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United States
U.S. Vital Records
How to Find U.S. Death Records
Massachusetts Vital Records
Guide to Massachusetts Death Records, Massachusetts ancestry, genealogy and family history, death records, and family history.
Massachusetts Towns have been recording deaths since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841.
Next Step: When did the death occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Learn more about U.S. Death Records
Deaths before 1841[edit | edit source]
For deaths that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| 1600-1850 - At Massachusetts Vital Records Project | Free; Transcriptions and images of Massachusetts town vital records. Includes births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 150 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1620-1988 at Ancestry | ($), free at FamilySearch centers. Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1620-1850 - At American Ancestors | ($) | |||
| 1620-1850 at Ancestry | ($), free at FamilySearch centers. Index to published town death records for many, but not all Massachusetts towns. Also on AmericanAncestors.org ($); free at FamilySearch centers. | |||
| Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910 at FamilySearch. | Free at FamilySearch; Index to death and burial records from the state of Massachusetts. | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No death record for your ancestor? | Other records with death information | |||
Deaths from 1841 through 1925[edit | edit source]
Massachusetts was the first state to initiate statewide registration of vital records beginning in 1841. However, the city of Boston, which had kept records prior to this time, didn't start reporting their vital statistics to the state until about 1850. Records from 1841 to 1925 are housed at the Massachusetts Archives. Every five years, another block of five years is transferred from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics to the Archives.
For deaths that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Massachusetts, Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1841-1920, at the Massachusetts Archives | Free; Includes links to Family Search databases with digitized images of Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841 to 1920. | |||
| 1841-1910 - At American Ancestors | ($) | |||
| 1841-1920 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Browse only collection. Includes deaths, 1916-1920 and amended vital records, 1841-1920 | |||
| 1620-1850 - At American Ancestors | ($) | |||
| 1620-1988 - Ancestry.com | ($) free at family history libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1911-1915 - At American Ancestors | ($) | |||
| 1916-1920 - At American Ancestors | ($) | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No death record for your ancestor? | Other records with death information | |||
Deaths from 1926 to Present[edit | edit source]
Death records beginning in 1921 to the present are located at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The MDPH maintains no online index for these records. Try to find your ancestor in one of the indexes below.
For deaths that occurred during the time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| 1970-2003 - At FamilySearch.org | Free; Includes index only. Also on Ancestry.com ($), free at FamilySearch centers. | |||
| 1901-1980 - At Ancestry | ($), free at FamilySearch centers; Searchable index of Massachusetts death records, 1901-1980. | |||
| 1620-1988 - At Ancestry | ($), free at FamilySearch centers; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns. | |||
| 1970-2003 - At American Ancestors | ($), Index | |||
| Social Security Death Index | ||||
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Order the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With an exact date (from your records or an index above) you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Death Certificates | |||
| From Town Clerk Massachusetts Vital Records | From Registry of Vital Records and Statistics | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| It's cheaper and faster than ordering from the state | Town websites can be more difficult to use | Onsite researchers can access public death indexes | Only certified copies of records are issued, regardless of intended use. It's cheaper to order the record from the town clerk |
If you do not know the exact date or place of death:
For a fee, the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics will do a 10 year search.
If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.
Related Wiki Articles[edit | edit source]
- Learn more about U.S. Death Records
- How to find U.S.Death records
- United States Record Finder
- U.S. Vital Records Overview
- United StatesVital Records
- Locating United States Vital Records
- United States Birth Records
- United States Marriage Records
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| Topics | Massachusetts Genealogy Guide · Search Strategies ·Record Finder ·Introduction · American Indians · Archives and Libraries · Bible Records · Biography · Cemeteries · Census · Church Records · Court Records · Directories · Emigration and Immigration · Gazetteers · Genealogy · History · Land and Property · Maps · Military Records · Naturalization and Citizenship · Newspapers · Obituaries · Online Records · Periodicals · Probate Records · Societies · Taxation · Town Records · Vital Records · Voting Records · For Further Reading |
| Counties | Barnstable · Berkshire · Bristol · Dukes · Essex · Franklin · Hampden · Hampshire · Middlesex · Nantucket · Norfolk · Plymouth · Suffolk · Worcester |
| Obsolete MA Jurisdictions | Cornwall (ME) · Devonshire (ME) · Dominion of New England · Dukes (NY) · Maine · Massachusetts Bay Colony · New Hampshire · New Netherland · Norfolk (old) · Plymouth Colony · Yorkshire (ME) |
| Major Repositories | Allen County Public Library (Ft. Wayne IN) · American Antiquarian Society · Berkshire Athenaeum · Boston Massachusetts FamilySearch Center · Boston Public Library · Dedham Historical Society Library · Harvard University Houghton Library · Haverhill Public Library · Jones Library · Massachusetts Historical Society · Massachusetts State Archives · National Archives at Boston · New England Historic Genealogical Society · New York Public Library NY · Onondaga Historical Association Library (Syracuse NY) · Peabody Essex Museum · Pittsfield Federal Records Center · Plymouth Public Library · Registry of Vital Records and Statistics · Springfield History Library and Archives · State Library of Massachusetts · University of Massachusetts Amherst Library · Vermont Historical Society (Barre VT) · Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland, OH) |
| Migration Routes | Bay Road · Catskill Road · Coast Path · Greenwood Road · Kennebunk Road · King's Highway · Boston Post Road · Massachusetts Turnpike · Mohawk Trail · Old Connecticut Path · Old Roebuck Road · Connecticut River · Atlantic Coast Ports |
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