Bonanza means a very large amount. For those of us researching MA vital records, it means an abundance of records. That’s good for us as researchers, but dealing with so many can also be challenging. The Commonwealth boasts records back to 1620 and many are available online. But not everything is online; some records may be at state agencies and/or with town clerks. Learn how to determine where to locate them as well as the ins and outs of the evolving formats for birth, marriages, and death certificates over time.
Margaret Rose Fortier, CG, was named after her grandmothers’ and was inspired by her mother’s phenomenal memory. She is a professional genealogical researcher, lecturer, and writer, focusing on immigrants to New England, particularly those of French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese ancestry. She is based in the Boston area and serves on the Board of the Association for Professional Genealogists.