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
Stoughton was formed 1726 from Dorchester.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Stoughton is in Norfolk County. Deeds for Stoughton, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Norfolk County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1793 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1793-1900) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
649 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026
(781) 461-6101
Norfolk County was formed in 1793. The first deed recorded in Norfolk County is dated September 24, 1793. If your house was built before 1794, then you will need to look for the older deeds in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds.
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 ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
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 Stoughton, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Book – The record of births, marriages and deaths and intentions of marriage, in the town of Stoughton from 1727 to 1800 : and in the town of Canton from 1797-1845 ; preceded by the records of the South precinct of Dorchester from 1715 to 1727 (Internet Archive)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Stoughton, 1793- present, are found in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Norfolk County Probate Court
35 Shawmut Rd, Canton, MA 02021
(781) 830-1200
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 and Norfolk County, MA Probate Index 1793-1900
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Norfolk County, MA: Index to Probate records, 1793-1900 and Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Norfolk County, probate case files, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate docket books, and record books (1793-1916) [Norfolk 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
Stoughton specific maps:
- 1785 Manuscript Map of Stoughton by Nehemiah Bennett (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1794 A Plan of the Town of Stoughton Surveyed in 1794. Created in 1892 by Frederic Endicott
- 1853 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1876 Sherman Atlas of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1879 Map of Stoughton by O.H. Bailey (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1888 Robinson’s Atlas of Norfolk County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1890 Map of Stoughton by O.H. Bailey (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
The Stoughton Chronicle, Stoughton Journal, Stoughton Chronicle and News Sentinel, The Stoughton Sentinel and the Stoughton Record are available digitally from the Stoughton Public Library.
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
Stoughton, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Dry Pond Cemetery
- Evergreen Cemetery
- Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery
- Maplewood Cemetery
- Marshall – Bird Cemetery
- Methodist Meeting House Cemetery
- Pearl Street Cemetery
- Porter Family Cemetery
- Price of Brockton Cemetery
Cemetery Information
- FindaGrave.com – Stoughton, MA
- Guide to Stoughton Cemeteries – Stoughton Historical Society
Photos and Miscellaneous Items
- Stoughton Historical Society
- Facebook – Stoughton Historical Commission
- Town of Stoughton
- Stoughton Library Collection for History & Genealogy
- Stoughton Yearbooks (Internet Archive)
Further Reading
Bradner, John. Fifty Years of Trinity Episcopal Church in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Stoughton, Mass.: 1943.
Flynn, John E. Stoughton, Mass.: A Study in Local History. Stoughton, Mass.: Stoughton Public Schools, 1956.
Flynn, John E. Beyond the Blew-Hills. A Brief History of the Town of Stoughton, Massachusetts, including a review of the years 1954-76. Stoughton, Mass.: Stoughton Historical Society, 1976.
Fowler, Amy P. Two hundred fifty years of the First Congregational Church, Stoughton, Massachusetts, United Church of Christ, 1744-1994. Stoughton, Mass.: , 1994. Available online at the Stoughton Historical Society – https://stoughtonhistory.com/firstcong1-35.pdf
Helen H. Hansen School. Focus on Women in Stoughton. Stoughton, MA: Helen H. Hansen School, 1993.
Hansen, Howard and Earl D. McMann. A Stoughton Historical Sampler, 1895-1995. Stoughton, MA: Stoughton Historical Society, 1995.
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofnorfolk00hurd
Lambert, David Allen. Stoughton (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2001.
Lambert, David Allen. Stoughton (Postcard History series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2009.
Lambert, David Allen. Stoughton in the 20th Century. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2015.
Massachusetts Local Tax Lists through 1776: Town of Stoughton, Mass. [Microform]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Library, 1991. Available at Stoughton Public Library
