Hanover, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Genealogy
Guide to Hanover, 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.
Town Information
Description
- Hanover, Massachusetts at Wikipedia
The area of Hanover was first settled in 1649 when it was part of Scituate in Plymouth Colony. The area was placed in Plymouth County when counties were formed in 1685. For a brief time, the area was part of the Dominion of New England from 1686 to 1689. The area 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. The area was set off from Scituate and some parts from Abington in 1727.
Parent Towns
Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities,
Districts, and Census-Designated Places:
Boundary Changes
Adjacent Towns
Plymouth Co: Hanson | Norwell | Pembroke | Rockland
Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office
Hanover Town Clerk
550 Hanover Street
Hanover, MA 02339
Phone: 781-826-5000 x 1079
Fax: 781-826-5239
Email: catherine.harderbernier@hanover-ma.gov
Website
Vital Records
- Microfilm of the originals created by the FamilySearch Library, Hanover town and vital records, 1712-1779, FS Library film 423510.
These records are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch. - Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering vital records, 1712-1895, on 47 fiche. Part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index
- Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841:
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston MA 02125
Phone 617-727-2816
Email archives@sec.state.ma.us
Hours and Directions
See the online guide for more information.
- A Copy of the Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths and of Intentions of Marriage of the Town of Hanover, Mass., 1727-1857, as recorded by the several town clerks for the said town of Hanover ... (Rockland, Mass., 1898).
This volume was microfilmed by the FamilySearch Library, FS Library film 874289 Item 3.
Online at Internet Archive, Google Books, and Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.482/H3 V2h.
- Hanover town and vital records, 1712-1779, are browsable (i.e. not indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch.
Births
- 1636-1924 Massachusetts, Births, 1636-1924 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Marriages
Deaths
- 1916-1919 Massachusetts Deaths, 1916-1919 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Divorce
Town Reports
Resources
For more County and State resources see:
Biographies
Cemeteries
- Hanover Cemeteries List at Find a Grave
- Plymouth County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Catalog
- Plymouth County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places
The following is a list of cemeteries in present-day Hanover. For location of cemeteries, see PlymouthColony website. For more details regarding these cemeteries, see the state guide under cemeteries for books on the subject.
- Map and locations of cemeteries, with links to other information - at MAGenWeb.
- Assinippi Cemetery, 1789. (A)
- Darling Cemetery, 1829.
- Hanover Center Cemetery, 1727. (A, B)
- Hatch Family Cemetery, 18th Century. Note: Plowed up in the 19th century.
- Hobart Cemetery, 1793. (A)
- Union Cemetery, 1794.
Abstracts of the cemeteries above are marked and keyed to:
(A). Charles M. Thatcher, Old Cemeteries of Southeastern Massachusetts (Middleborough, Mass., 1995). WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.4 V3.
(B). L. Vernon Briggs, ed.,History and Records of the First Congregational Church, Hanover, Mass., 1727-1865, and Inscriptions from the Headstones and Tombs in the Cemetery at Centre Hanover, Mass., 1727-1894, being volume I of the Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass. (Boston, 1895), vi, 316 pp. Internet Archive and Google Books.
Census
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.
- First Congregational Church of Hanover [United Church of Christ], 1728, records good.
L. Vernon Briggs, ed.,History and Records of the First Congregational Church, Hanover, Mass., 1727-1865, and Inscriptions from the Headstones and Tombs in the Cemetery at Centre Hanover, Mass., 1727-1894, being volume I of the Church and Cemetery Records of Hanover, Mass. (Boston, 1895), vi, 316 pp.
Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); 974.482/H3 K2b or film 1425526 Item 5. - St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church (now called St. Andrew's Episcopal Church), 1780, no condition given. [Note: Church in Scituate from 1731 to 1811.]
L. Vernon Briggs, ed., History and Records of St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, of Scituate, Mass., 1725-181, of Hanover, Mass., 1811-1903, and other items of historical interest, being Volume II of the church and cemetery records of Hanover, Mass. ([Boston], 1904), ix, 188 pp.
