Berkshire County was created on April 21, 1761 (Prov. Laws, Vol. IV, p.432; Act took effect June 30, 1761) and was formed from Hampshire County. The County was named for the English county of Berkshire. The County Seat is Pittsfield. Berkshire County is the western most county in Massachusetts. It extends from north to south across the western portion of Massachusetts, with the state of New York to its west, the state of Vermont to the north, and the state of Connecticut to the south. The County Government was abolished on July 1, 2000
Though Berkshire County still remains, the county governmenthas been "abolished", their offices being put under the direction of certain state offices. Example: the Registry of Deeds offices in abolished counties are now under the direction of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office; Sheriffs and jails are under the Secretary of Public Safety. See also County History for more historical details.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Divided into three districts in 1788. The above office is the "parent" county seat, encompassing all the Berkshire towns between 1761-88. After that it was still the probate office for the county, but only the registry of deeds for the Middle District. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.For Town Records contact the Town Clerk (Helpful Telephone Listings for your City/Town Hall)
Berkshire County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1761 and is located at the address below.
[Northern District], 65 Park Street,
Adams, MA 01220;
(413) 743-0035 Fax: (413) 743-1003; The Northern District includes the towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesboro, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy, Williamstown and Windsor.
[Middle District],
44 Bank Row,
Pittsfield, MA 01201;
(413) 443-7438 Fax: (413) 448-6025. The Middle District includes the towns of Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lee, Lenox, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyringham and Washington.
[Southern District],
334 Main Street,
Great Barrington, MA 01230;
(413) 528-0146 Fax: (413) 528-6878. The Southern District includes the towns of Alford, Egremont, Great Barrington, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, Sheffield and West Stockbridge.
Berkshire County Clerk of Probate Court has Probate Records from 1761 and is located at 44 Bank Row,
Pittsfield, MA 01201;
(413) 442-6941; Hours: M-F 8AM - 4PM Probate records, including the administration of estates, probate of wills, and the appointment of guardians, have been under the jurisdiction of the courts since the 1630s. County courts and later, county judges of probate, were responsible for these functions until 1783, when the probate courts were established. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the probate and family courts were given jurisdiction over adoptions, divorces, name changes, and domestic relations.
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Massachusetts Name Changes, 1780-1892: This collection of court records originally published in 1893 contains nearly 40,000 changes of names approved by the courts of Massachusetts between 1780 and 1892.
Massachusetts Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Massachusetts Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, 150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st floor, Dorchester, MA 02125-3105; (617) 740-2600, Fax: (617) 825-7755. It can take up to 2 months to get a vital record from Massachusetts.
Vital Records have been registered in Massachusetts since 1635. Statewide collection began in 1841. Records for events that occurred from 1841-1915 are available at the State Archives (617) 727-2816. Earlier records may be available at the City or Town of Occurrence.
Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates:
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth, death and marriage records that occur in Massachusetts from 1916 to the present.
Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $28.00 per certificate by mail or $18.00 when ordered in Person.
Make your check or money order payable to "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $28.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
In Person:
The Registry counter is open to the public from Monday - Friday: 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Directions - List of state holidays on which the office is closed.
The cost for each certified copy of a record is $18.00 at the Registry counter which includes a ten-year search if the exact date and place of event is not known. Note that ONLY CERTIFIED COPIES of records are issued by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, regardless of intended use.
Processing Time: 20-30 business days of receipt when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ONLINE BELOW
Divorce Certificates:The Registry also maintains an index of divorces from 1952 to the present. Copies of the divorce records are available from the probate court where the divorce was obtained.
Cost: Make your check or money order payable to "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $10.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 20-30 business days of receipt when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ONLINE BELOW
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Massachusetts newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850: This database is an index to approximately 838,000 individuals who were married in select areas of the State of Massachusetts, USA, between 1633 and 1850.
