This is not always successful, although a good place to start. I have ancestors who were married, resided, and died (at least one of them) in Mendon. The town clerk had none of these records--not the marriage, the probates, the will, and needless to say, none of the births of children born in Mendon. This time span was 1725--1755. The more I attempted to get information out of Mendon, the nastier the clerk became. I asked for help from others--some on this list and some from other lists. The marriage was found in the Boston marriages despite the Mendon intentions; the will and guardianship probates were found in Worcester (not certain if County or Town), and the Mendon births thus far have not been found. I did obtain photo copies of the original documents of the will and probates, and Mendon is listed throughout as being place of residence. So, I have learned that even though MA can be a treasure trove of information, that stands as true only if you can find it. > [Original Message] > From: John Bower <jwb@c4.net> > To: <MAWORCES-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 10/25/02 3:45:18 PM > Subject: [MAWORCES] Re: Vital records in Massachusetts > > Hi Group, > > I have seen questions about where to obtain vital records from > Massachusetts. Here is a quick summary: > > 1. Before 1841, write to the Town Clerk. Look up the address of the > town you are interested in on the Internet. > > 2. 1841-1910, write to Massachusetts Archives at Columbia Point, > 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125. Estimate the date of > the birth, marriage or death in Massachusetts as near as you can. > > If they find the person, they will send you the book (year), vol, and > page no. > > Then, you write and ask for a certified copy ($3.00), or a photocopy > of the record ($.50). (Current fees.) > > You may also write to the town clerk for this at a higher cost, but if > you are not sure of the town, the Mass Archives is the best bet. > > 3. After 1910, town clerks. Or, Registry of Vital Statistics, 150 Mt. > Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125. > > You can look them up on the Internet to get their fees (about > $15.00). They want the fee in advance, whether or not they find > anything. > > Good luck! > > > ==== MAWORCES Mailing List ==== > To UNsub go here: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/MA/worcester.html --- Susan Hedeen --- chantillycarpets@earthlink.net --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.