Researchers should consult the Newberry's New England Genealogy pathfinder sheet for listings of important general works on the region. The following titles concerning Massachusetts itself should also be of interest.
DenBoer, Gordon. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Massachusetts: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.Call No. Local History Ref G1201.F7 A8 1993 (2nd floor open shelf).
Haskell, John D., Jr. Massachusetts: A Bibliography of its History. Boston: G..K. Hall, 1976.
Call No. Local History Ref Z1295.C65 1976 (2nd floor open shelf).
Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts. Boston, 1920.
Call No. F 8440 .55. Founding dates and boundary changes for Massachusetts jurisdictions.
Massachusetts vital records are maintained by the town or city, not by the county. Vital records going back to the 17th century are extant for many towns. Many of these records, especially from towns in the eastern part of the state, were published in the early 20th century. Look in the Newberry's card catalog under the name of the town as a subject heading to determine if such a publication is available for the town in which you are interested. Many original town records were also filmed by the Holbrook Research Institute in recent years and are available on microfiche. To determine if the Newberry has such a set for a particular town, check the computer catalog under the name of the town as a subject heading. Town histories can also be important sources for genealogical research. Again, check under the name of the town as a subject heading in both the computer and card catalogs.
Probate is under county jurisdiction, and so Newberry researchers should check in both the computer and card catalogs under the name of the county as a subject heading to see if the Library holds any abstracts, indexes or transcriptions of probate records. There may be other types of genealogically useful titles listed under a county subject heading as well. The following items may also be of interest:
Corbin Manuscript Collection in the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Boston: NEHGS, 1982. 60 reels.
Call No. Microfilm 525. Walter Corbin and his wife Lottie were professional genealogists specializing in western and central Massachusetts. They made a practice of transcribing (though not necessarily in their entirety) the records – including vital records and cemetery records – of the towns where they conducted their research. Their papers were microfilmed and this microfilm set is the result. To use this set at the Newberry, you must request specific reels. There is a contents guide on reel 1. A copy of the guide is also kept at the 2nd floor reference desk.
Longver, Phyllis O. and Pauline J. Oesterlin. A Surname Guide to Massachusetts Town Histories. Bowie, MD: Heritage, 1993. Call No. Local History Ref F63.L66 (2nd floor open shelf).
Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of the Revolutionary War . Boston, 1896-1908. 17 vols.
Call No. Local History Ref E263.M4 M4 1896 (2nd floor open shelf). Researchers should also consult the Newberry's pathfinder sheet Genealogical Research on Revolutionary War Patriots.
Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War. Massachusetts Adjutant General, 1931-1935. 9 vols., including index.
Call No. Local History Ref E513.M37 (2nd floor open shelf); also Microfiche 3412.
Newberry holdings complete 1790-1860, minimal thereafter. Published indexes 1790-1850. Special schedules for Union veterans and widows in 1890.
Mayflower Families Through Five Generations. Plymouth: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1975-.
Call No. Local History Ref F63.M48 (2nd floor open shelf). Multi-volume set, not completed. Also check computer catalog for volumes showing research in progress (look under title "Mayflower families in progress" or else under the name of the Mayflower passenger as a subject heading). Also check the computer catalog for Mayflower five-generation books which have not been published by the Society, again under the name of the passenger. Other publications related to Mayflower research are found on the 2nd floor open shelf next to the five-generation books and the Mayflower index (below).
Mayflower Index. Revised edition. Boston: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1960. 2 vols.
Call No. Local History Ref F68.M393 (2nd floor open shelf). Use with caution. Many lines of descent contained here are no longer accepted.
The Mayflower Descendant. 1899-.
Call No. E 697 .01. Journal of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants.