Plymouth County Genealogy Records
Plymouth County holds some of the oldest genealogy records in the United States, with land deeds dating to 1685 and probate files reaching back to 1686. Researchers tracing ancestors in Brockton, Plymouth, or any of the county's 27 towns will find primary source material at the Plymouth Registry of Deeds, the Probate and Family Court, and through digitized Plymouth Colony records that predate Massachusetts itself. This county is the starting point for Mayflower descendant research and is one of the most heavily documented regions in New England.
Plymouth County Overview
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
The Plymouth Registry of Deeds is located at 50 Obery Street in Plymouth. The phone number is 508-830-9200. This office holds all recorded land documents for Plymouth County from 1685 to the present. For genealogy research, deeds are essential. They show who owned land, when they bought or sold it, and often name family members as parties to a transaction. Heirs, spouses, and siblings appeared regularly in conveyances, and those names can break open a family line that has gone cold in other records.
Free online access is available through the TitleView system on the Registry's own website at plymouthdeeds.org. You can search by name, book and page, property, or date range. Grantor and grantee indexes run from 1685 to the present. Plan books start from 1899. The statewide portal at masslandrecords.com also covers Plymouth County and is another free option. If you need to print documents, the Registry charges $1 per page after a $60 non-refundable deposit for a TitleView subscription at $30 per month. Many researchers find the free online tools sufficient for most searches.
The Registry also holds several special collections that matter for deep genealogy work. These include Atlas Plans, Index Cards Referencing Plans and Decrees, County Commissioner Records, and the Mayers' Index to Plymouth Colony Land Deeds. There is also a Plan Index from 1890 to 1965 available as a PDF. These collections go beyond standard deed books and can help trace land ownership patterns across generations.
The Plymouth Registry of Deeds at plymouthdeeds.org provides free online access to Plymouth County land records from 1685 to the present, including the TitleView search system for grantor and grantee indexes.
Plymouth County's land records go back to the 1685 founding of the registry, making them a critical resource for families with roots in one of America's oldest settled areas.
| Office | Plymouth County Registry of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 50 Obery St, Plymouth, MA 02360 |
| Phone | 508-830-9200 |
| Online Search | plymouthdeeds.org |
| Statewide Portal | masslandrecords.com |
Plymouth County Probate and Family Court Records
Probate records for Plymouth County start in 1686, just one year after the county was formally established. The Probate and Family Court is at 52 Obery Street in Plymouth, one block from the Registry of Deeds. The phone number is 508-747-6204. Probate files include wills, estate inventories, administration papers, and guardianship records. These documents name heirs, creditors, and sometimes neighbors who served as witnesses. A will from the 1700s can establish family relationships that no other record type confirms.
A substantial portion of historic Plymouth County probate records is available free through FamilySearch. Indexes run from 1633 to 1967. Docket books cover 1685 to 1987. File papers span 1686 to 1881, and record books cover 1686 to 1903. FamilySearch has images of these records at familysearch.org. Members of the New England Historic Genealogical Society at americanancestors.org have access to additional Plymouth County databases that can fill gaps left by FamilySearch alone. For probate records after 1881, a visit to the courthouse or a written request may be needed.
Note: Pre-1686 probate matters were handled under Plymouth Colony jurisdiction. Those records are separate from the county court system and are documented in colonial-era sources described below.
Plymouth Colony Records and Mayflower Genealogy
Plymouth County is unique in Massachusetts genealogy because its recorded history starts before the colony became part of Massachusetts Bay. Plymouth Colony operated as an independent government from 1620 until 1691, and its records are separate from the standard county court system. Researchers tracing Mayflower families or anyone who arrived in Plymouth before 1691 need to look at these colonial-era sources in addition to county records.
Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds from 1620 to 1699 are available on FamilySearch at no cost. The website plymouthcolony.net also has Plymouth Colony records and is a good starting point for anyone new to this research. These records cover land grants, court cases, and vital events that predate the formal county registry by decades. Many Mayflower passenger families are documented through multiple generations in these sources, making them essential for anyone working on lineage society applications or colonial-era ancestor searches.
The towns covered by Plymouth County genealogy records are extensive: Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, Wareham, West Bridgewater, and Whitman. Each town kept its own vital records, and these town clerk records often supplement or correct what appears in county-level sources.
Vital Records for Plymouth County Genealogy
Plymouth County vital records follow the same structure as the rest of Massachusetts. For births, marriages, and deaths from 1841 to 1925, the primary source is the Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston. In-person copies cost $3 each. For records from 1926 to the present, contact the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester. Online orders cost $54 for the first copy, mail requests cost $32, and in-person requests cost $20. You can order directly through the state at mass.gov.
For events before 1841, the key sources are the town clerk records that each Plymouth County town kept separately. Many of these early records have been transcribed and published in the "Systematic Series" of Massachusetts town vital records. FamilySearch offers free access to Massachusetts Town Clerk records from 1626 to 2001, which includes a large portion of the Plymouth County town record set. Searching FamilySearch before ordering certified copies is a practical first step, especially for events in the 1800s or earlier.
Under M.G.L. Chapter 46, Massachusetts law sets out the rules for vital record registration and access. Town clerks across Plymouth County are required to maintain these records, and the law specifies who may get copies and under what conditions. Most older genealogy records are open to the public without restriction. More recent records may require proof of relationship or another qualifying purpose.
Online Genealogy Resources for Plymouth County
FamilySearch is the most comprehensive free starting point for Plymouth County genealogy. The FamilySearch wiki page for Plymouth County, Massachusetts lists all available record collections, explains what years they cover, and links directly to digitized images. The wiki is updated as new collections are added, so it is worth checking even if you have searched FamilySearch before. In addition to probate records and colony deeds, FamilySearch has vital records, land records, and church registers for many Plymouth County towns.
American Ancestors at americanancestors.org provides access to databases that are not available for free. Their Plymouth County collections include published genealogies, church records, and compiled family histories. A membership is needed to use most of these, but the depth of coverage makes it worthwhile for researchers who are serious about New England ancestry. The statewide land records portal at masslandrecords.com remains free and covers all Plymouth County deeds in one place.
Note: The Massachusetts State Archives holds records beyond vital records, including colonial court papers and early town records. Their collections overlap with Plymouth County genealogy research in ways that can fill gaps left by the county registry alone.
Cities in Plymouth County
Plymouth County includes 27 towns. The two largest cities with dedicated genealogy records pages are Brockton and Plymouth. Records for all other towns in the county are held at the same registry and court offices described above.
Other towns in Plymouth County include Abington, Bridgewater, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Norwell, Pembroke, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, Wareham, West Bridgewater, and Whitman. All genealogy records for these towns are filed at the Plymouth Registry of Deeds and Probate Court.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Plymouth County. If your ancestor lived near a county line, check the neighboring registry as well, since deeds were sometimes recorded on the wrong side of a boundary.