Step-by-Step Massachusetts Research, 1880-Present

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :


 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
 * Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.

 * A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
 * For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
 * Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
 * Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.

Using clues to lead to census record searches.
This marriage certificate, found in old home papers, gives important clues as to when and where to start searching in census records for the Blackman family. Albert Francis Blackman is 31 years old when he marries in 1946. He was born then in about 1915. His parents are Clifford A. and Jane Goodrich Blackman. {| Albert is listed in all those censuses, 1950 back to 1920, living with his widowed mother, Jane A. Blackman. He has a brother, Charles or Clifford A., and a sister, Helen V. They are sometimes seen living with one of Jane's sisters: in 1930 with Alice B. Goodrich, but in 1920 the name is illegible.
 * Searches should be made in the 1950, 1940, 1930, and 1920 census records of Massachusetts for Albert.

Finding an earlier generation.
In the 1910 census, prior to Albert's birth, Jane (nicknamed Jennie) is listed living with her husband, Clifford A. Blackman, who was born in about 1883 in Massachusetts.

Finding yet an earlier generation.
'''In 1900, Clifford A. Blackman, born in June 1882, is listed living in the home of his parents, Allen and Abbie F. Blackman. They have four children: Clifford, listed in 1900; and listed in 1880, Mabelle W., Harrold K., and William A.'''
 * }



Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
- For more information, see Massachusetts Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, and towns recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations.
 * A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.



Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.



Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * birth places of the deceased's parents.



Some of the examples shown above are index entries. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate in other cases.

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How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * Online databases
 * Writing to a town clerk
 * Purchasing them through the mail at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov

Town 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 1800. 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).

Order Certificates from Massachusetts Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for Massachusetts Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Massachusetts, see How to Find Massachusetts Birth Records, How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records, and How to Find Massachusetts Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Obituaries

 * 1704-1974 Massachusetts Newspapers, 1704-1974 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1824-Current Massachusetts Newspaper Obituaries (1824 - Current) at GenealogyBank — index & images ($)
 * 1930-Current U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * County and Town Histories, Massachusetts at LearnWebSkills — index & images
 * Find Online Obituaries, Newspapers, Cemetery and Death Records at Archives.com — index & images ($)
 * Massachusetts Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index
 * Massachusetts Obituaries at NewpaperObituaries.net — index
 * Massachusetts Obituaries at ObitsArchive.com — index & images ($)
 * Massachusetts Obituary Links at GenealogyBuff — index
 * Online Massachusetts Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index

Cemeteries

 * 1650-2000 Cemetery Transcriptions from the NEHGS Manuscript Collections, 1650-2000 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
 * Pre-1940 Massachusetts Cemetery Records at New Horizons Genealogy — index
 * 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * BillionGraves — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
 * Farber Gravestone Collection at David Rumsey Farber — index & images
 * FindaGrave — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * Massachusetts Cemeteries at I Dream of Genealogy — index
 * Massachusetts Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy — index
 * Massachusetts Cemetery Records at New Horizons Genealogy — index
 * Massachusetts Death Records and Massachusetts Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
 * Massachusetts Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Tombstones — index
 * Online Massachusetts Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at


 * 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
 * 1962-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

For more information, see Massachusetts Obituaries and Massachusetts Cemeteries.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card.





'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- For more information and additional collections, see Massachusetts Military Records.
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



FamilySearch

 * 1630-1943 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1639-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1695-1924 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1795-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Ancestry.com

 * 1620-1988 Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1633-1850 Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Pre-1699 American Marriages Before 1699 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Pre-1700 U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1700-1850 Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Pre-1800 Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800, by Frederic W. Bailey. New Haven, Connecticut: Bureau of American Ancestry, n.d. Online at: Vol. 1 - Ancestry ($); Vol. 2 - Ancestry ($); Vol. 3 - Ancestry ($); Vol. 4 - Ancestry ($)

Findmypast

 * 1600-1999: United States Marriages at Findmypast - index & images ($); marriages in Massachusetts

Catholic

 * 1789-1920 Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
 * 1789-1920 Massachusetts, U.S., Boston Archdiocese Roman Catholic Sacramental Records, 1789-1920 at Ancestry — index ($)

Congregational

 * New England's Hidden Histories: Colonial-Era Church Records at Congregational Library and Archives — images

Dutch Reformed

 * 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Lutheran

 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Methodist

 * 1787-1922 New England, Select United Methodist Church Records, 1787-1922 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Other Collections

 * Massachusetts Index at Dunham-Wilcox-Trott-Kirk — index; indexes of church, cemetery, probate and other early New England, New York and New Jersey records with links to abstracts of the records

- For help with church records kept in Massachusetts, see Massachusetts Church Records. To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * 1600-1850 Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1633-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1635-1991 Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1686-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Massachusetts county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Massachusetts Counties

For more information, see Massachusetts Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.



