Barnstable County History and Information

Barnstable County was created on June 2, 1685 and was formed from Barnstable County of Plymouth Colony. The County was named for its county seat of Barnstable, which is named after the English town of Barnstaple. The County Seat is Barnstable . See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Barnstable County are Plymouth County (west), Bristol County (west), Dukes County (south), Nantucket County (southeast).

Cities, Towns & Communities include: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Centerville, Chatham, East Falmouth, East Sandwich, Eastham, Falmouth, Forestdale, Harwich, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Mashpee, North Eastham, North Falmouth, Orleans, Osterville, Provincetown, Sandwich, South Dennis, South Yarmouth, Teaticket, Truro, Wellfleet, West Barnstable, West Dennis, West Yarmouth and Yarmouth.

• The Barnstable County Official Government Website
• Village, Section or Neighborhood Names of Massachusetts Communities
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts History Books at Amazon.com
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Search Historical Newspapers from Massachusetts (1690 - 1992) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Court Records

See Also Massachusetts Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Fire destroyed nearly all the early deed books and probate files, but probate books survived. Although the official deed books only begin in 1827, many deeds were pre-recorded back to about 1783, though these are far from complete.

The Official County website is located at http://www.barnstablecounty.org/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.For Town Records contact the Town Clerk (Helpful Telephone Listings for your City/Town Hall)

Barnstable County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1827 and is located at 3195 Main Street, PO Box 368, Barnstable, MA 02630; (508) 362-7733, (508) 362-5065 (FAX); Recording Hours: Monday - Friday 8AM - 4PM

Barnstable County Clerk of Probate Court has Probate Records from 1686 and is located at 3195 Main Street, PO Box 346, Barnstable, MA 02630; (508) 375-6725; Hours: M-F 8AM - 4PM

Probate records, including the administration of estates, probate of wills, and the appointment of guardians, have been under the jurisdiction of the courts since the 1630s. County courts and later, county judges of probate, were responsible for these functions until 1783, when the probate courts were established. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the probate and family courts were given jurisdiction over adoptions, divorces, name changes, and domestic relations.

Barnstable County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1686 and is located at 3195 Main St., P.O. Box 425, Barnstable, MA 02630; (508) 375-6684

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• TOWN RECORDS of BARNSTABLE COUNTY 1640 - 1920
• Index to Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. and District Courts for the District of Massachusetts, 1907-1966: NARA M1545. Index to naturalization petitions and records for the District of Massachusetts, within the US District Court, 1906-1966, and the US Circuit Court, 1906-1911.
• Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts of the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1929 (The National Archives): NARA M1368. Petitions and Records of Naturalizations of the US District and Circuit Courts of the District of Massachusetts, 1906-1929.
• Massachusetts Name Changes, 1780-1892: This collection of court records originally published in 1893 contains nearly 40,000 changes of names approved by the courts of Massachusetts between 1780 and 1892.
• Massachusetts Vital Town Records (Pre-1850): Transcribed vital events recorded from town and church records, cemeteries, and private sources; arranged by birth, marriage, and death, and alphabetically by family surname within each section. Each town is published in a separate volume. These are not indexes, but actual records relied upon by historians, genealogists, and lineage societies for decades as an appropriate resource for documenting family and community histories in Massachusetts.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Massachusetts

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, 150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st floor, Dorchester, MA 02125-3105; (617) 740-2600, Fax: (617) 825-7755. It can take up to 2 months to get a vital record from Massachusetts.

Vital Records have been registered in Massachusetts since 1635. Statewide collection began in 1841. Records for events that occurred from 1841-1915 are available at the State Archives (617) 727-2816. Earlier records may be available at the City or Town of Occurrence.

