Suffolk County was one of the four original counties when [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay Colony]] created counties in 1643 and had an undefined western border. It established and claimed as far west as [[Woodstock, Connecticut|Woodstock, Connecticut]]. Initially, the county included [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]], [[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester]], [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]], [[Braintree, Massachusetts|Braintree]], [[Weymouth, Massachusetts|Weymouth]], [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]], and Nantasket [now [[Hull, Massachusetts|Hull]]]. In 1671, [[Mendon, Massachusetts|Mendon]] was added from [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]]. For a brief time, the county was part of the [[Dominion of New England|Dominion of New England]] from 1686 to 1689. The county eventually became part of the Royal colony of Massachusetts Bay. All towns to the south were lost to the creation of Norfolk County in 1793, leaving only [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] and [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea]]. [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]] and [[Hull, Massachusetts|Hull]] protested their removal and thus remained in Suffolk County until they were transferred to [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth County]] in 1803. [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] was incorporated as a city in 1822. The city started annexing towns back: [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]] (1868), [[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester]] (1870), [[Brighton, Massachusetts|Brighton]] (1874), [[Charlestown, Massachusetts|Charlestown]] (1874), [[West Roxbury, Massachusetts|West Roxbury]] (1874), and [[Hyde Park, Massachusetts|Hyde Park]] (1912). The county government was abolished in 1999, but its former jurisdiction is used for state offices as a district.

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== History ==

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== Historical Data ==

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==== Parent County ====

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The basic data are from the historical county boundary series<ref>[http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/MA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#SUFFOLK Massachusetts Atlas of Historical County Boundaries]</ref> with additions from various sources.

| Suffolk County created as one of the four original counties formed out of Massachusetts Bay Colony. [Mass. Rec., 2: 38]

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|-

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| 8 July 1663

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| Lost the section now called the northeast corner of Rhode Island when King Charles II granted that colony a charter that defined its borders. [Bowen's Disputes, 33; Swindler, 8: 368]

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|-

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| -- May 1664

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| Lost to New Plymouth Colony when provincial line is demarcated to what is now referred to as the "Old County Line." [Bradford, 427n]

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|-

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| 27 Feb. 1664/5

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| Gained from Rhode Island Colony as royal commissioners set that colony's borders as the Blackstone River and the east side of Narragansett Bay. [Arnold, 1: 315]

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|-

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| 15 Mar. 1689/90

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| Gained on county's undefined western border when Massachusetts created the town of '''[[Woodstock, Connecticut|Woodstock]]''' (now wholly within the state of Connecticut). [Bowen's Disputes, 53-58; Bowen's Woodstock, 1: 31]

[[Image:Ma-suffolk.png|right|370px|Ma-suffolk.png]] The following list of present-day Suffolk County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city. A master list of these names will be included in the Massachusetts state page.

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<center>[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston (1630)]] - [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea (1739)]] - [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere (1846)]] - [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop (1852)]]</center>Boston needed to grow its tax base, so over the years, various towns were annexed to Boston. These towns had a vibrant history and their own set of records before they became part of Boston and thus Suffolk County. These towns are:<br><center>[[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury (1630-1868)]]<br>[[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester (1630-1870)]]<br>[[Brighton, Massachusetts|Brighton (1807-1874)]]<br>[[Charlestown, Massachusetts|Charlestown (1630-1874)]]<br>[[West Roxbury, Massachusetts|West Roxbury (1851-1874)]]<br>[[Hyde Park, Massachusetts|Hyde Park (1868-1912)]]</center><center>[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#top|Top of Page]]</center>

*Alden Bradford, "Juridical Statistics for the County of Suffolk viz. Judge of Superior Court of Judicature and of Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; and Barristers, Counsellors, and Attorneys, with brief notices of those who have deceased or retired from public life" in ''American Quarterly Register'', 13 [1840-1841]: 417-432.<br>Includes birth, education, bar admission, associates, and death.<br>Digital version at [http://books.google.com/books?id=1gNKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA417 Google books].<br>

