties of its own will all be found under Maine. Only high court and legislative records will be found under their Massachusetts headings.

Massachusetts Vital Records
The original vital record resides in the town or city where the event occurred (in colonial times, a family group of birth can include events from other towns). The recording of these records was ordered by the government as early as 1639, though not all places followed the law. Both Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony started to collect these records in a central location, but the practice died out by the mid-17th Century. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the first state to create a permanent, statewide recording system starting in 1841. It is notable that the city of Boston lagged behind in reporting to the state and its records do not show up in the state system until a tougher regulation was implemented in 1850 (though the city did record these records locally). The only vital records closed to the public are the original births of amended records and those can be opened by a judge.

The original record still is found with the clerk of the town or city. All these records back to the earliest settlement of a town can always be viewed at the town or city clerk’s office. Most all town and city vital records have been microfilmed by the Family History Library and microfiched by the Holbrook Research Institute of Oxford, Mass. [now Archive Publishing of Provo, Utah]. This tends to be the most complete record of the event. Since 1841, there should be a second copy with the state and sometimes has abbreviated information from the original. This second copy is the most widely available source for researchers. It has been preserved by the same two vendors listed above and can be found on online in a variety of places and forms as listed below.

Top of Page || Top of VRs Pre-1850 Before 1900, a few towns started publishing their own vital records in book form. The records were usually re-arranged into alphabetical order but separated by births, marriages, and deaths. Church and private records were added to get a more complete record and were clearly noted. The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants published a few of these volumes along with the Systematic History Fund (a state fund); Essex Institute in Salem; Topsfield Historical Society, and others. The greatest number were published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, in part from their Eddy Town-Record Fund. About two-thirds of the state (roughly 236 towns) has been published from the original town records and a few still are being released today. To learn more about this state publication project, see the article on The Publication of Vital Records of Massachusetts Towns written in 1919. Check the [http://www.massmayflower.org/research/online/vital-records/vital-records-ma-towns-pre-1850.htm Mass. Town Pre-1850 Published Vital Records Guide] for a listing of the towns published up to 2011. There are links to some online versions below. A search in Google will reveal many town / region specific sites that have reproduced the volumes online or pdf versions available for downloading.

Pre-1850 Online AmericanAncestors.org ($)


 * Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 [Not complete, but list available by "volume" menu]

Ancestry.com ($)


 * Massachusetts Town Birth Records
 * Massachusetts Town Marriage Records
 * Massachusetts Town Death Records [Only a handful of volume have been uploaded]
 * Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850 [extracted from FHL films of original records, not complete, but extensive]
 * Frederic W. Bailey, Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 [church records only]

Free online versions

Top of Page || Top of VRs 1841 - 1920 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the first state to create statewide vital records in the modern sense starting in 1841. It is notable that the city of Boston lagged behind reporting to the state and its records do not show up at the state until about 1850 (though the city maintained its own records before then). The original state records are held by:
 * The Early Vital Records of Massachusetts website transcribes each page and links it to an image of original of the original page. As of May 2013, Plymouth County was only partially done and Suffolk County had not been started. The rest of the towns across the state were there. Click on the Town tab to get a list of towns by county.
 * Frederic William Bailey, comp., Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 (New Haven, Conn., 1897-1914, in 7v.; rep. Baltimore, 1968+). Digital version for Vol. 1 (Worcester Co.) only at Internet Archive or Google Books. Berkshire Genealogist Indexing Committee, Master Index to Early Massachusetts Marriages (Pittsfield, Mass., 1996), 131 leaves, is a single, full-name index to the series of seven volumes. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

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

Visitors can make their own copies from the microfilmed copies or request certified copies per their rules. The archives only has the amended records up to v. 42 (1900). They have an online index to the records for 1841 to 1910 that is searchable for first name, last name, town, start year, end year, and type of record. Note that this is exact spelling searches only. Records can be ordered by email. No more than five requests per order and they are billed with your photocopies.

These records can be viewed online in two locations:

New England Historic Genealogical Society 99 - 101 Newbury Street Boston MA 02116 Phone 888-296-3447

The NEHGS has two online databases at their American Ancestors website for 1841 to 1910 and 1911 to 1915. You must be a member of the Society to access these indexes and the actual records which are linked from this index. The records are searchable in the same manner as the Mass. Archives above, though the last name can be searched by Soundex. If you go to the library, there are book indexes in five-year blocks for births, 1900-1950, marriages, 1900-1955, 1966-1970, and deaths, 1900-1980. They also have the amended birth records indexes for to 1929 (1 v.) [going back to 1841], to 1944 (2 v.), to 1962 (3 v.), to 1965 (1 v.), and to 1968 (1 v.). These indexes beyond 1920 are not generally available elsewhere.


 * Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 ($) [all indexes, records, and amended births]
 * Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915 ($) [all indexes, records, and amended births]

Family History Library 35 North West Temple Street Salt Lake City UT 84150 Phone 866-406-1830

This library and its many branches (where you can borrow the microfilm for a small fee) will have all the same records as listed above. You can access online for free:

Top of Page || Top of VRs 1921 - present The original state records are held by:
 * Births, 1841-1915 [index and records from 1909 to 1915 ONLY]
 * Marriages, 1841-1915 [index and records from 1905(?) to 1915 ONLY]
 * Deaths, 1841-1915 [index and records from 1910(?) to 1915 ONLY]
 * Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920 [ACTUALLY, only 1916 to 1920, browsable by volume and page only]

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics 150 Mount Vernon St., 1st Floor Dorchester MA 02125 Phone 617-740-2600 Email [mailto:vital.recordsrequest@state.ma.us vital.recordsrequest@state.ma.us] They have limited research hours

This office only makes certified copies of vital records. There are several ways to purchases copies both online and in person. This office also has the amended birth records after v. 42 (1900) and a statewide index to divorces from 1952 to the present (though the record itself will be with the probate court). There is a computerized index for the most recent records and five-year block indexes for births, marriages, and deaths onsite.

Every five years, another block of five years is transferred to the State Archives and at the same time is made available through the New England Historic Genealogical Society and to the Family History Library. This office restricts access only by the fact that they are the only ones with the records. These records are open to the public. The original town copies are always open to the public.

Ancestry.com has the following index only:

Top of Page || Top of VRs Divorce Records Divorce records have been handled by the probate court system since 1922 and commonly filed where the couple last lived together. These are public records (with minor exceptions). There is a statewide index that starts in 1952 at the Registry listed above. Before that, the county Superior Court had jurisdiction. From 1786 to 1887, all cases were administered through the Supreme Judicial Court. All these records are held at the Judicial Archives in the Mass. Archives facility. The earliest divorce records are scattered through a variety of courts who held joint jurisdiction.
 * Death Index, 1970-2003 ($)

The Supreme Judicial Court created a fact sheet for the public in 2004 and the summary of it is below:

For the location of the records, use the chart below that was created by the Supreme Judicial Court Archives in 2004: Location of Massachusetts Divorce Records Top of Page || Top of VRs Adoption Records Like most all states, Massachusetts seals the records of adoption that include the original birth certificate with the biological parents. These records stay sealed unless opened by court order. Who can see this sealed information is limited by law. There is no way a person can know they are adopted without being told by someone. There are several registries online set up to assist adoptees and biological parents help find each other. To order your pre-adoption birth certificate, download the instructions and form. To learn more about the history of adoption in Massachusetts, see Joseph Ben-Or, "The Law of Adoption in the United States: Its Massachusetts Origins and the Statute of 1851" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 130 [1976]: 259-269, and online at American Ancestors ($). Top of Page || Top of VRs Bibliography Thanks to the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants for their contributions to this page Top of Page || Top of VRs
 * John Ballard Blake, "The Early History of Vital Statistics in Massachusetts" in Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 29 [1955]: 46-68. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Charles Cowley, "Judicial Falsifications of History" in the New England Magazine and Bay State Montly, May 1886. Digital version at New England Magazine. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * David Cressy, "The Seasonality of Marriage in Old and New England" in Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 16 [1985]: 1-21. Digital version at Jstor ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Historical Records Survey - Massachusetts, Guide to the Public Vital Records in Massachusetts (Boston, 1942), 342 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); (Los Angeles and Logan only).
 * Robert Rene Kuczynski, "The Registration Laws in the Colonies of Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth" in American Statistical Association Publications, 7 [1900-1901]: 65-73. Digital version at Jstor (free). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Chester F. Sanger, "The Divorce Legislation of Massachusetts" in Bay State Monthly, 3 [1885]: 27-32. Digital version at Bookmate, page 68 of this file, or as a text file at Gutenberg, search text for title. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Massachusetts Court System
Understanding the Massachusetts Court System This is the history of the court system. It is broken up into historical periods and then a discussion of special courts, records, legal definitions, and bibliography. Realize that except for the upper courts, all records and actions were on the county level. To find detailed information regarding a particular county's courts, see that county page from the links provided above.

