Genealogical Research

Original Rehoboth

By:  R.J. DeRoche

Rehoboth was settled after careful planning by a group in Weymouth. The region was scouted and Seacunck Plain located. The court of Plymouth in the year 1641 granted them liberty to take up a tract of land to purchase the foresaid tract of land of Asamecum, the Chief Sachem and Owner thereof. The purchase price paid was “ten fathoms of wampum and a coat.” With the ground work laid, Rev. Samuel Newman with his proprietors, their families and belongings set out from Hingham. The long trail led them to their new home and they called the place “Rehoboth.”
        
The original land purchase comprised the present towns of Rehoboth, Seekonk, Barrington, East Providence, and that part of Pawtucket East of the Blackstone River. Later in 1661 the land which is now Attleboro was acquired and by 1661 what was known as Attleboro Gore, and what is now Cumberland, Rhode Island had become a part of Rehoboth until 1747.

Note: See dates on map below for purchased dates and dates of changes in land area of Rehoboth.

Click the pictures below to view "Full Image" in a new window.

If you are interested in conducting a genealogy study in Rehoboth, we do have permanent town records dating back to 1633 at town hall. You also have several research options available.  

• For vital records (birth, marriage intention, marriage, and death) during the period of 1642-1896, you may access an index of the records we have in our vault online by clicking the following link:  
  • Vital Records of Rehoboth, 1642-1896 This is a link to James N. Arnold's index of Marriages, Intentions, Births, and Deaths (On the left side of the screen you may choose to view online or download the 33.7 MB Adobe file).  If you find an entry you are interested in, we do have the original documents housed in our Town vault.  You may either call us 508-252-6502 - Extension 3109 or 3110, e-mail (KPerkins@RehobothMA.gov, JHose@RehobothMA.gov or LSchwall@RehobothMA.gov), or stop by Town Hall (340 Anawan Street, Rehoboth, MA) for a more detailed record.
  • We also have the above record, a 926 page “Tan Book” by James N. Arnold - Vital Records Book (Link Above) available to review at town hall along with directories from 1896-present day.
• Other resources that you could explore are:
  • The Carpenter Museum, 4 Locust Avenue, Rehoboth, MA 02769, (508) 252-3031
    • Lende McMullen who may be contacted through the Library at (508) 252-4236 or by email by clicking here.
  • Newman Congregational Church, 100 Newman Avenue, Rumford, RI 02916, (401) 434-4742
  • New England Historic Genealogical Society, 101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, (617) 536-5740
  • Bristol County Registry of Deeds, 11 Court Street, Taunton, MA 02780, (508) 822-0502
• A few helpful websites:
  • MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services Genealogical Research Page
  • FamilySearch
  • Archives.com
  • Archives.com - Massachusetts Records
  • Ancestry.com - Massachusetts Records
• Also Helpful is the following article:
  • Finding Your Massachusetts Ancestors: Genealogy Research From The 17th to 21st Centuries by Diane Rapaport, January 19, 2012
• Genealogy requests can be made in person, by mail, or by email. A research fee of $12.00 is charged if Town Clerk staff needs to research the records. If you do the research yourself, there is no fee.  
• However, there is a fee for certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates which will be $10.00 per copy (after the year 1900). Certified copies of a vital record (birth, death, or marriage) prior to the year 1900 are $7.00 per copy. Certified copies with more than one name (i.e. list of children and birth dates in same family – records prior to the year 1900) are $9.00 per copy. You may request your copy(s) online by clicking the following picture:

• We issue ONLY CERTIFIED COPIES. We DO NOT photocopy our original records because of possible light damage.