Bristol County, Massachusetts Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Bristol County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected newspaper catalog metadata checked for state and county attribution. Publication dates do not establish complete issue holdings or online access. Library of Congress newspaper directory

Formed: 1685
County seat: Taunton

Bristol CountyToday's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Bristol County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

Record type

Newspapers

A Alvorada (New Bedford, Mass.)1909-19??
A Alvorada (New Bedford, Mass.)1923-1926
Alvorada Diaria (New Bedford, Mass.)1919-1923
Alvorada Jornal Diario (New Bedford, Mass.)1919-1919
American Republican (Taunton, Mass.)1857-1860
American Whig (Taunton, Mass.)1844-1856
As Novidades (Fall River, Mass.)1907-1948
Attleboro Advocate and Bristol County Advertiser (Attleboro, Mass.)1875-187?
Attleboro Chronicle (Attleboro, Mass.)1871-1???
Attleborough Weekly News (North Attleborough, Mass.)1860-186?
Beacon of Liberty (Taunton, Mass.)1844-18??
Bristol County Democrat (Taunton, Mass.)1847-1849
Bristol County Democrat, and Independent Gazette (Taunton, Mass.)1837-1846
Bristol County Free Democrat (Taunton, Mass.)1849-1849
Bristol County Republican (Taunton, Mass.)1860-1910
Bristol County Telegram (Taunton, Mass.)1858-1860
Bristol Gazette (Fairhaven, Mass.)1812-1813
Christian Philanthropist (New Bedford [Mass.])1822-1823
City Hall Advertiser (New-Bedford [Mass.])1860-1860
Clay Whig (Taunton, Mass.)1844-1844
Columbian Courier (New-Bedford, Mass.)1798-1802
Columbian Courier, and Weekly Miscellany (New-Bedford, Mass.)1802-1803
Columbian Courier, or Weekly Miscellany (New-Bedford, Mass.)1803-1805
Columbian Reporter and Old Colony Journal (Taunton, Mass.)1822-1832
Commonwealth's Advocate (Taunton, Mass.)1827-1829
Contact (Fall River, Mass.)1938-1938
Daily Evening News (Fall River, Mass.)1862-1870
Daily Evening Register (New-Bedford [Mass.])1845-1846
Daily Evening Standard (New Bedford [Mass.])1850-1866
Daily Evening Star (Fall River [Mass.])1857-185?
Denison's Best Bower (Boston [Mass.])1846-18??
Diario De Noticias = the Portuguese Daily News (New Bedford, Mass.)1927-1973
Evening Standard (New Bedford, Mass.)1866-1932
Fall River All Sorts (Fall River, Mass.)1841-18??
Fall River All Sorts, and Tiverton Advertiser (Fall River, Mass.)1843-18??
Fall River Argus (Fall River, Mass.)1842-1843
Fall River Contact (Fall River, Mass.)1938-1942
Fall River Daily Evening News (Fall River, Mass.)1870-1926
Fall River Daily Evening Star (Fall River [Mass.])1857-1857
Fall River Daily Monitor ([Fall River, Mass.])1865-1866
Fall River Daily News ([Fall River, Mass.])1859-1862
Fall River Daily Sun (Fall River, Mass.)1880-1882
Fall River Evening News (Fall River, Mass.)1926-1926
Fall River Globe ([S.L.])1920-1929
Fall River Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1924-1926
Fall River Herald News (Fall River, Mass.)1926-1991
Fall River Herald, Fall River Evening News (Fall River, Mass.)1926-1926
Fall River Journal ([Fall River, Mass.])1859-186?
Fall River Monitor (Fall River, Mass.)1826-1836
Fall River Monitor (Fall River, Mass.)1838-186?
Fall River Monitor and Weekly Recorder (Fall River, Mass.)1836-1837
Fall River News (Fall River, Mass.)1851-1871
Fall River Patriot (Fall River, Mass.)1837-183?
Fall River Patriot and Tiverton Freeman (Fall River, Mass.)1838-1840
Fall River Weekly Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1883-1???
Fall River Weekly News (Fall River [Mass.])1846-1851
Fall River Weekly News (Fall River, Mass.)1871-1926
Fall River Weekly Recorder (Fall River, Mass.)1832-1835
Flint and Steel (Fall River, Mass.)1842-18??
Green Street's Journal (Fall River, Mass.)1849-18??
Harrison Eagle (Taunton, Mass.)1840-1840
Independent Gazette (Taunton, Mass.)1832-1836
Independent Press (New Bedford, Mass.)1848-1848
L'echo Du Canada (Fall River, Mass.)1873-1875
L'indépendant (Fall River, Mass.)1885-197?
La Liberté (Fall River, Mass.)1910-19??
La République (Boston, Mass.)1875-1878
