Massachusetts Court Records
Major Massachusetts courts that kept records of genealogical value were established as follows:
- 1620-1865 General Court. This was an appellate court that gave rulings on estates. Its records are at the Massachusetts State Archives.
- 1636-1693 County courts or quarter courts. These courts were originally called inferior quarter courts. Most of the records of these courts are in county courthouses. These courts were replaced in 1692 by the superior courts of judicature, courts of common pleas, and courts of sessions. Superior courts replaced the courts of common pleas in 1859.
- 1692-present Superior courts of Judicature. These were appellate courts. These courts were replaced by supreme judicial courts in 1782. The records are at the Supreme Judicial Court Building, 1300 New Court House, Boston, MA 02108.
- 1822-present District, police, and municipal courts. The first district court was established in Boston in 1822. The records are in the local courthouses.
Check out the following website to read about and share experiences from courthouse research.
http://www.bcpl.net/%7Edmg/courthouse.htm#Massachusetts
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