Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Duxbury (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Duxbury. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

A Few Details for Duxbury ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

Duxbury was settled in 1624.
It was incorporated in 1637.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Duxbury is located in Plymouth County.

To see how the shape of Massachusetts' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Plymouth County: Barnstable, Bristol & Norfolk.

Below are the counties that are near Duxbury. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Duxbury:

Plymouth County (The home county of Duxbury)
- The following are listed by their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.
- South Duxbury
  (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  - South Duxbury is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Duxbury
- Green Harbor - Cedar Crest
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  - Green Harbor - Cedar Crest is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Harbor - Cedar Crest
- Green Harbor
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  - Green Harbor is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Harbor
- Ocean Bluff
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  - Ocean Bluff is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocean Bluff
- Brant Rock
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  - Brant Rock is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brant Rock
- Marshfield
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  - Marshfield is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 26,037 people
- Island Creek
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  - Island Creek is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island Creek
- Ashdod
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  - Ashdod is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashdod
- North Plymouth
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  - North Plymouth is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Plymouth
- Kingston
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  - Kingston is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 14,024 people
- Plymouth
  (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  - Plymouth is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 62,654 people
- Humarock
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  - Humarock is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Humarock
Barnstable County
- The following are listed by their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.
- Sagamore Beach
  (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  - Sagamore Beach is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore Beach
- Buzzards Bay
  (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  - Buzzards Bay is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzards Bay
- Sagamore
  (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  - Sagamore is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sagamore
- Bourne
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
  - Bourne is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bourne
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 19,743 people
- Sandwich
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  - Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandwich
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 20,151 people
- Monument Beach
  (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  - Monument Beach is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument Beach
- East Sandwich
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  - East Sandwich is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Sandwich
- Plowed Neck
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
  - Plowed Neck is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plowed Neck
- Pocasset
  (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
  - Pocasset is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pocasset
- Provincetown
  (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  - Provincetown is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Provincetown
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 2,957 people
- Forestdale
  (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
  - Forestdale is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forestdale
- Cataumet
  (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
  - Cataumet is located in Barnstable County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cataumet
Bristol County
- The following are listed by their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.
- South Easton
  (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
  - South Easton is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Easton
- East Taunton
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  - East Taunton is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Taunton
- Raynham Center
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
  - Raynham Center is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raynham Center
- Easton Center
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  - Easton Center is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton Center
- Easton
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  - Easton is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easton
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 25,116 people
- Raynham
  (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  - Raynham is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raynham
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 14,560 people
- North Easton
  (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  - North Easton is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Easton
- East Freetown
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  - East Freetown is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Freetown
- Long Plain
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  - Long Plain is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Plain
- Taunton
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  - Taunton is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taunton
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 57,675 people
- Weir Village
  (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  - Weir Village is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weir Village
- Furnace Village
  (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  - Furnace Village is located in Bristol County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Furnace Village
Essex County
- Nahant
  (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  - Nahant is located in Essex County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nahant
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 3,506 people
Norfolk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.
- Beechwood
  (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  - Beechwood is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beechwood
- Cohasset
  (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  - Cohasset is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cohasset
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 8,529 people
- South Weymouth
  (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  - South Weymouth is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Weymouth
- East Weymouth
  (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
  - East Weymouth is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Weymouth
- North Cohasset
  (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
  - North Cohasset is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cohasset
- Holbrook
  (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  - Holbrook is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holbrook
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 11,014 people
- Weymouth
  (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
  - Weymouth is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weymouth
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 58,104 people
- Brookville
  (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  - Brookville is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookville
- North Weymouth
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  - North Weymouth is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Weymouth
- Weymouth Heights
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  - Weymouth Heights is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weymouth Heights
- Avon
  (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
  - Avon is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avon
  - Population from the 2020 Census: 4,557 people
- Randolph
  (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  - Randolph is located in Norfolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randolph
  - Estimated population in 2019: 34,362 people
Suffolk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.
- Neponset
  (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  - Neponset is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neponset
- Ashmont
  (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  - Ashmont is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashmont
- Mattapan Station
  (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  - Mattapan Station is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattapan Station
- Mattapan
  (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  - Mattapan is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattapan
- Point Shirley
  (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  - Point Shirley is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Shirley
- Dorchester
  (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  - Dorchester is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorchester
- Hyde Park
  (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  - Hyde Park is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hyde Park
- Readville
  (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  - Readville is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Readville
- Savin Hill
  (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  - Savin Hill is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savin Hill
- Roslindale
  (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  - Roslindale is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roslindale
- Roxbury
  (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  - Roxbury is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
- South Boston
  (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  - South Boston is located in Suffolk County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Boston

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Duxbury, see our County-by-County Page for Duxbury.

