Quincy Genealogy Records

Quincy genealogy records are spread across several offices in Norfolk County, with birth, death, and marriage records available at the Quincy City Clerk, the Massachusetts State Archives for the 1841 to 1925 period, and the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics for more recent events. Researchers searching Quincy genealogy records also have access to Norfolk County land and probate records that extend back to 1793, when Norfolk County was formed from parts of Suffolk County, making it possible to trace families through both deed and vital record lines.

Quincy City Clerk

The Quincy City Clerk at 1305 Hancock Street is the local office for vital records. This office holds birth, marriage, and death records for events in Quincy. You can visit in person or mail a request. The clerk maintains local copies of records at all time periods, though the state system also holds copies of records from 1841 through 1925.

Mail requests to the Quincy City Clerk should include the person's full name, the type of record you need, an approximate year, and your return address. Fees at Massachusetts city and town clerks are typically $15 to $25 per certified copy. Call 617-376-1166 to confirm the current rate before sending payment.

Quincy vital records from 1841 through 1925 are also held by the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston. More recent records from 1926 to the present are at the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester. The city clerk is often the simplest local option if you do not want to deal with the state agencies.

Norfolk County Land Records

The Norfolk Registry of Deeds at norfolkdeeds.org covers Quincy land records with free online searching, including deeds indexed by name going back to 1793 when Norfolk County was formed.

Vital records for Quincy are obtainable from the state for the 1841 to 1925 period or from the RVRS for more recent records, while the city clerk holds local records at all time periods.

Norfolk County was formed in 1793, carved out of Suffolk County. For Quincy land records before 1794, you need to search the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds in Boston, since those older transactions were recorded there. The Norfolk Registry holds everything from 1793 forward for Quincy. All of these deed records are searchable free online through the MassLandRecords portal.

Deed records are a core genealogy tool. They place people at specific addresses at specific times and often name relatives in the transaction. If your Quincy ancestor owned a home or sold property, a deed record likely exists. Search by the person's last name and cross-reference with the approximate years they lived in Quincy.

Massachusetts State Archives and State Vital Records

The Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston holds statewide vital records from 1841 through 1925. Quincy records for that period are part of this collection. The reading room is free and open to the public. You can look through microfilm indexes and order copies of what you find.

For records from 1926 to the present, requests go to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester. Online orders cost $54 for the first copy. Mail orders cost $32. In-person visits cost $20. The full ordering guide is at mass.gov.

FamilySearch has a wide set of Massachusetts town clerk records, including Quincy, covering 1626 to 2001. Many of these are free to view online. The Norfolk County wiki page at familysearch.org lists all available collections. Check there before you drive to any archive or pay for a state copy.

Note: Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46 is the statute that sets the rules for vital records creation, maintenance, and access across the state.

Norfolk County Probate Records

Norfolk County Probate Court at Canton holds wills, estate inventories, and related records from 1793 to the present. Probate records are especially useful for genealogy because they name all heirs and often describe a person's property in detail. If your Quincy ancestor died with any assets, there may be a probate file.

FamilySearch has indexed Norfolk County probate records through the 1800s and into the early 1900s for free online viewing. For more recent records, contact the court. Staff can search the index and let you know what is available before you visit.

Quincy Genealogy Records and Notable Families

Quincy is best known as the birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the second and sixth presidents of the United States. If you are researching families connected to the Adams family or to colonial Quincy, the city's records collection goes back quite far. The Adams family and their neighbors appear in early Massachusetts vital records, land records, and church records.

For researchers with Quincy roots in the 1800s, the combination of Norfolk County deeds (from 1793), probate records, and the State Archives vital records covers most of what you need. Pre-1793 Quincy land records are in the Suffolk County system, so check there if your ancestor was in town before Norfolk County was formed.

The American Ancestors database at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston covers Norfolk County in depth. Their probate and vital record indexes are a strong complement to the free FamilySearch and state archives collections. Some content requires a paid membership, but free searches are available for many records.

Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy holds local history materials including city directories and published vital records. City directories from the 1800s onward can help you track a family's address history within Quincy between census years.

Norfolk County Genealogy Records

Quincy is part of Norfolk County. County-level records including probate, land deeds, and court filings are accessible through Norfolk County offices in Dedham and Canton. For a full overview of genealogy resources at the county level, visit the Norfolk County records page.

View Norfolk County Genealogy Records

Nearby Cities

Other cities near Quincy also have genealogy records pages with local clerk and courthouse details.