Hello,

Can anyone lead me in the right direction in finding the death of on of my ancestors, in Massachusetts sometime from 1940 onwards? I know there are online rcords, but only up to 1920.

I am looking for Allan Harper Calvert. I know he was living at 76 Norwood street, Everett, Middlesex, Massachusett fom his WW11 draft registration card in 1942. He was 61.

He also lived there on the 1940 US census.
He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland 1881.

Any help appreciated as I dont know where to start.

Thank you

For deaths after 1920 you could go to the Mass Archives. They had the BMD index for the years 1915-1970. Find the volume and page number of death and go right down the street to Mass Vitals and see actual record. Vitals has records to present year. They charge $9 an hour for research but sometimes if you are there less they don't charge. That's why I use the index at Archives first, saves a little time.

Margaret

Margaret,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I'm in England, so cant go in person.

Hmmm. There's a few paths you could try, but Everett may not be too easy.

One place I often look for death information, is in the published city/town directories. The directories used to indicate when someone died, or moved to another location (town or state). Unfortunately, the last i can find online is 1940. You can try the public library to see if thy may have the later editions. I'm just not hopeful. (I looked at the Boston Public library which has a good catalog of MA directories on microfilm, and the last Everett edition that they have is also 1940.)

The contact info for the reference desk can be found here... http://www.noblenet.org/everett/directions.html

Vital records are owned by the town/city where the even occurred. Each year, copies are then sent to the state. You can get copies of the records from either place, but the town/city clerk is typically easier. Unfortunately, it does cost money to get copies of the records. Information for the City of Everett can be found here...
http://www.cityofeverett.com/Everett_files/cityclerk/vitals....

You could try sending an email requesting the info, and not the record itself. This works pretty well when dealing with some of the smaller locales. I'm not sure about Everett, and I don't see a specific email address for the City Clerk's office. I would suggest clicking the "Contact Us" link at the top of the web site, let them know that you are in the UK, and what information you are looking for.

Good Luck,
John

Hi John,

I have connections to the City of Everett on my family-tree, and about 3-4 yrs. ago, I wrote a letter to the City Clerk asking for death-record information on 5 members of the extended KERR family. They took a while to respond, and they wrote to tell me that there would be something like a $10 or $15 charge for each look-up. And, I didn't want a copy of the certificates, and only wanted a few pieces of information from the record.

I found that office not to be genealogy-friendly. And,later I believe I wrote a letter to the Mayor's office gently complaining about the Clerk's office. There was no response at all.

I just browsed around the web site and found this page which reminds me that they now require seeing a "photo ID" and sometimes other documentation . in order to request a .vital record. from the Clerk's office.

http://www.cityofeverett.com/Everett_files/cityclerk/vitals....

Over the yrs., at different times, I've visited City Halls in Cambridge and Somerville, and I need to visit Medford to see how friendly they are to researachers. And, I've been to Town Hall in Arlington. Just like in Everett, you don't have a choice, you need to pay a small fee for getting the certificate. (Somerville is very genealogy-friendly; Cambridge is OK; they charge if you mail a request, but, if you go in person, and only have one or 2 questions, they don't charge.)

Oh, just remembered . I wrote to City Hall in Waltham, and they provided a lot of information for a small fee. And Town Hall in Stoneham provided a lot of information for me. So, my suggestion is to write a formal letter requesting a look-up, and provide as much information as you can in the letter. Then wait for a response telling you whether they will help you or not. Many times, if you are just looking for one piece of information from a record, they will respond in an e-mail.

As John said, "Everett" is also not computer-friendly, so there are no links for an e-mail address. (only one to the Webmaster) But, as with some other cities, if you provide your e-mail address in your formal letter to them, they will respond in an e-mail.

http://www.cityofeverett.com/Everett_files/phone_directory.h...

Hope this helps a little.

Betty (near Lowell, MA)


(on Lists and Boards for 10 yrs.; now an Admin for 9 Lists and 3 Boards)

Hi again,

I just went to the web site for the City of Medford, and, as with most Cities in the area, there is a $10 charge for obtaining a birth or death record. And, you must write a formal letter to them (no e-mails for requests).

http://www.medford.org/Pages/MedfordMA_Clerk/birth

Betty (near Lowell, MA)



(I looked for a long time to find out where my great-grandmother's only maternal cousin died. The SSDI only listed that he died in MA in 1960's. I don't recall how I found out that Carleton HUTCHINSON died in Medford, but I might have written to the Medford Clerk's office asking if it was possible he died there. I had the actual date of death. And, that showed me where he was buried. What I still don't know is when his wife died. But, I heard from a relative of hers about a year ago, and he might have told me. I'll try to find his e-mail to me. She was 2nd wife, Mrs. Mabel (ROSS) HUTCHINSON, possibly dying in Medford in 1950's.)

Hi again,

I just browsed around the web site for the City of Medford and found out they are not genealogy-friendly, either. For .genealogy research. you need to write a formal letter and include a check for $20. And, if you want to go in person, you need to set up an appointment to do .genealogy research. :o(

http://www.medford.org/Pages/MedfordMA_Clerk/gene


So, if I just wanted to get a .date of death. for Mrs. Mabel HUTCHINSON probably during 1950's, it would not be an easy thing.


Betty (near Lowell, MA)


(It's been on my "genealogy to do list" for too many years to get take the train to Boston and then go visit Mass Archives and Vital Records. But, now I have to wait until a day when my hubby feels up to the challenge.)

After all that positive news from Betty ;) perhaps there is a better idea. From the Massachusetts Archives web site...

"Vital records after 1920 are located at the municipal clerks' offices and the Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125). Researchers may contact the Registry of Vital Records at 617-740-2600, or through the DPH website:
www.mass.gov/dph/rvrs

"Indices of the DPH vital records volumes through 1971 are available at the Archives, although there are no copies of the actual records at the Archives. These indices can be used by visitors to the Reading Room."

Why not send an email to the Archives requesting a lookup in the index, which I believe provides the date of death in addition to the volume/location of the actual record? (As stated above, the actual record does not exist at the Archives, but if you only want the date, then the index might suffice.)
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcres/residx.htm

They may take a little bit of time to get back to you, but it will probably be a more positive experience than trying to deal with Everett.

And do try the library approach as well. I'm just not sure that the directories exist.

John

Thank you all for your help - it certainly gives me lots to go on!

You're welcome!

One other thought... you could post a new message with a subject along the lines of "Lookup request at the Registry of Vital records". Then re-describe what you are looking for.

The Registry charges by the hour to do research. Some people go and have a little extra time and are willing to help out with simple requests.

Good luck!
John