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For those tracing family lines in early New England, Massachusetts stands as a cornerstone of genealogical research. The state’s strong culture of recordkeeping, its role in colonial settlement, and its long-established towns make it a prime location for finding well-documented ancestors.
A powerful resource in this search is the Massachusetts Genealogical Records, 1600s–1800s index—a 24-volume compilation that covers a wide array of historical sources. While it doesn’t contain full transcriptions of each record, it acts as a detailed map, helping researchers locate names and where they appear in the original publications.
This collection is ideal for anyone looking to break through a brick wall, confirm family stories, or gain a broader understanding of their early Massachusetts connections.
What’s Inside the Index?
Each of the 24 volumes includes references to names found across a wide selection of published sources, including:
- Vital Records – Birth, marriage, and death records from Massachusetts towns, many predating statewide registration.
- Family Histories – Published genealogies of early New England families, compiled by local historians and lineage societies.
- Passenger Lists – Names of those who arrived in Massachusetts from Europe, especially England, Ireland, and Scotland.
- Military Records – Colonial-era militia rolls, Revolutionary War service, and records from local regiments.
- Census Data – Early enumeration lists and tax assessments from before the federal census was standardized.
- Cemetery Records – Gravestone transcriptions from historic burial grounds across Massachusetts.
The value of this index is in its range. It doesn’t just stick to one type of record—it pulls from many published volumes, giving you a broad look at who lived in Massachusetts, when, and sometimes where they moved next.
Where These Volumes Came From
This index draws its entries primarily from genealogical works and town record transcriptions published by organizations such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), state historical societies, and private researchers. Many of these original books were published during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when New England towns made a concerted effort to preserve their local records before deterioration or disaster could destroy them.
Much of this work was fueled by the post-Civil War boom in genealogy and lineage society interest, such as applications to the Daughters or Sons of the American Revolution. The result is a wealth of well-organized material, referenced and compiled into this massive index set.
You’ll find names taken from sources like:
- Vital Records of [Town Name], Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (a common town record series)
- Early church and cemetery record books
- Local town histories
- Genealogical periodicals from the NEHGS and others
Where You Can Access It
The index volumes themselves are available at many genealogy libraries, including:
- New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston, MA)
- Boston Public Library – Genealogy Room
- Massachusetts State Archives
- Allen County Public Library (Fort Wayne, IN)
- FamilySearch Library (Salt Lake City, UT)
Some volumes have also been digitized and may be available through:
- FamilySearch.org
- Internet Archive (archive.org)
- Ancestry.com or American Ancestors (in part, depending on licensing)
It’s always worth checking with your local library to see if interlibrary loan is available, or reaching out to a historical society in the Massachusetts town your ancestors lived in. Some societies maintain their own copies and will even do lookups upon request.
How to Use the Index
Once you locate your ancestor’s name in the index, it will point you to the volume and page number of the original source where they appear. From there, your next step is to find that specific book and view the full context of the entry. That may include a family group, land transaction, or even military service details.
This method makes it easier to focus your efforts instead of browsing through thousands of pages without a clear idea of where to begin.
If you’re researching:
- Founding Puritan families
- Revolutionary War soldiers
- Mayflower descendants
- Colonists who moved west into New York or Pennsylvania
- Religious dissenters who left Massachusetts for Rhode Island or Connecticut
…then this index may have just what you need to start making real progress.