Research & Genealogical Resources

This undated postcard, probably from the turn of the century before, shows the largest elm tree in Massachusetts. The exact location is unknown. Many of these giants were destroyed in the hurricane of 1938. The rest succumbed to Dutch Elm disease in the 60 and 70s.
A perfect example of not believing everything you read, even when old, this postcard from 1909  shows the “Largest Elm Tree in Massachusetts, Fayville MA.” However,  the elm, known as the Gates Elm, was actually just over the border in Framingham. (The card however was printed for Francis Wright, the owner of the general store in Fayville.) When the Mass Pike was constructed in the 1950s, it was said the water table changed, and the tree began to die. It was cut down about 1960, though pieces remain with the Framingham History Center. The colonial house was only recently ripped down by  MassDOT after years of deliberate neglect. You can see a photograph of this magnificent tree, HERE

 

1) Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800: Worcester County
2) Southborough Births 1727-1850: Alphabetical list by family name
3) Southborough Deaths 1727-1850: Alphabetical list by family name
4) Southborough Marriages 1727-1850

SRC map

5) Cemetery Lists
  1. Unmarked Graves 1842-1862
    This lists those who are buried either in the Old Burial Ground or in the Rural Cemetery and have an unmarked grave, dating from 1842 when the Rural Cemetery opened, up though 1862. Probably most are buried in the Rural Cemetery.
  2. Stone Conditions and Designs Through 1830
  3. Known Buried But No Marker
  4. Numerical List of Gravestones in the Old Burial Ground
  5. List of Southborough Dead 1727-1794
    This lists those who died in Southborough during the period but lack both verification of burial and marker.
  6. Alphabetical List of Stones Still Standing (1971) in the Old Burial Ground
  7. Known Buried but Omitted from Vital Records

6) Southborough Rural Cemetery Inscriptions 1850-2005
7) 1977 Burnett Family Descendants
8) Southborough Residents Enrolled in the 1847 Militia
9) A Record of the Soldiers of Southborough During the Rebellion from 1861-1865
10) Southborough Town Meetings Index 1727-1767

Index of transcribed Town Meetings from 1727-1767

11) Fay Family Genealogy
12: Helpful Outside Genealogy Links   (other Sites)

Why You Should Dig Up Your Family’s History — and How to Do It
Getting Started in Genealogy
19 Places to Research Your Family Tree for Free
5 Exciting Activities to Teach Your Kids About Their Family History
A Guide to Tracing American Indian & Alaska Native Ancestry
Making a Family Tree
Researching The History Of Your Home: Learn How to Explore the History of Your Dwelling
How to Dig Into the History of Your City, Town, or Neighborhood
Census Records