Massachusetts Compiled Genealogies
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Online Resources
- 1630-1900 Descendants of Nathaniel Woodward, 1630-1900 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- 1641-1700 Early New England Families, 1641-1700 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- 1790 Western Massachusetts Families in 1790 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- Essex Genealogist, The at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
- Massachusetts History and Genealogy
- Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants
- National Society of Daughters of American Revolution
- National Society of Sons of American Revolution
Compiled Genealogies
Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. These must usually be searched in person. The following are some of the major published and manuscript collections helpful for Massachusetts research.
Published Collections
Many genealogies have been researched and published for the colonial states. Names of the earliest immigrants and settlers have been identified. Examples of numerous published collections are:
Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts. Four Volumes. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1910. FS Library films 905528-29 and FS Library fiche 6051241. This and other series by Cutter relating to Massachusetts and New England are indexed in:
- Ireland, Norma Olin and Winifred Irving. Cutter Index: A Consolidated Index of Cutter's Nine Genealogy Series. Fallbrook, California: Ireland Indexing Service, [197-]. FS Library film 1036507 item 6 and FS Library fiche 6046737.
Davis, Walter Goodwin. Massachusetts and Maine Families. 3 volumes. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1996. FS Library book 929.273 D29dwa. These books cover the ancestry of 180 families and often have genealogical information back to the immigrant. Online at: Ancestry ($) - Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III.
Goodwin, Nathaniel. Genealogical Notes or Contributions to the Family History of Some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Hartford, Conn.: F.A. Brown, 1856. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
Greenlaw, William Prescott. The Greenlaw Index of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Two Volumes. Boston, Massachusetts: G. K. Hall, 1979. FS Library 974 D22g vols. 1-2. This is an index to many local histories and genealogies published between 1900 and about 1940.
New England Historic Genealogical Society. English Origins of New England Families: from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. First Series, Three Volumes, 1984. Second Series, Three Volumes, 1985. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing. Contains and indexes much of what is known about New England immigrant origins. Multi-generation genealogies. Online at: FS Library films 6047919-6047921, First Series(*) and FS Library films 6047922-6047924, Second Series(*). Also at: Ancestry ($) - index & images - First Series: Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III; Second Series: Vol. I, Vol. II, Vol. III.
Pope, Charles Henry. The Pioneers of Massachusetts. 1900. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1965. FS Library film 924405 and FS Library fiche 6046669. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). This includes genealogical information found in various local records for 1620–1650.
Rider, Fremont, ed. American Genealogical- Biographical Index. Volumes 1-186+. Middletown, Connecticut: Godfrey Memorial Library, 1952-. FS Library book 973 D22am ser. 2; on 31 FS Library films. This is a continuing series. An earlier version of 48 volumes was published as The American Genealogical Index, 1942-1951. Over 4 million brief citations (name, date, and source) to manuscripts, periodicals, books, and the Boston Transcript. The earlier version indexed 350 sources. The second version includes the original 350 sources and an additional 800 sources.
Ulman, Helen Schatvet, Western Massachusetts Families in 1790 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012-2017). FS Library Book 974.4 D2u
To help understand the source citations and to locate the original sources, use the colored pages in some volumes of:
Clark, Patricia L. and Dorothy Huntsman, eds. Key Title Index to the American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. FS Library film 1698167 item 4 and FS Library fiche 6088377. Lists sources that are at the FamilySearch Library and their call numbers.
Contributor, Caswall, Veronica. Letter of the First Chief Justice Sewall to His Son, Samuel Sewall , Esq. of Brookline, Giving an Account of his Family. This letter was written in April, 1720, from Boston, USA. and talks of the family in U.K. and USA. Some also moved from Coventry to Hampshire. Article covers from 1634-1672. Article to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian, vol. XI, no. 3. pages 149-150. FamilySearch Library Ref. 942.27 B2h
- A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. Four Volumes. 1860-62. By James Savage. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1965. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England - description and online availability.
Collections
New England Historic Genealogical Society. This society has several important manuscript collections. The society's card catalog is on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library:
New England Genealogical Society (Boston, Massachusetts). Genealogical Card Catalog, A-Z. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970. (On 19 FS Library films.)
One of the Society's manuscript collections is:
Corbin, Walter E. Corbin Manuscript Collection in New England Historic Genealogical Society. [S.l.: s.n.], 1982. FS Library films 928633–92.) This collection covers central and western Massachusetts and includes local histories, church records, town records, genealogies, and Bible and cemetery transcripts. It is helpful for the years 1650–1850.
- Western Massachusetts Families in 1790 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Collections
Daughters of the American Revolution (Massachusetts). Genealogical Collection. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971. FS Library film 859313 (first of 39 films) This important collection includes transcripts of many Bible, cemetery, church, obituary, and other records of individuals born about 1700–1900.
Massachusetts Historical Society Collections. Manuscript collections at this society are described in:
Catalog of Manuscripts of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Seven Volumes. Boston, Massachusetts: G.K. Hall and Co., 1969. FS Library book Q 974.4 A3m
Massachusetts Archives Collection
Massachusetts Archives Collection.
Massachusetts. State Archives. Card Index to the Massachusetts Archives. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972–1973. FS Library film 543878 (first of 57 films. These 328 volumes contain copies of historical documents from 1629 to 1799. They are at the Massachusetts State Archives. The index is listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under MASSACHUSETTS - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INDEXES.
Writing and Sharing Your Family History
Sharing your own family history is valuable for several reasons:
- It helps you see gaps in your own research and raises opportunities to find new information.
- It helps other researchers progress in researching ancestors you share in common.
- It draws other researchers to you who already have information about your family that you do not yet possess.
- It draws together researchers with common interests, sparking collaboration opportunities. For instance, researchers in various localities might choose to do lookups for each other in remote repositories. Your readers may also share photos of your ancestors that you have never seen before.
- See also:
Mayflower Genealogies
- Mayflower Pilgrim Genealogies - Community Trees at FamilySearch Genealogies
Many records of Mayflower and Plymouth Colony families are at the FamilySearch Library and other libraries. The FamilySearch Library has obtained many published and microfilmed records from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The society is currently involved in a project to identify five generations of descendants of the Mayflower passengers. Twelve volumes, representing 17 Mayflower passengers, have been published to date FS Library book 974.4 D2mf and volumes 1–3 are on FS Library fiche 6049584–6 Also being prepared is Mayflower Families in Progress, representing four generations of 11 names. See this title in the Author/Title Search of the FamilySearch Catalog.
Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts Mayflower Passenger List 1620
Some Mayflower genealogies are in:
Genealogies of Mayflower Families: From the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Three Volumes. By Gary Boyd Roberts. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1985. FS Library book 974.4 D2gm; online at: Vol. I - Ancestry ($), Vol. II - Ancestry ($), Vol. III - Ancestry ($).
Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants: The Bowman Files. By George Ernest Bowman. Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1983. FS Library films 6331448–71(*). The largest documented source on Mayflower genealogy by a leading Mayflower authority. Includes 232 microfiche cards grouped by family name, showing the descendants of the passengers.
Two helpful periodicals are:
- The Mayflower Descendant
- The Mayflower Quarterly