This page contains most of the resources you will need to research the history of your house. If you are new to house history research, please visit the Get Started section. For a quick overview of the process visit 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House.
Establishment
Bourne was formed quite late in 1884 from the town of Sandwich.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Bourne is in Barnstable County. Deeds for Bourne, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Barnstable, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1742 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1793-1900) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Barnstable County Registry of Deeds
3195 Main Street P.O. Box 368, Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 362-7733
Barnstable County was formed in 1685. Please note that before 1884 you will need to look for deeds in the town of Sandwich.
Census Records (and MA State Census Records)
The most common census records are the US Federal Census Records but Massachusetts also has state census records. Census records help you discover the families that lived in your house. Federal census records are available every 10 years from 1790 to 1950 with the exception of 1890.
U.S Federal Census Records (1790-1950)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – see if your local library has institutional access free for patrons
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- MyHeritage.com ($)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Agriculture and Manufacturing Censuses 1850-1880
These were called Federal Census Non-Population Schedules. They provided detailed descriptions of farms and manufacturing businesses. These are available on Ancestry.com ($).
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Bourne, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Bourne are found in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Barnstable County Probate Court
3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 375 6710
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Barnstable, MA: Probate Records 1685-1789
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Barnstable County Probate and Guardianship Records, 1674-1950 [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Barnstable County Probate Records, 1686-1894 [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Wills, inventories, etc, 1637 to 1685, County of Barnstable [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- You can also search FamilySearch.org Full-text Search and narrow down by Barnstable County [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
Maps
Historic Maps of Bourne:
- 1858 Map of the counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Map of Barnstable County, Dukes County and Nantucket Island, Massachusetts by Henry F. Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1891 Atlas of Massachusetts by Geo H. Walker [Not all pages are digitized] (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1907 Bird’s Eye Map of Buzzards Bay by George H. Walker (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1909 Bird’s Eye Map of Buzzards Bay (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1910 Atlas of Barnstable County by Walker Lith. & Pub. Co. (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1913-1941 Bourne Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Library of Congress)
- 1935 Map of Bourne by Newell Snow (Digital Commonwealth)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- Hathi Trust,
- David Rumsey Map Collection,
- Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
- The Library of Congress
- Digital Commonwealth
City Directories & Residents Lists
City Directories were typically published every year. Because of that they are great for filling in the gaps between the 10 year spread of census records. They are also helpful to identify when people move from place to place.
City Directories are available online at the major database sites like Ancestry.com ($), MyHeritage.com ($) and FamilySearch.org. They are also found in local libraries and archives.
Tax Records
Tax records provide the value of property through the years. These can be a great indicator of when changes were made to a property. Check your local library, Town Hall or Archive.org for Town Annual Reports which contain the tax records.
Newspapers
Many old newspapers are available online through Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, AmericanAncestors.org, GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, OldNews.com, the Boston Public Library, the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA), Community History Archives. The Ancestor Hunt website is also great for finding more newspaper resources.
Cemetery Information
Bourne, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Amrita Island Mausoleum
- Bourne Family Cemetery
- Bourne Family Cemetery #02
- Bourne Village Cemetery
- Bournedale Burying Hill
- Bournedale Herring Pond Indian Cemetery
- Cataumet Cemetery
- Massachusetts National Cemetery
- Oakland Grove Cemetery
- Old Bourne Cemetery
- Otis Memorial
- Pocasset Cemetery
- Sagamore Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Bourne Historical Society
- Bourne Historical Commission
- History of the Perry Ellis Keene House – 9 Sandwich Road (pdf) – Bourne Historical Commission
- Town of Bourne Annual Reports 2006 – 2023 (State Library of Massachusetts Digital Collections)
- Bourne Society for Historic Preservation
- Town of Bourne – Historical Photos
- Bourne Archives
- Bourne High School Yearbooks (Internet Archive)
- Bourne Reconnaissance Survey Town Report by the Mass. Historical Commission
Further Reading
Barbo, Theresa Mitchell. Hidden History of Cape Cod. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2015.
Bourne Historical Commission. Bourne: A Pictorial History. Bourne, Mass. : Bourne Historical Commission, 2005.
Bourne Society for Historic Preservation. A Cookery & Memories from Old Bourne: A Collection of Remembrances. Bourne, Mass. : The Society, 1997.
Deyo, Simeon L. History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Company, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofbarnsta00deyo/page/n5/mode/2up
Dimock Gioia. Bourne (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2014.
Jacobs, Donald. Bournedale the Forgotten Village. Bourne, Mass.: Bourne Historical Commission, 1996.
Keene, Betsey D. History of Bourne from 1622 to 1937. Higginson Book Company, 1993.
Keene, Betsy D. History of the Old Bourne Cemetery: 1740-1930. Bourne, MA: 1930.
