Author Archive

We’re announcing nine new volumes in Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 from Immaculate Conception in Marlborough.  This latest update adds over 26,000 new records and more than 103,000 new names to this database.  The new volumes are listed below:

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms and Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1854-1861

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1861-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1869-1896

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1875-1886

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Confirmations, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1869-1896

Please note: These databases are available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership. 

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Today we’ve added two new volumes to Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 from St. Anthony of Padua in Allston.  St. Anthony’s grew from St. Columbkille’s in Brighton, a parish that will be coming soon to our browsable database.  The two new volumes include St. Anthony of Padua (Allston) Baptisms, 1896-1900 and St. Anthony of Padua (Allston) Marriages, 1896-1900.  This update adds over 1,400 new records and over 5,700 new names.

Please note: These databases are available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership. 

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We’ve just added six new volumes to Massachusetts: (Image Only) Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, from St. Joseph in Haverhill.  St. Joseph was the French Canadian parish in Haverhill; the records for St. James, the anglophone parish in Haverhill will be coming to our site soon.  The new volumes are listed below:

St. Joseph (Haverhill) Mixed, 1871-1879
St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1880-1887
St. Joseph (Haverhill) Mixed, 1887-1893
St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1894-1898
St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1899-1900
St. Joseph (Haverhill) Marriages, 1894-1900

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We’ve added two new parishes to Massachusetts: Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900: St. Margaret and St. Ann, both in Dorchester.  St. Margaret branched off from an existing church, St. Peter’s in Dorchester in the late 1800s.  The plans for constructing this church were officially embarked upon on June 10, 1893, the feast of St. Margaret.  The parish of St. Ann celebrated its first Mass on Christmas in 1880 after breaking off from St. Gregory’s (records coming soon!).  This update consists of five volumes:

St. Margaret (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1893-1899
St. Margaret (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1893-1900
St. Margaret (Dorchester) Confirmations, 1894-1900
St. Margaret (Dorchester) Marriages, 1893-1900

St. Ann (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1889-1900

You may notice an overlap in years of the St. Margaret baptism volumes.  St. Margaret (Dorchester) Baptisms and Marriages, 1893-1900 is a single physical volume which is actually two separately paginated volumes bound together.  The baptisms half, what we’re calling St. Margaret (Dorchester) Baptisms, 1893-1900 is a duplicate of the other baptism volume, but it is included for your convenience (and a complete representation of the physical holdings of the archive).

Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.

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We’ve added two new parishes to Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, a total of 21 volumes.  St. Mary’s in Lynn was the first Catholic church founded there; previously the Catholics of Lynn had worshiped in other towns like Salem or Chelsea.  St. Augustine’s Chapel in South Boston dates to 1819, and the purchase of a Catholic cemetery in South Boston.  It is the oldest Catholic structure in Massachusetts.  Some Catholics worshiped there for awhile, until their congregation grew big enough to build another church (Saints Peter and Paul).  The old chapel fell out of regular use.  By 1868 the Catholic population continued to grow, so that they were again in need of another church.  The pastor suggested that the old chapel be used until a new church could be built.  The first Mass in the new church was offered in 1871, and they named the new parish in honor of the old chapel.

The new volumes are listed below:

St. Augustine (South Boston) Index to Baptisms, 1868-1900
St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1868-1883
St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1883-1894
St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1894-1899
St. Augustine (South Boston) Baptisms, 1899-1900
St. Augustine (South Boston) Confirmations, 1896-1900
St. Augustine (South Boston) First Communions, 1895
St. Augustine (South Boston) Marriages, 1868-1899
St. Augustine (South Boston) Marriages, 1900-1900

St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms and Marriages, 1837-1841
St. Mary (Lynn) Index to Baptisms, 1851-1893
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms and Marriages, 1851-1861
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms and Marriages, 1862-1872
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms, 1872-1893, Part 1
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms, 1872-1893, Part 2
St. Mary (Lynn) Index to Baptisms, 1894-1963
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms, 1893-1897
St. Mary (Lynn) Baptisms, 1897-1900
St. Mary (Lynn) Marriages, 1872-1893
St. Mary (Lynn) Marriages, 1893-1906
St. Mary (Lynn) First Communions and Confirmations 1881-1900