Labor Journal (Fall River, Mass.)1873-18??
Le Castor ([S.L.])1882-1885
Le Citoyen (Fall River, Mass.)1886-18??
Le Correspondant (Fall River, Mass.)1909-19??
Le Journal De Taunton (Taunton, Mass.)1882-18??
Le Messager (New Bedford, Mass.)1927-19??
Le Petit Journal (New Bedford, Mass.)1909-19??
Le Protecteur Canadien (Fall River, Mass.)1875-1881
Le Protecteur Canadien (Fall River, Mass.)1891-189?
Le Signal (Pawtucket, R.I.)1924-1924
Mansfield News (Mansfield, Mass.)1873-19??
Moral Envoy (Fall River [Mass.])1830-1831
Morning Register (New-Bedford [Mass.])1841-1845
New Bedford Amateur (New Bedford, Mass.)1884-1???
New Bedford Evening Express (New Bedford [Mass.])1856-1856
New Bedford Evening Journal (New Bedford, Mass.)1890-1892
New Bedford Reporter and the Family Weekly Visitor (New-Bedford [Mass.])1844-184?
New Bedford Times (New Bedford, Mass.)1902-1932
New Bedford Weekly Register (New Bedford [Mass.])1846-18??
New-Bedford Courier, and Weekly Lyceum (New Bedford [Mass.])1833-1834
New-Bedford Daily Gazette (New-Bedford [Mass.])1833-1837
New-Bedford Daily Mercury (New-Bedford [Mass.])1831-1843
New-Bedford Evening Gazette (New Bedford, Mass.)1837-1837
New-Bedford Gazette (New-Bedford, Mass.)1811-1812
New-Bedford Gazette (New-Bedford, Mass.)1830-1834
New-Bedford Gazette and Courier (New-Bedford [Mass.])1834-1838
New-Bedford Mercury (New-Bedford, Mass.)1807-1895
New-Bedford Weekly Courier, and Workingmen's Press (New-Bedford [Mass.])1834-1834
New-Bedford Weekly Register (New-Bedford, Mass.)1831-1832
New-England Gazette (New-Bedford, Mass.)1823-1826
New=bedford Courier ([New Bedford, Mass.])1827-1833
O Colonial (Fairhaven, Mass.)1925-19??
O Colonial (Fairhaven, Mass.)1925-????
O Independente (New Bedford, Mass.)1897-194?
O Popular (New Bedford, Mass.)1913-1931
Old Colony Gazette (New-Bedford [Mass.])1808-1811
Old Colony Reporter (Taunton, Mass.)1821-1822
Old Colony Republican (Taunton, Mass.)1846-1848
Old Colony Whig and Columbian Reporter (Taunton, Mass.)1833-1838
People's Press (Fall River, Mass.)1859-1865
Record of the Times (New Bedford, Mass.)1829-1830
Saturday Morning Bulletin (Fall River, Mass.)1872-19??
Shells and Seaweed (New Bedford, Mass.)1884-1???
Sunday Dispatch (Fall River [Mass.])1879-18??
Swansea Record (Fall River, Mass.)1885-190?
Taunton Daily Gazette (Taunton [Mass.]; New Bedford, Ma)1848-Current
Taunton Herald-News (Taunton, Mass.)1901-1914
Taunton Tri-Weekly Gazette (Taunton, Mass.)1833-1833
Taunton True Democrat (Taunton, Mass.)1848-1849
Taunton Weekly Gazette (Taunton, Mass.)1874-1878
Taunton Whig (Taunton, Mass.)1838-1844
Temperance Centinel (Taunton [Mass.])1834-183?
The Advance (Fall River, Mass.)1879-1881
The Advocate (New-Bedford [Mass.])1844-1845
The Archetype (Fall River, Mass.)1841-1842
The Assonet Reporter and Freetown Advertiser (Assonet, Mass.)1870-1871
The Attleboro Sun (Attleboro, Mass.)1889-1971
The Aurora (Taunton, Mass.)1833-183?
The Border City Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1872-1876
The Bristol Journal (Fall River, Mass.)1889-18??
The Conservative, and Weekly Democrat (New Bedford [Mass.])1868-18??
The Daily Beacon (Fall River, Mass.)1858-1859
The Daily Evening Bulletin (New Bedford [Mass.])1842-1844
The Daily Globe (Fall River, Mass.)1885-188?
The Daily Record (Fall River [Mass.])1878-1879
The Daily Register (New-Bedford [Mass.])1839-1841
The Daily Spark (Fall River, Mass.)1848-18??
The Easton Journal and Bristol County Advertiser (North Easton, Mass.)1871-1898
The Evening Bulletin (New Bedford [Mass.])1841-1842
The Evening Chronicle (North Attleboro, Mass.)1870-1971
The Evening Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1904-1908
The Evening Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1910-1924
The Evening Journal (New Bedford, Mass.)1892-1???
The Fairhaven Star (Fairhaven, Mass.)1880-19??
The Fall River Daily Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1876-1904
The Fall River Herald (Fall River, Mass.)1908-1910
The Fall River Press (Fall River, Mass.)1903-19??
The Fall River Tribune (Fall River [Mass.])1890-189?
