Town Records

Watertown’s early town records—land grants, town proceedings, vital records, and church affairs up to 1829—have been transcribed and published in eight volumes. Please see below for links to scans at Archive.org. 

Additional information about town affairs and governance can be found in the Annual Reports (available for the years 1854 to 2018) and Town Charters and By-Laws.  

Want to browse some original records? See the Board of Selectmen's Town Meeting Minutes & Warrants for years between 1702 and 1893.

For more recent municipal records, search in our catalog or visit the city's online Document Center or department webpages.

The following links lead to versions of the record books at Archive.org, transcribed by the Historical Society of Watertown and/or the Office of the Town Clerk and digitized by the Library of Congress. To see the originals, please contact us.

Volume 1
Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings (1634-1680), Land Grants and Possessions (1634-1646), Proprietor’s Book (1636-1742), and the first book and supplement of Births, Deaths and Marriages (1630-1693). Prepared for publication by the Historical Society of Watertown in 1894.

Volume 2
Comprising the Third Book of Town Proceedings (1680-1727), the second book of Births, Marriages, and Deaths (1693-1737), and the Plan and Register of Burials in Arlington Street Burial Ground. Prepared for publication by the Historical Society of Watertown in 1900.

Volume 3
Comprising the Fourth Book of Town Proceedings (1727-1745), the second book (continued) of Births, Marriages, and Deaths (1738-1822), and Purposes of Marriage (1792-1822). Prepared for publication by the Historical Society of Watertown in 1904.

Volume 4
Comprising East Congregational and Precinct Affairs (1697-1737), and the Record Book of the Pastors (1686-1819). Prepared for publication by the Historical Society of Watertown in 1906.

Volume 5-6
Comprising the Fifth Book of Town Proceedings (1745/6-1769), and the Sixth Book of Town Proceedings (1769-1792). Includes Notes of Watertown lands, grants, and possessions by J. Gardner Bartlett and Additions and Corrections to Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Watertown Records by Elizabeth French Bartlett. Prepared for publication under the direction of the Town Clerk in 1928. Transcribed by Miss Helen Hadley of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Volume 7
Watertown Records, comprising the Seventh Book of Town Proceedings (1792-1809), includes Public Town Meetings and Selectmen’s Meetings. Prepared for publication under the direction of the Town Clerk in 1939. Transcribed by employees of the Works Progress Administration Project.

Volume 8
Comprising the Eighth Book of Town Proceedings (1810-1829). Includes Public Town Meetings and Selectmen’s Meetings. Prepared for publication under the direction of the Town Clerk in 1939. Transcribed by employees of the Works Progress Administration Project.