Berkshire County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachusetts  Berkshire County

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the county of Berkshire. You will find help with town histories, vital records, deeds and land records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.

Brief History
Berkshire County has always been at the crossroads of settlers on the move. As the western side of the Berkshire Mountains, those moving west from all other Massachusetts counties, Rhode Island, and much of Connecticut, and occasionally from very southern New Hampshire and Vermont would converge here. Many would continue west into New York state or up the western side of Vermont following the first roads that allowed easy travel through this region. It was never a populous county, but the rugged terrain was often were "lost" ancestors called home. Berkshire's county government was abolished on 1 July 2000, but its former jurisdiction is used for state offices as a district.

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

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Towns and Cities
The following list of present-day Berkshire County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city. Adams (1778) | Alford (1773) | Becket (1765) | Cheshire (1793) Clarksburg (1798) | Dalton (1784) | Egremont (1775) | Florida (1805) Great Barrington (1761) | Hancock (1776) | Hinsdale (1804) | Lanesborough (1765) Lee (1777) | Lenox (1775) | Monterey (1847) | Mount Washington (1779) New Ashford (1835) | New Marlborough (1775) | North Adams (1878) | Otis (1773) Peru (1771) | Pittsfield (1761) | Richmond (1765) | Sandisfield (1762) Savoy (1797) | Sheffield (1733) | Stockbridge (1739) | Tyringham (1762) Washington (1777) | West Stockbridge (1775) | Williamstown (1765) Windsor (1771) Annexed to Columbia Co., N.Y.: Boston Corner District Top of Page

County Histories
Works written on the county include:

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 * Biographical Review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Berkshire County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1899), 596 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); . No digital version found.
 * Hamilton Child, comp., Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 (Syracuse, N.Y., 1885), 2v. in 1. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Index; (with digital link). Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
 * Rollin Hillyer Cooke, ed., Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts (New York, 1906), 2v. WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2), Google Books (v. 1 and v. 2), and Ancestry ($).
 * "Early Superior Court History: Origin in Berkshire County" in Berkshire Hills, New Ser., 2 [1905/6]: 134. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. No digital version found.
 * David Dudley Field and Chester Dewey, eds., A History of the County of Berkshire, Massachusetts (Pittsfield, Mass., 1829), iv, 468 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); and . Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
 * Joseph Hooper, "The Protestant Episcopal Church in Berkshire" in Berkshire Historical and Scientific Society. Collections, 1: 3 [1890]: 185-212. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. No digital version found.
 * Pink Horwitt and Bertha Skole, Jews in Berkshire County (Williamstown, Mass., 1972), viii, 74 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Cathy Kelly, "Marriage Migration as a Measure of interaction in Massachusetts," Ph.D. Dissertation, Syracuse Univ., 1982, ix, 328 pp. Note: Berkshire County study, mid-18th to mid-19th centuries. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.
 * Alice P. Kenney, "Lost Colonists: The Dutch in Berkshire County" in The New-England Galaxy, 19 [Summer 1977), 3-16. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * S. P. Parker, "History of Episcopal Church in Berkshire County" in Collections of the Berkshire Historical and Scientific Society, 2: 2 [1895]: 83-92. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, and Hathi Trust.
 * "Pioneer Colored Folks of Berkshire, mostly fugitives from slavery" in Berkshire Hills, 3 [1902/3]: 101-104. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. No digital version found.
 * Henry W. Taft, "Judicial History of Berkshire" in Collections of the Berkshire Historical and Scientific Society, 1: 1 [1886]: 89-115. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL. Digital versions at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust.
 * The Berkshire County MAGenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Berkshire County.
 * Family History Library catalog for Berkshire County

Vital Records
In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out before this county was created. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.

Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.

It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide page. Top of Page

Land Records
Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level.

Berkshire County is divided into three land districts:

Northern Berkshire District Registry of Deeds 65 Park Street Adams MA 01220 Phone 413-743-0035 Email [mailto:nbrd@sec.state.ma.us nbrd@sec.state.ma.us] This district covers Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy, Williamstown, and Windsor. Original records Records are available at the Registry. Their records ONLINE are:


 * Recorded Land [i.e. deeds], 1971-present.
 * Recorded Plans, 1770-present.
 * Registered Land [i.e. land court], 1944-present.
 * Registered Land Plans, 1899-present.

There is an unindexed property search by book and page, but it seems not to be functional. [as of Sept. 2013] Original records on microfilm
 * Land records - Northern District, 1761-1925, and index, 1761-1985,.
 * Colonial records and proprietary plans: a compilation of the proprietors lots, grants, plantations, and colonial records of the middle, northern, and southern districts of Berkshire County [by district],.

