Taunton Genealogy Records

Taunton genealogy records are held across several local offices, with the Taunton City Clerk serving as the main source for birth, death, and marriage records, while the Bristol North Registry of Deeds, located right in Taunton, holds land records going back centuries. Researchers looking into Taunton family history should be aware of a key gap: an 1838 fire destroyed many early town books, and while reconstructed volumes exist, some records from before that year may be incomplete or missing entirely.

Taunton City Clerk

The Taunton City Clerk is the first place to look for vital records. This office holds birth, death, and marriage records for the city. You can visit in person, send a mail request, or check the city's website for any online ordering options. The clerk's office is in Room 103 at 15 Summer Street.

The clerk holds records for recent decades in good condition. Older records are less complete due to the 1838 fire. Published volumes were later reconstructed from church records, family papers, and other sources. These reconstructed volumes cover many people but should not be treated as complete. If you do not find a pre-1838 record in the clerk's files, try church records and the Old Colony History Museum.

Certified copies typically cost $15 to $25 per record, though fees can change. Call ahead or check the website to confirm current costs before you send a mail request. Include a check or money order payable to the City of Taunton when ordering by mail. In person visits let you get same-day copies for most records.

Note: Pre-1838 Taunton records were lost in a fire. Reconstructed volumes exist, but some family entries may be missing. Check multiple sources when researching ancestors from before 1838.

Bristol North Registry of Deeds

The Bristol North Registry of Deeds at tauntondeeds.com is located right in Taunton and serves as the land records office for the northern Bristol County district, with documents going back centuries.

Because the northern registry is physically in Taunton at 11 Court Street, it is especially convenient for in-person deed research for Taunton genealogy projects.

Land records are among the most useful tools for genealogy. Deeds name sellers and buyers, and often mention spouses, heirs, and other family members. They can place an ancestor in a specific place at a specific time, which helps you build a timeline and connect generations. The Bristol North Registry has deed images going back centuries, with free online search available through their website. FamilySearch also has Bristol County deed images scanned from older records.

You can also use masslandrecords.com, the statewide land records portal, to search Bristol North deed records at no cost. This is helpful if you are researching from out of state and cannot visit in person.

Bristol Probate Court

Probate records are another major resource for Taunton genealogy research. Wills, estate inventories, and guardianship papers often name children, spouses, and other relatives in detail. The Bristol Probate Court in Taunton holds probate records going back to 1685, making this one of the oldest probate collections in the state.

Older probate records often list the names and ages of children, making them especially valuable when vital records are missing. An estate inventory from 1750 might tell you more about a family than a birth record alone. Researchers working on Taunton ancestry from the 1700s and 1800s should make the Bristol Probate Court a priority stop.

FamilySearch has indexes and some images for older Bristol County probate records. Check their wiki at familysearch.org to see what is available online before planning an in-person visit.

Massachusetts State Archives and Vital Records

State-level records are a key part of any Taunton genealogy project. The Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston holds statewide vital records from 1841 through 1925. This covers births, marriages, and deaths registered across the state, including Taunton, during that period. The reading room is open to the public at no charge.

For records from 1926 to the present, contact the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester. Phone: 617-740-2600. Online orders cost $54 for the first copy; mail orders cost $32; in-person visits cost $20. The state system covers Taunton records from 1841 forward, which means the gap from the 1838 fire does not affect state-held records in the same way it affects the local clerk files.

The official mass.gov ordering page walks you through how to request birth, marriage, and death records. It covers fees, methods, and what identification you need to provide. Taunton records can be ordered through state channels for events that were properly registered with the state system. Vital records in Massachusetts are governed by M.G.L. Chapter 46.

Local History and Genealogy Resources

Taunton has strong local resources for genealogy research beyond official vital records offices.

The Taunton Public Library at 12 Pleasant Street (508-821-1410) holds local history materials, newspaper files, and other reference resources that can help fill in gaps when vital records are missing or incomplete. City directories, published genealogies, and old newspaper obituaries are often available in local library collections.

The Old Colony History Museum at 66 Church Green (508-822-1622) is a key resource for research into Taunton and the surrounding Old Colony area. The museum holds historical records, photographs, and documents that are not found at the city clerk or the state archives. If you are researching families from Taunton or nearby towns in Plymouth Colony-era history, a visit or inquiry to the museum is worth the effort.

American Ancestors at americanancestors.org is the New England Historic Genealogical Society's research platform. Their databases cover Massachusetts probate, vital records, and other record types. Some content is free; some requires membership. For serious Taunton genealogy research, an NEHGS membership is often a good investment.

Bristol County Genealogy Records

Taunton is the county seat of Bristol County. County-level records including probate, land deeds, and court records are centered here. For a full overview of genealogy resources across the county, visit the Bristol County genealogy records page.

View Bristol County Genealogy Records

Nearby Cities

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