Genealogy Research
Welcome to the Town of Wales genealogy resources. Wales is fortunate to have many of the original vital record documents, or digital copies of them. In Massachusets, not all vital records are public documents. However once they are 100 years old, they can be published. So the pages here date from 1762 through approximately 1900 (as of 2019).
Our vital records consist of four volumes, plus the Gardener Book. We also have some cemetery records available in our office. Volume One contains the very first records of births, deaths, marriage intentions and marriages. Volume One covers 1762 thru 1840 and is somewhat disorganized. The physical copy of Volume One was lost, and is only available as scanned images. Volume Two is also births, marriages and deaths, from 1840 thru 1873. Volume Three is Births and Marriages from 1874 to the present. Volume Four is Deaths from 1874 to present. The Gardener Book is the genealogy of the very earliest residents. You can see the list of available resources here. These genealogy pages are currently under construction, so many of the files listed cannot be accessed at this point. We hope to add links as time and materials permit, but it won't be soon.
For research on family records, please contact the Town Clerk via email, if possible. Include the names, dates and other information that you have, and explain what you are looking for. The first hour of research is done at no charge. For more complex requests the charge is $15.00 per hour. We do not photocopy the Vital Records books due to potential damage, but copies from the Gardener Book copy are $1.00 per 11" x 17" page. Most of the information here is also available on Ancestry.com. You may order a thumb drive containing the Gardener Book, and Volume One and Volume Two of the Town's Vital Records, by sending a check for $18.00 ($15.00 for the files, $3.00 for shipping) payable to the Town of Wales, Town Clerk, P O Box 834 Wales MA 01081.
We enjoy helping people with research and suggest that you make an appointment to come in and view the resources yourself. The office is open Monday thru Thursday from 9 to 3, or by appointment.