Pembroke, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Guide to Pembroke, Plymouth County, Massachusetts ancestry, genealogy and family history, town histories, vital records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, town records, newspapers, maps, and libraries.

Description

 * Pembroke, Massachusetts at Wikipedia

Pembroke is situated at the head of the navigable portion of the North River known for ship building. The first settlers were Robert Barker and Dolor Davis near Herring Brook. It was the site of the first sawmill in the colony for the first forty years. An iron works was established by 1720. The town was in Plymouth Colony. The town was in Plymouth County when counties were formed in 1685. For a brief time, the town was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. The town is still in Plymouth County, though was in limbo, until the "Colony" was merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691 that became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Adjacent Towns
Plymouth Co: Duxbury | Halifax | Hanover | Hanson | Kingston | Marshfield | Norwell | Plympton

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Pembroke Town Clerk
100 Center Street Pembroke, MA 02359 Phone: 781-293-7211 Fax: 781-709-1456 Email: [mailto:msmith@townofpembrokemass.org msmith@townofpembrokemass.org] Website

Vital Records
Published records
 * Microfilm of the originals created by the FamilySearch Library, Pembroke vital records, 1694-1844, ; 1663-1897, ; Town and vital records, 1711-1841, ; Proprietors of the Common Land (includes family records, 1702-1771), . These records are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on.
 * Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering town records that included vital records and a few other town records, 1662-1897, on 75 fiche. Part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index
 * Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841: Massachusetts Archives 220 Morrissey Blvd. Boston MA 02125 Phone 617-727-2816 Email [mailto:archives@sec.state.ma.us archives@sec.state.ma.us] Hours and Directions See the online guide for more information.
 * Vital Records of Pembroke, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, 1911). These volumes were microfilmed by the FamilySearch Library . Online at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($), and an online transcription. WorldCat (Other Libraries); with digital link.


 * This includes, in part, church records from the First Unitarian Church (C.R.1), Second Church of Christ (C.R.2), Baptist Church (C.R.3), and the Society of Friends of Pembroke [now with the New Bedford Monthly Meeting] (C.R.4). Deaths are included from Pembroke Centre Cem. (G.R.1), Stetson Burying Ground (G.R.2), Mount Pleasant Cem., Bryantville (G.R.3), Two Mile Cem. (G.R.4), Briggs Cem., North Pembroke (G.R.5), East Pembroke Cem. (G.R.6), High Street Cem. (G.R.7), Chapel Ground (G.R.8), and the Friends Burying Ground (G.R. 9).

Online records
 * Charles Eliot Goodspeed, "Pembroke (Mass.) Records" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 69 [1915]: 283-284, probably records of Rev. Daniel Lewis covering 1742 to 1743.
 * Pembroke vital records, 1694-1844, 1663-1897, town and vital records, 1711-1841; Proprietors of the Common Land (includes family records, 1702-1771) are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on.

Births

 * 1636-1924 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Pembroke Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Plymouth County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Pembroke. For more details regarding these cemeteries, see the state guide under cemeteries for books on the subject.


 * Map and locations of cemeteries, plus links to other information, such as transcriptions - at MAGenWeb.


 * Briggs Cemetery / Barker Burial Ground, 1722. (A, B) John W. Willard, "Gravestone Records in the Briggs Burial Ground, North Pembroke" in Mayflower Descendant, 11 [1909]: 168-170. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Brown Cemetery, 19th century. (C)
 * Centre Cemetery, 1715. (A, C)
 * Chapel Ground Cemetery, n.d. (A)
 * Friends Burying Ground, 18th century. (A, B) John W. Willard, Stanley W. Smith, Edward H. Whorf, and Arthur M. Jones, "Friends Burying Ground, Washington Street, North Pembroke, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 11 [1909]: 128. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Seth Hatch Family Cemetery, 1799.
 * Loring Cemetery, 1815-1861. John W. Willard, "Gravestone Records from the Loring Cemetery, East Pembroke, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 11 [1909]: 219-220. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Luther Magoun Family Cemetery, 18th century.
 * Paul Magoun Family Cemetery, 1844.
 * Silas Morton-Barstow Tomb, 19th century.
 * Mount Pleasant Cemetery, 19th century. (A, B, C) Alicia Crane Williams, "Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Pembroke Centre, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 35 [1985]: 65-68, 163-166; 36 [1986]: 59-62; 37 [1987]: 7-10, 171-172; 38 [1988]: 61-62, 181-182; 39 [1989]: 59-60, 167-168; 40 [1990]: 185-186. . Available online at: AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Pine Grove / East Pembroke Cemetery, 1813-1900. (A) John W. Willard and Stanley W. Smith, "Pine Grove Cemetery, East Pembroke, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 11 [1909]: 63-64. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Private Burial Ground, 1844-1850. John W. Willard and Edward H. Whorf, "Private Burial Ground on Hip Top on Water Street, North Pembroke, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 12 [1910]: 256. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Randall Lot Cemetery, 1871.
 * Sachem Lodge / High Street Cemetery, 19th century. (A)
 * Stetson Burial Ground, n.d. (A, C)
 * Two Mile Cemetery, 1707-1859. (A) Stanley W. Smith, "Records from the Cemetery at the Corner of Water and Church Streets, North Pembroke, Mass." in Mayflower Descendant, 11 [1909]: 86-87. Available online at:, Internet Archive, AmericanAncestors by NEHGS ($).

Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to: (A). Vital Records of Pembroke, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Boston, 1911). See links above for various versions of this source. (B). Charles M. Thatcher, Old Cemeteries of Southeastern Massachusetts (Middleborough, Mass., 1995). WorldCat (Other Libraries); (C). American Ancestors by NEHGS ($) in various manuscripts or searchable databases.

Church Records
The following is a list of churches established in town in order of organization date (if known) and condition of records in the 1889 survey if listed.


 * Society of Friends, 1708, records good. Records on microfilm as Pembroke Monthly Meeting records, 1676-1876,, includes Sandwich Quarterly Meeting minutes.
 * First Unitarian Church (now First Church in Pembroke), 1712, records good after 1763. Records on microfilm, Church records, 1711-1899,.
 * Second Religious Society [not in 1889 survey]. Records online as Baptisms in the Second Religious Society, Pembroke, 1749-1825 at American Ancestors ($).
 * Methodist Episcopal Church, Bryantville, 1825, records fair.
 * St. Thecla Catholic Church, 1963.
 * North River Community Church, 1989.
 * Pembroke Assembly of God, n.d.
 * High Street United Methodist Church, n.d.


 * 1749-1825 Pembroke, MA: Baptisms in the Second Religious Society, 1749-1825 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)

City Directories
Pembroke was published in 1914 (under Carver).


 * 1914 Massachusetts, U.S., City Directories, Pembroke at Ancestry - index and images ($), some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

The Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) has one of the largest collections of city directories in the country. They are likely to own most of the years listed above. Their collection is in microfiche, microfilm, and books, but there is no online inventory of their holdings except for microfilm. See their guide online.

Other holdings:


 * Ancestry ($) has 1914 (under Carver).
 * Boston Public Library has 1914 (under Carver).
 * FamilySearch Library (Salt Lake City) has 1914 on.
 * fold3 ($) has none.
 * Massachusetts State Library has 1914 (under Carver).
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1914.

Local Histories
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series with additions from various sources. Associated names Pembroke at one time was called Major's Purchase, Marshfield Upper Lands, and Mattakeeset.

Village or section names include Bryantville, Crookertown, East Pembroke, Fosterville, North Pembroke, Pembroke Center, Schooset, and Standish. Border changes

Works written on the town include:


 * Henry Wheatland Litchfield, Ancient Landmarks of Pembroke (Pembroke, Mass., 1909), 188 pp. Digital version at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Barbara Merrick, "The Original Church Records of Gad Hitchcock, D.D., 1748 to 1803: Deaths" in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 136 [1982]: 31-42. Scanned version of these pages found online.
 * Pembroke Wikipedia page.

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

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

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

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

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

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

Newspapers

 * 1800-Current Massachusetts, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * The Union, 1856.
 * Silver Lake News, 1955-1956.
 * Pembroke Mariner, 1983-2003.
 * Pembroke Reporter, 1984-2006.

Probate Records

 * 1686-1881 Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)

Libraries
Pembroke Public Library 142 Center Street Pembroke MA 02359 Phone 781-293-6771 Email [mailto:feedback@pembrokepubliclibrary.org feedback@pembrokepubliclibrary.org]

FamilySearch Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Hingham Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * David Allen Lambert Library - an affiliate library
 * Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Wolfeboro Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Pembroke Historical Society 100 Center Street PO Box 122 Pembroke MA 02359 Phone 781-293-9083 Email [mailto:pembrokehistoric@aol.com pembrokehistoric@aol.com]