Massachusetts Immigration Records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records


 * 1620-1640 The Planters of the Commonwealth in Massachusetts, 1620-1640 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1630 The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild; Boston, Massachusetts, Online at: Vol. 1 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 2 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 3 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 4 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 5 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 6 - ImmigrantShips.net
 * Mayflower Passengers at Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants — index ($)
 * One Step Webpages by Stephen Morse at StephMorse.org — index; Links to free and paid online passenger lists
 * Registers of Seamen’s Protection Certificates at Collections Research Center, Mystic Seaport Museum — index & images

Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records


 * 1787-1906 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1791-1906 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1794-1995 U.S., Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1798-1950 Massachusetts, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1906-1929 US, Naturalizations - MA, 1906-1929 at fold3 — index & images ($)
 * 1906-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: fold3 ($)

For more information, see Massachusetts Emigration and Immigration and Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship.

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Massachusetts; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"


 * Google Books. Use keywords "Massachusetts" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * County and Town Histories
 * Internet Archive. Use keywords "Massachusetts" and the county name.
 * Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Massachusetts and the name of the county.

FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
 * If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
 * Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
 * A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections

 * A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England : Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register, by Savage, James and John Farmer. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1860-1862. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 3 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 4 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
 * American Biographical Library at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Biographical Encyclopaedia of Massachusetts of the Nineteenth Century, New York, Boston: Metropolitan Publishing and Engraving Company, 1879, 1883. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust
 * Biographical History of Massachussetts; Biographies and Autobiographies of the Leading Men in the State, by Eliot, Samuel Atkins. Boston, Massachesetts: Massachusetts Biographical Society, 1909-1918. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust; Vol. 4 - HathiTrust; Vol. 5 - HathiTrust; Vol. 6 - HathiTrust; Vol. 7 - HathiTrust; Vol. 9 - HathiTrust
 * Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston: Graves and Steinbarger, 1901. Online at: HathiTrust
 * County and Town Histories, Massachusetts at LearnWebSkills — index & images
 * Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Biographical-Genealogical, New York, Boston, Chicago: American Historical Society Incorporated, 1916. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, by Cutter, William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1910. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust; Vol. 4 - HathiTrust
 * Historical Collections, : Being a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, etc., Relating to the History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts, With Geographical Descriptions, by Barber, John Warner. Worcester: Dorr, Howland and Company, 1841. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Massachusetts Biographies, Access Genealogy’s Biography Center at Massachusetts Genealogy — index
 * Massachusetts of Today : A Memorial of the State, Historical and Biographical, Issued for the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, by Toomey, Daniel P. and Thomas C. Quinn. Boston: Columbia Publishing Company, 1892. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Register of Members April 19, 1907 and Records of Their Revolutionary Ancestors, n.p.: Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1907. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Massachusetts, U. S. Biographies Project at RootsWeb — index
 * Memorial Encyclopedia of the State of Massachusetts, by Cutter, William Richard. Boston, New York, Chicago: American Historical Society Incorporated, 1918. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Men of Massachusetts, Boston: Boston Press Club, 1903. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Men of Progress; One Thousand Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by Herndon, Richard and Edwin M. Bacon. Boston: New England Magazine, 1896. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Old Colony Ancestors at Genealogy Today — index
 * One of a Thousand, A Series of Biographical Sketches of One Thousand Representative Men Resident in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a.d. 1888-'89, by Rand, John C. Boston: First National Publishing Company, 1890. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts,. Chicago: J. H. Beers and Company, 1912. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust
 * Sons of the Puritans; A Group of Brief Biographies, Boston: American Unitarian Association, 1908. Online at: HathiTrust
 * The Rich Men of Massachusetts: Containing a Statement of the Reputed Wealth of About Fifteen Hundred Persons, With Brief Sketches of More Than One Thousand Characters, by Forbes, Abner and J. W. Greene. Boston: Fetridge and Company, 1851. Online at: Internet Archive

For more information, see Massachusetts Biography.

Step 10: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.

 * Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Massachusetts, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Massachusetts, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records

Step 12: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Massachusetts.
This article focused more on Massachusetts state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Massachusetts. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.