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
Dighton was formed in 1712 from the town of Taunton. The area was first settled in 1678.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Dighton is in Bristol County. Deeds for Dighton, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Northern Bristol County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (online searchable deeds go back to 1735. Online images of Index Books are available from 1686-1910)
- FamilySearch.org (Bristol County 1686-1902) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds
11 Court Street, Taunton, MA 02780
(508) 822-0502
Bristol County was formed in 1685.
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 ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Dighton, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Dighton are found in Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Bristol County Probate Court – New Bedford
505 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
508-977-6040
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Bristol County, MA: Probate Files Papers, 1686-1880
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Bristol County (Mass.) probate records 1690-1881
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate records 1687-1916; index, 1687-1926 [Bristol County, Massachusetts]
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 Dighton:
- 1794 Plan of Dighton (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1831 Plan of Dighton by George Walker Jr. (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1851 Map of Bristol County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1852 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Atlas of Bristol County by F.W. Beers & Co. (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1895 Map of Dighton Town (Ancestry.com $)
- 1895 Map of Vilages of North Dighton and Dighton (Ancestry.com $)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- 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
Dighton, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Briggs Cemetery
- Briggs Historical Cemetery Number 9
- Briggs-Trafton Burial Ground
- Dighton Town Cemetery
- Dighton Veterans Cemetery
- Gooding-Standish Cemetery
- Hathaway Historical Cemetery Number 17
- Jones Family Lot
- Jones Historical Cemetery Number 11
- Manchester Historical Cemetery Number 13
- Mumford Briggs
- Riverside Cemetery
- Shubael Goff Family Yard
- Silas Talbot – Perry Burial Ground
- Simeon Williams Family Cemetery
- Simmons Cemetery
- Smith-Bowen Historical Cemetery #25
- Townsend-Walker Burial Ground
- Unitarian Church Cemetery
- Walker Cemetery
- Walker Historical Cemetery Number 10
- Ware Family Yard
- West Dighton Christian Church Cemetery
- Williams Baker Cemetery
- Williams Historical Cemetery Number 7
- Hathaway Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Facebook – Dighton Historical Society
- Dighton Historical Commission
- Facebook – Dighton Historical Commission
- Old Colony History Museum (Taunton)
- Dighton Annual Reports (1880-2008) – provided to Internet Archive by the Dighton Public Library
- YouTube – Digthon’s Historical Buildings by the Dighton Historical Commission
- YouTube Playlist – Community Corner hosted by Dighton Town Historian, Myrna Santos
Further Reading
Dyer, E. Otis. Early Mills of the Segregansett River, Dighton, Mass. For the Dighton Revolutionary War Bicentennial Committee, 1975. Available at Internet Archive
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1883. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofbristol00hurd/page/n5/mode/2up
Lane, Helen Holmes. A History of the Town of Dighton, Massachusetts, the South Purchase, May 30, 1712. Dighton, MA: Town of Dighton, 1962.
Nason, Rev. Elias. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts. Boston: B. Russell, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate00naso/page/n5/mode/2up
Robinson, Charles, Turek. Rehoboth, Swansea, and Dighton (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
