Essex County Massachusetts Genealogy

County Seat: Salem & Lawrence

Search Free Essex County, Massachusetts Genealogy and Family History Records Online including census, cemetery, vital, military and other genealogical and historical records that can be used for your family history research.

Essex County, Massachusetts genealogy and family history page is a place where you can come in and research your genealogy and family history. We also do our best to provide a history of the area, to provide you with an overview of the time in which your ancestors lived.

We regret that we are unable to do personal research for you. All genealogical and family history records we come across are being added to this website. Please keep checking back.

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Essex County Massachusetts History

The county was created by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires". Named after the county in England, Essex then comprised the towns of Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester, and Andover, which were subdivided over the centuries to produce the modern composition of cities and towns.

Essex County Massachusetts Genealogy Records Online

Essex County Massachusetts Cemetery Records

Essex County Massachusetts Cities & Towns

Essex County Massachusetts Military Records

Essex County Massachusetts Obituaries

Essex County Massachusetts Probate Records

The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts

Essex County Massachusetts Vital Records

Genealogical Research in Essex County Massachusetts

Newburyport Archives
Newburyport Record Center
188 State St.
Newburyport, MA.
Phone: (978) 557-1083

Essex County Massachusetts Deeds

Prior to 1869 Essex County Deeds

Essex County Deeds
32 Federal St.
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 741-0200

After 1869 Essex County Deeds

The county was divided into a northern and southern district.

Essex County Northern District (Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover.)
381 Common St.
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: (978) 683-2745

Essex County Southern District (All towns except Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover.)
32 Federal St.
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 741-0200

Essex County Probate Records

1638-1882 Essex County Probate Records

State Archives
Massachusetts Archives at Columbia Point
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125

1882-1896 Essex County Probate Records

Newburyport Archives
Newburyport Record Center
188 State St.
Newburyport, MA.
Phone: (978) 557-1083

1897 - present Essex County Probate Records

Essex County Probate Court
32 Federal St.
Salem, MA 01970

Essex County Vital Records

1850 - present Massachusetts Vital Records

Massachusetts Vital Records are recorded in the town where the event happened, and may be found in the Town Clerks Office.

1911 - present Massachusetts Vital Records

In 1911 Massachusetts vital records were recorded at the state level as well as the town level.

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics 1st Floor
150 Mt. Vernon Street
Dorchester MA 02125-3105
(next to the Bayside Expo Center)
Phone: (617) 740-2600

Essex County Massachusetts Libraries and Genealogy Societies

Essex Society of Genealogists
PO Box 31
Lynnfield, Ma 01940-0313
The Essex Society of Genealogists is based in the Lynnfield Public Library where they house their collections.

Haverhill Public Library
99 Main Street
Haverhill MA 01830
Phone: 978-373-1586

Lynnfield Public Library
18 Summer Street
Lynnfield MA 01940
Phone 781-334-5411

James Duncan Phillips Library
Peabody Essex Museum
132 Essex Street
Salem Ma. 01970
Phone: 978-745-9500 x3053
This is the premier repository for your genealogy research in Essex County. The have large print and manuscript collections for pre-1860 genealogical data. This is the repository for government records on Essex County including the original court records, customhouse records, maritime records, and probate records (on microfilm).

Adjacent counties

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