Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 21:28, 11 January 2024

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Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page
The Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Massachusetts. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Massachusetts Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Massachusetts.

Birth information: Towns have been recording births in Massachusetts since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841.A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
Finding Parents: Massachusetts towns have been recording deaths since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Massachusetts death records
Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

Massachusetts Record Finder

This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Massachusetts Record Finder.

1. What you are looking for:	2. Try these records first:	3. Other useful records
Birth information	Birth records Death records Obituaries Church records	Cemeteries Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Bible records Military records
Marriage information	Marriage records Obituaries Bible records	Church records Probate records Military records
Death information	Death Records Cemeteries Obituaries	Probate Records Church Records Bible Records
Parents	Birth records Death records Obituaries Census Church records	Biography Genealogy
Maiden name	Marriage Records Obituaries Probate records	Church Records Military Records
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Census	Obituaries Biography History
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Census Court Records	Voting Records Biography Periodicals
Physical description	Military Records Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) (after 1906)	Biography History

Further Massachusetts Research

Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Massachusetts Record Finder.
For online record collections, go to Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records.
For more research on Massachusetts, including research at the county level, visit the Massachusetts page on the Research Wiki.
Search all of the Massachusetts record collections at FamilySearch.
Ralph J. Crandell. ed. Genealogical Research in New England. Baltimore, Maryland:Genealogical Publishing Co., 1984. FS Library 974 D27gr

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{MA-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
+| link2=[[Massachusetts, United States Genealogy|Massachusetts]]
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies|Research Tips and Strategies]]
+}}
+{|style="float:right; margin-right:030px; background-color:#acd9f9" " width="25%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="5" border="1"
+|
+<center><font size = "4"><br>'''Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page'''</font></center><br>
+<center>''The Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Massachusetts. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.''</center><br>
+|}
 === Massachusetts Research Strategies  ===
 Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Massachusetts<br>
-:[[Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records|Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide|Massachusetts Genealogy Guide]]
-:[[How to Find Massachusetts Birth Records|How to find Massachusetts Birth Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records|Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records]]
-:[[How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records|How to find Massachusetts Marriage Records]]
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Birth Records|How to find Massachusetts Birth Records]]
-:[[How to Find Massachusetts Death Records|How to find Massachusetts Death Records]]
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Death Records|How to find Massachusetts Death Records]]
 === Massachusetts Research Tips  ===
-These tips will help you as your research your ancestors in Massachusetts.
+These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Massachusetts.
-*'''Birth information:''' Birth records in Massachusetts start on the county level in 1905 - although not all counties complied with the law. The best substitute record for locating birth information is [[How to Find United States Death Records|death records]]&nbsp;(the majority of death records will list the date of birth of the decedent, and since death certificates are considered a primary resource, they can provide you with the same documentation as a birth certificate). Or, try these other [[Substitute Records For United States Birth Information|substitute records]].
+*'''Birth information:''' Towns have been recording births in Massachusetts since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841.A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other [[Substitute Records For United States Birth Information|substitute records]] to improve accuracy.
-*'''Finding Parents:''' The State of Massachusetts began recording deaths in 1905. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. [[How to Find United States Death Records|Search Massachusetts death records]]
+*'''Finding Parents:''' Massachusetts towns have been recording deaths since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. [[How to Find United States Death Records|Search Massachusetts death records]]
 *'''Look in all censuses:''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. [[United States Census Online|Search U.S. Censuses]].
-[[Category:Massachusetts]]
+=== Massachusetts Record Finder  ===
+This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. '''For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Massachusetts Record Finder]].'''
+{| width="70%" border="1"
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"| '''1. What you are looking for:'''
+| style="padding:10px"| '''2. Try these records first:'''
+| style="padding:10px"|'''3. Other useful records'''
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Birth information
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Massachusetts Bible Records|Bible records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Marriage information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records|Marriage records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Bible Records|Bible records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Church Records|Church records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Probate Records|Probate records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Death information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Death Records|Death Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Probate Records|Probate Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Bible Records|Bible Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Parents
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Census|Census]]
+*[[Massachusetts Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Massachusetts Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Massachusetts, United States Genealogy|Genealogy]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Maiden name
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Massachusetts Marriage Records|Marriage Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Probate Records|Probate records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Massachusetts Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Military Records|Military Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Immigration date
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]]
+*[[Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Massachusetts Census|Census]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Massachusetts Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Massachusetts History|History]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Naturalization
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906)
+*[[Massachusetts Census|Census]]
+*[[Massachusetts Court Records|Court Records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Voting Records|Voting Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Massachusetts Periodicals|Periodicals]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Physical description
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Massachusetts Military Records|Military Records]]
+*[[Massachusetts Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]<br>(after 1906) (after 1906)
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Massachusetts Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Massachusetts History|History]]
+|}
+=== Further Massachusetts Research  ===
+*'''Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Massachusetts Record Finder]].'''
+*For online record collections, go to [[Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records|'''Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records.''']]
+*For more research on Massachusetts, including research at the county level, visit the [[Massachusetts, United States Genealogy|'''Massachusetts''']] page on the Research Wiki.
+*Search all of the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/location/52?region=United%20States%20of%20America Massachusetts record collections] at FamilySearch.<br>
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/216515 Ralph J. Crandell. ed. ''Genealogical Research in New England.'' Baltimore, Maryland:Genealogical Publishing Co., 1984. FS Library 974 D27gr]
+[[Category:Massachusetts, United States]]
+[[Category:United States Research Strategies]]
+[[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]