Colonial Period (1620-1686) – Plymouth Colony The Peirce Patent was a charter from the Virginia Company issued to the Merchant Adventurers in 1620 for the settlement of the Pilgrims in the northerly part of the Virginia territory. This patent was never in use because the Pilgrims settled outside this territory. Thus, the adult male passengers created the document they called a “combination” and now called the “Mayflower Compact” to give a governance structure to the Plymouth settlement. The Second Peirce Patent was issued in 1621 from the Council for New England for the area they settled. The Bradford Patent of 1629 (of “purchasers”) gave the settlers legal status as residents, but did not create a basis for laws as royal charters would did for other colonies. Though having no legal authority to do so, but in the best interest of the settlers, the “combination” was an agreement of the adult males of the settlement to establish a “civil body politic” and make just laws, acts, etc. for the general good of the colony. From this single act, the group elected a governor and several assistants to govern them (though we do not have knowledge of how that was decided). On 17 December 1623 (but recorded in 1627), the first order of the Court was that all criminal acts, matters of trespass, and debts between men would be tried by a jury of twelve honest men. Historians have determined that they cobbled together Common Law and filled it in with Mosaic Law. The laws were first codified in 1636 and revised in 1658, 1672, and 1685. By 1636, the Governor and seven Assistants were elected annually by the freemen of the colony for the term of one year according to the former custom and that constables and other inferior officers also were chosen. The Governor, Board of Assistants (being seven freemen of the colony), and the freemen of the colony met quarterly as the General Court (1623-1692). They functioned as the legislature and court. They heard capital cases of treason, rebellion, willful murder, conversing with the devil by way of witchcraft, burning of ships or houses, sodomy, rapes, and buggery. The Magistrate Court (1623?-1692) heard cases of fornication, swearing, lying, stealing, embezzling, drunkenness, gaming, lascivious carriage, burning fences, defacing boundary markers, using tobacco, setting fires in the woods, forgery, stealing public records, denying the Scriptures as the rule of life, being absent from church, and keeping the Sabbath. The Court of Assistants (1623-1692) was the meeting of the Governor and at least two Assistants and handled all cases under £40 penalty. County Courts (1685-1692) were established when the counties were created following the model of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Top of Page || Top of Courts Colonial Period (1629-1686) – Massachusetts Bay The Charter of 1629 issued by the King established the General Court (1629-1692) that met quarterly to make, ordain, and establish all manner of wholesome and reasonable orders, laws, statutes, and ordinances, directions, and instructions not contrary to the laws of England and to settle the forms and ceremonies of government and magistracy fit and necessary so that the people may be religiously, peaceably, and civilly governed. All the freemen met and acted as the General Court. The court chose annually the governor, deputy government, and eighteen assistants who acted as the Court of Assistants (1630-1692) when the General Court was not in session and with its full authority to correct, punish, pardon, govern, and rule. Members of the Assistants were given the powers of Justices of the Peace and called Magistrates. These magistrates could hear civil suits under than 20 shilling (increased to 40 shillings in 1647) and handle misdemeanors such of profanity or drunkenness in their own towns. The Inferior Quarter Courts were established in 1639 as a circuit county court composed of the county magistrates where the court was sitting with a jury in Ipswich, Salem, Cambridge (Newtown), and Boston. This court took over all the cases of the Court of Assistants except those with damages over £10, divorce, and cases of life, member, and banishment. These courts were renamed County Court (1636-1692). This three-tiered system was in place throughout the colonial period. It focused on the magistrates who controlled the legal affairs. When they sat alone in their town, they handled all the minor cases for the town. The more serious cases rose to the level where all the magistrates of the county sat together with a jury to decide the cases. The most serious issues were handled the eighteen magistrates assembled together (called the “Assistants”) with the Governor and Deputy Governor, or with the freemen of the colony, to pass judgment on the major cases of the day. Top of Page || Top of Courts Dominion of New England (1686-1689) The charter of Massachusetts Bay was revoked in 1684 by King Charles II who tried to reign in this theocratically ruled colony while also streamlining the administration of several other nearby colonies. Initially, the Dominion comprised Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth Colony, Province of New Hampshire, Province of Maine, and the Narragansett Country of present-day Washington Co., R.I. Formal change did not occur until 1686 with the arrival of Joseph Dudley in Boston and the assent of King James II. Dudley added the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island before Edmund Andros arrived at the end of the year. Andros attempted to design Dominion laws to more closely mirror those in England. By 1688, Andros added the provinces of New York, East Jersey, and West Jersey to the Dominion though governance of these areas was weak because the distance from the seat at Boston was too great even with a satellite office in New York City. King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This news traveled back to Boston where the local mob jailed Andros in April of 1689 which officially ended the Dominion. During this period, the General Court was abolished and the Court of Assistants replaced by a Governor and Council (1686-1689) appointed by the Crown. A Superior Court of Judicature (1686-1689) was established as the highest authority. The County Court was split between the Court of Common Pleas for civil cases and the Court of General Sessions for criminal cases. Magistrates were replaced by Justices of the Peace with the same powers. All this ended in April of 1689 and the former colonies and provinces returned to their former structure until new royal charters were issued in 1692. Top of Page || Top of Courts Provincial Period (1692-1780) In 1692, the General Court was restored as the legislative body with jurisdiction over all of Massachusetts Bay Colony (that comprised present-day Massachusetts and Maine). The province maintained the three-tiered court system. It immediately established the Governor and Council (1692-1780) that had authority over divorce and probate appeals. The Superior Court of Judicature (1692-1780) was the highest appellate (i.e. appeals court) and the trial court for capital criminal cases, civil cases over £10, and some equity matters. It was a circuit court moving between counties with a grand jury and at times two trial juries. The county Court of General Sessions (1692-1827) heard all criminal cases before a bench of justices of the peace. They also had authority over county affairs (levying taxes, highways, licenses for liquor, jails, and administration of poor