*John Tyler Hassam, "Early Records and Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, 1639-1735" in ''Massachusetts Society Society Publications'', 2nd Ser., 12 [1895-1896]: 203-250.<br>Digital versions of off print at [http://archive.org/details/cu31924025963087 Internet Archive] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=38sTAAAAYAAJ Google books]. Also part of the introduction of ''Suffolk Deeds'', v. 10 (see below).<br>{{FHL|820323|item|disp=FHL fiche 6078751}}.<br>Reprint of continuation as "Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk," 2nd Ser., 14 [1900-1901]: 34-104.<br>{{FHL|229084|item|disp=FHL film 1035750 Item 13}}.<br>

*Richard D. Brown, "The Confiscation and Disposition of Loyalists' Estates in Suffolk County, Massachusetts" in ''William and Mary Quarterly'', 3rd Ser., 21 [1964]: 534-550.<br>Digital version at [http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1923305 JStor] ($ - for free at some libraries).<br>

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*[http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/county/suffolk/ The Suffolk County MA GenWeb Project], an member of [[MAGenWeb|The MAGenWeb Project]], an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]].

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*[http://usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm#Suffolk The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Suffolk County

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*[http://usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm#Suffolk The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Suffolk County (backup site)

In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out long before 1700. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.

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==== Populated Places ====

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Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.

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===== Cities: =====

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It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the [[Massachusetts Vital Records|Massachusetts Vital Records]] page.

Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level. For Suffolk County, they start in 1639.

The records since 1976 can be viewed from their [http://www.masslandrecords.com/suffolk/ Search Page]. Note the search criteria and search option menus in the upper left corner. This is a relatively new site (2012) and less transparent than before.

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{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="80%"

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*Land Record books.<br>Note: Records from 1893 (v. 2171) are online as "unindexed property." From the search page above, go to the Search Criteria menu and click on "Unindexed Property Search" and enter the volume and page you want and click search. A dialogue box appears below. Click on any link and another dialogue box appears to the right. Click on the tab "View Images" and a pop-up window will display the page (if it does not, you need to ''allow'' this site or disable your pop-up blocker).<br>'''Record location:'''<br>Deeds, v. 7871 (1964) to present are in the main section of the Registry.<br>Deeds, v. 4553-7870 (1924-1964) are in the "Old" Bookroom at the back of the Registry building.<br>Deeds, v. 2171-4552 (1893-1924) are not currently physically accessible (but are online as mentioned above).<br>Deeds, v. 101-2170 (1800-1893) are at:<br>

*Suffolk County Deeds, 1639-1885, grantor/grantee index, 1639-1920, miscellaneous index, 1639-1799.<br>{{FHL|190554|item|disp=FHL film 579922 (first of 1128)}}.<br>[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/ Massachusetts Archives] has only the index up to 1799 and [http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html NEHGS] (Boston) has all of these microfilms.

*''Suffolk Deeds'' (Boston, 1880-1906), 14v.<br>Covers from 1629 to 1688 and some of 1697. Each book includes a grantor and grantee index that gives an abstract of the record, an other names index, place index, and miscellaneous (i.e. subject) index.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=suffolk+deeds WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|318904|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 R2s v. #, fiche 6046903, and various films}}.<br>

Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts page.

*First series, 1636-1893:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1636 to and including the year 1893'' (Boston, 1895), 3v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9517018 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|228269|item|disp=FHL Large Q book 974.46 S2g v. # or film 496888}}.<br>

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*[[Hyde Park, Massachusetts|Hyde Park]]

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*Second series, 1894-1909:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1894 to and including the year 1909'' (Boston, 1911-1913), 2v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/32536678 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|228282|item|disp=FHL Large Q book 974.46 S2ga v. # or film 1597848 Items 4-5}}.<br>

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*[[Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts|Jamaica Plain]]

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*Third series, 1910-1922:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1910 to and including the year 1922'' (Boston, 1927), 2v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/29208950 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|608133|item|disp=FHL film 1492663 Items 1-2}}.<br>

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*Fourth series, 1923-1935:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1923 to and including the year 1935'' (Boston, 1941), 3v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/34173689 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|712360|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P22i}}.<br>

