Welcome To Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA

Massachusetts US GENWEB Project

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Norfolk County, MA

First Events in Norfolk County, MA

Original Norfolk County, Massachusetts History

The county of Norfolk, as first incorporated, included all the original territory of Suffolk, except for towns of Boston and Chelsa. On May 10, 1643, the Colony of Massachusetts Bay was divided into four counties; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk. Thus Norfolk County originally had the towns of Haverhill, Salisbury, Hampton, Exeter, Dover and Portsmouth. Salisbury, Hampton, Exeter & Dover were set off to New Hampshire with state separation in 1680. The remaining towns were set back to Essex county on 4 Feb 1680 and the Original County of Norfolk ceased to exist.

Norfolk County Re-incorporation, Massachusetts History

An act to re-incorporate Norfolk County was approved by Gov. Hancock on March 26, 1793. The northeastern end of Norfolk has interchanged several times with Suffolk , and Middlesex Counties. Dedham is the County Seat. The current towns except as noted are:

Avon (Inc. 1888)
Bellingham (Inc. 1719)
Braintree (Inc. May 13, 1640)
Brookline (Inc. Nov 13, 1705)
Canton (Inc. Feb 23, 1797)
Cohasset
Dedham (Inc Sept 8, 1636)
Dorchester (Organized 1630, annexed to Boston 1870)
Dover (Inc. 1836)
Foxborough (Also spelled Foxboro) (Inc. June 10, 1778)
Franklin (Inc. March 2, 1778)
Hingham (1793 to 18?? part of Norfolk County. Now Part of Plymouth County)
Holbrook (Inc. Feb 28, 1872)
Hyde Park (Inc. April 22, 1868)
Medfield (Inc. May 23, 1651)
Medway (Inc. Oct 24, 1713)
Millis (Inc 1885)
Milton (Inc. May 7, 1662)
Needham (Inc. Nov 5, 1711)
Norfolk (Inc. 1870)
Norwood (Inc. Feb 23, 1872)
Plainville (Inc. 1905)
Quincy (Inc. Feb 23, 1792)
Randolph (Inc. March 9, 1793)
Roxbury (annexed by Boston - 1868)
Sharon (Inc. 1765)
Stoughton (Inc. Dec 22, 1726)
Walpole (Dec 10, 1724)
Wellesley (Inc. 1881)
Westwood (Org. 1897)
West Roxbury (annexed by Boston - 1874)
Weymouth (Inc. Sept 2, 1635)
Wrentham (Inc. Oct 15, 1673)

Norfolk County, MA, USA Links

  • New Bedford Whaling Museum (Contains Kendall Whaling Museum of Sharon)

  • Brookline Public Library Genealogy Resources

  • Dedham Historical Society

  • Canton Historical Society

  • Dedham Fairbanks House - circa 1636

  • Medway Historical Society

  • Milton Historical Commisssion

  • Needham Historical Society

  • Norwood Historical Society

  • Sharon Historical Society

  • Walpole Historical Society

  • Westwood Historical Society

  • Wrentham Historical Society

  • Norfolk County Book Lookups

  • Governor Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury (Roxbury was in Norfolk County from about 1790 to 1868)

    Norfolk county is the Birthplace of 4 United States Presidents

  • George Bush - Milton, MA
  • John Adams - Mass Bay Colony
  • John Quincy Adams - Braintree
  • John F Kennedy - Brookline

  • Adams Historic Site in Quincy (National Park Service)