Vital Records of Douglas, Massachusetts to the Year 1850

Published by Franklin P. Rice, Trustee of the Fund, 1906.

Stanhope Press, F. H. Gilson Company
Boston, U.S.A.

Publisher's Note.
THE list of Douglas Births, Marriages, and Deaths comprised in this volume includes all that were found in the Town Books covering the period from the earliest date there recorded to the end of the year 1849. Some additions have been made from other sources, and these are indicated in each instance by proper reference.

All of the records are condensed in print as much as is consistent with intelligibility, accuracy, and completeness of information. Differences in duplicates, and explanatory or other matter which seemed necessary or desirable, appear in brackets.

Marriages and intentions of marriage are printed under the names of both parties, but the full information concerning each person is given only under his or her name. An asterisk after a marriage indicates that the intention was not found recorded, and in many cases this is accounted for by the fact that neither party belonged in Douglas, and consequently publishment was made elsewhere.

The double date is used in the months of January, February, and March prior to 1752 only when it so appears in the original, and instances of the modem form after 1725 are not uncommon.

When places other than Douglas and Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given in the printed copy.

ABBREVIATIONS.           
a.— age
b. — born
ch. — child
co. — county
C.R. — church record
d. — daughter; day; died
Dea. — deacon
D.R. — death record
dup. — duplicate entry
G.S.1.— gravestone, Pine Cemetery
G.S.2. — gravestone, South Dougia:; Cemetery
G.S.3. — gravestone, Douglas Centre Cemetery
G.S.4. — gravestone, Evergreen Cemetery
G.S.5. — gravestone, Buffum Cemetery
G.S.6. — gravestone, Baker Cemetery
G.S.7.— gravestone, Aldrich Cemetery
G.S.8. — gravestone, Thayer Cemetery
G.S.9. — gravestone, Quaker Cemetery, South Douglas
h. — husband
inf. — infant
int. — publishment of intention of marriage
Jr. — junior
m. — male; married; month
P.R. — private record
s. — son
Sr. — senior
w. — wife
wid. — widow
widr. — widower

The age given in the Deaths is in years unless otherwise indicated.
                    
DOUGLAS.
THE first settlers of this township came from Sherburn, from which circumstance it was called New Sherburn until it was established as a district, June 5, 1746. It was given its present: name in honor of Dr. William Douglas of Boston, a native of Scotland, an eminent: physician and author, and a considerable benefactor. The town was incorporated August 23, 1775.

Population at different periods:

1765, 521;  1776, 800;  1790, 1,079;  1800, 1,083;  1810, 1,142;  1820, 1,375;  1830, 1,741;  1840, 1,617;  1850, 1,878.

Population in. 1900, 2,113.

Number of Births printed . . . . . . . . . 2,442
  Marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,304 = 2,608 names
  Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .782
                                                         5,832 total