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Massachusetts, Land Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Massachusetts,
United States
Flag of Massachusetts
Flag of Massachusetts
Locator map of Massachusetts
Location of Massachusetts
Record Description
Record Type Land Records
Collection years 1620-1986
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
Multiple County courthouses and offices, Massachusetts


What is in This Collection?

This collection contains land and property records from the Massachusetts Land Office and county courthouses. Records include land grants, patents, deeds, and mortgages. This collection includes all counties in Massachusetts.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Land

  • Names of interested parties
  • Date of transaction
  • Legal description of the property
  • Monies exchanged
  • Details of the transaction
  • Names of witnesses

Collection Content

Sample Image

  • Deed 1807

    Deed 1807

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The names of interested parties
  • The approximate date of the land transaction
  • The location of the property

Search the Index

This collection does not have a searchable index. Only images are available. See View the Images to access them.

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select County
  2. Select Record Type, Year Range, and Volume Number or Letter to view the images
Tip: More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and census records
  • Search for the land transactions of a couple and their children. The parents may have sold or given property to a son or daughter. Such transactions confirm relationships that might not be found in other records
  • Search for records of people in the county who shared a surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents
  • To find later generations, search the land records a few years before and after a person’s death. Your ancestor may have sold or given land to his or her heirs before death, or the heirs may have sold the land after the individual died. For daughters, the names of their husbands are often provided. For sons, the given names of their wives may be included. Heirs may have sold their interest in the land to another heir even though the record may not indicate this. Continue this process for identifying each succeeding generation
  • When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
  • Some counties were subdivided or the boundaries may have changed. Consider searching neighboring counties as well since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person
  • One deed does not usually give sufficient information about a couple and their children. A careful study of all deeds for the person or the family will yield a richer return of information
  • For each parcel of land owned, you should obtain two documents:
  1. The deed that documents when ownership transferred to the individual or the family and
  2. The deed that documents when ownership was transferred to someone else.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

  • Look for variant spellings of the surnames
  • Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
  • Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Massachusetts.

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

Town Records

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

Known Issues

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.
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