laws). Its partner, the Inferior Court of Common Pleas (1692-1859), heard the civil cases of the county. These courts met quarterly and handled no cases under £40 unless it was on appeal from the lower court. The lowest court was the Justice of the Peace (1687-present) and these justices were appointed by the governor. The justices heard criminal cases (drunkenness, rioting, and violations of Sabbath) and civil cases under £40. This court sat in the justice’s house where he kept the minutes and collected the fines. Defendants appeared by summons via the county sheriff or town constable. Note that though there were interruptions on the courts sitting in Boston in 1775 and 1776, the court’s jurisdiction and process remained unchanged. Top of Page || Top of Courts Commonwealth Period (1780-present) The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 created a separation of powers and allowed that the other branches may require an opinion from the Supreme Judicial Court on questions of law. This was one of the few instances where advisory jurisdiction was given in the country and is found nowhere at the federal level. The highest courts from other states needing to rule on a Massachusetts state law that had not been previous rendered could send the question to the court for their ruling. Judges for the Supreme Judicial Court were allowed to hold their office as long as they “behaved themselves” and all current appointments prior to the Constitution were continued thus keeping the legal authority of this court from its establishment as the Superior Court of Judicature in 1692, but renaming it as the Supreme Judicial Court (1780-present). Its jurisdiction was codified in 1782 as taking cases by appeal, writ of error, capital offenses, and “every Crime whatsoever that is against the public good” [St.1782, c.9]. Divorce was moved from under the Governor and Council to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1785 [St.1785, c.69]. The court continued as a circuit court, sitting in various counties by mandate of the legislature. To this point, all records were recorded and maintained by the clerk in Boston (Suffolk County). Starting in 1797, the records were recorded in the county the court sat by the clerk of that county’s Court of Common Pleas (being made a clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for that county when the court was in session there). The exception to that rule was that Suffolk County recorded the sessions held in Nantucket County; Barnstable County recorded the sessions held in Dukes County; and Lincoln County recorded the sessions for Lincoln, Hancock, and Washington counties. [St.1796, c.95] There were two sessions of the court. One heard capital offenses, appeals from probate, and all issues in law that were tried by three or more judges (the number of judges varied over the years between four and seven) and the other heard all other actions (i.e. cases not being appealed by a lower court) and was tried by a single judge that was subject to review by the whole court. This was also the year that the Reports of Supreme Judicial Court started publishing annually [St.1804, c.105]. This practice of taking actions not on appeal was called nisi prius (Latin for “unless first”), meaning it became the court of original jurisdiction. A second trial on the facts on appeal to this court was abolished in 1817. The legislature clarified the jurisdiction between the Supreme Judicial Court and the then statewide Court of Common Pleas in 1840 [St.1840, c.87] that remained in effect until the reorganization of the court system in 1859. The changes in 1859 did not affect this court as the streamlining generally reshaped the lower courts. Over time, the Supreme Judicial Court’s focus was narrowed (see Menand’s book, pages 39 to 41, cited in the references). Divorce was removed to a lower court in 1887 [St.1887, c.332]. An Appeals Court (1972-present) was added with the Supreme Judicial Court to help with the backlog of cases and covers all the state, but normally sits in Boston [St.1972, c.740]. The Supreme Judicial Court is the superintendent over all inferior courts and maintains full authority over all court records. Top of Page || Top of Courts Lower Courts (i.e. Trial Courts) The middle tier courts continued to function as before the Constitution. Specific jurisdictions shifted back and forth between the two middle-tier courts. Boston and Suffolk County developed a separate court system in this tier. In 1799, the Municipal Court of the Town of Boston (1799-1859) had been given authority over all criminal cases in Boston [St.1799, c.81] and renamed the Municipal Court of the City of Boston in 1822 [St.1822, c.13]. The Boston Court of Common Pleas (1813-1820) was created to handle all civil case that would have gone to the Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas in 1813 [St.1813, c.173]. After Maine separated from the Commonwealth in 1820, the Circuit Court of Common Pleas and the Boston Court of Common Pleas was replaced by a Court of Common Pleas for the Commonwealth (1820-1859) that heard both civil and criminal cases [St.1820, c.79]. The Court of General Sessions was phased out and by 1827 ceased to exist in all counties. A Superior Court for Suffolk County (1855-1859) was established in 1855 to handle all civil cases in that county [St.1855, c.449]. This entire system was reorganized in 1859 and born out of this was the new Superior Court (1859-present) that combined the powers of all the previous courts into one. The court sat four, instead of two, times to accommodate both the criminal and civil case load. There were tweaks to this system along the way. The major changes were bringing general equity jurisdiction to the court in 1883 [St.1883, c.223], having Middlesex and Suffolk counties keep a separate docket for this in 1892 [St.1892, c.439 – though changed with uniform civil procedures in 1974], and the court having exclusive original jurisdiction over capital crimes in 1891 [St.1891, c.379]. See Menand’s book, pages 53 to 57, for further details on jurisdiction changes and description of the Appellate Division (1943-present) and the court reorganization in 1978. The lowest court as discussed above was the Justice of the Peace. The powers established in 1687 were continually eroded away and now they only have the authority to perform marriages, acknowledgements (i.e. notary), administer certain oaths, take depositions, and call meetings of various proprietor groups and corporations. These were technically court records though the justice sat in their own dwelling, the records often passed off as personal papers that are commonly found in historical societies and university libraries. The Boston Police Court (1821-1866) was established as the first police court in the Commonwealth with the authority of the Court of Commons Pleas for the Commonwealth in Suffolk County [St.1821, c.79 and St.1822, c.109]. More such police courts were created starting in 1831 with separate parameters for each of them. In every instance, the police court exclusively assumed most of the powers from the Justice of the Peace. Criminal cases were removed from the justices in 1856 [St.1856, c.138] and civil cases in 1877 [St.1877, c.211]. The court reorganization of 1859 standardized the work and function of the police courts. The District Court concept started in Berkshire County with the District Court of Central Berkshire that had jurisdiction over Pittsfield and seven adjacent towns with the powers