1895 Map of Massachusetts

Massachusetts History & Genealogy

Massachusetts, one of the New England states, is bounded on the north by Vermont and New Hampshire; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by Rhode Island and Connecticut; and on the west by New York. It lies between about 41º 14′ and 42º 53′ north latitude, and between 69º 56′ and 73º 30′ west longitude. The state measures about 190 miles from east to west and about 50 miles from north to south. It contains approximately 10,565 square miles, or 6,441,600 acres.

Massachusetts, one of the original thirteen colonies, was settled by English Puritans beginning in 1620 with the Plymouth Colony and 1630 with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, both of which later merged in 1691. The state was originally inhabited by several Algonquian-speaking tribes, including the Massachusett, Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Pocumtuc, who occupied various regions across the area. Vital records in Massachusetts were first mandated by law in 1639, with most towns beginning to record births, marriages, and deaths by the late 1600s; these records are maintained at the town level and were later centralized in part by the Massachusetts State Archives. The geography includes the Berkshire Mountains in the west, the Connecticut River Valley, and numerous coastal towns along the Atlantic, which shaped early trade and settlement patterns. Massachusetts became a state in 1788 and remains administratively divided into 14 counties, although several counties ceased functioning as governmental units in the late 1990s. Genealogists should note the importance of early town records, church records, and probate and land records, which were recorded at the county level from as early as the mid-1600s.

This state project is part of the much larger American History & Genealogy Project or better known by the abbreviation of AHGP. It has been in existence online since 2000 and over the years has been spread out across the web. These pages are an attempt to consolidate it under one website of the larger project.

Massachusetts Information

History of Massachusetts

Genealogy Records for Massachusetts

Ship Passenger Lists

  • The Original Lists of Persons of Quality
    The Original Lists of Persons of Quality is an important printed source for the study of early English emigration to America in the seventeenth century. It offers a consolidated presentation of surviving official and semi-official records relating to passengers who left England during the decades prior to organized colonial record keeping in the United States. Researchers value the work for its accuracy, the breadth of material gathered, and the fact that it reproduces records that might otherwise require consultation across dispersed archives. For the period before regular colonial vital records and town records, these lists often provide the first documented appearance of an emigrant.
  • Passengers Aboard the Blessing, 1635
    In June and July 1635, a group of passengers embarked on the ship Blessing from England to New England. The lists from Hotten and Banks detail their ages, origins, and intended settlements, with many settling in Scituate and Salem, Massachusetts. This final consolidated account includes corrections and real name spellings, facilitating genealogical research for descendants. Noteworthy points include uncertainty about the fate of some passengers and the connections between families aboard the ship, reflecting the genealogical FAN theory that when your ancestors migrated, they usually did it with others that they knew, not alone.
  • Passengers Aboard the Speedwell, 1656

