RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Massachusetts >> Barnstable County >> Falmouth >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Massachusetts

The Commemorative Quarter for Massachusetts





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 Falmouth (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 Falmouth. 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 Falmouth ...

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

  • Falmouth was settled in 1660.
  • It was incorporated in 1686.

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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

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 east contained birth and death records; the county to the south 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.

Falmouth is located in Barnstable County.

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

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

  • Barnstable County     (The home county of Falmouth)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Falmouth, with the one closest to Falmouth listed first.
    • Acapesket
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Teaticket
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Teaticket have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teaticket
      • Teaticket is located in Barnstable County
    • West Falmouth
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Falmouth
      • West Falmouth is located in Barnstable County
    • East Falmouth
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Woods Hole
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Monomoscoy Island
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monomoscoy Island have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monomoscoy Island
      • Monomoscoy Island is located in Barnstable County
    • Seconsett Island
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seconsett Island have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seconsett Island
      • Seconsett Island is located in Barnstable County
    • Seabrook
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seabrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seabrook
      • Seabrook is located in Barnstable County
    • North Falmouth
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Falmouth
      • North Falmouth is located in Barnstable County
    • Silver Beach
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Beach
      • Silver Beach is located in Barnstable County
    • Maushop Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maushop Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maushop Village
      • Maushop Village is located in Barnstable County
    • New Seabury
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Seabury have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Seabury
      • New Seabury is located in Barnstable County
    • Cataumet
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cataumet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cataumet
      • Cataumet is located in Barnstable County
  • Bristol County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Falmouth, with the one closest to Falmouth listed first.
    • Fairhaven
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairhaven have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairhaven
      • Fairhaven is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,103 people
    • Nonquitt
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Acushnet Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Acushnet
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Acushnet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acushnet
      • Acushnet is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,673 people
    • Bliss Corner
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bliss Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bliss Corner
      • Bliss Corner is located in Bristol County
    • New Bedford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • South Dartmouth
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Dartmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Dartmouth
      • South Dartmouth is located in Bristol County
    • Apponagansett
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Long Plain
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Dartmouth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dartmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dartmouth
      • Dartmouth is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 33,926 people
    • North Dartmouth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Dartmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Dartmouth
      • North Dartmouth is located in Bristol County
    • Clifford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clifford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifford
      • Clifford is located in Bristol County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Clifford
      • From Falmouth to Clifford
    • Smith Mills
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smith Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Mills
      • Smith Mills is located in Bristol County
  • Dukes County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Falmouth, with the one closest to Falmouth listed first.
    • West Chop
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Chop have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Chop
      • West Chop is located in Dukes County
    • Tisbury
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Vineyard Haven
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Oak Bluffs
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Christian Town
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Christian Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christian Town
      • Christian Town is located in Dukes County
    • North Tisbury
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Gosnold
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gosnold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gosnold
      • Gosnold is located in Dukes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 75 people
    • West Tisbury
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Edgartown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Katama
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Katama. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Katama
      • Katama is located in Dukes County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Katama
      • From Falmouth to Katama
    • Chilmark
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chilmark have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chilmark
      • Chilmark is located in Dukes County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 930 people
    • Menemsha
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menemsha have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menemsha
      • Menemsha is located in Dukes County
    • Aquinnah
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Plymouth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Falmouth, with the one closest to Falmouth listed first.
    • Marion
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Mattapoisett
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mattapoisett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattapoisett
      • Mattapoisett is located in Plymouth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,427 people
    • Onset
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • East Wareham
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Wareham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Wareham
      • East Wareham is located in Plymouth County
    • Briarwood Beach
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Weweantic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weweantic have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weweantic
      • Weweantic is located in Plymouth County
    • Wareham Center
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wareham Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wareham Center
      • Wareham Center is located in Plymouth County
    • Wareham
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wareham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wareham
      • Wareham is located in Plymouth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22,778 people
    • Rochester
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • White Island Shores
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Island Shores have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Island Shores
      • White Island Shores is located in Plymouth County
    • West Wareham
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Wareham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Wareham
      • West Wareham is located in Plymouth County
    • Pine Tree Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Tree Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Tree Village
      • Pine Tree Village is located in Plymouth County
    • Cranberry Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cranberry Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cranberry Village
      • Cranberry Village is located in Plymouth County
  • Newport County (RI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Falmouth, with the one closest to Falmouth listed first.
    • Adamsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Bliss Corners
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Little Compton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Compton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Compton
      • Little Compton is located in Newport County (RI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,462 people
    • Tiverton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiverton
      • Tiverton is located in Newport County (RI)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,569 people
    • Tiverton Four Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Sakonnet
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Falmouth ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Falmouth.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Falmouth had a population of 2,500 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Falmouth had a population of 31,107 people.

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

  • Falmouth Heights
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Falmouth Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth Heights
    • Falmouth Heights is located in Barnstable County
  • Teaticket
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Teaticket have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teaticket
    • Teaticket is located in Barnstable County
  • West Falmouth
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Falmouth
    • West Falmouth is located in Barnstable County
  • East Falmouth
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • West Chop
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Chop have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Chop
    • West Chop is located in Dukes County
  • Hatchville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hatchville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatchville
    • Hatchville is located in Barnstable County
  • Vineyard Haven
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Vineyard Highlands
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vineyard Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vineyard Highlands
    • Vineyard Highlands is located in Dukes County
  • North Falmouth
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Falmouth
    • North Falmouth is located in Barnstable County
  • Oak Bluffs
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Cataumet
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cataumet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cataumet
    • Cataumet is located in Barnstable County
  • Pocasset
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Mashpee
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mashpee came from an uncertain source and they still need to be verified:<7>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mashpee
      • Mashpee is located in Barnstable County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,266 people
    • North Tisbury
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Forestdale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Falmouth ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around Falmouth.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Falmouth. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Falmouth and those printed in the larger area surrounding Falmouth.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<5> of Falmouth.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Falmouth:

The official website for Falmouth: www.town.falmouth.ma.us/

The official website for Barnstable County: www.barnstablecounty.org/

The official website for State of Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>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.

<4>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.
<5>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 from Point A (ie- Falmouth) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Falmouth. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.5522, Longitude: -70.6129    
<6>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 Falmouth, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>If we found a location and have questions about the accuracy of our information, we will simply say that the marker is 'in the vicinity'. We are not confident about the location and the position of our marker is only a rough guide. If we have too many doubts about the location, we will not include it in our database.




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025