of a police court centralized over a larger area [St. 1869, c. 416]. The rest of Berkshire County was divided into two more districts in the following year and this style of the lowest court spread across the Commonwealth. By 1921, the remaining thirteen police courts were renamed and the establishment of the District Court (1921-present) was solidified and uniform across the entire Commonwealth [G.L.1921, c.218]. These courts had jurisdiction over crimes punishable by jail sentences up to five years and some felony crimes up to ten years, and some juvenile matters where Juvenile Courts did not exist. They shared responsibility over probate matters involving children. The court sat for small claims and civil actions where the plaintiff did not wish to have a jury trial. An Appellate Division (1922-present) was added for civil actions. Top of Page || Top of Courts Special Courts The Massachusetts court system has maintained a three-tiered system for most of history. As the case load of special area grew, the Commonwealth created special courts for these cases while preserving the basic structure. Top of Page || Top of Courts Admiralty Court These maritime cases were first heard by the Court of Assistants in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under the second charter in 1692, this court was pulled out as a separate civil law court with judges appointed by the King and not part of the provincial court system. During the Revolution and after, this court was established in Plymouth, Ipswich, and North Yarmouth. These courts ceased with the adoption of the federal constitution in 1786 and these matters transferred to the new U.S. District Court. The records of these courts are part of the Suffolk Files Collection. Top of Page || Top of Courts Coroners Court Appointed coroners along with a jury made inquests on deaths and reported their findings to the County Court. After the second charter in 1692, the findings were reported to the Court of Assize and the Court of General Sessions. Top of Page || Top of Courts Boston Municipal Court (1866-present) Though basically a district court, it is administered separately [St.1866, c.279]. It is the heir of the Boston Police Court (1821-1866) which met daily for criminal cases and bi-weekly for civil cases. The jurisdiction extends over all of Suffolk County for certain cases (see Menand’s book, pages 71 to 73, cited in the references). An Appellate Division was created in 1912 [St.1912, c.649]. With the court reorganization of 1978, it became the Boston Municipal Court Department of the Trial Court [St.1978, c.478]. Top of Page || Top of Courts Probate Court (1783-present) This type of court case has always been present and the records reach back unbroken to the settlement of the two colonies, but it was first the County Court and then the Governor and Council who handled probate cases. The Constitution of 1780 mentioned probate judges, but the legislature codified the scope as the probate of wills, administration of estates, and appointment of guardians for minor and “distracted persons” [St.1783, c.46]. It is a court of equity, not common law, and provides remedies. Because of legislation, the probate courts have added jurisdiction over adoption (1851), divorce (1887/1922), change of name (1854), and domestic relations. Marriage was never based in common law in Massachusetts and was performed by magistrates. As such, it has always been a civil contract. The Royal Charter allowed for marriages to be performed by justices of the peace or by a settled minister in 1692 [P.L.1692-3, c.25], but it remained a contract. All issues relating to marriage are handled by the probate court, such as women’s petitions for separate estates, annulment, and affirmation of marriages. The names of this court have evolved from Probate Court (1783-1858) and that had an Insolvency Court (1856-1858). These two combined to be called the Probate and Insolvency (1858-1978). The court reorganization in 1978 renamed it to Probate and Family Court (1978-present). Top of Page || Top of Courts Land Court (1898-present) The Court of Registration (1898-1900) was legislated to register title of land to deal with real and personal property (generally of deceased persons) while simplifying land transfers [St.1898, c.562]. The name was changed to the Court of Land Registration (1900-1904) and then the present Land Court in 1904. The court normal sits in Boston, but can sit in other locations and covers the entire Commonwealth. The court oversees foreclosures, redemption from tax titles, recovery of freehold estates, petitions to try, and determines the validity of encumbrances and discharges of mortgage. It has authority over interest in real estate and petitions to determine boundaries of flats, county, city, town, or districts, can enforce restrictions, and validate municipal zoning ordinances and bylaws. Appeals from zoning board decisions are handled here. Top of Page || Top of Courts Juvenile Court Children were identified as a special class tracing back to 1641 in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The probate wing of a court first handled children and then these family matters fell under the Probate Court. The first specialized court was the Boston Juvenile Court (1906). Young offenders were to be treated as children in need of aid, not as a criminal. A delinquent child was defined as between seven and seventeen years who violated a town ordinate or committed an offense not punishable by death or life imprisonment. Courts have been since been opened in Springfield (1969), Worcester (1969), and New Bedford (1972). These courts were reorganized in 1978 as the Juvenile Court Department. Top of Page || Top of Courts Housing Court Matters relating to State Sanitary Code, building regulation and inspection, fire precaution, rubbish disposal, landlord and tenant disputes, and any other law concerning health, safety, or welfare of any occupant of any place of human habitation are handled by District Courts. A Boston Housing Court (1971), Hampden County Court (1973), and Worcester Housing Court (1983) [to which Bellingham was added in 1985] were created for these areas. They are now all divisions of the Housing Court Department of the Trial Court. Top of Page || Top of Courts Records The records from the above courts are reviewed on the Massachusetts, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and appropriate county pages. All records are under the authority and control of the Supreme Judicial Court. The court records have three general types of records: docket books, record books, and file papers. Docket books for civil actions outline the actions heard by the court in chronological order. Cases are routinely continued to another term of the court. In criminal cases, these books are called minute books. Record books are summaries made at the end of a case about the plaintiff, defendant, the action, damages sought, and the history of the case. The file papers are the original documents submitted to the court. There are rarely more than a few documents in the case before the nineteenth century. All documents provide an insight into the case, but genealogists tend to look for the summaries, depositions from witnesses (to learn more about the witness more than the parties to the case), and warnings out. Top of Page || Top of Courts Legal Definition of Age This series of definitions of the age someone can legally do something comes from Giles Jacob, A New Law-Dictionary (Savoy, 1750): Man:


