Nantucket County Obituary Records
Nantucket County obituary records are held by the Nantucket Town Clerk at 16 Broad Street. Because Nantucket is a consolidated town and county, one office handles all vital records for the entire island. You can search for death records in person, by phone, or through mail requests to the clerk. Historical obituary records also sit in the collections at the Nantucket Historical Association and the Nantucket Atheneum. The Massachusetts State Archives holds Nantucket death records from 1841 to 1930 in its online database. This guide walks you through how to find, request, and search obituary records from every source on the island and at the state level.
Nantucket County Overview
Nantucket Town Clerk Obituary Records
The Nantucket Town Clerk is the sole keeper of vital records for the whole county. This is rare in Massachusetts. Most counties have multiple towns, each with its own clerk. Nantucket is different. The town and county are one and the same, so a single office at 16 Broad Street manages all birth, death, and marriage certificates for the island. If someone died on Nantucket at any point in the county's history, the record should be on file here or at the state archives.
You can request Nantucket County obituary records in a few ways. Walk into the Town Clerk office on Broad Street during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Call 508-228-7200, extension 8302. Or send an email to townclerk@nantucket-ma.gov with your request details. Mail requests work too. Include the full name of the person, the date of death if you know it, and a return address. The clerk will let you know about fees and how long it takes to process your request.
Death certificates in Massachusetts are public records under MGL Chapter 46. Anyone can get a copy. The one catch is that the cause of death stays private. Only a surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or someone with a documented legal interest can see that part. For most obituary research, cause of death is not what you need, so this restriction rarely gets in the way.
| Office | Nantucket Town Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address |
16 Broad Street Nantucket, MA 02554 |
| Phone | 508-228-7200 x8302 |
| Fax | 508-325-4160 |
| townclerk@nantucket-ma.gov | |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
Note: Since Nantucket is a consolidated town-county, you only need to contact one clerk office for all obituary and death records on the island.
Nantucket Historical Association Obituary Archives
The Nantucket Historical Association holds one of the best collections of historical records on the island. Their research library has family papers, church records, cemetery transcriptions, and newspaper clippings that go back centuries. For obituary research in Nantucket County, the NHA is a key stop after the Town Clerk. The association keeps files on prominent island families and has indexed many of the old death and burial records that predate state registration in 1841.
The Nantucket Historical Association maintains extensive archives that include historical obituary records, burial records, and family history files for Nantucket County.
The NHA research library is open to visitors and can help with genealogy requests related to Nantucket families and death records.
Beyond the NHA, the Nantucket Atheneum has a local history collection with obituary clippings and town reports that list deaths by year. The Maria Mitchell Association also holds archival materials. These three groups together cover a wide range of Nantucket County obituary records from the 1600s to the modern era. If the Town Clerk does not have what you need, one of these organizations likely will.
Search Nantucket Obituary Records Online
The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search is the best free online tool for Nantucket County death records from 1841 to 1910. Type in a name, pick Nantucket as the town, select "Death" as the record type, and set a year range. The results give you volume and page numbers that point to the original record books. Digital images of many records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view on the archives site.
For records from 1926 to 1930, you can email the State Archives at archives@sec.state.ma.us. Staff will send free scans of up to five records. If you need a certified copy, the cost is $3.00 per certificate and it takes four to six weeks by mail. Payment must be by cash or check, made out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is one of the cheapest ways to get official Nantucket County death records.
The Nantucket County Genealogy Trails site has a collection of historical obituaries from newspapers and public records. These are transcribed obituary notices that include details like burial place, surviving family members, and age at death. For anyone doing genealogy work on Nantucket families, this is a solid free resource. The records come from various time periods and can fill gaps when official death certificates are hard to find or when you need personal details that only show up in newspaper notices.
For more recent records from 1936 to the present, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics is the state-level source. You can order copies online through VitalChek for $54, by mail for $32, or in person at the Dorchester office for $20. The Town Clerk in Nantucket also has these records and may charge less, so it is worth checking both options.
