Old Index Images now on Masslandrecords

Perhaps five years ago, we scanned all of our non-computerized grantor and grantee indexes and made them available in PDF form here at the registry. Rather than a searchable computer database, this method created an electronic book that duplicated the experience of paging through the book-form indexes of old. Because of the size of these collective files, we had been unable to deliver them to users via the internet. We've now solved that problem, partially at least.

First, a word about the new masslandrecords.com site. It seems that many of the (lack of) speed issues that have plagued that application have been resolved so it is worth revisiting, especially since that's where our index images reside. Here's how you do it:

From www.lowelldeeds.com, click on the yellow search box which brings you to the Middlesex North search page on the "old" masslandrecords. Above the search box is some blue and red text which says "Click Here to try the new trial version of the Massachusetts Land Records website." Click on it. When the new site opens, click on "search criteria" on the upper menu bar. One of the search types is "pre-1976 Grantor (or Grantee) Index." Click on that. You next have three fields to populate: date range; letter; page. Through the years, indexes were consolidated into multi-year sets - 1620-1855, for instance. Pick that one. The scanned index images are next divided by the first letter of the last name. Select "H". "Page" is the page number you want within all the "H" pages. For now, this computerized index does not identify what names are on those pages, something that is necessary to make this system user friendly. Because it's not feasible to include such a "table of contents" in the masslandrecords app right now, I'm created a separate PDF table of contents for each date range that will be available on the lowelldeeds website and that will allow you to focus in on the exact page of interest to you. That extra index will be available by Labor Day. So this isn't the true roll-out of this application; it's just a preview, so please check it out when you have a chance.