Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year
1850
Published by the New England Historic Genealogical
Society
at the Robert Henry Eddy Memorial Rooms
at the Charge of the Eddy
Town-Record Fund
Boston, Mass.
1916
THIS publication is issued under the authority of a
vote passed by the NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, November 6, 1901, as follows:
Voted: That the sum of $20,000, from
the bequest of the late Robert Henry Eddy, be set aside as a special fund to be
called the Eddy Town-Record Fund, for the sole purpose of publishing the Vital
Records of the towns of Massachusetts, and that the Council be authorized and
instructed to make such arrangements as may be necessary for such publication.
And the treasurer is hereby instructed to honor such drafts as shall be
authorized by the Council for this
purpose.
Committee on Publications
James Parker Parmenter
Edmund Dana
Barbour
Hosea Starr Ballou
G. Andrews Moriarty, Jr.
John Wallace
Suter
Alfred Johnson
Henry Edwards Scott, Editor
Stanhope
Press
F. H. Gilson
Company
The town of Bridgewater, Plymouth County, was established as a township June 3,
1656,
from a part of Duxbury called the New Plantation.
June 3, 1662, certain lands were
granted to Bridgewater.
February 11, 1690-1, lands
between Bridgewater andWeymouth, called Foord's Farms, and lands adjoining were annexed.
June 10, 1712, a part was included in the
new town of Abington.
November 20, 1770, and
February 8, 1798, parts of Stoughton were annexed.
June 15,1821, a part was established as North
Bridgewater (now Brockton).
February 16, 1822, a
part was established as West Bridgewater.
June 14,
1823, a part was established as East Bridgewater.
February 20, 1824, a part
was annexed to Halifax.
February 23, 1838, bounds between Bridgewater and
East Bridgewater were established.
March 20, 1846,
bounds between Bridgewater and East Bridgewater were established and a part of
each town was annexed to the other town.
Population by
Census:1765(Prov.),3942;
1776 (Prov.), 4364; 1790 (U.S.),
4975;
1800 (U.S.), 5200; 1810 (U.S.), 5157;
1820
(U.S.), 1700;* 1830(U.S.), 1855;
1840 (U.S.), 2131; 1850
(U.S.), 2790;
1855 (State), 3363; 1860 (U.S.), 3761;
1865
(State), 4196; 1870 (U.S.), 3660;
1875 (State), 3969; 1880 (U.S.),
3620;
1885 (State), 3827; 1890 (U.S.), 4249;
1895 (State),
4686; 1900 (U.S.), 5806;
1905 (State), 6754; 1910 (U.S.),
7688;
1915 (State), 9381.
* Not including the population of
North Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, and East
Bridgewater, established later as separate towns.
EXPLANATIONS
1. The fact that a birth,
marriage, or death is recorded in Bridgewater does not prove that it occurred in
this town; but when places other than Bridgewater and Massachusetts are named in
the original records, they are given in the printed copy.
2. In all items from town records the original
spelling is followed, and no attempt is made to correct errors appearing in the records.
3. The various spellings of a name
should be examined, as items about the same family or individual may be found
under different spellings.
4. A baptism is not
printed, if it occurs within one year after the recorded date of birth of a
child of the same name and parents or if it is clear that the child baptized is
identical with the child of the birth record ; but variations found in the
baptismal record are added to the birth record.
5. The birth of a married woman is recorded under her maiden name, if it is
known. But if the maiden name cannot be determined, the entry appears under the
husband's name, with a. dash enclosed in brackets, i.e., [----], to signify that
the maiden name is unknown. If it is not known whether the surname is that of a
married or unmarried woman, ? m. is placed in brackets after
the Christian name.
6. Marriages and intentions of marriage are
printed under the names of both parties. When both the marriage and
intention of marriage are recorded, only the marriage record is
printed; and where a marriage appears without the intention
being recorded, it is designated with an asterisk.
7. Additional information which does not appear in
the original text of an item, i.e., any explanation, query, inference, or difference shown in other entries of the record, is
bracketed.
Parentheses are used to show variations in the spelling of
a name in the same entry, to indicate the maiden name of a wife, to
enclose an imperfect portion of the original text, and to sep-
arate clauses
in the original text.
8. In addition to this book the vital records of
Brockton, West Bridgewater, and East Bridgewater should be
examined.
