The library will be closing early at 4 PM on Tuesday, December 31st, and will be closed Wednesday, January 1st for the New Years holiday. We will reopen for our usual hours on Thursday, January 2nd.

Genealogy & More

While our Historical Room houses specialized records, maps, and more regarding the history of Marshfield, you can also find a wide range of resources online.

Select a heading below to jump to a section.

 


Local History & Genealogy

Cemetery Find

  • Find cemetery plot locations. Some death record information is also provided.

Marshfield Historical Commission

  • Official town historical body. Maintains a list of nearly 300 properties that have been determined to be of historical significance, as well as a survey of streets in Marshfield with names attributed to local and national history, detailing the origins of the names.

Marshfield Historical Society

  • Collects and preserves Marshfield-related artifacts.

Marshfield Street Directory

  • This 2005 document is a compilation of previous street records as found in the Department of Public Works and Planning Board files. The information in this document is subject to change without notice and has been compiled to provide an ability to locate a street easily, to identify scenic roads, and to provide road classification. See the document disclaimer for more information.

Marshfield Town Clerk

  • Birth records, marriage intentions and records, death records, census recordings.

Marshfield Yearbooks

  • We have digitized yearbooks from 1953-2015! 

Plymouth Colony Archive Project

  • Presents a collection of searchable texts, including court records, colony laws, 17th century text, biographical profiles of selected colonists, wills, probate inventories and much more.

Plymouth County Registry of Deeds

  • Guardian of historical and modern land records from the Pilgrims to the present.

State and National History

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

  • A database of service records from the National Parks Service.

Digital Commonwealth

  • Digital Commonwealth is a non-profit collaborative organization, founded in 2006, that provides resources and services to support the creation, management, and dissemination of cultural heritage materials held by Massachusetts libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives. The Archives collection dates from the beginning of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628 to the present day.

Family Search

  • Research your family and ancestors!

Library of Congress Digital Collections

  • View maps & photographs; read letters, diaries & newspapers; hear personal accounts of events; listen to sound recordings & watch historic films related to the history of the United States from the Library of Congress.

Legacy

  • Search obituaries.

Massachusetts Historical Society

  • Add context to your genealogy research.

Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc.

  • Founded in 1975 with the purpose of promoting and encouraging Massachusetts genealogical research at all levels: beginner, amateur, and professional.

Massachusetts State Archives

  • Passenger lists; court archives; vital records; census schedules; records of state institutions; military records; naturalization documents; adoptions, divorce, probate, and name change records; Plymouth Colony records, and more.
  • Some of these collections are searchable online while other collections must be accessed in person. If you plan to visit the Archives, contact them first to learn about any collection restrictions ar archives@sec.state.ma.us or 617-727-2816.

Massachusetts State Library

  • Holdings include city and town directories, town and family histories, tax valuations, historical newspapers, and more.

National Archives

  • The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper. The National Archies preserves documents and other materials produced by or for the United States government. Use the archives to explore family history, veteran records, or many other historical topics.

National Archives at Boston

  • This collection holds the permanent records of Federal agencies and courts located in the six-state New England region: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
  • This collection also holds some federal military records pertaining to New England-based installations and units.

New England Historical Genealogical Society (American Ancestors)

  • Search census records, slave and veteran schedules, family histories, pension records from the Revolutionary War, and more.

USGenWeb Project

  • Free online genealogy resources organized by state and county.

USGS topoView

  • Free access to over 180,000 historic maps surveyed by the United States Geological Survey, which began surveying the United States in 1879. These maps have been scanned and georeferenced. Zoom in and click a location to begin exploring!

Library Databases

Use your library card to access the following resources!

Ancestry Library Edition

  • Available in library only.
  • Search billions of records in census data, vital records, military, immigration, and more.
  • U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, and other countries.

Black Life in America

  • Available in library or with library card.
  • Contains over 19,000 American and global news sources, including over 400 current and historical Black publications, covering from the early 18th century to the early 21st – from pre-Revolution America to the modern era. Topics include slavery and flights to freedom, voting rights and voter suppression and disenfranchisement, segregation and civil rights, prejudice and discrimination and activism and protest movements.

Heritage Hub

  • Available in library or with library card.
  • U.S. obituaries and death notices for genealogical research, 1704 - today from Newsbank.

Heritage Quest

  • Available in library or with library card.
  • Heritage Quest, now powered by Ancestry.com, is available to you 24 hours a day through the link above. Contains census info and other genealogical data.

Hispanic Life in America

  • Available in library or with library card.
  • The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today.

More Genealogy Resources from Boston Public Library