Massachusetts County and Town Projects

  • Essex County
  • Middlesex County
    • History of Acton Massachusetts
      Acton, located within the historic boundaries of Concord, was formed through various land grants and purchases starting in 1656. Notably, the Iron-Work Farm was granted to Major Simon Willard. Disputes over land boundaries led to legal adjustments by 1710. Acton became a separate township on July 3, 1735, due to the community’s needs for local governance and worship. Over the years, the population grew, and the town engaged in agricultural activities, supporting a range of local industries. Notable for its ecclesiastical history, Acton established churches and schools, contributing to its gradual development until the American Revolution, after which it continued to evolve steadily.
    • A Brief History of Acton, Massachusetts
      Acton, Massachusetts, has a rich history linked to its early settlement by Concord in the 17th century. Initially part of Concord, it became a separate town in 1735. Early settlers faced conflicts with Native Americans and the challenges of frontier life, exemplified by Captain Thomas Wheeler’s contributions and sacrifices during King Philip’s War. Acton played a significant role in the American Revolution, with local men participating in key battles. Over the years, Acton transformed from an agricultural community into a thriving town, marked by industrial growth, the establishment of schools, and civic institutions, preserving its historical legacy while adapting to change.
    • History of the town of Medford, Massachusetts
      The History of the Town of Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from Its First Settlement in 1630 to 1885 (Boston, 1886) represents both a continuation and revision of Charles Brooks’s original 1855 history. Edited and supplemented by James M. Usher, with a genealogical register compiled by William H. Whitmore, this expanded edition incorporates Brooks’s extensive antiquarian research while extending the narrative to cover the developments of the following three decades. Drawing on scattered records, local traditions, and municipal documentation, the work preserves the character of Brooks’s text while providing a fuller account of Medford’s growth and a register of its early families.
  • Norfolk County
    • History and Genealogy of Medfield, Massachusetts
      The History of Medfield, Massachusetts written by William Tilden in 1887 is a complete history of the town up to publishment. It is arranged chronologically, beginning with the lands of Chickatabot and the early settlement known as Boggestow, and continuing through colonial life, King Philip’s War, the Revolution, and the town’s nineteenth-century development. The genealogical section traces families residing in Medfield from 1650 to 1850, with attention to removals and corrections to earlier published errors, relying heavily on original town and probate records.
    • The history of Medway Massachusetts
      The History of Medway, Massachusetts, 1713–1885, covers the entire period of local history, embracing two hundred and twenty-five years, from 1660 to 1885; or, from the first appearance of a white settler within the territory, to the recent date of the incorporation of the town of Millis. The book is divided into ten sections, and gives, in consecutive order, an account of the first settlement, the municipal doings, the churches, the schools and other institutions, the industries, the military service, the miscellaneous matters, the cemeteries, the biographies of many persons, and the genealogies of numerous families.
  • Plymouth County
  • Worcester County
    • History of Leominster, Massachusetts
    • West Boyleston
      • Genealogical Register of the Town of West Boylston, Massachusetts
        The Historical Memorandum and Genealogical Register documents the founding of West Boylston, Massachusetts, up to 1868, celebrating its first settlers and their contributions to the town’s development. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the events that led to the founding of West Boylston. It also sought to honor the first settlers who made their homes on the hills and in valleys of West Boylston.
      • Manual of the Congregational Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts
        The manual of the West Boylston Congregational Church can serve as a brief genealogical glimpse into the lives of its early members. This book provides a chronological list of members in which brief genealogical details of early members can be found.

