Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts to the Year 1850
Published by the Essex Institute
Salem, Mass.
1914
Newcomb & Gauss, Printers
Salem, Massachusetts
EXPLANATIONS
The following records of births, marriages and deaths include all entries to be found in the books of record kept by the town clerks; in the church records; in the returns made to the Middlesex Co. Quarterly Court; in the cemetery inscriptions; and in private records found in family Bibles, etc. These records are printed in a condensed form in which every essential particular has been preserved. All duplication of the town clerk's record has been eliminated, but differences in entry and other explanatory matter appear In brackets. Parentheses are used when they occur in the original record; also to indicate the maiden name of a married woman.
When places other than Chelmsford and Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given in the printed copy. Marriages and *intentions of marriage are printed under the names of both parties. Double-dating is used in the months of January, February and March, prior to 1752, whenever it appears in the original, and also, whenever from the sequence of entry in the original, the date may be easily determined. In all records the original spelling of names is followed, and in the alphabetical arrangement the various forms should be examined, as items about the same family may be found under different spellings.
CHELMSFORD
On May 18, 1653, tne General Court granted the petition of several of the inhabitants of " Concord & Woobourne for the erecting of a new plantacon on Merremacke River, neere to Pawtuckett," and May 29, 1655, tne Court granted the name thereof to be called Chelmsford.
May 14, 1656, land granted to Chelmsford.
May 31, 1660, bounds between Chelmsford and the India Plantation at Fatucket established.
June 27, 1701, bounds between Chelmsford and Billerica established.
Nov. 23, 1725, part of Chelmsford annexed to Littleton.
June 13, 1726, " Wameset" annexed.
Sept. 23, 1729, part of Chelmsford established as Westford.
Apr. 24, 1755, part.of Chelmsford annexed to Dunstable.
Apr. 28, 1780, part of Chelmsford included in the second district of Carlisle.
Mar.1, 1783, part of the second district of Carlisle annexed.
Mar.1, 1826, part of Chelmsford established as Lowell.
The population of Chelmsford at different periods was as follows :
1765, 1,012. 1810, 1,396. 1850, 2,097.
1776, 1,341. 1820, 1,535. 1900, 3,984.
1790, 1,144. 1830, 1,387. 1910, 5,010.
1800, 1,290. 1840, 1,697.
ABBREVIATIONS
a. - age.
abt. - about.
b. - born.
bef. - before.
bet. - between.
bp. - baptized.
bur. - buried.
C. R. 1. - church record, First Congregational Church (now Unitarian), Chelmsford Centre.
C. R. 2. - church record, First Baptist Church, South Chelmsford.
C. R. 3. - church record, Second Congregational Church, North Chelmsford.
C. R. 4. - church record, Second Church (now First Unitarian), of Westford.
C. R. 5. - church record, St. Anne's Church (Episcopal), of Lowell.
ch. - child.
chn. - children.
Co, - county.
CT. R. - court record, Middlesex Co. Quarterly Court.
d. - daughter; day; died.
Dea. - deacon.
dup. - duplicate entry.
G. R. 1. - gravestone record, Forefather's Cemetery, Chelmsford Centre.
G. R. 2. - gravestone record, Hart Pond Cemetery, South Chelmsford.
G. R. 3. - gravestone record, Riverview Cemetery, North Chelmsford.
G. R. 4. - gravestone record, Fairview Cemetery, West Chelmsford.
G. R. 5. - gravestone record, Fairview Cemetery, Westford.
G. R. 6. - gravestone record, Cemetery No. One, Lowell.
G.R. 7. - gravestone record, Cemetery No. Two (English), Lowell.
h. - husband; hour.
inf. - infant.
ini. - intention of marriage.
jr. - junior.
m. - male; married; month.
P. R. 1. - Extracts from Rev. John Fiske's note-book, now in possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
P. R. 2. - Copy of inscriptions in Forefather's Cemetery made by Roland Parkhurst.
P. R. 3. - Cemetery commissioners' records now in possession of William Hall.
P. R. 4. - Copy of diary of Rev. Ebenezer Bridge, now in possession of Rev. Wilson Waters.
P. R. 5. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Amos B. Adams.
P. R. 6. - Framed record now in possession of Miss Cecilia Richardson.
P. R. 7. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Julia E. Warren.
P. R. 8. - Sampler record now in possession of Mrs. Julia E. Warren.
P. R. 9. - Bible record now in possession of Judge Samuel P. Hadley of Lowell.
P. R. 10. - Bible record now in possession of Wallace A. Josselyn of North Chelmsford.
P. R.11. - Sampler record now in possession of Joseph Bowers of Lowell.
P. R.12. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Mary A. Tyler of Lowell.
P. R.13. - Bible record now in possession of Daniel Byam.
P. R.14. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Almon Holt.
P. R.15. - Framed record now hi possession of Mrs. Henry Perham.
P. R.16. - Bible record now in possession of Miss Abigail Smith of Lowell.
P. R. 17. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. George A. Parkhurst.
P. R. 18. - Family record now in possession of Miss L. Rosamond Spaulding.
P. R. 19. - Scrap-book record now in possession of Mrs. M. E. Bean of Lowell.
P. R. 20. - Family Register now in possession of George Mansfield.
P. R. 21. - Bible record now in possession of George Mansfield.
P. R. 22. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Octavia Parkhurst.
P. R. 23. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Octavia Parkhurst.
P. R. 24. - Copy of Bible record now in possession of Mrs. M. E. Perham.
P. R. 25. - Copy of Bible record now in possession of Mrs. M. E. Perham.
P. R. 26. - Copy of Bible record now in possession of Mrs. M. E. Perham.
P. R. 27. - Bible record now in possession of Frank Byam.
P. R. 28. - Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Otis Adams.
P. R. 29. - Bible record now in possession of Miss Emma E. Proctor.
P. R. 30. - Copy of Bible record now in possession of Mrs. A. M. Batchelder.
P. R. 31. - Copy of Middlesex Co. Court Records now in possession of William H. Manning of West Somerville.
rec. - recorded.
s. - son.
sr. - senior.
T. C. - town copy.
unm. - unmarried.
w. - wife; week.
mid. - widow.
widr. - widower.
y. - year.