Find Hampshire County Obituary Records

Hampshire County obituary records are held by local city and town clerk offices across the county, not at the county level. Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, and more than a dozen smaller towns each keep their own death records. You can search for Hampshire County obituary records through state archives online, request copies by mail, or visit a clerk office in person. The county has deep roots going back to 1662, and many historical obituary records survive in local libraries and genealogy collections. This guide covers every way to find and request obituary records from Hampshire County sources, including clerk offices, newspapers, and online databases.

Hampshire County Clerk Office

The Hampshire County Clerk at 33 King Street, Suite 3, in Northampton handles court-related records and county business. However, this office does not keep vital records like death certificates. That job falls to each city and town clerk in the county. So if you need a Hampshire County obituary record, you have to figure out which town the person died in and go to that clerk. The county clerk can still help point you in the right direction.

The Hampshire County death records page on Massachusetts Official Records shows how to search for obituary records in this part of the state.

This page lists resources and clerk offices for finding death and obituary records across Hampshire County towns.

You can call the Hampshire County Clerk at (413) 586-8500 or email hampshirecounty@mass.gov for general questions. For obituary records and death certificates, reach out to the specific town clerk where the death was filed. Most towns in Hampshire County are small, and their clerk offices have limited hours. Call first before making a trip.

Hampshire County Town Clerk Offices

Northampton is the county seat and the largest city in Hampshire County. The Northampton City Clerk at 210 Main Street keeps all death records for the city. Call them at 413-587-1223 or email cityclerk@northamptonma.gov. They can issue certified copies of death certificates and help with obituary record searches for anyone who died in Northampton. Historical records are also available through the Forbes Library Local History Room, which sits right in town.

Amherst is the second major town in Hampshire County for obituary research. The Amherst Town Clerk at 4 Boltwood Avenue handles death records for the town. Reach them at 413-259-3035 or email townclerk@amherstma.gov. Amherst College also maintains necrology records that can be useful for genealogy and obituary research. These records cover faculty, staff, and alumni going back to the early 1800s.

Other Hampshire County towns with clerk offices that hold obituary records include Easthampton, Belchertown, Ware, Hadley, South Hadley, and Granby. Smaller towns like Williamsburg, Hatfield, Huntington, Goshen, and Westhampton also keep their own death records at the town clerk level.

Search Hampshire County Death Records Online

The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search is the best free tool for finding old Hampshire County obituary records. It covers death records from 1841 to 1910. Type in a name, pick the town, choose "Death" as the record type, and set a year range. The results show volume and page numbers that match the original record books. Digital scans of many Hampshire County records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view right on the site.

For records after 1910, you have a few options. The Massachusetts State Archives holds death records up through the 1930s. Staff will email free scans of up to five records if you write to archives@sec.state.ma.us. Certified copies from the archives cost $3.00 each. They take four to six weeks by mail. Cash or check only, payable to Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

More recent Hampshire County death records from 1936 to the present are available through the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. You can order through VitalChek online or by mail. Fees run from $20 to $54 depending on how you order and how fast you need it. The town clerk where the death was recorded can also issue copies for a lower fee in most cases.

Hampshire County Obituary Genealogy Resources

Hampshire County has strong genealogy resources for obituary research. The Hampshire County Genealogy Trails site hosts a collection of historical obituaries sorted by last name. These come from old newspapers and public records across the county. They can fill in gaps when official death certificates are missing or when you need personal details that only show up in newspaper obituary notices, like burial location, surviving family, or the person's occupation.

The Hampshire County Genealogy Trails obituary page has searchable historical obituary records from newspapers and public sources across Hampshire County.

These records include details like burial place, surviving family members, and age at death that you won't always find on a death certificate.

The Forbes Library in Northampton has a Local History and Genealogy room that is one of the best in western Massachusetts. They hold town reports, cemetery records, church records, and newspaper clippings tied to Hampshire County obituary research. The Jones Library in Amherst runs a Special Collections department with similar local history materials. Both are free to use and staff can help guide your search.