Family Genealogy

  • Michael Bacon of Dedham Massachusetts and his descendants
    This is a genealogy of Michael Bacon of Dedham and his descendants. Michael arrived in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 after sailing aboard an unnamed ship, likely from County of Suffolk, England, but possibly from Ireland. Baldwin treats the descendants of each of the three sons of Michael—Michael Jr., Daniel, and John—in a separate chapter, the first chapter being devoted to Michael Sr. and his English roots. The early descendants settled in Bedford, Billerica, Bridgewater, Cambridge, Dedham, Newton, Salem, Watertown, and Woburn Massachusetts.
  • Bassett-Preston Ancestors
    Miss Belle Preston initiated her ancestry research in 1898 in Hinsdale, Illinois, later tracing the Bassett lineage after moving to Brooklyn. Using various libraries as resources, she documented numerous New England colonial immigrants from both families, including six Mayflower ancestors. The book details eighty-nine Bassett and ninety-two Preston ancestors in the ninth generation. Belle’s connection to New England relatives is highlighted, noting an impending loss of that intimate knowledge as family members pass away.
  • Chronicles of the Boit Family
    The “Chronicles of the Boit Family” by Robert Apthorp Boit is a detailed genealogical account of the Boit family and related lineages, including the Hubbards and Mercers. Aimed at the author’s descendants, it chronicles the lives and achievements of family members, starting with master-mariner John Boit of Boston. The narrative combines anecdotes and personal reflections with genealogical tables, preserving the family’s cultural heritage and serving as a resource for researchers of Boit New England lineages.
  • Thomas Keyes of West Boylston, Massachusetts
    Thomas Keyes was born on January 20, 1767, in Westminster, Massachusetts, and passed away on June 25, 1856, in West Boylston. He was the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Keyes, who moved to Shrewsbury shortly after his birth. Keyes married Lydia Harthan in 1791 and had six children. His life spanned nearly 90 years, and his legacy includes both his descendants and the historic Keyes House, built in 1784.
  • Lyman, Dickinson, Partridge Genealogy
    This 1865 pamphlet is a genealogical record focused on the Lyman, Dickinson, and Partridge families of New England and Canada. Compiled by James T. Dickinson, the text reconstructs lineage through historical deeds, probate records, and tombstone inscriptions to correct previous errors (pre 1865) in published family histories. The document centers on the Lyman branch in Middlefield, the Dickinsons of Montreal, and the Partridges of Hatfield, documenting their arrival and subsequent settlement in New England. Detailed pedigree charts and narrative biographies illustrate connections to significant colonial figures, including several governors and prominent ministers.
  • William Patten of Cambridge 1635 and his descendants
    The Patten genealogy is quite expansive in its 290 pages, as it presents known descendants of William Patten of Cambridge down through nine generation. Published in 1908 it lacks the source and quality control of more recent professional genealogies, but still provides Patten descendants with plenty of material for their genealogical research. Early descendants of William Patten resided in Amesbury, Billerica, Cambridge, and Tewksbury, Massachusetts; as well as Killingly, Stafford, and Windham, Connecticut and Lincoln County, Maine.
  • Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Massachusetts
    Gregory Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass. 1320–1917 was compiled by Bartlett J. Gardner and published in Boston in 1918 under the auspices of the Stone Family Association. It represented the first comprehensive genealogical study of all known descendants of Deacon Gregory Stone. Gregory was an early settler of New England who arrived in 1635 from Great Bromley and Nayland, England. Gardner includes detailed research into Gregory’s English ancestry. PDF is free to read or download.
  • Genealogy of Robert Winchell of Egremont Massachusetts
    The Winchell family of Egremont, Mass. stems originally from that of Robert Winchell of Windsor, Conn. The “Genealogy of the Winchell Family” by Alexander Winchell (early edition of 1869 and a new and revised edition of 1917), seems to give the earlier generations of this family correctly, but it fails to make the proper connection for David and Azariah and Joseph Winchell of Egremont. This book corrects that.
  • The Winchell Genealogy
    The Winchell Genealogy was first published in 1869 by Professor Alexander Winchell and expanded until his death in 1891. His brother N. H. Winchell continued the genealogical work, distributing inquiries for more data until 1909. Despite delays from travel and illness, N. H. Winchell prepared to publish the material before his unexpected death in 1914. The manuscript was completed and expanded by another writer, incorporating insights on the Winchell name’s origin and its connections to the Wincoll family.
Byfield Massachusetts Parish Records
Free Massachusetts Vital Records

Cities and Towns in Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts currently has a total of 365 cities and towns. Historically, it has had many more and you’ll find information about those historical town and Indigenous villages throughout our website.