 * 12: take an oath of Allegiance to the King.
 * 14: “age of discretion” so that he can consent to marriage and chose a guardian.
 * 16: able to bear arms.
 * 21: may alien his lands, goods, and chattels.
 * 24: can be ordained a priest.
 * 30: can be a bishop.

Woman:


 * 09: is dowable, i.e. able to have / receive a dower.
 * 12: may consent to marriage.
 * 14: “age of discretion” and may chose a guardian.
 * 21: may alien her lands, goods, and chattels.

Person:


 * 14: may dispose of goods and personal estate by will, though not of land until 21. They are generally not punishable for crimes, but must pay damages for trespass. They may be witnesses in any court action or function, and in some ages give evidence by age 9.
 * 21: full age to contract and manage for themselves, and can be executor of a will before this time. They can be a member of Parliament.

A person becomes of age at the end of the day preceding the day of their birth. A minor person may purchase something, but arriving at 21 can disagree to it. Age Prier is an action being brought against a person under age for lands which he has by descent. He may petition the court to stay the action until he is of full age (21) to which a court general agrees, but this does not hold for if the minor is the purchaser of the land. Top of Page || Top of Courts Bibliography Guides | Records | References

Guides:

Top of Page || Top of Courts || Top of Bibliography
 * Edmund Hatch Bennett, Russell Gray, and Henry W. Swift, Massachusetts Digest of the reported decisions of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ... September, 1804 - December, 1879 (Boston, 1906), 8v. No digital version online. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Daniel R. Coquillette, "Law in Colonial Massachusetts, 1630-1800" as Colonial Society of Massachusetts Publications, vol. 62 (Boston, 1984), lxviii, 608 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John D. Cushing, comp., A Bibliography of the Laws and Resolves of the Massachusetts Bay, 1642-1780 (Wilmington, Del., 1984), xxiv, 372 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Catherine S. Menand, A Research Guide to the Massachusetts Courts and Their Records (Boston, 1987), 135 pp., 1 microfiche. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Michael S. Hindus, et al., The Records of the Massachusetts Superior Court and Its Predecessors: An Inventory and Guide (Boston, 1977), 93 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * William Jeffrey, Early New England Court Records: A Bibliography of Published Materials (Cambridge, Mass., 1954), 27 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Mary Ann Neary, et al., Handbook of Legal Research in Massachusetts (Boston, rev. ed., 2002), 1v. (loose-leaf). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Diane Rapaport, New England Court Records: A Research Guide for Genealogists and Historians (Burlington, Mass., 2006), xv, 470 pp.. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