Amherst College keeps necrology records for faculty, alumni, and staff that date back to the school's founding. Smith College Archives in Northampton holds similar records. The Northampton Historical Society and Amherst Historical Society both maintain files on local residents that can fill in details around obituary records. These are less well known resources, but they can turn up things you won't find anywhere else.

Hampshire County Obituary Newspapers

Newspapers are one of the best ways to find Hampshire County obituary records. The Daily Hampshire Gazette has been the main paper in Northampton and the surrounding area for well over a century. It runs death notices and full obituaries for residents across the county. The Amherst Bulletin covers Amherst and nearby towns. The Valley Advocate serves the broader Pioneer Valley region.

The Easthampton Star is another local paper that carries obituary listings for that part of Hampshire County. For historical obituary research, many of these newspapers have been preserved on microfilm at the Forbes Library and Jones Library. Some are also available through online databases. If the person you are searching for lived in a small Hampshire County town, the local paper may be the only place their obituary was published, since not all deaths make it into the larger regional papers.

When searching Hampshire County obituary records in newspapers, try different name spellings. Older papers sometimes got names wrong or used nicknames instead of legal names. Check both the town where the person died and the town where they lived, since obituaries could run in either paper.

Massachusetts Laws on Hampshire County Death Records

Death certificates in Massachusetts are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy. Section 11 says the funeral director must file the death certificate with the city or town clerk where the death took place. Section 9 allows a nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant to sign the declaration of death in certain cases. Section 17B gives the state registrar control over original records and certified copies.

The one restriction on Hampshire County obituary and death records is the cause of death. Under MGL Chapter 46, Section 46-2A, that part of the certificate is only shared with close family, legal guardians, and people with a documented legal interest. The general public can still get a death certificate, but the cause of death section will be left blank. Most obituary research does not need cause of death, so this rarely creates a problem.

The Massachusetts Public Records Law under MGL c.66, Section 10 gives everyone the right to request government records from Hampshire County clerk offices. Agencies must respond within 10 business days. The first two hours of search time are free for towns over 20,000 people like Northampton and Amherst. After that, the fee caps at $25 per hour. Copy fees are $0.05 per page.

How to Get Hampshire County Obituary Records

Getting a Hampshire County obituary record starts with knowing where the death was recorded. Each town clerk keeps the original record. You can request copies three ways: in person, by mail, or through the state. Here is what to expect.

For in-person requests, go to the town clerk office where the death was filed. Bring a valid ID. Tell the clerk the full name of the person and the approximate date of death. Most clerks can pull the record while you wait. Fees vary by town but are usually lower than state rates. Northampton, Amherst, and Easthampton have regular business hours. Smaller Hampshire County towns may only be open a few days a week, so call ahead.

For mail requests, write to the town clerk with the person's full name, date of death (or best guess), and your return address. Include a check for the fee. Most Hampshire County town clerks charge between $10 and $20 for a certified copy. Processing takes one to three weeks depending on the office. For state-level requests, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics handles mail orders for any Massachusetts death record from 1936 to the present.

• Full name of the deceased
• Date of death or approximate year
• Town where the death took place
• Your name and mailing address
• Check or money order for the fee

Towns in Hampshire County

Hampshire County has more than 19 cities and towns. All keep their own obituary and death records at the local clerk level. No Hampshire County cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated page, but you can contact any town clerk directly for records.

Northampton is the largest community and county seat. Amherst, Easthampton, South Hadley, and Belchertown are the next largest towns. Smaller communities like Hadley, Ware, Granby, Williamsburg, and Hatfield also maintain full death records at their clerk offices. Each town handles its own obituary record requests.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hampshire County. If you are not sure which county holds the obituary record you need, check where the death took place. The clerk in that city or town will have the original record on file.