Berkshire Middle Registry of Deeds 44 Bank Row Pittsfield MA 01201 Phone 413-443-7438 This district covers Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lee, Lenox, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyringham, and Washington. Original records Records are available at the Registry. Their records ONLINE are:

Original records on microfilm
 * Recorded Land [i.e. deeds], 1971-present. Note: To see records from 1761 to 1970, go to "Search Criteria" in the top left, then click on "Unindexed Property Search." You can entry a volume and page (starting with vol. 1, page 1). You must know your citation as there are no consolidated indexes digitized. Each volume will have its own grantor/grantee index in the beginning.
 * Recorded Plans, 1800-present.
 * Registered Land [i.e. land court], 1997-present.
 * Registered Land Plans, 1899-present.
 * Land records - Middle District, 1761-1900, and indexes, 1761-1907, and New England Historic Genealogical Society.
 * Colonial records and proprietary plans: a compilation of the proprietors lots, grants, plantations, and colonial records of the middle, northern, and southern districts of Berkshire County [by district],.

Southern Berkshire District Registry of Deeds 334 Main Street - Suite 2 Great Barrington MA 01230 Phone 413-528-0146 Email [mailto:SBRD@sec.state.ma.us SBRD@sec.state.ma.us] This district covers Alford, Egremont, Great Barrington, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, Sheffield, and West Stockbridge. Original records Records are available at the Registry. Their records ONLINE are:


 * Recorded Land [i.e. deeds], 1959-present.
 * Recorded Plans, 1847-present.
 * Registered Land [i.e. land court], 1908-present.
 * Registered Land Plans, 1908-present.

There is an unindexed property search by book and page, but it seems not to be functional. [as of Sept. 2013] Original records on microfilm Top of Page
 * Land records - Southern District, 1790-1900, indexes, 1790-1923,.
 * Colonial records and proprietary plans: a compilation of the proprietors lots, grants, plantations, and colonial records of the middle, northern, and southern districts of Berkshire County [by district],.

Probate Records
Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide.

Berkshire Probate and Family Court 44 Bank Row Pittsfield MA 01201 Phone 413-442-6941

The original indexes, dockets, records, and files from 1761 to 1865 are at the Judicial Archives in Boston. Records after 1865 are at the courthouse. The file papers exist, but have never been microfilmed or digitized. The first docket book [i.e. the key to the recorded records] was never microfilmed and represents a major obstacle for probates before 1835. Online Probate Index Original records on microfilm The following records are found at and New England Historic Genealogical Society:
 * The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants has online the Berkshire Co., Mass., Probate Guide and Index, 1761 to 1900. From this page, select where in the alphabet you want to start. That brings you to a page for that section with a link to the page of the index by the first name on that page. This is a redacted version of the index hiding the names of adopted children.

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 * Probate Index, 1761-1930 [i.e. index to docket books].
 * Probate Dockets, #5575-30403, 1835-1917 [Note: First docket book never filmed].
 * Probate Records, v. 1-224, 1761-1916 [Note: v. 1-58, 1761-1865, also at Massachusetts Archive].
 * Inheritance Tax Records, v. 1-2, 1907-1921.

Other Court Records
The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see Understanding the Massachusetts Court System. Older records are held by: Supreme Judicial Court Archives (administration - records stored in several off-site facilities and the Mass. Archives) 16th Floor, Highrise Court House 3 Pemberton Square Boston MA 02109 Phone 617-557-1082 Email [mailto:Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us] Top of Page | Top of Court

Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace
This court was active from 1761 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials.

The records microfilmed:

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Inferior Court of Common Pleas
This court was active from 1761 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace.

The records microfilmed:

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Superior Court
The Quarterly Court of General Sessions was merged into the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1827, and that court was reorganized in 1859 to created the Superior Court as the new lower (i.e. trial) court. It covers both criminal and civil matters.

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Supreme Judicial Court
The Supreme Judicial Court was established by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 that combined the former Governor and Council with the Superior Court of Judicature creating the highest state court. This court hears appeals, writ of error, capital offenses, and crimes against the public good. That included divorces until that action was moved to the lower court in 1887.

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Naturalization Records
Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records for all levels are outlines below. For more information, see the Massachusetts state page for more on naturalization. Federal Naturalization Records for Berkshire County Top of Page | Top of Court

Maps
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Berkshire County Massachusetts Genealogy Societies
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Berkshire County Massachusetts Genealogy References
Adjacent counties: Massachusetts: Franklin | Hampden | Hampshire Connecticut: Litchfield New York Counties: Columbia | Dutchess | Rensselaer Vermont County: Bennington