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*Fifth series, 1936-1947:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1936 to and including the year 1947'' (Boston, 1951), 3v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35852399 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|712360|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P22i}}.<br>

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*Sixth series, 1948-1958:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1948 to and including the year 1958'' (Boston, 1961), 2v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36367800 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|712360|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P22i}}.<br>

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*Seventh series, 1959-1968:<br>'''Record books''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''File papers''':<br>[Contact Court Archivist]<br>'''Published Index''':<br>''Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1959 to and including the year 1968'' (Boston, 1969), 3v.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35779129 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; Not at FHL, but at [http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html NEHGS] (Boston).<br>

*Probate records, 1760-1870, from the Supreme Judicial Court.<br>{{FHL|302237|item|disp=FHL film 902796}}.<br>

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<center>'''Published records''' </center>

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*Winifred Lovering Holman and Mary Lovering Holman, "Suffolk County Probate (1686-1692)" in ''The American Genealogist'', 12 [1935-36]: [http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=134740756 175-184], [http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=134740966 222-234]; 13 [1936-37]: [http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=134754254 98-106]; 14 [1937-38]: [http://www.americanancestors.org/PageDetail.aspx?recordId=134740470 34-45].<br>This was the probate records during the unpopular Andros Administration that combined several colonies into one seated at Boston. This article starts with a Miscellaneous Index of estates that do not appear in the probate file papers. The bulk is the regular docket entries.<br>Digital version at American Ancestors ($) linked to the pages above.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2444644 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|161997|item|disp=FHL book 973 D25aga v. #}}.<br>

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*''Suffolk County Wills: Abstracts of the earliest wills upon record in the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts: from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register'' (Baltimore, 1984), 432 pp.<br>Digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48226 Ancestry] ($).<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/14904117 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|298484|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P2s or film 1320548 Item 1}}.<br>

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*Melinde Lutz Sanborn, ''Miscellaneous Docket Index, Suffolk County, Mass. Probate Records, 1639-1866'' (Derry, N.H., 1997 or Rockport, Me., 1997), 31 pp.<br>This booklet indexes several hundred early Suffolk County probate records where the original file papers were lost prior to the Civil War and only the entries in the copybook remain today. The booklet includes the individual's name, date of the earliest entry, type of entry, and volume and page reference in the copybook series.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39221780 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|723152|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P2sm}}.<br>

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<center>[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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== Other Court Records ==

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| valign="top" |

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The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see [[Massachusetts Court Records|Understanding the Massachusetts Court System]].<br><br>Older records are held by:<br>[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arccol/colidx.htm#court '''Supreme Judicial Court Archives''']<br>(administration - records stored in several off-site facilities and the Mass. Archives)<br>16th Floor, Highrise Court House<br>3 Pemberton Square<br>Boston MA 02109<br>Phone 617-557-1082<br>Email [mailto:Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us]

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*[[Mattapan, Massachusetts|Mattapan]]

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<center>[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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*[[Mission Hill, Massachusetts|Mission Hill]]

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=== Suffolk Files ===

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*[[Readville, Massachusetts|Readville]]

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*[[Roslindale, Massachusetts|Roslindale]]

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| valign="top" |

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The Suffolk Files contain the earliest file papers of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and its predecessors, the Court of Assistants and the Superior Court of Judicature (1620-1800). There are also some records of the county courts and the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace. The records contain cases not just from Suffolk County, but from Massachusetts and parts of Maine and New Hampshire. This was the result of the circuit nature of several of the courts and the fact that most of the action brought before the upper courts had been appealed from lower courts throughout the region. Extensive indices of every person, place, and subject, as well as date and calendar indices were prepared. Microfilm of the Suffolk Files and indices is available in the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room.

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*[[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]]

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<center>'''Original records''' </center>

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*[[South Boston, Massachusetts|South Boston]]

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*[Contact Court Archivist]

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*[[West Roxbury, Massachusetts|West Roxbury]]

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<center>'''Microfilmed records''' </center>

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This is an inventory of the microfilms held by the Judicial Archives and available at the [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/ Massachusetts Archives Reading Room].<br>

This court was active from 1636 (called a quarterly court and then the county court when Suffolk was created in 1643) to 1692. The court heard all civil causes up to 10 shillings (raised to 40 shillings in 1647) and all criminal causes not concerning life, limb, or banishment. These were all jury trials. These records are included in the Suffolk Files mentioned above.