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• Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates: The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth, death and marriage records that occur in Massachusetts from 1916 to the present.
  • Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $28.00 per certificate by mail or $18.00 when ordered in Person. Make your check or money order payable to "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $28.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • In Person: The Registry counter is open to the public from Monday - Friday:  8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Directions - List of state holidays on which the office is closed. The cost for each certified copy of a record is $18.00 at the Registry counter which includes a ten-year search if the exact date and place of event is not known. Note that ONLY CERTIFIED COPIES of records are issued by the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, regardless of intended use.
  • Processing Time: 20-30 business days of receipt when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ONLINE BELOW
• Divorce Certificates:The Registry also maintains an index of divorces from 1952 to the present. Copies of the divorce records are available from the probate court where the divorce was obtained.
  • Cost: Make your check or money order payable to "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $10.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Processing Time: 20-30 business days of receipt when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ONLINE BELOW
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• TOWN RECORDS of BARNSTABLE COUNTY 1640 - 1920
• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Massachusetts newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
• Massachusetts Marriages to 1800: This database of Massachusetts marriages to 1850 contains over 29,000 names.
• Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850: This database is an index to approximately 838,000 individuals who were married in select areas of the State of Massachusetts, USA, between 1633 and 1850.
• Massachusetts Town Birth Records: This database is a collection of birth records from many towns. Each record reveals the individual's name, birth date, birthplace, and parents' names. It provides the names of over 95,000 persons.
• Massachusetts Town Death Records: This database is a collection of death records from many towns. Each record reveals the individual's name, death date, burial place, and other useful information. It provides the names of over 90,000 persons.
• Massachusetts Town Marriage Records: This database is a collection of Marriage records from many towns. Each record reveals the names of bride and groom
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Massachusetts

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Barnstable County, Massachusetts are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Barnstable County, Massachusetts are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Massachusetts Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index.
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Massachusetts showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Massachusetts showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Maps. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: Massachusetts Maps
• Historic USGS Maps of Massachusetts
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Massachusetts

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Massachusetts Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Massachusetts Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of Massachusetts.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Massachusetts (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
• Massachusetts Army & Navy, 1861-1865 : This database lists Massachusetts officers and soldiers who were killed in action.
• Massachusetts Military Company History, Vol. 4: The database contains many facts concerning births, marriages, occupations, etc. of the past and present members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company,
• Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols: There are over 175,000 records in this database, which give, when available, the name and age of the individual, town of residence, the date and location of enlistment, areas and length of service, date of discharge, and description of their physical features.
• Massachusetts Spanish American War Records
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Tax records can be found at both the local and state levels. Massachusetts State Archives has tax returns for 1768 and 1771 as well as incomplete tax valuations for 1775, 1776, 1777 and 1778. The Massachusetts State Library holds them for 1780, 1783, 1784, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1800, 1801, 1810, and 1811.

Earlier taxes for the towns exist as well. Other tax lists may still be available at the town office.
The U.S. Direct Tax of 1798 for most counties remains extant. The surviving originals are at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and accessible on microfilm there and through the FHL

