Search Plymouth Obituary Records
Plymouth obituary records go back to the earliest days of English settlement in New England, with death records kept since the 1620s by town officials. You can search for Plymouth obituary records through the Town Clerk at 11 Lincoln Street, request copies by mail, or look through historical collections at the Plymouth Colony Archive Project and Pilgrim Hall Museum. The state also holds Plymouth death records at the Massachusetts Archives for the years 1841 to 1930, and the Registry of Vital Records has copies from 1936 to the present. This page walks through all the ways to find obituary records tied to Plymouth.
Plymouth Overview
Plymouth Town Clerk Office
The Plymouth Town Clerk is the main source for death records in Plymouth. The office sits at 11 Lincoln Street in downtown Plymouth. Staff can pull death certificates for any death that took place in Plymouth or for a Plymouth resident who died elsewhere. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a copy. You can also call 508-747-1620 to ask about a record before you go in.
The clerk handles birth, death, and marriage certificates along with other town records. Certified copies of death certificates cost $10 for the first copy. Each extra copy at the same time is less. You need to give the full name of the person who died and the date of death if you have it. A valid photo ID helps speed things up. The office is open on weekdays during normal business hours, but it helps to call first since hours can shift around holidays or town meetings.
Mail requests work too. Send a letter to the Town Clerk at 11 Lincoln Street, Plymouth, MA 02360 with the name, death date, and a check made out to the Town of Plymouth. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Mail orders take a bit more time than going in person, but many people use this option when they live far from town.
The Plymouth town website has details on how to request obituary records and death certificates from the Town Clerk.
The site also lists contact info and hours for the clerk office and other town departments.
| Office | Plymouth Town Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 11 Lincoln St Plymouth, MA 02360 |
| Phone | 508-747-1620 |
Historical Plymouth Obituary Resources
Plymouth holds a unique place in American death records. The town was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, and local officials began recording deaths almost right away. These early records are some of the oldest in the country. Before 1841, death records exist only at the town level. The state did not start collecting vital statistics until that year. So if you need a Plymouth death record from before 1841, the Town Clerk is the only official source.
The Plymouth Colony Archive Project is a major resource for anyone searching for early Plymouth obituary records and death data. This project brings together court records, probate files, wills, and other documents from the Plymouth Colony period of 1620 to 1691. Many of these records mention deaths, burials, and estates of early settlers. The collection is free to browse online and it gives researchers a way to trace family lines back to the Mayflower era without visiting an archive in person.
The Plymouth Colony Archive Project provides free access to early colony records that include death and probate information from the 1600s.
Researchers use this site to find wills, estate inventories, and court documents that reference deaths in early Plymouth.
Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth also holds a large genealogical collection. The museum has records of Mayflower passengers and their descendants, including death dates, burial sites, and family connections. Staff can help with research requests. The museum sits on Court Street and is open to the public. Its library includes published genealogies, town histories, and manuscript collections that cover Plymouth families from the 1600s through the 1800s.
Note: Plymouth death records from before 1841 exist only at the town level and are not in the state archives or RVRS databases.
Plymouth Obituary Newspaper Sources
The Old Colony Memorial is the main newspaper for Plymouth obituary notices. It has been in print since 1822, making it one of the oldest newspapers in the state. Death notices and full obituaries appear in the paper on a regular basis. Back issues are on microfilm at the Plymouth Public Library. The library staff can help you search through older editions if you have a name and rough time frame.
The Boston Globe also covers Plymouth deaths, especially for people with ties to the wider region. Globe archives go back to 1872 and are searchable through library databases or Newspapers.com. The Brockton Enterprise covers southern Plymouth County as well, and it often runs obituaries for Plymouth area residents. For older deaths, check the Plymouth Rock newspaper and other historical publications held at the library.
Online newspaper databases like Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank carry digitized Plymouth obituaries going back to the 1800s. Some require a paid subscription, but many public libraries offer free access to these tools through their websites. The Plymouth Public Library has a local history room with files on Plymouth families, cemetery records, and clipping collections that cover deaths and burials over many decades.