ABBREVIATIONS
a. - age
abt. - about
b. -
born
lp. - baptized
bur. - buried
ch. - child
chn. -
children
C.R.1. - church record, Unitarian Church
C.R.2. - church record,
Trinity Church
C.R.3.- church record, Central Square
Congregational Church
C.R.4. - church record,
Scotland Trinitarian Congregational Church
C.R.5. - church record, Church of the New
Jerusalem
Co. - county
d. - daughter; day; died
Dea. - deacon
dec'd-
deceased
dup. - duplicate entry
Eld. - Elder
enl. - enlisted
Ens. -
Ensign
G.R.1. - gravestone record, Mount Prospect Cemetery
G.R.2. -
gravestone record, Pratt-town Cemetery
G.R.3- - gravestone record, Cherry
Street or Harlow Cemetery
G.R.4. - gravestone record, Conant Street
Cemetery
G.R.5. - gravestone record, Hillside Cemetery
G.R.6. - gravestone
record, Scotland Graveyard
G.R.7. - gravestone record, Old
Graveyard
G.R.8. - gravestone record, Alden or Vernon Street
Graveyard (Titicut)
G.R.9. - gravestone record, Keith or
South Street Graveyard (Titicut)
G.R.10. - gravestone record, Trinity
Church Graveyard
G.R.11. - gravestone record, Japan Graveyard
G.R.12. -
gravestone record, Great Woods Graveyard
G.R.13. - gravestone record, Small
Pox Graveyards
h. - husband
hrs. - hours
inf. - infant
int. -
publishment of intention of marriage
Jr. - junior
Lt. - Lieutenant
m. -
married; month
min. - minutes
P.C.R. - Plymouth County Records
P.R.1. - private record, from a record kept by the Rev.
Richard M. Hodges, now in the possession of the South Parish Church
P.R.2. - private record, from a record of burials in the
Scotland Graveyard
P.R.3. - private record, from a
record of burials in the South Precinct Burying Place, kept by Lt. John
Washburn, 1739-1797
P.R.4. - private record, from
a record of deaths kept from 1766 to 1820 by Oliver Alden, and from 1820 to
1846 by his son, Caleb Alden, and grandson, Cromwell Alden, or members of
the family, now in the possession of the Bridgewater Public Library
P.R.5. - private record, from an Ames family Bible, now
in the possession of Fisher Ames
of Bridgewater
P.R.6. - private record, from a Keith family Bible, now in
the possession of Henry A. Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.7. - private record, from the Salmon Keith family
Bible, now in the possession of
Henry A. Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.8. - private record, from a Wilbor family Bible, now
in the possession of Henry A. Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.9. - private record, copied from the Israel
Richmond family Bible and now in the possession of the New England Historic Genealogical
Society
P.R.10. - private record,
copied from the Job H. Johnson family Bible and now in the possession of
the New England Historic Genealogical Society
P.R.11. - private record, from the Calvin B. Pratt family
Bible, now in the possession of Dr. Calvin Pratt of Bridgewater
P.R.12. - private record, from the Jonathan Washburn family
Bible, now in the possession of Dr. Calvin Pratt of Bridgewater
P.R. 13. - private record, from the Jacob Perkins family
Bible, now in the possession of Dr. Calvin Pratt
of Bridgewater
P.R. 14. - private record, from a Packard family Bible, now
in the possession of Harrison D. Packard of Bridgewater
P.R. 15. - private record, from a Packard family Bible, now
in the possession of
Harrison D. Packard of Bridgewater
P.R. 16.-private record, from a Mitchell family Bible, now in the possession of Leonard Mitchell of
Bridgewater
P.R.17. - private record, from a Wilbar family Bible, now
in the possession of Mrs. Fred T. Holmes of Bridgewater
P.R.18. - private record, from a Holmes family Bible, now
in the possession of
Mrs. Fred T. Holmes of Bridgewater
P.R. 19.-private record, from a Hay ward family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Joseph H. Smith of
Bridgewater
P.R.20. - private record, from the Walker Gassettfamily
Bible, now in the possession of Fred N. Gassett of
Bridgewater
P.R.21.-private record, from a Mitchell family Bible, now in the possession of Leonard Mitchell of Bridgewater
P.R.22. - private record, from the Bible of Mrs. Horatio B.
