Are these the earliest records available? I need approx. 1780. > -----Original Message----- > From: maberksh-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:maberksh-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf > Of gc-gateway@rootsweb.com > Sent: Friday, April 10, 2009 12:51 PM > To: MABERKSH-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MABERKSH] 2 Berkshire Genealogist lookups please > > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Author: MAMiddleGenWeb > Surnames: > Classification: queries > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.massachusetts.count ies.berkshire/5690.1. > 2.1/mb.ashx > > Message Board Post: > > The Massachusetts State Archives has a searchable index of all vital records from 1841-1910 > (1915 coming). It is at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecordssearch/ When a match is found, the > volume and page number will be given. > > All Town/City clerks have been required since the early 1600's to keep a record of all births, > marriages and deaths. Since about 1841 they have also been required to send copies of the > records to the State Archives. > > Anyone with an NEHGS membership can access the 1841-1910 database and look at the image > of copy that is on file at the Archives. > > There is no death for a Hannah Sherman from 1890 on. > > John & Jodi > Massachusetts Vital Records Project - http://MA-VitalRecords.org > If you find this site of value - http://MA-VitalRecords.org/Donate.html > > Important Note: > The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, > please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MABERKSH-request@rootsweb.com with > the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

The answer is slightly complex. Approximately 300 towns had their vital records published. The dates were from the earliest times to approximately 1850. The four western counties, Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire, unfortunately, had many towns that were not published. There were a couple projects, such as the Corbin files, that did some them. But, they are not in an easily searched format. Your best bet is to start with the Massachusetts Vital Records Project and see what is there. It is completely free. If you don't find exactly what you want, you can request a quick lookup by the administrators. After that, lookups on NEHGS or from people who may have access to other records. John & Jodi Massachusetts Vital Records Project Administrators - http://MA-VitalRecords.org If you find this site of value - http://MA-VitalRecords.org/Donate.html Quoting Betty & Gerhard <beegees@frontiernet.net>: > Are these the earliest records available? I need approx. 1780.