The Fall River Weekly Advertiser (Fall River, Mass.)1858-18??
The Free Press (Taunton [Mass.])1823-1824
The Independent (New-Bedford [Mass.])1849-1849
The Labor Standard (New York [N.Y.])1876-1???
The Liberal Citizen (New Bedford, Mass.)1880-1881
The Mansfield News and the Foxboro Times (Mansfield, Mass.)1909-1973
The Massachusetts Cataract, Temperance Standard and Dew Drop (Worcester [Mass.])1848-1853
The Medley, Or, Newbedford Marine Journal (Newbedford [i.e. New Bedford] Mass.)1792-1799
The Morning Mercury (New Bedford, Mass.)1894-1942
The New Bedford Express (New Bedford [Mass.])1856-185?
The New Bedford Times (New Bedford, Mass.)1857-1861
The New-Bedford Register (New-Bedford [Mass.])1839-184?
The Pikes' Peak and Reporter (Fall River, Mass.)1859-1859
The Rehoboth Townsman (North Attleboro, Mass.)1884-1894
The Republican Standard (New Bedford [Mass.])1850-1912
The Sea Foam (New Bedford, Mass.)1884-1884
The Spectator (Somerset, Mass.)1932-1935
The Spectator and Bristol County Farm Journal (Somerset, Mass.)1935-19??
The Standard-Times (Fall River, Ma)1932-Current
The Star (Fairhaven, Mass.)1879-1880
The Sun (Taunton, Mass.)1830-18??
The Taunton Democrat ([Taunton, Mass.])1850-1861
The Taunton Evening News (Taunton, Mass.)1889-1901
The True Democrat (Taunton, Mass.)1848-1849
The Wampanoag, and Operatives' Journal (Fall River, Mass.)1842-1843
The Weekly Bulletin and Advocate (New-Bedford [Mass.])1845-18??
The Weekly Echo (New Bedford, Mass.)1849-18??
The Weekly News (Fall River [Mass.])1845-1846
The Whaleman (New Bedford, Mass.)1854-1???
The Workingmen's Press (New-Bedford, Mass.)1832-1832
The Workingmen's Press and Weekly Register (New-Bedford, Mass.)1832-1834
This & That (New Bedford, Mass.)1883-1???
Trybuna (New Bedford, Mass.)1925-1952
Union Gazette and Democrat (Taunton, Mass.)1862-1874
Village Recorder (Fall River, Mass.)1832-183?
Weekly Advance (Fall River, Mass.)1882-188?
Weekly Attleborough Bulletin (North Attleborough, Mass.)1857-18??
Whalemen's Shipping List (New Bedford, Mass.)1857-1858
Whalemen's Shipping List, and Merchant's Transcript (New Bedford, Mass.)1858-1914
Whalemen's Shipping List, and Merchant's Transcript (New-Bedford [Mass.])1843-1857

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected newspaper titles cataloged by the Library of Congress with explicit county geography. Priority is given to titles beginning by 1950; up to five later titles are included where no earlier dated title is listed for that county. Dates describe publication history, not the issues available at a library. Multiple format records with the same title, place and dates are grouped. The catalog may describe paper, microfilm or online resources. Open ends and the word Current reflect the catalog description; confirm present availability and exact holdings with the libraries listed on the linked record.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

Find Bristol County's official website
We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the town or city clerk, the registry of deeds and the probate court.
The town or city clerk
Births, marriages and deaths, kept by each town since colonial times.
The registry of deeds
Deeds and other land records, by county (some counties have more than one registry district).
The probate court
Wills, estates and guardianships, one court in each county.
The Massachusetts Archives
In Boston: state vital records from 1841, court records and colonial records.
Massachusetts Archivesfree
The state archives in Boston, with state vital records, court and colonial records, and passenger lists for the port of Boston.
FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Massachusetts, Bristol" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Land not yet in any county

Bristol as created in 1685Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1685, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Massachusetts began statewide registration in 1841, but its towns have kept births, marriages and deaths since the 1600s. Many town records to 1850 are published as the "Vital Records of [Town]" series.