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., 1915     

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
Editor, Henry Edwards Scott

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

THE TOWN OF HEATH, Franklin County, was established February 14, 1785, from a part of Charlemont and common lands called Green and Walker's Land.
  
   Population by Census: 1790 (U.S.),379;
   1800 (U.5.),  604; 1810 (U.S.),   917;
   1820 (U.5.), 1122; 1830 (U.S.),  1199;
   1840 (U.5.),  895; 1850 (U.S.),   803;
   1855 (State), 741; 1860 (U.S.),   661;
   1865 (State), 642; 1870 (U.S.),   613;
   1875 (State), 545; 1880 (U.S.),   560;
   1885 (State), 568; 1890 (U.S.),   503;
   1895 (State), 476; 1900 (U.S.),   441;
   1905 (State), 356; 1910 (U.S.),   346.

EXPLANATIONS
  1. WHEN places other than Heath 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 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 the difference 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 separate clauses in the original text.

ABBREVIATIONS.
a. - age
abt. - about
b. - born
bp. - baptized
bur. - buried
ch. - child
chn. - children
C.R. - church record, Congregational Church
Co. - county
d. - daughter; day; died
Dea. - deacon
dec'd - deceased
dup. - duplicate entry
Eld. - Elder
Ens. - Ensign
G.R.1. - gravestone record, North Burying Ground
G.R.2. - gravestone record, South Cemetery
G.R.3. - gravestone record, grave at Fort Shirley
G.R.4. - gravestone record, Centre Cemetery
h. - husband
hrs. - hours
inf. - infant
int. - publishment of intention of marriage
Jr. - junior
Lt. - Lieutenant
m. - married ; month
min. - minutes
P.R.1. - private record, from the Gould family Bible, now in the possession of Hugh Maxwell of Heath
P.R.2. - private record, from the Maxwell family record, now in the possession of Hugh Maxwell of Heath
P.R.3. - private record, from the Hugh Maxwell family Bible, now in the possession of Hugh Maxwell of Heath
P.R.4.- private record, from the Aaron Dickinson family Bible, now in the possession of William A. Dickinson of Heath
P.R.5.- private record, from the Aaron Dickinson family register, in a Bible, now in the possession of William A. Dickinson of Heath
P.R.6.- private record, from the Richard Temple family record, now in the possession of William A. Dickinson of Heath
P.R.7.- private record, from the John Buck family Bible, now in the possession of Squire Benson of North Heath
P.R.8.- private record, from a Buck family record, in a Bible, now in the possession of Squire Benson of North Heath
P.R.9. - private record, from Seth Temple's family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Martha (Maxwell) Barber of Heath
P.R.10 - private record, from a Buck family Bible, now in the possession of Mrs. Martha (Maxwell) Barber of Heath
P.R.11.- private record, from memoranda, now in the possession of Mrs. Martha A. Barber of Heath
P.R.12.- private record, from an Aaron Smith family register, now in the possession of the Heath Historical Society
P.R.13.- private record, from the Samuel Rice family record, now in the possession of the Heath Historical Society
P.R.14.- private record, from the Hugh Maxwell family record, now in the possession of the Heath Historical Society
P.R.15.- private record, from the William M. Maxwell family record, now in the possession of the Heath Historical Society
P.R.16.- private record, from the Aaron Smith family record, now in the possession of Henry Kirk Smith of Heath
P.R.17.- private record, from a paper written by William Munroe Maxwell, now in the possession of Hugh Maxwell of Heath
P.R.18.- private record, from the John Williams family record, now in the possession of Henry Kirk Smith of Heath
P.R.19.- private record, from the Gayton Williams family register, now in the possession of Henry Kirk Smith of Heath
q.v.- which see; whom see
rec.- recorded
s.- son
Sr.- senior
w.- week ; wife
wid.- widow
widr.- widower
y.- year