*''Catalogue of Records and Files in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for the County of Suffolk'' (Boston, 1890), 169 pp. [Revised in 1896, (Boston, 1897), 6, 171-181 pp.].<br>Digital versions at [http://archive.org/details/catalogueofrecor00mass Internet Archive] (1890), [http://books.google.com/books?id=bMsTAAAAYAAJ Google Books] (1890), and [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=17953 Ancestry] (1897) ($).<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Catalogue+of+Records+and+Files+in+the+office+of+the+Clerk+of+the+Supreme+Judicial+Court+for+the+County+of+Suffolk&qt=results_page WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|228647|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 A3c or film 908077 Item 2}} (1890) or {{FHL|820308|item|disp=FHL fiche 6078747}} (fiche version of 1890).<br>

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*John Noble, "The Early Court Files of the County of Suffolk" in ''Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts'', 3 [1895-1897]: 317-326.<br>Digital version at [http://books.google.com/books?id=JP0KAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA317 Google Books].<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1564125 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|1264767|item|disp=FHL book 974.4 B4cs v. 3}}.<br>

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*Samuel Eliot Morison, ed., ''Records of the Suffolk County Court, 1671-1680'' (Boston, 1933), part of the ''Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts'', v. 29-30.<br>The manuscript book of records of the quarterly court of Suffolk County held by the Boston Athenaeum. No digital version available.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1564125 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|133040|item|disp=FHL book 974.4 B4cs v. 29-30 or film 844532 Items 1-2}}.<br>

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*Catherine Menand, ''A Guide to the Records of the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, in the custody of the Social Law Library, Boston, Massachusetts'' (Boston, 1981), 63 pp.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/15562627 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; Not at FHL but at [http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html NEHGS] (Boston).<br>

This court was active from 1692 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials. A county copy of marriages were recorded here from 1726 to 1737.

This court was active from 1692 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace. A county copy of births, marriages, and deaths were recorded here from 1724 to 1788 for the towns of Abington, Bridgewater, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Scituate, and Wareham. Note: Volume 19 of original records contains marriages from 1771 to 1795.

*''Abstract and index of the records of the Inferiour Court of Pleas (Suffolk County Court) held in Boston, 1680-1698'' (Boston, 1940), iii, 224pp.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1852262 WorldCat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|228255|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 P2h}}.

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<center>[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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=== Superior Court ===

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==== Cemeteries ====

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This court was created in 1859 and combines the authority of the two courts listed above. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions involving labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, and has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals.

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==== Census ====

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The Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction for all other crimes. It has jurisdiction over all felony matters, although it shares jurisdiction over crimes where other Trial Court Departments have concurrent jurisdiction. Finally, the Superior Court has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings.

'''''1855 Massachusetts State Census—'''''A free Internet index and images to the 1855 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the [http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1459985 FamilySearch Record Search]. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1855, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

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This is the highest court in the state and taking cases by appeal, writ of error, capital offenses, and "every Crime whatsoever that is against the public good."

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'''''1865 Massachusetts State Census'''''—A free Internet index and images to the 1865 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the [http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1410399 FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site.] This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1865, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

*Court records, 1686-1799 [was called the Superior Court of Judicature and includes the records from the Dominion of New England], Maritime Court records, 1779-1788, and Court minutes, 1702-1797.<br>{{FHL|301381|item|disp=FHL films 945842 (first of 62 reels)}}.

*Index to dockets, equity and probate, 1862-1870.<br>{{FHL|99771|item|disp=FHL film 947289}}.

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<center>'''Published''' </center>

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*Catalogue of records and files in the office of the clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for the county of Suffolk (''S.l.'', 1890), 303pp. + [21] leaves.<br>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=Catalogue+of+records+and+files+in+the+office+of+the+clerk+of+the+Supreme+Judicial+Court+for+the+county+of+Suffolk World Cat (Other Libraries)]; {{FHL|228647|item|disp=FHL book 974.46 A3c}} or {{FHL|820308|item|disp=FHL fiche 6078747}}.