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We’re announcing eleven new sketches to Western Massachusetts Families in 1790.  This database focuses on families listed in the 1790 census in historic Berkshire and Hampshire counties, an area which includes parts of modern Franklin and Hampden counties as well. Sketches are submitted by NEHGS researchers and members and edited by Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG.  Many of the new sketches focus on heads of families from Belchertown, established in 1731 and previously known as Cold Spring and Belcher’s Town. The new sketches are listed below:

Asaph Stebbins (Granby)
Daniel Smith (Belchertown)
Eldad Parsons (Belchertown)
Elijah Bardwell (Belchertown)
Israel Cowles (Belchertown)
John Cowles, Sr. (Belchertown)
Joseph Bardwell (Belchertown)
Joseph Bardwell, Jr. (Belchertown)
Martin Bardwell (Belchertown)
Obadiah Bardwell (Belchertown)
Timothy Cowles (Hatfield)

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Today we’re announcing two updated databases, Greenfield, MA: Records, 1775-1911 and Lyme, NH: Congregational Church Records, 1774-1867.  Many of our databases, including these are based on manuscripts held in our library collection.  We recently had these two manuscripts scanned, then re-indexed by our volunteers.  They now include images and are now searchable by all available fields, including first name, last name, spouse’s name, parents’ names, location, date, and year.   Greenfield, MA: Records, 1775-1911 includes three major types of records: abstracts of probate records, church records, and Bible records.  You can use the keyword field to search for probate case number, church, cemetery, or source (family Bible).  We especially want to thank the following volunteers: Margo Blank, Barbara Holt, Carole Livingston, Susan Hurlbut, Pat Dalpiaz, Philip Gross, Diane Arbuckle, Julie Bliss Hammons, and Barbara Macken.

 

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We’ve added 16 new volumes to Massachusetts: (Image Only) Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, from St. Jean Baptiste in Lowell.  St. Jean Baptiste grew out of St. Joseph, the original parish serving French Catholics in Lowell.  Both churches were founded under the leadership of Father André-Marie Garin, an Oblate from France who served as a missionary in Canada before coming to Lowell.  In 1888, the cornerstone was laid for St. Jean Baptiste, and its dedication Mass was held in 1890.  There was a large fire in the church in the 1912, but the church was reopened by 1916.  Author Jack Kerouac’s funeral was held at this church in 1969.  In 1993 the parish closed.  The sixteen new volumes are listed below:

St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms 1895-1897
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms 1897-1899
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms 1899-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms 1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Index to Baptisms and Marriages 1868-1894
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms and Marriages 1868-1879
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms and Marriages 1879-1886
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms and Marriages 1886-1890
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Baptisms and Marriages 1891-1894
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Index to Marriages A-I 1895-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Index to Marriages J-Z 1895-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Marriages 1895-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Confirmations 1870-1894
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Confirmations 1870-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Confirmations 1895-1900
St. Jean Baptiste (Lowell) Deaths 1896-1900

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We’ve updated Massachusetts: (Image Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900 with 10 new volumes from Immaculate Conception in Marlborough.  Marlborough’s Catholics were initially ministered to by missionaries in private homes, and then the Town Hall.  By 1854, they had grown so numerous that the cornerstone was laid for the Church.  Immaculate Conception largely served Marlborough’s Irish Catholics, but in the earlier records there may also be French Canadian Catholics.  The new volumes are listed below:

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1854-1861

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1861-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1861-1869 Index

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1869-1896

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1875-1886

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Baptisms and Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Confirmations, 1897-1900

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1854-1869

Immaculate Conception (Marlborough) Marriages, 1869-1896

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We have just added three new volumes to Massachusetts: Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1900, from St. Bernard’s in West Newton. St. Bernard began as a mission attached to St. Mary’s church in Waltham (records currently available in our Image-Only collection).  St. Bernard’s church was dedicated in 1874.  The original structure burned down in 1889, but the parish rebuilt a new church by 1890.  This update consists of more than 4,600 records and 19,000 names.  The newly indexed volumes include:

St. Bernard (Newton) Baptisms, 1876-1894

St. Bernard (Newton) Baptisms, 1894-1900

St. Bernard (Newton) Marriages, 1876-1900

Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.

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