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Essex County History and Information |
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Essex County was created on May 10, 1643 (Mass. Bay Rec. Vol. II, p.38) and was formed as an Original County. The County was named for the English county of Essex. The County Seat is Salem.The County Government was abolished on July 1, 1999
Though Essex County still remains, the county government has 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.
Counties adjacent to Essex County are Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north), Suffolk County (south), Middlesex County (west).
Cities, Towns & Communities include: Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Byfield, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham and West Newbury.
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See Also Massachusetts Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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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. |
The county was divided into two districts in 1869. The above office is the "parent" county seat, encompassing all the Essex towns between 1761-88. After that it remained the probate office for the county, but the registry of deeds for only the southern district (see Town Resources for towns in each of the registry of deeds districts). This registry also has all the "old" Norfolk County (1637-1714) and Ipswich Series Deeds, 1640-94. Essex court records to 1800 are at the Essex Institute. 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)
Essex County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1637 and is located at the address below.
- Southern District,
36 Federal Street,
Salem, MA 01970;
(978) 741-0201 ,
Fax: (978) 744-5865. The Southern District includes the towns of Amesbury, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Merrimac, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury.
- Northern District,
381 Common Street,
Lawrence, MA 01840;
(978) 683-2745,
Fax: (978) 688-4679. The Northern District includes the towns of Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover.
Essex County Clerk of Probate Court has Probate Records from 1635 and is located at 36 Federal Street,
Salem, MA 01970;
(978) 745-0350 Fax (978) 741-2957
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.
Essex County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1636 and is located at 34 Federal St., Salem 01970; (978) 744-5500
Below is a list of online resources for Essex County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Court Records by clicking the link below:
- Index to Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. and District Courts for the District of Massachusetts, 1907-1966: NARA M1545. Index to naturalization petitions and records for the District of Massachusetts, within the US District Court, 1906-1966, and the US Circuit Court, 1906-1911.
- Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts of the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1929 (The National Archives): NARA M1368. Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the US District and Circuit Courts of the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1929.
- 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.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
- Essex County, Massachusetts Court Books at Amazon.com
- 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.
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See Also Vital Records in Massachusetts
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. Some documents are just too important to wait 4 months for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
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 ELECTRONICALLY
- Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
- 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 ELECTRONICALLY
Below is a list of online resources for Essex County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
- Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
- Massachusetts Marriages to 1800: This database of Massachusetts marriages to 1850 contains over 29,000 names.
- 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
- Essex County, Massachusetts Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Essex County, Massachusetts are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Essex County, Massachusetts are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules
for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Massachusetts
Below is a list of online resources for Essex County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Essex County Maps. Email us with websites containing Essex County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Massachusetts
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 Essex County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Massachusetts Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Massachusetts Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- 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.
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- 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.
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (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.
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
- Massachusetts Army & Navy, 1861-1865 : This database lists Massachusetts officers and soldiers who were killed in action.
- 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.
- Massachusetts Spanish American War Records
- Essex County, Massachusetts Military Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Research In Tax Records
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 Essex County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Other Massachusetts Genealogical Addresses
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 Essex County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Essex County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Andover Historical Society,
97 Main Street,
Andover, MA 01810;
Phone: (978) 475-2236
- Beverly Historical Society,
117 Cabot Street,
Beverly, MA 01915;
Phone: (978) 922 1186
- Cape Ann Historical Society,
27 Pleasant Street,
Gloucester, MA 01930;
Phone: (978) 283-0455
- Danvers Historical Society,
P.O. Box 381,
Danvers, MA 01923,
Phone: (978) 777-1666
- Essex Historical Society,
66 & 28 Main Street,
PO Box 277, Essex, MA 01929;
Phone: (978) 768-7541
- Georgetown Historical Society,
P.O. Box 376,
Georgetown, MA 01833
- Haverhill Historical Society,
240 Water Street,
Haverhill, MA 01830;
Phone: (978) 374-4626
- Historical Society of Old Newbury,
98 High Street,
Newburyport, MA 01950;
Phone: (978) 462-2681
- Methuen Historical Society,
Methuen Massachusetts
- Newburyport Maritime Society,
25 Water Street,
Newburyport, MA 01950;
Phone: (978) 462-8681
- Peabody Historical Society,
35 Washington Street,
Peabody MA 01960;
Phone: (978) 531-0805
- The Saugus Historical Society,
PO Box 1209,
Saugus, MA 01906-1209;
Phone: (781) 233-7232
- Local Massachusetts Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
- 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.
- Massachusetts Library Directory
- Massachusetts Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Massachusetts
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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. |
There are many churches and cemeteries in Essex County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Essex County Tombstone Transcription Project.
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 Essex County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Essex County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Essex County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Essex County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
- Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA
testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Essex County ] [ Massachusetts ] [ Main Page ]
- Essex County MAGenWeb Archives
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
- 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.
- The Massachusetts Family Group Sheet Project
- Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
- 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.
- Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
- Essex County, Massachusetts Family Books at Amazon.com
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Essex County was first created in 1643. The county seat is Salem. Essex County is located, on the Atlantic coast, in northeastern Massachusetts. The neighboring counties are the Massachusetts counties of Suffolk to the south and Middlesex to the west, with the New Hampshire county of Rockingham to the north.
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