Records and inventories:

Top of Page || Top of Courts || Top of Bibliography
 * Catalogue of the Records and Files of the Office of the Clerk, Supreme Judicial Court of the County of Suffolk (Boston, 1890; rev. ed., 1897), 181 pp. Relates to the entire state; gives dates and places where court was held 1692-1797. Digital versions at Internet Archives, Google Books, and Ancestry ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); or.
 * David T. Konig, ed., Plymouth Court Records, 1686-1859 (Wilmington, Del., 1978-1981), in 16v. and computer file (Boston, 2002). WorldCat (Other Libraries) or WorldCat (Other Libraries) [computer file]; with computer link.
 * Charles T. Libby, Robert E. Moody, and Neal W. Allen Jr., Province and Court Records of Maine (Portland, Me., 1928-1975), in 6v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * List of Persons Whose Names Have Been Changed in Massachusetts, 1780-1892 (Boston, 1893; rep. Baltimore, 1972). Digital versions at Google Books and Ancestry ($). Original: WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link. Reprint: WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Nathan Murphy, "Early Files of the County Courts of Massachusetts" in Massachusetts Historical Society Publications, 57 [1923-1924]: 20-28. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John Noble, “The Early Court Files of Suffolk County” in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 3 [1900]: 317-326. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John Noble, “The Records and Files of the Superior Court of Judicature, and of the Supreme Judicial Court, Their History and Places of Deposit” in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 5 [1902]: 5-26. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * John Noble and John F. Cronin, eds., Records of the Court of Assistants of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, 1630-1692 (Boston, 1901-1928), in 3v. Digital version at Google Books (v. 1 and v. 2 only). WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link.
 * Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England (Boston, 1853-1854; rep. New York, 1968; computer file, Columbia, Md., 2006), 5v. in 6. [Note: For a detailed discussion of the founding of this company, see Transactions and Collections of the American Antiquarian Society, (Cambridge, Mass., 1850), v. 3, pp. ix-cxxxviii followed by the transcription of v. 1 and online at Google Books.] Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, v. 4, pt. 1, v. 4, pt. 2, v. 5) and Google Books (v. 2, v. 3 only). Original: WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link. Reprint: WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Computer file: WorldCat (Other Libraries).
 * Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England (Boston, 1855-1861; rep. New York, 1968), 12v. in 10. [Note: For a guide to this series, see MassMayflower.org.] Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1-2, v. 3-4, v. 5-6, v. 7-8, v. 9-10, v. 11-12) and Google Books (v. 1, v. 6, v. 7, v. 8, v. 9, v. 11, v. 12 only), and Hathi Trust. Original: WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link. Reprint: WorldCat (Other Libraries).
 * Robert N. Toppan, “Council Records of Massachusetts under the Administration of President Joseph Dudley” in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 2nd Series, 13 [1899]: 237-268. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Robert N. Toppan, ed., “Andros Records” in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, New Series, 13 [1900]: 237-168, 463-499. No digital copy found. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Carroll D. Wright, Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records of Parishes, Towns, and Counties (Boston, 1889), Courts, pp. 305-379. Digital version at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.

References:

Top of Page || Top of Courts || Top of Bibliography
 * David Grayson Allen, In English Ways: The Movement of societies and the transferal of English local law and custom to Massachusetts Bay in the Seventeenth Century (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1981), xxi, 312 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Thomas E. Atkinson, "The Development of the Massachusetts Probate System" in Michigan Law Review, 42 [1943-1944]: 425-452. Digital versions at [www.jstor.org/stable/1283518 Jstor] ($) or HeinOnline ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Viola F. Barnes, The Dominion of New England, a study in British Colonial Policy (New Haven, Conn., 1923), viii, 303 pp.. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Melville Madison Bigelow, "Primogeniture in Massachusetts" in Massachusetts Historical Society Publications, 45 [1911-1912]: 34-35. Digital version at Jstor (free). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Barbara Aronstein Black, "The Judicial Power and the General Court in Early Massachusetts (1634-1686)," Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale Univ., 1975, vii, 373 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Frank E. Bradbury, "Laws and Courts of the Massachusetts Bay Colony" in Bostonian Society Publications, 10 [1913]: 129-159. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ellen Elizabeth Brennan, "The Massachusetts Council of the Magistrates" in New England Quarterly, 4 [1931]: 54-93. Digital version at Jstor ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Virginia G. Cartoof, "Massachusetts' Parental Consent Law: Origins, Implementation and Impact," Ph.D. Dissertation, Brandeis Univ., 1985, 228 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Zechariah Chafee Jr., “Colonial Courts and the Common Law” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Daniel R. Coquillette, ed., Law in Colonial Massachusetts 1630-1800 (Boston, 1984), being v. 62 of the Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, lxviii, 608 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Cornelius Dalton, John Clark Wirkkala, and Anne Thomas, Leading the Way: A History of the Massachusetts General Court, 1629-1980 (Boston, 1985), 489 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * William T. Davis, History of the Judiciary of Massachusetts, including the Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies, the province of the Massachusetts Bay, and the Commonwealth (Boston, 1900), xxiv, 446 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * James Deetz and Patricia Scott Deetz, The Times of Their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony (New York, 2000), xvi, 366 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Alan J. Dimond, The Superior Court of Massachusetts: Its Origin and Development (Boston, 1960), xii, 187 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Julius Goebel Jr., “King’s Law and Local Custom in Seventeenth Century New England” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL. Julius Goebel, "King's Law and Local Custom in Seventeenth-Century New England" [for Plymouth Colony] in the Columbia Law Review, 31 [1931]: 416-448. Digital version at Jstor ($). .WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George Lee Haskins, "The Beginning of the Recording System in Massachusetts" [i.e. deeds, morgages, etc.] in Boston University Law Review, 21 [1941]: 281-304. Digital version at HeinOnline ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George L. Haskins, Law and Authority in Early Massachusetts: A Study in Tradition and Design (New York, 1960), xvi, 298 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * George L. Haskins, “Reception of the Common Law in Seventeenth Century Massachusetts: A Case Study” in George Althan Billias, ed., Law and Authority in Colonial America (Barre, Mass., 1965), xxi, 208 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * George L. Haskins, “The Legal Heritage of Plymouth Colony” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * George L. Haskins, “The Beginnings of Partible Inheritance in the American Colonies” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Hendrik Hartog, “The Public Law of a County Court; Judicial Government in Eighteenth Century Massachusetts” in American Journal of Legal History, 20 [1976]: 282-329. Digital version online at Jstor ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Mark de Wolfe Howe and Louis F. Eaton, "The Supreme Judicial Power in the Colony of Massachusetts" in New England Quarterly, 20 [1947]: 291-316. Digital version at Jstor ($). WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George D. Langdon Jr., Pilgrim Colony: A History of New Plymouth, 1620-1691 (New Haven, Conn., 1966), xi, 257 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * Albert Mason, "A Short History of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts" in Massachusetts Law Quarterly, 2 [1916-1917]: 82-100. Digital version at Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * William E. Nelson, Americanization of the Common Law: The Impact of Legal Change in Massachusetts Society, 1760-1830 (Cambridge, Mass., 1975), ix, 269 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * John Noble, “A Few Notes on Admiralty Jurisdiction in the Colony and in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay” in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 8 [1905]: 3-38 and Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Transactions, 1902-1904, 8 [1906]: 150-186. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Russell K. Osgood, ed., The History of the Law in Massachusetts: The Supreme Judicial Court 1692-1992 (Boston, 1992), 790 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * D. C. Parnes, Plymouth and the Common Law, 1620-1775 (Kingston, 1971), 59 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * George E. Pearson, "The Great and General Court of Massachusetts, 1628-1691: A Study of its Early History with Special Reference to its Organization," Ph.D. Dissertation, Tufts Univ., 1910, viii, 116 pp. No digital version. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * George E. Pearson, "Origin of the Massachusetts General Court" in New England Magazine, 54 [1915-1916]: 33-38. No digital version. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Plymouth Colony Archives Project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “Legal Structure” at www.histarch.uiuc.edu/plymouth/ccflaw.html.
 * Edwin Powers, Crime and Punishment in Early Massachusetts, 1620-1692: A Documentary History (Boston, 1966), xiii, 647 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.
 * James P. Ronda, "Red and White at the bench: Indians and the Law in Plymouth Colony" in Essex Institute Historical Collections, 110 [1974]: 200-215. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Ronald Kingman Snell, "The County Magistracy in Eighteenth-Century Massachusetts: 1692-1750," Ph.D. Dissertation, Princeton Univ., 1971, ix, 384 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Joseph H. Smith, Colonial Justice in Western Massachusetts (1639-1702) (Cambridge, Mass., 1961), ix, 426 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History &amp; People 1620-1691 (Salt Lake City, 1986), xi, 481 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Emory Washburn, Sketches of the Judicial History of Massachusetts from 1630 to the Revolution in 1775 (Boston, 1840), 407 pp. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Massachusetts References
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