'''Divorce Records'''<br>Jurisdiction over divorce matters changes over time. The Governor and Council heard cases before 1785, then it was the Supreme Judicial Court until 1887, followed by the Superior Court until 1922, and presently this is a matter for the Probate and Family Court (with minor exceptions in all periods). See the various court records above.

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==== Newspapers ====

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'''Naturalization Records'''<br>Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records are outlines below.

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==== Probate ====

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*Partitions and executions, 1782-1910.<br>Includes records from the Court of Common Pleas and Superior Court and declarations of intention from the Supreme Judicial Court, 1803-1832.<br>{{FHL|670403|item|disp=FHL films 0530934-1530935}}.

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*Primary and final declarations of intention and naturalizations, 1864- 1888 and card index 1856-1884, from the Superior Court.<br>{{FHL|482228|item|disp=FHL films 1530549-1530550 (index), 1530639, 1530664-1530665}}.

[http://www.masshist.org/ Massachusetts Historical Society]<br>1154 Boylston Street<br>Boston MA 02215<br>Phone 617-536-1608<br>Email via [http://www.masshist.org/about/contact.php website]<br>This is the oldest historical society in the country founded in 1791. It is a private library with no fee for access. They are '''not''' a genealogical library, though they hold historical material useful for genealogical research. Their strength is their vast manuscript holdings and pre-1820 print collection. They are the home for the [http://www.masshist.org/adams_editorial/ Adams Family Papers]. The library has free wifi access and their catalog is [http://www.masshist.org/library/abigail.cfm online].

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*[http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/county/suffolk/ The Suffolk County MA GenWeb Project], an member of [[MAGenWeb|The MAGenWeb Project]], an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]].

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[http://www.americanancestors.org/home.html New England Historic Genealogical Society]<br>99-101 Newbury Street<br>Boston MA 02116<br>Phone 617-536-5740<br>Email from directory on [http://www.americanancestors.org/contact/ website]<br>This is the oldest genealogical society in the United States founded in 1845 by members of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Its strengths are colonial period, New England, northeast United States, Eastern Canada, and United Kingdom. They have an extensive manuscript collection and a large genealogical database online that includes the Massachusetts Vital Records from 1841 to 1920. It is a private membership organization which grants the user access to their library holdings and online databases. There is free wifi in the library and their catalog is [http://library.nehgs.org/ online].<br><br>

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*[http://usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm#Suffolk The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Suffolk County

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<center>[[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#top|Top of Page]]</center>

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*[http://usgwarchives.org/ma/mafiles.htm#Suffolk The USGenWeb Archives Project] for Suffolk County (backup site)

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<br>

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*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=localitydetails&subject=184348&subject_disp=Massachusetts%2C+Suffolk&columns=*,0,0 FamilySearch.org] Family History Library catalog for Suffolk County

== References ==

== References ==

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{{reflist}}

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{{reflist}} <!--This was designed by Scott Andrew Bartley in conjunction with the Mass. Wiki Team on 20 June 2012-->

Towns and Cities

The following list of present-day Suffolk County towns and cities links them to their individual pages. There you will find a list of other names used for the town or city and of villages and sections of the town or city. A master list of these names will be included in the Massachusetts state page.

Boston needed to grow its tax base, so over the years, various towns were annexed to Boston. These towns had a vibrant history and their own set of records before they became part of Boston and thus Suffolk County. These towns are:

County Histories

B. B. Edwards, "Complete List of the Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in Suffolk Co." in American Quarterly Register, 7 [1834]: 28-30.Digital version at Google books.

Alden Bradford, "Juridical Statistics for the County of Suffolk viz. Judge of Superior Court of Judicature and of Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; and Barristers, Counsellors, and Attorneys, with brief notices of those who have deceased or retired from public life" in American Quarterly Register, 13 [1840-1841]: 417-432.Includes birth, education, bar admission, associates, and death.Digital version at Google books.

George H. Brennan, "The Early Massachusetts Court Records" in New England Magazine, 17 [1894]: 301-310.

