Suffolk County Genealogy Records

Suffolk County holds some of the oldest genealogy records in the United States, with deeds, probate files, and vital records reaching back to 1636. Researchers tracing ancestors in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, or Winthrop will find the bulk of their primary source material split between the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, the Probate and Family Court, the Boston City Archives, and the Massachusetts State Archives.

Suffolk County Registry of Deeds

The Suffolk County Registry of Deeds is the first stop for genealogy research tied to land ownership. It sits at 24 New Chardon Street in Boston and keeps deed records going back to the colonial period. Every land transfer, mortgage, easement, and release recorded in Suffolk County is filed here. For family researchers, deeds show where an ancestor lived, when they bought or sold property, and often who their relatives were, since heirs were named in many conveyances.

Free online access is available through masslandrecords.com, which hosts the statewide land records portal. You can search Suffolk County deeds by grantor or grantee name, book and page number, property address, or date range. Document images are available for the entire collection. The Registry's own site at suffolkdeeds.com also has direct search tools and staff contact information for questions about older or unusual records.

The Massachusetts Land Records portal at masslandrecords.com provides free online access to Suffolk County deed records going back to the colonial era, covering all recorded land documents.

Suffolk County deeds and property records are fully searchable online, letting genealogy researchers trace land ownership across generations without visiting the registry in person.

Suffolk County Probate and Family Court Records

Probate records are among the richest sources for family history. Suffolk County probate files go back to 1636, making them among the oldest in the country. These records include wills, estate inventories, administration papers, guardianship appointments, and dower releases. Wills in particular often name children, grandchildren, and other relatives by name, sometimes with addresses, occupations, and relationships spelled out in detail. Estate inventories list household goods, tools, livestock, and debts, giving a picture of an ancestor's daily life.

The Suffolk County Probate and Family Court is located at 3 Pemberton Square in Boston. The phone number is 617-768-5800. Researchers can access probate records from 1636 to the present at this location. The court holds docket books, file papers, and case indexes. Staff can help you look up a case by name or docket number.

A large portion of historical Suffolk County probate records is also available free on FamilySearch. Suffolk County Probate Records from 1636 to 1899 have been digitized and are searchable at familysearch.org. This lets you check probate files from home before making a trip to the courthouse. For records after 1899, a visit to the court or a written request may be needed.

Note: The Supreme Judicial Court Archives are also located in Suffolk County and hold records for the entire state, including appeals and older equity cases that can supplement probate research.

Vital Records for Suffolk County Genealogy

Vital records for Suffolk County are divided by time period, and this split matters a lot for researchers. Boston did not begin keeping comprehensive birth, marriage, and death records until around 1850. For events before that date, you need to look in different places than for later records. Missing this distinction is one of the most common mistakes in Suffolk County genealogy research.

For pre-1850 Boston vital records, the Boston City Archives is the primary source. The City Archives is at 201 Rivermoor Street in West Roxbury. The phone number is 617-635-1199. They hold early city registration records, old town records, church registers that were collected over time, and other local documents that predate state registration. These records cover births, intentions to marry, marriages, and deaths for Boston going back into the colonial era. Many towns in what is now Suffolk County published their early vital records in the "Systematic Series" of Massachusetts town vital records, and copies are available at the Boston Public Library.

For records from 1841 to 1925, the Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston is the main holder. The State Archives has birth, marriage, and death records for this period, and in-person copies cost $3 each. For records from 1926 forward, contact the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester. You can order records online for $54 for the first copy, by mail for $32, or in person for $20.

FamilySearch offers free access to Massachusetts Town Clerk records from 1626 to 2001 and Massachusetts State Vital Records from 1841 to 1920. These are a good first step before ordering official copies. You can also order certified copies of vital records directly through the state at mass.gov.

Under M.G.L. Chapter 46, Massachusetts law sets rules for vital record registration and access. The law requires town and city clerks to keep these records, and it spells out who can get copies and under what conditions. Most older genealogy records are open to the public. More recent records may have access restrictions.

Boston Public Library Genealogy Collections

The Boston Public Library at 700 Boylston Street is a major resource for Suffolk County genealogy. The Local History and Genealogy department on the third floor of the McKim building holds printed genealogies, town histories, city directories, newspapers, and reference books covering Boston and New England. City directories for Boston going back to the early 1800s are available in print and on microfilm. These let you track where an ancestor lived and what they did for work, year by year.

The BPL also has access to major subscription genealogy databases including Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com, which you can use free with a library card. The collection of Boston newspaper obituaries is especially strong. A death notice often gives the names of surviving relatives, place of burial, and the deceased's hometown if they were an immigrant. Combining newspaper research with probate and vital records can fill in details that official documents leave out.

American Ancestors and NEHGS Resources

American Ancestors, the research arm of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, has its headquarters in Boston and serves as one of the top genealogy resources in the country. Their website at americanancestors.org hosts hundreds of databases covering New England families, many of which are specific to Suffolk County and Boston. A membership is required to access most databases, but some are free. Members can also use the library in person at 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston.

NEHGS holds manuscript collections, church records, family papers, and genealogy compiled by earlier researchers. For Suffolk County specifically, they have Boston church records, cemetery transcriptions, and published genealogies covering major Boston families. Their database of Massachusetts vital records is especially valuable for filling gaps in official state registration. Many researchers find that combining NEHGS sources with the Registry of Deeds and State Archives covers most of what they need for Suffolk County family history.

Note: The Massachusetts Public Records Division oversees access to government records statewide, including genealogy-relevant documents held by state and local agencies.

Cities in Suffolk County

Suffolk County includes four communities: Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. All genealogy records for these places are held by the same registry and court offices described above.

Chelsea and Winthrop are also part of Suffolk County. Neither has a separate city page, but their genealogy records are held at the same registry and court offices listed above.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Suffolk County. If your ancestor lived near a county line, check both registries, since deeds were sometimes recorded in a neighboring county.