Search Cambridge Genealogy Records
Cambridge genealogy records go back to the early colonial period, with the Cambridge City Clerk holding birth, death, and marriage records and the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds holding land records from 1629 onward. Researchers searching Cambridge genealogy records benefit from one of the best-documented local records collections in New England, with free online access to deeds, state archive indexes, and FamilySearch databases all covering this city.
Cambridge Overview
Cambridge City Clerk Genealogy Records
The Cambridge City Clerk is the local keeper of vital records. Birth, death, marriage, and domestic partnership records are all available from this office. The clerk is located at 795 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. Staff handle requests in person, by mail, and online. If you are searching for a Cambridge ancestor, this is the right starting point for records of vital events that occurred within city limits.
| Office | Cambridge City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 795 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02139 |
| Phone | 617-349-4260 |
| cityclerk@cambridgema.gov | |
| Website | cambridgema.gov - City Clerk |
Online ordering is available through the city's website. Check the clerk's page before visiting in person. Fees for certified copies in Massachusetts typically run $15 to $25 per record. Vital records are maintained under M.G.L. Chapter 46, which sets the rules for how cities and towns create and keep birth, death, and marriage records across the state. Cambridge has been a city since 1846 and a town before that going back to the 1630s, so the record history here is long.
For records from 1841 to 1925, the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston holds statewide copies. For 1926 to the present, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 617-740-2600 handles state copies. You can order from the state through mass.gov as well.
Middlesex South Registry of Deeds
Massachusetts Land Records at masslandrecords.com provides free online access to Middlesex South Registry deed records covering Cambridge and other towns in the southern Middlesex district.
Cambridge land records in the Middlesex South Registry go back to 1629, making this one of the longest continuously maintained deed collections in the country.
The Middlesex South Registry office is at 208 Cambridge Street in Cambridge, phone 617-679-6300. You can visit in person to search records or use the free online portal. Both options give you access to the full deed collection from 1629 to the present. Land records are especially useful in genealogy because deeds often name relatives, reference earlier owners, and confirm when a person lived in a place. Searching an ancestor's name in the grantor-grantee index can turn up property they bought and sold over their lifetime.
Note: Cambridge falls in the Middlesex South Registry district. Other Middlesex County towns may fall in the Middlesex North district centered in Lowell. Make sure you are searching the right registry for the town you are researching.
State Archives and Online Research Tools
The Massachusetts State Archives reading room at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston is free and open to the public. Researchers can view Cambridge vital records on microfilm for the period 1841 through 1925. Staff can help you navigate the indexes. The Archives also holds town records, court records, and other state-level collections that are useful for Cambridge genealogy work from the 1600s forward.
FamilySearch has a substantial free collection of Middlesex County records. Browse the Middlesex County genealogy wiki to see what is indexed before visiting in person. Many Cambridge vital records from the 1800s are scanned and searchable online at no cost. The Cambridge vital records through 1850 were published in book form and are widely available in libraries and on FamilySearch.
American Ancestors at americanancestors.org in Boston holds probate records, newspapers, and many other genealogy collections covering Middlesex County. Some content requires a membership, but free access is available for many collections. This is one of the premier genealogy research databases for New England.
Cambridge Public Library Local History
The Cambridge Public Library at 449 Broadway (phone: 617-349-4040) has a local history collection that includes Cambridge town records, city directories, and historical newspapers. These materials supplement the official records at the City Clerk and State Archives. City directories are useful for placing an ancestor at a specific address during a specific year, which can help you locate them in census records, deed records, and court records.
Cambridge City Archives may also hold additional historical records not available through the clerk's office. Contact the Cambridge City Clerk's office to ask whether older records are held at a separate archive location. Some cities maintain a separate municipal archive for historical documents. Having the City Clerk's phone and email handy (617-349-4260 / cityclerk@cambridgema.gov) makes it easy to ask these questions before making a trip.
Middlesex County Probate Court is in Woburn, phone 617-768-8800. Probate records there include wills, inventories, and estate files that name heirs and family members. These are worth searching when vital records are hard to find or when you need to confirm family relationships. FamilySearch has indexed many older Middlesex County probate records online.
Middlesex County Genealogy Records
Cambridge is in Middlesex County, one of the most populous counties in Massachusetts. County-level genealogy resources include the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds, the Middlesex County Probate Court, and the State Archives collections. For a full overview of what is available at the county level, visit the Middlesex County genealogy records page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Cambridge also have genealogy records pages with local clerk information and research resources.