Abington, Acton, Acushnet, Adams, Agawam, Amesbury, Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Ashburnham, Ashby, Ashfield, Ashland, Athol, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Ayer, Baldwinville, Barnstable, Barre, Becket, Bedford, Belchertown, Bellingham, Belmont, Berkley, Berlin, Bernardston, Beverly, Billerica, Blackstone, Blandford, Bolton, Bondsville, Boston, Boxborough, Boxford, Boylston, Braintree, Brewster, Bridgewater, Brimfield, Brockton, Brookfield, Brookline, Buckland, Burlington, Buzzards Bay, Cambridge, Canton, Carlisle, Carver, Charlemont, Charlton, Chatham, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Cheshire, Chester, Chesterfield, Chicopee, Chilmark, Clinton, Cohasset, Colrain, Concord, Conway, Cummington, Dalton, Danvers, Dartmouth, Dedham, Deerfield, Dennis, Dennis Port, Douglas, Dover, Dracut, Dudley, Dunstable, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Brookfield, East Dennis, East Falmouth, East Longmeadow, East Sandwich, Eastham, Easthampton, Easton, Edgartown, Erving, Essex, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Fiskdale, Fitchburg, Forestdale, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Georgetown, Gloucester, Goshen, Grafton, Granby, Granville, Great Barrington, Green Harbor, Greenfield, Groton, Groveland, Hadley, Halifax, Hamilton, Hampden, Hanover, Hanson, Hardwick, Harvard, Harwich, Harwich Port, Hatfield, Haverhill, Heath, Hingham, Hinsdale, Holbrook, Holden, Holland, Holliston, Holyoke, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Housatonic, Hubbardston, Hudson, Hull, Huntington, Ipswich, Kingston, Lakeville, Lancaster, Lanesboro, Lawrence, Lee, Leicester, Lenox, Leominster, Leverett, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Longmeadow, Lowell, Ludlow, Lunenburg, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, Marion, Marlborough, Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Mashpee, Mattapoisett, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Mendon, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleboro, Middlefield, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Millis, Millville, Milton, Monson, Montague, Monterey, Monument Beach, Nahant, Nantucket, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, New Braintree, New Salem, Newbury, Newburyport, Newton, Norfolk, North Adams, North Amherst, North Andover, North Attleboro, North Brookfield, North Eastham, North Falmouth, North Pembroke, North Reading, North Scituate, Northampton, Northborough, Northbridge, Northfield, Norton, Norwell, Norwood, Oak Bluffs, Oakham, Ocean Bluff, Onset, Orange, Orleans, Otis, Oxford, Palmer, Paxton, Peabody, Pembroke, Pepperell, Petersham, Pinehurst, Pittsfield, Plainfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Plympton, Pocasset, Princeton, Provincetown, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Raynham Center, Reading, Rehoboth, Revere, Richmond, Rochester, Rockland, Rockport, Rowe, Rowley, Royalston, Russell, Rutland, Sagamore, Salem, Salisbury, Sandisfield, Sandwich, Saugus, Savoy, Scituate, Seekonk, Sharon, Sheffield, Shelburne Falls, Sherborn, Shirley, Shrewsbury, Shutesbury, Somerset, Somerville, South Deerfield, South Dennis, South Hadley, South Lancaster, South Yarmouth, Southampton, Southborough, Southbridge, Southwick, Spencer, Springfield, Sterling, Stockbridge, Stoneham, Stoughton, Stow, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sunderland, Sutton, Swampscott, Swansea, Taunton, Templeton, Tewksbury, Three Rivers, Topsfield, Townsend, Truro, Turners Falls, Tyngsboro, Tyringham, Upton, Uxbridge, Vineyard Haven, Wakefield, Wales, Walpole, Waltham, Ware, Wareham, Warren, Warwick, Watertown, Wayland, Webster, Wellesley, Wellfleet, Wendell, Wenham, West Boylston, West Bridgewater, West Brookfield, West Chatham, West Dennis, West Falmouth, West Newbury, West Springfield, West Stockbridge, West Tisbury, West Wareham, West Yarmouth, Westborough, Westfield, Westford, Westminster, Weston, Westport, Westwood, Weymouth, Whately, Whitinsville, Whitman, Wilbraham, Williamsburg, Williamstown, Wilmington, Winchendon, Winchester, Windsor, Winthrop, Woburn, Woods Hole, Worcester, Worthington, Wrentham, and Yarmouth Port.

Need the above list in a different format? Then view our text lists of current cities and towns in Massachusetts.

1895 Map of Massachusetts
1895 Map of Massachusetts

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