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Dukes County, Massachusetts
Genealogy, History & Facts
County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links
Dukes County, Massachusetts Facts
Dukes County was established twice, the first was by New York on November 1, 1683 until 1691 and the second time by Massachusetts on June 22, 1695 from Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands, which had been part of Dukes County, New York until Massachusetts gained it in 1691.
What is the County Seat of Dukes County, MA?
The County Seat is located in Edgartown and the county government website is http://www.dukescounty.org
What counties are adjacent to Dukes County, MA?
Bordering Counties are Plymouth County, Nantucket County, Barnstable County, Bristol County.
Dukes County, MA Vital Records
Where can find Dukes County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Dukes County vital records can be found at the Massachusetts Office of Vital Records has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Massachusetts for current fees and application process. Vital Records have been registered in Massachusetts since 1635. Statewide collection began in 1841. There is a fee for each copy requested. Records for events that occurred from 1841-1910 are available at the State Archives.
Dukes County Town Clerks has copies of vital records (birth, marriage, divorce and death records). Clerks respond to inquiries regarding vital records, since most have indexes available.
You can search online for Dukes County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Massachusetts Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.
- Vital records of Edgartown, Massachusetts to the year 1850
- Vital records of Chilmark, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1850
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- Social Security Death Index
- USGenweb Archives Massachusetts Marriage Project
- Early Vital Records of Massachusetts, From 1600 to 1850
- Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1841-1920
- Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Towns Records, 1579-2001
- Massachusetts Vital Records Index Pre-1850
- Massachusetts Vital Record Transcripts, 1620-1849
- Massachusetts Vital Records, 1620-1915
- Massachusetts Vital Records Index 1841-1895
- Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915
- Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915
- Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910
- Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915
- Massachusetts, Death Index, 1970-2003
- Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910
- Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915
Dukes County, MA Census Records
What Dukes County, MA census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Dukes County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Dukes Co. Mortality Schedules can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Dukes Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Dukes Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be found for 1890.
Massachusetts state censuses exist for the years 1855 and 1865. There is free down-loadable and also printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Massachusetts Census Records Research Guide
Dukes County, MA Courthouse and Government Records
What genealogical records can I find in the Dukes County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Dukes County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Massachusetts courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Massachusetts residents.
The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Dukes County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Massachusetts Corthouse Records Research Guide.
- Dukes County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 81 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539
- Phone: 508-627-3751
- Dukes County Register of Deeds
- Phone: (508) 627-4025
- Land Records: 1686
- Dukes County Clerk of Probate Court
- Phone: (508) 627-7664
- Probate Records: 1696
- Dukes County Clerk of Courts
- Phone: (508) 627-4668
- Court Records: 1665
- Massachusetts Name Changes, 1780-1892
- BLM Land Records
Dukes County, MA Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Dukes County, MA?
A list of Dukes County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Massachusetts Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, 59 School Street, P.O. Box 1310, Edgartown, MA 02539; Phone: (508) 627-4441
- Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215
- State Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125
Where can I connect with other Dukes County, MA Researchers through message boards and forums?
- https://www.archives.gov/research/census
- Massachusetts Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
- Massachusetts State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
What other genealogical resources are available in Dukes County, MA?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Dukes County. A lot of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some call for a cost. This is just a collection which has been compiled or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site above another.
Dukes Co. MA Books, Newspapers & Publications
- Massachusetts Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
- Massachusetts historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
- Historical Newspapers from Massachusetts (1690 – 1992) (genealogybank.com)
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Books (amazon.com)
- Search Massachusetts Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
- Dukes County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)
Dukes Co. MA Cemeteries & Church Records
- Massachusetts Cemetery Research Guide
- Dukes Co., Massachusetts Graves (findagrave.com)
- Dukes County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Dukes Co., Massachusetts Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Dukes Co., Massachusetts Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- Massachusetts Church & Bible Research Guide
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Church Books (amazon.com)
Dukes Co. MA Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Massachusetts Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)
- Massachusetts Pioneers (search.ancestry.com)
Dukes Co. MA General and History Websites
- See Also State History for Massachusetts
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- Early history of Naushon Island (search.ancestry.com)
- The Gosnold Memorial (search.ancestry.com)
- Gosnold and his colony at Cuttyhunk (search.ancestry.com)
- Village, Section or Neighborhood Names of Massachusetts Communities (sec.state.ma.us)
- Dukes County, Massachusetts Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Dukes Co. MA Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Dukes County, Massachusetts (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – Massachusetts – Counties – Dukes (cyndislist.com)
- Dukes County Massachusetts (genealogytrails.com)
- Dukes Co. MAGenweb (vineyard.net)
- Dukes County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Dukes Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Dukes Co. MA Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Map of Massachusetts Links and Information
- 1895 Dukes County Map (livgenmi.com)
Dukes Co. MA Military Records
- Massachusetts Military Records Research Guide
- Massachusetts Military Records (fold3.com) will provide access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Massachusetts women and men which served. Perfect for Dukes County genealogists, researchers, historians and much more.
Dukes Co. MA Schools & Directories
- Massachusetts City Directories (search.ancestry.com) This database is a collection of city directories for various years and cities in Massachusetts. Generally a city directory will contain an alphabetical list of its citizens, listing the names of the heads of households, their addresses, and occupational information.