Digital version at Google Books.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.482/H3 K2bL. - Baptist Church, 1806, records good.
- Methodist Episcopal Church, 1850, no condition given.
- Second Congregational Church, Four Corners, 1854, records good.
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (now called St. Mary of the Sacred Heart Church), n.d., no condition given.
- Lutheran Church of the Cross, 1961.
- Fellowship Baptist Church, 1984.
- Coastal Church, n.d.
- Living Hope Foursquare Church, n.d.
- First Congregational Church of Hanover [United Church of Christ], 1728, records good.
City Directories
Hanover was published in 1892, 1898, 1902, 1904, 1911/2, 1919 (usually under Rockland).
- 1892-1937 Massachusetts, U.S., City Directories, Hanover at Ancestry - index & images ($), some years may be missing
- Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index & 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 none.
- Boston Public Library has 1902-1916, 1919-1931 (under Rockland).
- FamilySearch Library (Salt Lake City) has 1892, 1898, 1902, 1904, 1911/2, 1919 (under Rockland) on FS Library various film records.
- fold3 ($) has 1892, 1898, 1904.
- Massachusetts State Library has 1892, 1898, 1902, 1911/2, 1919 (under Rockland).
- New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1892, 1898, 1902, 1911/2, 1919 (under Rockland).
Compiled Genealogies
Court Records
Immigration
Land Records
Local Histories
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series[1] with additions from various sources.
Village or section names include Assinippi, Curtis Crossing, Drinkwater, Hanover Center, Hanover Four Corners, Mann's Corner, North Hanover, South Hanover, West Hanover, and Winslow's Crossing.
| Dates | Events |
|---|---|
| 14 June 1727 | Established as a new town from parts of Abington and mostly from Scituate. [Prov. Laws, 2: 429] |
| 6 Mar. 1835 | Border between Hanover and Pembroke established. |
| 15 May 1857 | Border between Hanover and South Scituate (now Norwell) established. |
| 11 Feb. 1878 | Border between Hanover and South Scituate (now Norwell) established and part of each town annexed to the other town. |
| 23 Mar. 1878 | Border between Hanover and Rockland established and part of each town annexed to the other town. |
| 23 Apr. 1885 | Border between Hanover and Pembroke established. |
Works written on the town include:
- John Stetson Barry, A Historical Sketch of the Town of Hanover, Mass., with Family Genealogies (Boston, 1853), v, 448.
- Digital versions at Internet Archive, Google Books, and on Ancestry ($).
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.482/H3 H2b or film 1425589 Item 2.
- The family sketches include the families: Bailey, Baldwin, Barrell, Barry, Barstow, Bates, Beal, Benner, Binney, Blanchard, Bonney, Bowker, Briggs, Brook, Burgess, Cary, Chaddock, Chamberlain, Chandler, Chapman, Church, Clark, Corthell, Crooker, Curtis, Cushing, Cutler, Damon, Darling, Davis, Dawes, Delano, Dill, Doten, Donnell, Dunbar, Duncan, Dwelley, Dyer, Eells, Ellis, Estes, Farnham/Farnum, Foster, Gardner, Garrett, Goodrich, Groce/Gross, Gurney, Hall, Hammond, Harding, Henderson, Hersey, Hollis, Holmes, House, Howland, Jacobs, Josselyn/Joslin, Killam, Lindsey, Litchfield, Little, Magoun, Mann, McLauthlin, Morse, Munroe, Nash, Percival, Perkins, Perry, Peterson, Phillips, Pocorny, Pool, Pratt, Prouty, Puffer, Ramsdell, Randall, Reed, Rice, Richards, Ripley, Robbins, Rogers, Rose, Russell, Salmond, Sampson/Samson, Simmons, Slason, Smith, Soper, Soule, sprague, Stetson, Stockbridge, Stoddard, Studley, Sturtevant, Sylvester, Taylor, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Torrey, Tower, Tubbs, Turner, Vinal, Vining, Wade, Wardrobe, White, Whitwell, Whiton/Whiting, Wilder, Winslow, Wolcott, Wood, Woodman, and Wright.
