House History Guide for Somerset, Massachusetts

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

Somerset was formed in 1790 from the town of Swansea. The area was first settled in 1677.

Land Records / Deed Research

Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Somerset is in Bristol County. Deeds for Somerset, Massachusetts are available online in two places:

  1. The Bristol County Fall River Registry of Deeds (online searchable deeds only go back to 1947 (Book 484 to present). Visit in person for earlier deeds or use FamilySearch to view deeds up to 1902. See further details below.)
  2. FamilySearch.org (Bristol County 1686-1902) [access with free account]
  3. View online Grantor and Grantee Index Books for 1686-1866 for all towns in Bristol County (from the Taunton Registry of deeds)

You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.

Bristol County Fall River Registry of Deeds
2441 North Main Street Fall River, MA 02720
(508) 673-2910

Bristol County was formed in 1685. The Bristol County Fall River Registry of Deeds was formed in 1893. At that time the original deeds were copied into 152 volumes for use a the Fall River Registry. These deed books covered the years 1686 to 1891. So technically the deeds from those years can be found in two places, the original deeds in the Bristol North Registry of Deeds (Taunton) and the copy books at the Fall River Registry.

To Find deeds prior to 1947 go to Search Criteria, then choose Unindexed Property Search (Book 1-1024). Enter the book and page number to view the deed images.

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:

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:

Vital Records

Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.

Find Somerset, MA Vital Records Online:

Probate Records

Probate records for the town of Somerset 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

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 Somerset:

Maps are also available online from many website such as:

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

Somerset, Massachusetts cemeteries:

  • Bourn Cemetery
  • Bowers Cemetery
  • Brayton Cemetery
  • Brown Simmons Cemetery
  • Charles Slade Cemetery
  • Edward Slade Cemetery
  • Friends Cemetery
  • Gibbs Cemetery
  • Hathaway-Chace Cemetery
  • John Anthony Cemetery
  • Jonathan Slade Cemetery
  • Nathan Slade Cemetery
  • Palmer Street Cemetery
  • Perry-Deardon Cemetery
  • Purinton-Pierce Cemetery
  • Saint Patrick’s Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Local Resources

Further Reading

Bradbury, James Edward. Somerset (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1996.

Hart, William A. History of Somerset, Massachusetts 1677-1940. Somerset, MA: Town of Somerset, 1940. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofs00hart/page/n3/mode/2up

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

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

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