Search Plymouth Death Records Online
The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search is a free database that covers death records from 1841 to 1910. Type in a name, pick Plymouth as the location, choose "Death," and set a year range. Results show volume and page numbers. Digital images of death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view right on the site. The State Archives will also email scans of up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no charge. Send your request to archives@sec.state.ma.us.
For more recent Plymouth death records, the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics holds records from 1936 to the present. You can order copies in person at their Dorchester office for $20, by mail for $32, or through VitalChek for $54. VitalChek also takes phone orders at (866) 300-8535. The RVRS office is near the JFK/UMass stop on the Red Line if you want to go in person.
FamilySearch has free collections that include Plymouth death data. Their Massachusetts Deaths and Burials collection covers 1795 to 1910. The Massachusetts Town Clerk Vital and Town Records collection spans 1626 to 2001. You need a free account to search. AmericanAncestors.org from the New England Historic Genealogical Society also holds Plymouth vital records indexes, though it requires a paid subscription for full access.
Mayflower Society and Plymouth Records
The General Society of Mayflower Descendants keeps detailed records of Pilgrim families and their lines of descent. These records include death dates, burial locations, and family connections for generations of Plymouth residents. The Mayflower Society House sits right in Plymouth on Winslow Street. Researchers with Mayflower ancestry can access the society's databases and published lineage books.
Plymouth is also home to several historic cemeteries that serve as primary sources for obituary research. Burial Hill, which overlooks the harbor, holds graves from the 1600s onward. Vine Hills Cemetery and Oak Grove Cemetery have burials from the 1800s and 1900s. Headstone inscriptions give names, dates, and sometimes family details that fill in gaps when official records are hard to find. The Plymouth County Genealogists group has worked to transcribe many of these cemetery records and make them available to the public.
How to Get Plymouth Death Certificates
Getting a death certificate from Plymouth is straightforward. The fastest way is to visit the Town Clerk at 11 Lincoln Street in person. Bring a valid photo ID and the name and date of death for the person you need. Staff can search the records and print a certified copy while you wait. Pay by cash or check.
By mail, write to the Plymouth Town Clerk at 11 Lincoln Street, Plymouth, MA 02360. Include the full name of the deceased, the date of death or best guess of when it happened, and your return address. Add a check or money order payable to the Town of Plymouth for the fee. Mail requests usually take one to two weeks depending on how busy the office is.
For deaths from 1936 to now, you can also go through the state. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics has copies. Order online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at their Dorchester location. State copies cost more than local ones, but they work well if you cannot get to Plymouth or if the local office is backed up. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46, death certificates are public records. Anyone can request a copy. The one thing to know is that cause of death is restricted. Only the surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or legal representative can see that part of the record.
- In person at Plymouth Town Clerk, 11 Lincoln St
- By mail with check payable to Town of Plymouth
- Through state RVRS office in Dorchester ($20 walk-in)
- Online via VitalChek ($54 first copy)
- State Archives for records 1841-1930 (free digital scans)
Note: Cause of death on Plymouth death certificates is only available to immediate family members, legal guardians, or legal representatives under state law.
Plymouth Obituary Access and Privacy
Death certificates in Plymouth are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy for genealogy, obituary research, or any other reason. There is no requirement to prove a relationship to the deceased for the basic record. The exception is cause of death. Under Section 46-2A, that field is restricted to close family and legal representatives.
The Massachusetts Public Records Law also applies to Plymouth town records. Government offices must respond to record requests within 10 business days. For towns with more than 20,000 residents, the first two hours of search time are free. After that, the maximum charge is $25 per hour. Standard copy fees are $0.05 per page for black and white copies. Plymouth has well over 20,000 residents, so these rules apply in full.
Plymouth County Obituary Records
Plymouth is the county seat of Plymouth County. The county covers a large area of southeastern Massachusetts and includes towns like Brockton, Marshfield, Duxbury, and Hingham. Each town keeps its own death records at the local clerk level. Plymouth County does not maintain vital records at the county level. For more on obituary resources across all of Plymouth County, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Plymouth also have their own obituary records at their local clerk offices.