John Tyler Hassam, "Early Records and Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, 1639-1735" in Massachusetts Society Society Publications, 2nd Ser., 12 [1895-1896]: 203-250.Digital versions of off print at Internet Archive and Google books. Also part of the introduction of Suffolk Deeds, v. 10 (see below).FHL fiche 6078751.Reprint of continuation as "Registers of Deeds for the County of Suffolk," 2nd Ser., 14 [1900-1901]: 34-104.FHL film 1035750 Item 13.

Richard D. Brown, "The Confiscation and Disposition of Loyalists' Estates in Suffolk County, Massachusetts" in William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Ser., 21 [1964]: 534-550.Digital version at JStor ($ - for free at some libraries).

Vital Records

In Massachusetts, the original vital records (of births, marriages, and deaths) have been created and maintained by the town or city in which the event occurred. In very early colonial times, copies of these records were submitted to the county, but that practice died out long before 1700. There were marriage intentions commonly recorded in the bride's home town and additional recordings maybe found in the groom's home town and their current residence.

Massachusetts was the first state to bring a unified state-level recording of these events (but not marriage intentions) in 1841 (Boston excluded until 1850). The associated records of divorce and adoption are handled by the courts. The state has maintained a state-wide index to divorces since 1952, but adoption records will require more researching to discover.

It is easiest to start with the state vital records for events since 1841, though realize the original record is with the town or city. More details can be found on the Massachusetts Vital Records page.

Land Records and Atlases

Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level. For Suffolk County, they start in 1639.

The records since 1976 can be viewed from their Search Page. Note the search criteria and search option menus in the upper left corner. This is a relatively new site (2012) and less transparent than before.

Land Record books.Note: Records from 1893 (v. 2171) are online as "unindexed property." From the search page above, go to the Search Criteria menu and click on "Unindexed Property Search" and enter the volume and page you want and click search. A dialogue box appears below. Click on any link and another dialogue box appears to the right. Click on the tab "View Images" and a pop-up window will display the page (if it does not, you need to allow this site or disable your pop-up blocker).Record location:Deeds, v. 7871 (1964) to present are in the main section of the Registry.Deeds, v. 4553-7870 (1924-1964) are in the "Old" Bookroom at the back of the Registry building.Deeds, v. 2171-4552 (1893-1924) are not currently physically accessible (but are online as mentioned above).Deeds, v. 101-2170 (1800-1893) are at:

Probate Records

Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts page.

Third series, 1910-1922:Record books:[Contact Court Archivist]File papers:[Contact Court Archivist]Published Index:Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1910 to and including the year 1922 (Boston, 1927), 2v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 1492663 Items 1-2.

Fourth series, 1923-1935:Record books:[Contact Court Archivist]File papers:[Contact Court Archivist]Published Index:Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1923 to and including the year 1935 (Boston, 1941), 3v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i.

Fifth series, 1936-1947:Record books:[Contact Court Archivist]File papers:[Contact Court Archivist]Published Index:Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1936 to and including the year 1947 (Boston, 1951), 3v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i.

Sixth series, 1948-1958:Record books:[Contact Court Archivist]File papers:[Contact Court Archivist]Published Index:Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1948 to and including the year 1958 (Boston, 1961), 2v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P22i.

Seventh series, 1959-1968:Record books:[Contact Court Archivist]File papers:[Contact Court Archivist]Published Index:Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts from the year 1959 to and including the year 1968 (Boston, 1969), 3v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL, but at NEHGS (Boston).

Probate records, 1760-1870, from the Supreme Judicial Court.FHL film 902796.

Published records

Winifred Lovering Holman and Mary Lovering Holman, "Suffolk County Probate (1686-1692)" in The American Genealogist, 12 [1935-36]: 175-184, 222-234; 13 [1936-37]: 98-106; 14 [1937-38]: 34-45.This was the probate records during the unpopular Andros Administration that combined several colonies into one seated at Boston. This article starts with a Miscellaneous Index of estates that do not appear in the probate file papers. The bulk is the regular docket entries.Digital version at American Ancestors ($) linked to the pages above.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 973 D25aga v. #.

Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Miscellaneous Docket Index, Suffolk County, Mass. Probate Records, 1639-1866 (Derry, N.H., 1997 or Rockport, Me., 1997), 31 pp.This booklet indexes several hundred early Suffolk County probate records where the original file papers were lost prior to the Civil War and only the entries in the copybook remain today. The booklet includes the individual's name, date of the earliest entry, type of entry, and volume and page reference in the copybook series.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.46 P2sm.

Other Court Records

The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see Understanding the Massachusetts Court System.

Suffolk Files

The Suffolk Files contain the earliest file papers of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and its predecessors, the Court of Assistants and the Superior Court of Judicature (1620-1800). There are also some records of the county courts and the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace. The records contain cases not just from Suffolk County, but from Massachusetts and parts of Maine and New Hampshire. This was the result of the circuit nature of several of the courts and the fact that most of the action brought before the upper courts had been appealed from lower courts throughout the region. Extensive indices of every person, place, and subject, as well as date and calendar indices were prepared. Microfilm of the Suffolk Files and indices is available in the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room.

County Courts

This court was active from 1636 (called a quarterly court and then the county court when Suffolk was created in 1643) to 1692. The court heard all civil causes up to 10 shillings (raised to 40 shillings in 1647) and all criminal causes not concerning life, limb, or banishment. These were all jury trials. These records are included in the Suffolk Files mentioned above.

Edward Holden, "Births, marriages and deaths from the files of Suffolk Co. 1640-1662" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 20 [1866]: 144.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.

Catherine Menand, A Guide to the Records of the Suffolk County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, in the custody of the Social Law Library, Boston, Massachusetts (Boston, 1981), 63 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL but at NEHGS (Boston).

Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace

This court was active from 1692 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials. A county copy of marriages were recorded here from 1726 to 1737.

Inferior Court of Common Pleas

This court was active from 1692 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace. A county copy of births, marriages, and deaths were recorded here from 1724 to 1788 for the towns of Abington, Bridgewater, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Scituate, and Wareham. Note: Volume 19 of original records contains marriages from 1771 to 1795.

Superior Court

This court was created in 1859 and combines the authority of the two courts listed above. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought. It also has original jurisdiction in actions involving labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, and has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals.

The Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction for all other crimes. It has jurisdiction over all felony matters, although it shares jurisdiction over crimes where other Trial Court Departments have concurrent jurisdiction. Finally, the Superior Court has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings.

Court records, 1686-1799 [was called the Superior Court of Judicature and includes the records from the Dominion of New England], Maritime Court records, 1779-1788, and Court minutes, 1702-1797.FHL films 945842 (first of 62 reels).

Divorce RecordsJurisdiction over divorce matters changes over time. The Governor and Council heard cases before 1785, then it was the Supreme Judicial Court until 1887, followed by the Superior Court until 1922, and presently this is a matter for the Probate and Family Court (with minor exceptions in all periods). See the various court records above.

Naturalization RecordsNaturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records are outlines below.

Partitions and executions, 1782-1910.Includes records from the Court of Common Pleas and Superior Court and declarations of intention from the Supreme Judicial Court, 1803-1832.FHL films 0530934-1530935.

Societies

Massachusetts Historical Society1154 Boylston StreetBoston MA 02215Phone 617-536-1608Email via websiteThis is the oldest historical society in the country founded in 1791. It is a private library with no fee for access. They are not a genealogical library, though they hold historical material useful for genealogical research. Their strength is their vast manuscript holdings and pre-1820 print collection. They are the home for the Adams Family Papers. The library has free wifi access and their catalog is online.

New England Historic Genealogical Society99-101 Newbury StreetBoston MA 02116Phone 617-536-5740Email from directory on websiteThis is the oldest genealogical society in the United States founded in 1845 by members of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Its strengths are colonial period, New England, northeast United States, Eastern Canada, and United Kingdom. They have an extensive manuscript collection and a large genealogical database online that includes the Massachusetts Vital Records from 1841 to 1920. It is a private membership organization which grants the user access to their library holdings and online databases. There is free wifi in the library and their catalog is online.