Massachusetts Town Birth Records: This database is a collection of birth records from many towns. Each record reveals the individual's name, birth date, birthplace, and parents' names. It provides the names of over 95,000 persons.
Massachusetts Town Death Records: This database is a collection of death records from many towns. Each record reveals the individual's name, death date, burial place, and other useful information. It provides the names of over 90,000 persons.
Massachusetts Town Marriage Records: This database is a collection of Marriage records from many towns. Each record reveals the names of bride and groom
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Massachusetts Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index.
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Massachusetts showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Massachusetts showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Maps. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Maps by clicking the link below:
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Massachusetts Military Company History, Vol. 4: The database contains many facts concerning births, marriages, occupations, etc. of the past and present members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company,
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols: There are over 175,000 records in this database, which give, when available, the name and age of the individual, town of residence, the date and location of enlistment, areas and length of service, date of discharge, and description of their physical features.
Tax records can be found at both the local and state levels. Massachusetts State Archives has tax returns for 1768 and 1771 as well as incomplete tax valuations for 1775, 1776, 1777 and 1778. The Massachusetts State Library holds them for 1780, 1783, 1784, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1800, 1801, 1810, and 1811.
Earlier taxes for the towns exist as well. Other tax lists may still be available at the town office.
The U.S. Direct Tax of 1798 for most counties remains extant. The surviving originals are at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and accessible on microfilm there and through the FHL
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
National Archives - Northeast Region, Boston, Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center, 380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02452-6399; Phone: (781) 663-0130, Fax: (781) 663-0154, E-mail: waltham.archives@nara.gov (Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.)
Commonwealth Museum and State Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125; (617) 727-2816, fax 288-8429. As the Massachusetts State Archives, the repository holds all state copies of vital records (1841-95); passenger lists for the Port of Boston (1848-91); federal census records (state copies, 1850-70, with 1880 on microfilm) with all supplemental federal schedules and state censuses for 1855 and 1865; legislative records from the General Court with land grants, petitions, tax records (1643-1787); Eastern land records for the settlement of Maine; human service institution records,; all military records for the state through the Revolution; records of human services institutions; and Judicial Archives beginning with colony era courts to mid-nineteenth century courts.
Massachusetts Historical Society,
1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215; Main number: (617) 536-1608. Although not a genealogical library, the collection includes rare books, personal papers, manuscripts, particularly the Thwing Collection of Early Bostonians, and rare books focusing particularly on Boston, Massachusetts and New England.
State Library of Massachusetts, 341 State House, Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133; Ph: 617.727.2590. Its genealogical collection includes extensive newspaper collections and indexes; town and county histories; town and county maps and atlases; and city directories back to 1787.
Massachusetts Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Massachusetts Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
One expects an ample supply of church records in a state whose history is so interwoven with religious principles and dissension, and such is the case in Massachusetts; many exist in either published form by themselves or in numerous periodicals or noted in several collections of inventories. Some early church records of vital events were included in the Systematic Series. Church records often contain other genealogical information such as admissions and dismissals indicating migration. Original records not held by the church itself are often deposited in central denominational libraries.
Cemeteries are maintained by towns, churches, families and, later, private enterprises. Some records for Boston's oldest cemeteries, such as Central and Granary, have been published.
Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Massachusetts obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Massachusetts newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Massachusetts.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Berkshire County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Berkshire County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Massachusetts Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Berkshire County was originally inhabited by the Mahican (Muh-he-ka-neew) Native American tribe, until the early 1700’s when the first English settlers and frontiersmen appeared around this time and began setting up farms and homesteads, despite the fact that it was Native American land. On April 25th 1724 “The English finally paid the Indians 460 pounds, 3 barrels of cider, and 30 quarts of rum for what is today Berkshire County” (page 5. Wood, David H. Lenox Massachusetts Shire Town. Published by the town of Lenox, 1969). This deal exempted modern Sheffield, Stockbridge, Richmond and Lenox, which were collected at various other dates into English territory.
