Massachusetts Research Tips and Strategies

Massachusetts Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Public Records Taxation Town Records Vital Records Voter Records

Massachusetts Background

Biography Church History Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find Family History Center near you

Moderator

The FamilySearch moderator for Massachusetts is Lee Drew.

United States

Massachusetts

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 Genealogy Guide
• Massachusetts Online Genealogy Records
• How to find Massachusetts Birth Records
• How to find Massachusetts Death Records

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. FHL 974 D27gr