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Tax Books at Amazon.com

County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Massachusetts Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Barnstable Historical Society, 3074 Main St, Barnstable, MA 02630; (508) 362-2982
• Bourne Historical Society, PO Box 3095, Bourne 02532-0795; (508) 759-9487
• Brewster Historical Society, PO Box 1146, Brewster, Massachusetts 02631; Phone: (508) 896-9521; E-mail: brewsterhistoricalsociety@comcast.net
• Cape & Islands Historical Association, P.O. Box 50, Bourne, MA 02559-0050 (508)888-3300, Ext. 103 (old address 359 Main St. N. Harwich, MA 02645 )
• Cape Cod Community College Nickerson Room, W Barnstable, MA
• Cape Cod Genealogical Society, PO Box 1394, E Harwich, MA 02645
• Cape Cod History Project
• Cape Cod Maritime Historical Association, PO Box 176, Yarmouthport, MA  02675 (508)362-1222
• Cape Cod Chapter, National Railway Historical Society PO Box 44, Sagamore, MA 02561-0044 (508)563-6157
• Centerville Historical Society, 513 Main Street, Centerville, (508) 775-0331
• Chatham Historical Society, 345 Stage Harbor Road, Chatham, MA (508) 945-2493
• Dennis Historical Society , PO Box 607, S Dennis, MA 02660-0607
• Donald G. Trayser Memorial Museum , 3353 Main Street, Barnstable Village, MA (617) 362-2092
• Eastham Historical Society , Inc, PO Box 8, Eastham, MA 02642
• Falmouth Genelogical Society , PO Box 2107, Teaticket, MA 02536
• Falmouth Historical Society, Palmer Avenue at Village Green, (508) 548-4857
• Harwich Historical Society, PO Box 17, Harwich, MA 02645
• Heritage Plantation of Sandwich, 67 Grove St., Sandwich MA 02563 (508)888-3300
• Orleans Historical Society, P.O. Box 353, Orleans, MA 02653
• Osterville Historical Society, West Bay Road, Osterville, (508) 428-5861
• Historic Society of Santuit and Cotuit, 1148 Main Street, Cotuit, (508) 428-0461
• Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, P.O. Box 11, 11 Strawberry Lane, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 (508) 362-3021
• National Archives - Northeast Region, Boston, Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center, 380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02452-6399; Phone: (781) 663-0130, Fax: (781) 663-0154, E-mail: waltham.archives@nara.gov (Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.)
• Commonwealth Museum and State Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125; (617) 727-2816, fax 288-8429. As the Massachusetts State Archives, the repository holds all state copies of vital records (1841-95); passenger lists for the Port of Boston (1848-91); federal census records (state copies, 1850-70, with 1880 on microfilm) with all supplemental federal schedules and state censuses for 1855 and 1865; legislative records from the General Court with land grants, petitions, tax records (1643-1787); Eastern land records for the settlement of Maine; human service institution records,; all military records for the state through the Revolution; records of human services institutions; and Judicial Archives beginning with colony era courts to mid-nineteenth century courts.
• Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215; Main number: (617) 536-1608. Although not a genealogical library, the collection includes rare books, personal papers, manuscripts, particularly the Thwing Collection of Early Bostonians, and rare books focusing particularly on Boston, Massachusetts and New England.
• State Library of Massachusetts, 341 State House, Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133; Ph: 617.727.2590. Its genealogical collection includes extensive newspaper collections and indexes; town and county histories; town and county maps and atlases; and city directories back to 1787.
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Massachusetts Library Directory
• Massachusetts Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Massachusetts

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Barnstable County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Barnstable County Tombstone Transcription Project.

One expects an ample supply of church records in a state whose history is so interwoven with religious principles and dissension, and such is the case in Massachusetts; many exist in either published form by themselves or in numerous periodicals or noted in several collections of inventories. Some early church records of vital events were included in the Systematic Series. Church records often contain other genealogical information such as admissions and dismissals indicating migration. Original records not held by the church itself are often deposited in central denominational libraries.

   Cemeteries are maintained by towns, churches, families and, later, private enterprises. Some records for Boston's oldest cemeteries, such as Central and Granary, have been published.

Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Massachusetts obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Massachusetts newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Massachusetts.
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Barnstable County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Barnstable County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Massachusetts Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Massachusetts Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Barnstable County ] [ Massachusetts ] [ Main Page ]
• Barnstable County MAGenWeb Archives
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Massachusetts Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• Barnstable County, Massachusetts Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

Barnstable County consists of the 15 coastal towns located on the peninsula known as Cape Cod. Bordered on the north by Cape Cod Bay, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south by Nantucket Sound, it is the easternmost point of land in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. With over 550 miles of shoreline and more than 360 lakes and ponds, the maritime heritage of the region is deeply rooted. Approximately 396 square miles of land are home to over 205,000 year round residents, swelling to more than three times that number during the peak summer months.

The County seat is located in Barnstable Village on Historic Route 6A, the Old King's Highway, in the Town of Barnstable. County offices are located in the Superior Court House, the First District Court House and the Registry of Deeds and Probate Building.

Established as a County in the year 1685, the current boundary lines were drawn in 1707 and have not changed since that date. Although initially the counties of the Commonwealth were mainly judicial in nature, over time additional responsibilities were assigned by the state legislature. Subsequently, many counties served as subdivisions of the state government, serving as an adminstrative arm of the Commonwealth on a regional basis, but without legislative authority