Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Brief History

 * Eastham, Massachusetts at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

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

Establishment and former town name(s)
Historical data relating to counties, cities, and towns in Massachusetts (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1997), [FHL 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.)

Archiac name:

Nossett, Nawsett

Section/Villages within the town: 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.

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

Cemeteries
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

Maps

 * 1) USGS GNIS FID 619414
 * 2) Google
 * 3) Hometown Locator

Vital Records
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.)