King, now in the possession of Mrs. Edward M. Alden of Bridgewater
P.R.23. - private record, from the Aretas Fobes family
Bible, now in the possession of
Paul O. Clark of Bridgewater
P.R.24. - private record, from the Joshua Bates family
Bible, now in the possession of Miss Catharine Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.25. - private record, from the family Bible of Andrew
Tucker of Middleborough, now in the possession of Miss Catharine Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.26. - private record, from a family
record of Nathaniel Tucker of Middleborough, now in the possession of Miss Catharine Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.27. - private record,
from the Snell-Carver family Bible, now in the possession of
Francis Carver of Bridgewater
P.R.28.-private record, from a Keith family
Bible, now in the possession of Samuel Davis Keith of
Bridgewater
P.R.29. - private record, from a Wood family Bible, now
in the possession of Mrs. Martin Wood of Bridgewater
P.R.30. - private record, from a Benson family Bible, now
in the possession of
Zeno Benson of Bridgewater
P.R.31. - private record, from the Ephraim Edson
family Bible, now in the possession of Zeno Benson of Bridgewater
P.R.32.- private record, from a Leonard family Bible,
now in the possession of Mrs. Samuel L. Leonard of Bridgewater
P.R.33.- private record, from a Bryant family Bible, now
in the possession of Charles L. Bryant of Bridgewater
P.R.34. - private record,from the Eleazer Carver family
Bible, now in the possession of Calvin B. Carver of Bridgewater
P.R.35. - private record, copied from a memorial of
Ephraim Keith's family and now in the possession of the New England Historic Genealogical Society
P.R.36. - private record,
from a manuscript of Dr. Nahum Washburn, now in the possession of Miss
Clara S. Washburn of
Bridgewater
P.R.37--private record,
from a Fobes family Bible, now in the possession of Albert W. Fobes of Bridgewater
P.R.38. - private record, from a Keith
family Bible, now in the possession of
Wales Hayward of Bridgewater
P.R.39- - private record, from the Daniel L. Hayward
family Bible, now in the possession of Wales Hayward of Bridgewater
P.R.40. - private record, from the Daniel Leach family
Bible, now in the possession of Wales Hayward of
Bridgewater
P.R.41.-private record, from the Washington L.
Ames family Bible, now in the possession of Miles S. Ames
of Bridgewater
P.R.42. - private record, from a
Leach family Bible, now in the possession of Henry Clarence Leach of Bridgewater
P.R.43. - private record, from the Alpheus
Leach family Bible, now in the possession of Henry Clarence Leach of Bridgewater
P.R.44. - private record, from a Holmes
family Bible, now in the possession of William
Holmes of Boston
P.R.45.- private record, from the Laban Fobes family
Bible, now in the possession of Fremont J. Turner of Bridgewater
P.R.46. - private record, from the family Bible of
Cornelius Holmes, 3d, now in the possession of Fremont J. Turner of Bridgewater
P.R.47.- private record, from a Keith family
Bible, now in the possession of Oliver Otis Keith of
Bridgewater
P.R.48. - private record, from the Simeon M. Bump
family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Alexander K. Ripley of Bridgewater
P.R.49. - private record,from the Solomon
Keith family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Julia A. Keith of
Bridgewater
P.R.50. - private record, from the Levi
Leach family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Solomon Keith of
Bridgewater
P.R.51. - private record, from a Keith
family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Solomon Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.52. - private record, from the Sumner Keith family
Bible, now in the
possession of Chester P. Keith of Bridgewater
P.R.53. - private record, from the John A. Keith family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Frederick T. Le Baron
of Bridgewater
P.R.54. - private record, from the
Joseph Hooper family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. George M. Hooper
of Bridgewater
P.R.55.- private record, from the
Paul Revere family Bible, now in the possession of Miss Lizzie Revere of
Bridgewater
P.R.56. - private record, from a Wilbar
family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Theodore C. Wilbar of Bridgewater
P.R.57.- private record, from a Burt family Bible, now in
the possession of Mrs. Matthias T. Burt of
Bridgewater
P.R.58. - private record, from an Alden family Bible,
now in the possession of Joseph Thomas Alden of
Bridgewater
P.R.59.-private record, from the family Bible of
Caleb Hobart, now in the possession of his son, Artemas Hale Hobart of Bridgewater
P.R.60. - private record, from the family
Bible of Thomas Ellis, now in the possession of his grandson,
Artemas Hale Hobart of Bridgewater
P.R.61. -
private record, from the Charles Jones family Bible, now in the possession of
Mrs. Isaac R. Alden of Bridgewater
P.R.62. - private
record, from the family Bible of Caleb Keith, now in the possession of his
granddaughter, Mrs. Isaac R. Alden of Bridgewater
P.R.63. - private record, from the James S. Alden family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Isaac R. Alden of Bridgewater
P.R.64. - private record, from a Perkins family Bible, now
in the possession of Mrs. Henry Perkins of
Bridgewater
P.R.65.- private record, from a Hall family Bible, now in
the possession of Mrs.. Asa E. Copeland of
Bridgewater
P.R.66.-private record, from the Isaac Alden family Bible, now in the possession of ElijahF. Andrews of
Bridgewater
P.R.67. - private record, from the Benjamin B. Hayward
family Bible, now in the possession of Benjamin F. Hayward
of Bridgewater
P.R.68.-private record, from a Pierce family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Hannah Wade of Bridgewater
P.R.69. - private record, from a Dunbar family record, now
in the possession of Miss Mary Anne Mitchell Dunbar of Bridgewater
P.R.70.- private record, from a Mitchell family Bible, now
in the possession of Miss Mary Anne Mitchell Dunbar of Bridgewater
P.R.71. - private record, from the Simon W. Mitchell family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. C. E. Caswell of Bridgewater
P.R.72.-private record, from a Seaver family Bible, now in
the possession of Mrs. Mary Alien Hewett of Bridgewater
P.R.73.- private record, from the Bela Mitchell family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Mary Alien Hewett of Bridgewater
P.R.74. - private record, from a Mitchell-Cary family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Mary Alien Hewett of Bridgewater
P.R.75. - private record,from the George Bassett family
Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Mary F. Conant of Bridgewater
P.R.76. - private record, from the Seth Pratt family
Bible, now in the possession of Frederick Crane Pratt
of Bridgewater
P.R.77. - private record, from the
Samuel H. Worcester family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Elizabeth A.