- The family sketches include the families: Bailey, Baldwin, Barrell, Barry, Barstow, Bates, Beal, Benner, Binney, Blanchard, Bonney, Bowker, Briggs, Brook, Burgess, Cary, Chaddock, Chamberlain, Chandler, Chapman, Church, Clark, Corthell, Crooker, Curtis, Cushing, Cutler, Damon, Darling, Davis, Dawes, Delano, Dill, Doten, Donnell, Dunbar, Duncan, Dwelley, Dyer, Eells, Ellis, Estes, Farnham/Farnum, Foster, Gardner, Garrett, Goodrich, Groce/Gross, Gurney, Hall, Hammond, Harding, Henderson, Hersey, Hollis, Holmes, House, Howland, Jacobs, Josselyn/Joslin, Killam, Lindsey, Litchfield, Little, Magoun, Mann, McLauthlin, Morse, Munroe, Nash, Percival, Perkins, Perry, Peterson, Phillips, Pocorny, Pool, Pratt, Prouty, Puffer, Ramsdell, Randall, Reed, Rice, Richards, Ripley, Robbins, Rogers, Rose, Russell, Salmond, Sampson/Samson, Simmons, Slason, Smith, Soper, Soule, sprague, Stetson, Stockbridge, Stoddard, Studley, Sturtevant, Sylvester, Taylor, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Torrey, Tower, Tubbs, Turner, Vinal, Vining, Wade, Wardrobe, White, Whitwell, Whiton/Whiting, Wilder, Winslow, Wolcott, Wood, Woodman, and Wright.
- Jedediah Dwelley and John F. Simmons, History of the Town of Hanover, Massachusetts, with Family Genealogies ([Hanover, Mass.], 1910, 291, 474 pp.
- Digital version at Internet Archive.
WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.482/H3 H2d or fiche 6048973 (with digital link).
- The family sketches found in the second half of the book include the families: Adams, Ahearn, Alger, Allen, Anderson, Andrews, Appleford, Arnold, Bacon, Bagan, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Balleaster, Banister, Banks, Barker, Barrell, Barry, Barstow, Bass, Bates, Beal, Benner, Binney, Bisbee, Bishop, Blanchard, Bonney, Bourne, Bowers, Bowker, Bray, Breck, Brewster, Briggs, Brooks, Brooks, Brouthers, Brown, Bruce, Bryant, Buffum, Burbank, Burgess, Burpee, Burrell, Butler, Callaghan, Campbell, Carey, Cashman, Chaddock, Chamberlain, Chapman, Cheney, Christie, Chubbuck, Church, Churchill, Clapp, Clark, Cobbett, Cole, Collingwood, Condon, Cook, Cooley, Cooper, Corbin, Corlew, Corthell, Crane, Crocker, Crook, Crosby, Cross, Cudworth, Cummings, Curtis, Cushing, Cushman, Cutler, Dagan, Dame, Damon, Darling, Davenport, Davis, Dawes, Day, Deane, Delay, Dillingham, Disbrow, Donnell, Donnelly, Donovan, Dowden, Downes, Downing, Drew, dunbar, Duncan, Dwelley, Dyer, Ednie, Eells, Elliot, Ellis, Ernest, Estes, Everett, Everson, Farnham/Farnum, Farrar, Farrell, Finney, Fish, Fisher, Fitzgerald, Flavell, Flynn, Ford, Forsythe, Foster, Freeman, French, Fuller, Gallagher, Gannett, Gardner, Gates, Gay, Gerrish, Gibson, Gilman, Gleason, Gooch, Goodrich, Gray, Green, Griffin, Grose, Gurney, Guth, Hackett, Hall, Hamilton, Hammond, Handy, Haney, Hansen/Hanson, Hardy, Harlow, Harnden, Harraden, Harris, Harvey, Hatch, Havens, Hayes, Hawward, Head, Henderson, Henry, Hersey, Hicks, Hill, Hinckley, Hines, Hoban, Hobill, Holbrook, Hollis, Holmes, House, Howard, Howes, Howland, Hunt, Hurley, Hussey, Inglis, Iris, Jacobs, Jewett, Johnson, Jones, Josselyn, Joyce, Kane, Keene, Keith, Kenney, Kiley, Killam, Kingman, Kirby, Knight, Lafountain, Lambert, Langdon, Lantz, Lapham, Larkum, Leavitt, Leggett, Leonard, Letourneaux, Levings, Lindsey/Lindsay, Litchfield, Little, Lovice, Lowell, Lucas, Luther, MacDonald, MacMillan, Maglathlin, Magoun, Mann, Marsh, Massey, McClary, McCloskey, McDonough, McDougal, McEnroe, McLauthlin, McLean, McNayr, Merrill, Millet, Morehardt, Morel, Morse, Mullin, Munroe, Murphy, Nash, Nelson, Nichols, Nielson, Niles, Oakman, O'Connell, Oldham, Olson, Orcutt, Overton, Packard, Paine, Plamer, Pardy, Parkinson, Paulding, Paxton, Peaslee, Percival, Perkins, Perry, Peterson, Phillips, Phinney, Pinson, Pocorny, Poole, Pope, Power, Pratt, Prentice, Priest, Prince, Prouty, Puffer, Purchase, Putnam, Ramsdell/Ramsden, Randall, Reed, Richardson, Richmond, Ridgeway, Ripley, Robbins, Robinson, Rogers, Rome, Rose, Rothmund, Russell, Ryder, Salmond, Sampson/Samson, Schofield, Scholz, Scott, Shean, Shepherd, Sherman, Sides, Simmons, Slade, Slatcher, Smith, Snell, Soper, Soule, Spaulding, Spear, Spiller, Sprague, Sproul, Standish, Stearns, Stetson, Stockbridge, Stoddard, Stone, Struthers, Studley, Sturtevant, Sutherland, Sweeney, Sylvester, Taylor, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Tilden, Tindale, Tobey, Todd, Tolman, Torrey, Totman, Tower, Tribble, Tribou, Tripp, Tubbs, Tuck, Tucker, Turner, Vail, Ventres, Vinal, Vining, Wade, Walker, Wardrobe, Warner, Waterman, White, Whiting, Whitman, Whitmarsh, Whittaker, Whyman, Wild, Wilder, Williams, Willis, Wing, Winslow, Winsor, Witt, Wolcott, Wood, Woodman, Wright, and Young.
- The family sketches found in the second half of the book include the families: Adams, Ahearn, Alger, Allen, Anderson, Andrews, Appleford, Arnold, Bacon, Bagan, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Balleaster, Banister, Banks, Barker, Barrell, Barry, Barstow, Bass, Bates, Beal, Benner, Binney, Bisbee, Bishop, Blanchard, Bonney, Bourne, Bowers, Bowker, Bray, Breck, Brewster, Briggs, Brooks, Brooks, Brouthers, Brown, Bruce, Bryant, Buffum, Burbank, Burgess, Burpee, Burrell, Butler, Callaghan, Campbell, Carey, Cashman, Chaddock, Chamberlain, Chapman, Cheney, Christie, Chubbuck, Church, Churchill, Clapp, Clark, Cobbett, Cole, Collingwood, Condon, Cook, Cooley, Cooper, Corbin, Corlew, Corthell, Crane, Crocker, Crook, Crosby, Cross, Cudworth, Cummings, Curtis, Cushing, Cushman, Cutler, Dagan, Dame, Damon, Darling, Davenport, Davis, Dawes, Day, Deane, Delay, Dillingham, Disbrow, Donnell, Donnelly, Donovan, Dowden, Downes, Downing, Drew, dunbar, Duncan, Dwelley, Dyer, Ednie, Eells, Elliot, Ellis, Ernest, Estes, Everett, Everson, Farnham/Farnum, Farrar, Farrell, Finney, Fish, Fisher, Fitzgerald, Flavell, Flynn, Ford, Forsythe, Foster, Freeman, French, Fuller, Gallagher, Gannett, Gardner, Gates, Gay, Gerrish, Gibson, Gilman, Gleason, Gooch, Goodrich, Gray, Green, Griffin, Grose, Gurney, Guth, Hackett, Hall, Hamilton, Hammond, Handy, Haney, Hansen/Hanson, Hardy, Harlow, Harnden, Harraden, Harris, Harvey, Hatch, Havens, Hayes, Hawward, Head, Henderson, Henry, Hersey, Hicks, Hill, Hinckley, Hines, Hoban, Hobill, Holbrook, Hollis, Holmes, House, Howard, Howes, Howland, Hunt, Hurley