Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Description

 * Eastham, Massachusetts at Wikipedia

Parent Towns
Archiac name:
 * Historical data relating to counties, cities, and towns in Massachusetts (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1997), [FS Library book 974.4 H2h 1997].
 * 1643: Nawsett mentioned in a list of towns having freeman able to bear arms. (Plymouth Colony Rec. Vol. VIII, p.177.)
 * 3 March 1645: "...those that goes to dwell at Nossett..." granted land. (Ply. Col. Rec., Vol. II, p.81.)
 * 2 June 1646: Nawsett established as a town. (Ply. Col. Rec., Vol. 11, p. 102.)
 * 7 June 1651: "That the Towne of Nawsett be henceforth called and knwne by the name of Eastham..." (Ply. Col. Rec., Vol. XI, p. 59.)
 * Nossett, Nawsett

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places: Eastham Center, Great Pond, Long Pond, Nausett, North Eastham, South Eastham Wikipedia:

Boundary Changes

 * 5 March 1678: Eastham and purchasers on both sides to settle the bounds.
 * 16 June 1763: Part established as the district of Wellfeet.
 * 14 July 1772: Part of Harwich annexed.
 * 3 March 1797: Part established as Orleans
 * 9 March 1839: Part annexed to Orleans.
 * 26 April 1847: Part annexed to Wellfeet.
 * 23 March 1867: Bounds between Eastham and Orleans established and part of each town annexed to the other town.
 * 6 May 1887: Bounds beteen tidewaters of Eastham and Wellfleet established.

Adjacent Towns
Orleans | Wellfleet | Cape Cod Bay to the west, Atlantic Ocean to the east

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

Eastham Town Clerk
2500 State Hwy Eastham, MA 02642 Phone: 508-240-5900 x 223 Fax: 508-240-1291 Email: [mailto:townclerk@eastham-ma.gov townclerk@eastham-ma.gov] Website

Vital Records

 * Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans at Ancestry ($).

Births

 * 1636-1924 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1637-1892 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1649-1905 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1654-1863 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1751-1826 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Marriages

 * 1637-1892 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1649-1905 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1654-1863 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Deaths

 * 1637-1892 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1649-1905 (*) Eastham and Orleans Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1654-1863 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1751-1826 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Town Reports
The town of Eastham kept annual town reports. These reports often contained birth, marriage, and death information. Below is a list of years when Eastham kept town reports. (NOTE: Occasionally, these town reports missed vital statistic information from the end of the year. If you don't find your ancestor's vital information, check the following year's town report to see if your ancestor's information was recorded later.)

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Eastham Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Barnstable County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places
 * Bridge Road Burying Ground (1754) Bridge Road
 * Congregational and Soldiers Cemetery (1813) Rte. 6
 * Evergreen Cemetery (1806) Rte. 6
 * Old Cove Cemetery (1660) Rte. 6

City Directories

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

Compiled Genealogies

 * The Twining Family : Descendants of William Twining, Sr. of Eastham, Massachusetts. By Thomas Jefferson Twining. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Thomas Jefferson Twining, 1905. Online at: Ancestry ($)

Land Records

 * 1643-1865 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1654-1855 (*) Eastham Town Proprietors at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * A Comprehensive History, Ecclesiastical and Civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, County of Barnstable, Mass. : From 1644 To 1844. By Enoch Pratt. Yarmouth, Mass. : W.S. Fisher and Co., 1844. Online at: Hathi Trust, Ancestry ($)
 * Historical Sketches of the Towns and Cities of Plymouth and Barnstable Counties, Mass. By Dean Dudley. Wakefield, Mass. : Dean Dudley, 1873. Online at: Internet Archive

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


 * USGS GNIS FID 619414

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * 1643-1865 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 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:
 * 1643-1865 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 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 ($)

Other Town Records

 * 1643-1865 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1654-1863 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1708-1915 (*) Eastham Town Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1828-1956 (*) Eastham Town Selectmen at FamilySearch Catalog - images

FamilySearch Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Franklin Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * Hingham Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Hope Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * North Dartmouth Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
 * Providence Rhode Island FamilySearch Center
 * Dennis Public Library - Cape Cod Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library
 * Eldredge Public Library - an affiliate library
 * General Society of Mayflower Descendants - an affiliate library
 * Middleborough Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Provincetown Public Library - an affiliate library