Worcester of Bridgewater
P.R.78. - private record, from
a Townsend family Bible, now in the possession of John P. Townsend of
Bridgewater
P.R.79. - private record, from a Bela Fobes
family record, now in the possession of Mrs. Ella Maria Eaton
of Bridgewater
P.R.80. - private record, from a
Bassett family Bible, now in the possession of Nathan A. Bassett of
Bridgewater
P.R.81. - private record, from the Spencer
Leonard family Bible, now in the possession of Miss Cora C. Leonard
of Bridgewater
P.R.82. - private record, from the
Richard Whitmore Wilber family Bible, now in the possession of Richard
Whitmore Wilber of Bridgewater
P.R.83. - private
record, from the William Hooper family Bible, now in the possession of
William R. Hooper of Bridgewater
P.R.84. - private
record, from the Cyrus Hooper family Bible, now in the possession of
William R. Hooper of Bridgewater
P.R.85. - private
record, from a Thomas family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. James F.
Witherell of Bridgewater
P.R.86. - private record, from
the John Crooker family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. James F.
Witherell of Bridgewater
P.R.87. - private record,
from the Bible of Jemima Leonard, now in the possession of Mrs. Anna W.
Bates of Bridgewater
P.R.88. - private record, from the
Bible of Seth Washburn, now in the possession of Mrs. Anna W. Bates
of Bridgewater
P.R.89. - private record, from a
Pratt family Bible, now in the possession of E. Austin Pratt of Bridgewater
P.R.90. - private record, from a Wentworth
family Bible, now in the possession of Miss Annie C. E. Wentworth
of Bridgewater
P.R.91. - private record, from the
Samuel Ward Bates family Bible, now in the possession of Samuel Ward Washburn of Bridgewater
P.R.92. - private record, from the Edward
Mitchell family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Sumner Keith
of Bridgewater
P.R.93. - private record, from the
Caleb Christian family Bible, now in the possession of Miss Lucia L.
Christian of Bridgewater
P.R.94. - private record,
from the Bible of Mrs. Experience Pratt, now in the possession of Mrs. F.
E. Smith of West Somerville
P.R.95. - private
record, from the Nahum Stetson family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs.
Mary L. Stetson of Bridgewater
P.R.96. - private
record, from a Hunt-Washburn family Bible, now in the possession of Arthur C. Dyke of
Bridgewater
P.R.97. - private record, from
the Bible of Elijah Alden, now in the possession of Ebenezer Alden of Campello
P.R.98. - private record, from the Bible of
Lewis G. Lowe, now in the possession
of Dr. Everett Jones of Brookline
P.R.99. - private record, from the Bible of Seth Wilber,
now in the possession of Henry A. Keith of
Bridgewater
P.R.100. - private record, from a family Bible of
Francis Copeland, now in the possession of Mrs. Albert Fobes of Bridgewater
P.R.101. - private record, from the Thomas
Sherman family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. George W. Chamberlain of Maiden
P.R.102. - private record, from a notebook of
Timothy Fobes of Bridgewater, now in the possession of Henry D. Forbes of Boston and printed in Pilgrim Notes and
Queries,
volume 2, number 10
P.R.103. - private record, from "Marriages in the Town
of Bridgewater previous to its Division," printed in New England
Historical and Genealogical Register, volume
21
P.R.104. - private record, from a copy of the town records
of Bridgewater, printed in 1889 under the title, "Records of John
Gary, The first town clerk of Bridgewater, Mass., from 1656 to 1681."
P.R.105. - private record, from a diary of Nathan
Mitchell, son of Hon. Nathan Mitchell and Anne Gary, kept between 1786 and
1833, now in the possession of the New England Historic Genealogical Society
P.R.106. - private record, copied from a record
of deaths kept by Rev. Isaac Backus and his grandson, Joseph A.Backus, and
now in the possession of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The
record by Joseph A. Backus is of deaths in Titicut, a parish which included parts of
Bridgewater and Middleborough
P.R.107. -
private record, from a framed record in the possession of the New England
Historic Genealogical Society
q.v. - which see; whom see
R.R. - Rebellion
Record
rec. - recorded
s. - son
Sr. - senior
T.C. - town copy
w.
- week; wife
wid. - widow
widr. - widower
y. - year