, Hussey, Inglis, Iris, Jacobs, Jewett, Johnson, Jones, Josselyn, Joyce, Kane, Keene, Keith, Kenney, Kiley, Killam, Kingman, Kirby, Knight, Lafountain, Lambert, Langdon, Lantz, Lapham, Larkum, Leavitt, Leggett, Leonard, Letourneaux, Levings, Lindsey/Lindsay, Litchfield, Little, Lovice, Lowell, Lucas, Luther, MacDonald, MacMillan, Maglathlin, Magoun, Mann, Marsh, Massey, McClary, McCloskey, McDonough, McDougal, McEnroe, McLauthlin, McLean, McNayr, Merrill, Millet, Morehardt, Morel, Morse, Mullin, Munroe, Murphy, Nash, Nelson, Nichols, Nielson, Niles, Oakman, O'Connell, Oldham, Olson, Orcutt, Overton, Packard, Paine, Plamer, Pardy, Parkinson, Paulding, Paxton, Peaslee, Percival, Perkins, Perry, Peterson, Phillips, Phinney, Pinson, Pocorny, Poole, Pope, Power, Pratt, Prentice, Priest, Prince, Prouty, Puffer, Purchase, Putnam, Ramsdell/Ramsden, Randall, Reed, Richardson, Richmond, Ridgeway, Ripley, Robbins, Robinson, Rogers, Rome, Rose, Rothmund, Russell, Ryder, Salmond, Sampson/Samson, Schofield, Scholz, Scott, Shean, Shepherd, Sherman, Sides, Simmons, Slade, Slatcher, Smith, Snell, Soper, Soule, Spaulding, Spear, Spiller, Sprague, Sproul, Standish, Stearns, Stetson, Stockbridge, Stoddard, Stone, Struthers, Studley, Sturtevant, Sutherland, Sweeney, Sylvester, Taylor, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Tilden, Tindale, Tobey, Todd, Tolman, Torrey, Totman, Tower, Tribble, Tribou, Tripp, Tubbs, Tuck, Tucker, Turner, Vail, Ventres, Vinal, Vining, Wade, Walker, Wardrobe, Warner, Waterman, White, Whiting, Whitman, Whitmarsh, Whittaker, Whyman, Wild, Wilder, Williams, Willis, Wing, Winslow, Winsor, Witt, Wolcott, Wood, Woodman, Wright, and Young.
Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
- Boundary Map of Hanover at HomeTownLocator
- Hanover at FamilySearch Places
- Hanover at Google Maps
- Hanover 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
Migration
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 ($)
- Hanover Branch and Norwell News, 1964-1965-present.
- Hanover Mariner, 1983-present.
Obituaries
Other Town Records
Probate Records
- 1686-1881 Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
School Records
Tax Records
Websites
Research Facilities
Archives
Libraries
John Curtis Free Library
534 Hanover Street
Hanover MA 02339
Phone 781-826-2972
Museums
FamilySearch Centers & Affiliate Libraries
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Franklin Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
- Hingham Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
- Mount Hope Massachusetts FamilySearch Center
- David Allen Lambert Library - an affiliate library
- General Society of Mayflower Descendants - an affiliate library
- Middleborough Public Library - an affiliate library
- Thayer Public Library - an affiliate library
- Thomas Crane Public Library - an affiliate library
Societies
Hanover Historical Society
Box 156
Hanover MA 02339
References
- ↑ William Francis Galvin, Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts (Boston, new ed., 1997), 56. WorldCat (Other Libraries); FS Catalog book 974.4 H2h 1997
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