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Barnstable 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
Barnstable County, Massachusetts Facts
When was Barnstable County, MA Created?
Barnstable County was founded on June 2, 1685 as one of three original counties created in the Plymouth Colony.
What is the County Seat of Barnstable County, MA?
The County Seat is located in Barnstable and the county government website is http://www.barnstablecounty.org/
What counties are adjacent to Barnstable County, MA?
Bordering Counties are Plymouth County, Bristol County, Dukes County, Nantucket County.
Barnstable County, MA Vital Records
Where can find Barnstable County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Barnstable 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.
Barnstable 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 Barnstable 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 the town of Truro, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849
- Vital records of the Town of Brewster, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849
- TOWN RECORDS of BARNSTABLE COUNTY 1640 – 1920
- Vital Records of the Towns of Barnstable and Sandwich
- 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
Barnstable County, MA Census Records
What Barnstable County, MA census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Barnstable County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Barnstable Co. Mortality Schedules can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Barnstable Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Barnstable 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
Barnstable County, MA Courthouse and Government Records
Barnstable County CourthouseWhat genealogical records can I find in the Barnstable County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Barnstable 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 Barnstable 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.
- Barnstable County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
- Barnstable County Register of Deeds
- Phone: (508) 375-6725
- Land Records: 1827
- Barnstable County Clerk of Probate Court
- Phone: (508) 375-6725
- Probate Records: 1686
- Barnstable County Clerk of Courts
- Phone: 508-375-6684
- Court Records: 1686
- Massachusetts Name Changes, 1780-1892
- BLM Land Records
Barnstable County, MA Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Barnstable County, MA?
A list of Barnstable County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Massachusetts Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Barnstable Historical Society, 3087 Main St, Barnstable, MA 02630; 508-362-2982
- Bourne Historical Society, Box 3095, 30 Keene St., Bourne, MA. 02532; 508-759-8167
- Brewster Historical Society, PO Box 1146, 3171 Main Street, Brewster, Massachusetts 02631; Phone: (508) 896-9521
- Cape & Islands Historical Association, P.O. Box 50, Bourne, MA 02559-0050 (508)888-3300, Ext. 103 (old address 359 Main St. N. Harwich, MA 02645 )
- Cape Cod Community College Nickerson Archives, 2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, MA 02668; 508.362.2131
- Cape Cod Genealogical Society, PO Box 1394, E Harwich, MA 02645
- Cape Cod Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, P.O. Box 1912, 2469 Meetinghouse Way, (Route 149), West Barnstable, MA 02668; 508-362-WBTS (508-362-9287)
- Centerville Historical Society, 513 Main Street, Centerville, MA 02632, (508) 775-0331
- Chatham Historical Society, 347 Stage Harbor Road Chatham, MA 02633; (508) 945-2493
- Dennis Historical Society , PO Box 607, S Dennis, MA 02660-0607; 508-385-2232
- Donald G. Trayser Memorial Museum , 3353 Main Street, Barnstable Village, MA (617) 362-2092
- Eastham Historical Society, 2375 State Hwy Eastham, MA 02642; (508) 255-0788
- Falmouth Genelogical Society , PO Box 2107, Teaticket, MA 02536
- Falmouth Historical Society, 55 and 65 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, MA; Tel. (508) 548-4857
- Harwich Historical Society, PO Box 17, 80 Parallel Street, Harwich, MA 02645; (508) 432-8089
- Heritage Plantation of Sandwich, 67 Grove Street Sandwich, MA 02563; (508) 888-3300
- Orleans Historical Society, 3 River Rd., PO Box 353 , Orleans, MA 02653; 508-240-1329
- Osterville Historical Society, 155 West Bay Road, Osterville, MA 02655; Phone: (508) 428-5861
- Historic Society of Santuit and Cotuit, 1148 Main Street, Cotuit, Massachusetts 02635; 508-428-0461
- Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, P.O. Box 11, 11 Strawberry Lane, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 (508) 362-3021
- Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215
- State Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125
Where can I connect with other Barnstable 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)
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
What other genealogical resources are available in Barnstable County, MA?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Barnstable 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.
Barnstable 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)
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Books (amazon.com)
- Search Massachusetts Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
- Barnstable County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)
Barnstable Co. MA Cemeteries & Church Records
- Massachusetts Cemetery Research Guide
- Barnstable Co., Massachusetts Graves (findagrave.com)
- Gravestone records in the ancient cemetery and the Woodside Cemetery Yarmouth, Massachusetts (search.ancestry.com)
- Inscriptions from gravestones in the Old North Cemetery, Truro, Mass. (search.ancestry.com)
- Barnstable County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Barnstable Co., Massachusetts Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Barnstable Co., Massachusetts Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- Massachusetts Church & Bible Research Guide
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Church Books (amazon.com)
Barnstable Co. MA Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Massachusetts Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)
- Massachusetts Pioneers (search.ancestry.com)
Barnstable Co. MA General and History Websites
- See Also State History for Massachusetts
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1637-1686-1890 (1890) (archive.org)
- Full text of “History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1637-1686-1890 (archive.org)
- History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts : 1620-1637-1686-1890 (search.ancestry.com)
- Truro–Cape Cod, or, Land marks and sea marks (search.ancestry.com)
- A history and genealogy of the descendants of William Hammond of London, England and his wife Elizabeth Penn : through their so (search.ancestry.com)
- History of old Yarmouth : comprising the present towns of Yarmouth and Dennis : from the settlement to the division in 1794, wi (search.ancestry.com)
- A history of Chatham, Massachusetts (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts (capecodhistory.us)
- Village, Section or Neighborhood Names of Massachusetts Communities (sec.state.ma.us)
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Barnstable Co. MA Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Barnstable County, Massachusetts (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – Massachusetts – Counties – Barnstable (cyndislist.com)
- Barnstable County Massachusetts (genealogytrails.com)
- Barnstable Co. MAGenweb (plymouthcolony.net)
- Barnstable County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Barnstable Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Barnstable Co. MA Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Map of Massachusetts Links and Information
- 1895 Barnstable County Map (livgenmi.com)
Barnstable Co. MA Military Records
- Massachusetts Military Records Research Guide
- Massachusetts Military Records (fold3.com) provides access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Massachusetts men and women who served. Perfect for Perfect for Barnstable County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.
Barnstable 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.
- Dennis, Massachusetts Directory 1895 (search.ancestry.com)
- Yarmouth, Massachusetts Directory 1895 (search.ancestry.com)