Nantucket County Cemetery Records
Cemetery records are a strong secondary source for obituary research in Nantucket County. The island has six main cemeteries, each with burial records that can help confirm death dates and family connections. Prospect Hill Cemetery is the largest and most active. It has an interment index that lists names, dates, and plot locations for thousands of burials. The cemetery office can help you find specific grave sites and may have records that the Town Clerk does not.
The other Nantucket cemeteries each tell a piece of the island's story. New Town Cemetery and Old North Cemetery have graves from the 1700s and 1800s. The Quaker Burial Ground reflects the island's deep Quaker roots. The Colored Cemetery holds the remains of Nantucket's African American community members. St. Mary's Cemetery serves the Catholic population. Each of these burial grounds has records that can add context to Nantucket County obituary research, especially for older deaths where formal death certificates may not exist.
- Prospect Hill Cemetery (main cemetery, interment index available)
- New Town Cemetery
- Old North Cemetery
- Quaker Burial Ground
- Colored Cemetery
- St. Mary's Cemetery
Note: The Nantucket Cemeteries Project has worked to transcribe and index burial records from all six island cemeteries for obituary and genealogy research.
Nantucket County Obituary Newspapers
Newspapers are one of the most useful sources for finding obituary records in Nantucket County. The Inquirer and Mirror has been the island's newspaper of record for over 200 years. It is a weekly publication that runs obituary notices for Nantucket residents. The paper's archives hold decades of death notices that include personal details, family information, and funeral arrangements that you will not find on a death certificate alone.
The Nantucket Current is a newer online news source that also publishes obituary notices. Yesterday's Island is a seasonal publication that covers island life. For historical obituary research, the Inquirer and Mirror back issues are the best bet. The Nantucket Atheneum and the Nantucket Historical Association both hold collections of old newspaper issues on microfilm or in bound volumes. Some of these have been digitized and are searchable through library databases.
When searching for Nantucket obituary records in newspapers, keep in mind that island residents sometimes had their obituaries printed in Cape Cod papers too. The Cape Cod Times and other regional publications occasionally ran death notices for people connected to Nantucket. Checking both island and mainland papers gives you the best chance of finding a complete obituary record.
Genealogy Resources for Nantucket Obituary Records
Nantucket County has several strong genealogy resources that can help with obituary research. The Nantucket Historical Association Research Library is the top choice. Their staff knows the island's family histories and can point you to records you might not find on your own. The library holds probate records, church records, family papers, and other documents that connect to death and burial records across the island.
The Nantucket Atheneum has a local history collection with town reports, vital records indexes, and obituary clippings. The Maria Mitchell Association, known mostly for science and astronomy, also keeps archival materials related to island families. Lewis Funeral Home records are another source that researchers sometimes overlook. Funeral home files can include details about the deceased, family contacts, and burial arrangements that do not appear in the official death certificate.
At the state level, the Massachusetts Archives database has Nantucket death records from 1841 to 1910 with digital images available for free. FamilySearch offers Massachusetts Deaths and Burials from 1795 to 1910 and Massachusetts Town Clerk Vital and Town Records from 1626 to 2001. Both are free with registration. These databases can help you trace Nantucket County obituary records back several centuries when combined with local sources.
Massachusetts Laws on Nantucket Death Records
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46, Section 11, the funeral director must file a death certificate with the town clerk where the death happened. On Nantucket, that means all death records go to the Town Clerk at 16 Broad Street. Section 9 says a physician, nurse, or nurse practitioner can sign the declaration of death. Section 17B gives the state registrar authority over original records and certified copies. Section 26 sets the fees that clerks can charge for copies.
The Massachusetts Public Records Law under MGL c.66, Section 10 gives everyone the right to request government records. Agencies must respond within 10 business days. Copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for black and white. The first two hours of staff search time are free for towns under 20,000 people. Since Nantucket's population is around 14,000, this means the first two hours of any record search at the Town Clerk office should not cost you anything beyond copy fees.
Nearby Counties
These counties are closest to Nantucket County. If you are searching for an obituary record and are not sure the death took place on Nantucket, check the county where it happened. Dukes County covers Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. Barnstable County covers all of Cape Cod. Both are reachable by ferry from Nantucket.