Cemeteries Near Duxbury ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Duxbury.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Duxbury - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Duxbury covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.

Episcopal Church Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Episcopal Church Cemetery
Mayflower Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayflower Cemetery
- The Mayflower Cemetery has also been known as:
- Duxbury Mayflower Cemetery
- Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #DUX.802 <1>
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #91217 <2>
Grave of Myles Standish
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grave of Myles Standish
Myles Standish Burying Ground
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Myles Standish Burying Ground
Dingley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dingley Cemetery
- Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #DUX.804 <1>
Winslow Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winslow Cemetery
- Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #MRS.800 <1>
Evergreen Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Evergreen Cemetery is located in Kingston.
- Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #KIN.800 <1>
Ashdod Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashdod Cemetery
- Jump to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System: MACRIS ID #DUX.801 <1>
St. Josephs Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Josephs Cemetery
Vine Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vine Hill Cemetery
Burial Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burial Hill Cemetery
Sarcophagus Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sarcophagus Cemetery
Continue List (348 more) ...
- Pine Grove Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove Cemetery
- Sachem Lodge Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sachem Lodge Cemetery
- Oak Grove Cemetery
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove Cemetery

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Duxbury had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Duxbury had a population of 15,932 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Duxbury, with the one closest to Duxbury listed first.

Millbrook
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Millbrook is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
Green Harbor
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Green Harbor is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Harbor
Island Creek
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Island Creek is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island Creek
Marshfield
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Marshfield is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 26,037 people
Brant Rock
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Brant Rock is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brant Rock
North Duxbury
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- North Duxbury is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Duxbury
Kingston
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Kingston is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingston
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14,024 people
North Plymouth
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- North Plymouth is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Plymouth
Plymouth
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Plymouth is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 62,654 people
Marshfield Center
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Marshfield Center is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield Center
East Pembroke
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- East Pembroke is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Pembroke
West Duxbury
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- West Duxbury is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Duxbury
Continue List (15 more) ...
- Silver Lake
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  - Silver Lake is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Lake
- Sea View
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  - Sea View is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sea View
- Chiltonville
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  - Chiltonville is located in Plymouth County
  - Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chiltonville

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Duxbury. See our List of 1890's Communities around Duxbury.

Newspapers Published in Duxbury ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 40 newspapers that have been published in the area around Duxbury.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Duxbury, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Duxbury.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Duxbury:

Websites specific to Massachusetts
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Website for the Massachusetts Archives Division

Pages specific to Plymouth County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails

Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Barnstable County
  - Jump to Cyndi's List
  - Jump to Family Search
  - Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Bristol County
  - Jump to Cyndi's List
  - Jump to Family Search
  - Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Essex County
  - Jump to Cyndi's List
  - Jump to Family Search
  - Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Norfolk County
  - Jump to Cyndi's List
  - Jump to Family Search
  - Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Suffolk County
  - Jump to Cyndi's List
  - Jump to Family Search
  - Jump to Genealogy Trails

Cemetery Information and Directories for Massachusetts
- Cyndi's List
- Cemeteries of Massachusetts
- Cemeteries of Plymouth County
- FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Massachusetts
- Find-A-Grave: Home Page
- Interment.net
- Cemeteries of Massachusetts
- Cemeteries of Plymouth County

Footnotes ...

<1>	The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has created and maintains a database of historic properties that is called MACRIS (for the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System). More information about the MHC and MACRIS can be found on their website: mhc-macris.net. When visiting the MACRIS website, you might encounter their page requiring the 'Acceptance of Terms'. With your acceptance, you'll be transfered to the desired page.
<2>	The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<3>	We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Duxbury, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>	Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Duxbury) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.