Published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund

Boston, Mass.,1905.

THIS publication is issued under the authority of a vote passed by the NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, 6 November, 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.
C. B. TlLLINGHAST, FRANCIS EVERETT BLAKE, CHARLES KNOWLES BOLTON,  DON GLEASON HILL, EDMUND DANA BARBOUR.

Editor.
HENRY ERNEST WOODS.

Stanhope press
F. H, GILSON COMPANY
BOSTON U.S.A.

THE TOWN OF PALMER, Hampden County (formerly in Hampshire County, until 1812),
was established January 30, 1752, as the district of Palmer, prior to which time it was the plantation called The Elbows, sometimes called New Marlborough and sometimes Kingsfield.
April 23, 1760, a part of Brimfield was annexed to Palmer.
February 7, 1763, the bounds of Palmer were definitely established.
August 23, 1775, the district of Palmer was made a town by general act.
February 8, 1828, bounds between Palmer and Monson were established.
February 7, 1831, a part of Western (now Warren) was annexed to Palmer.

Population by Census : 1765 (Prov.), 5081
1776 (Prov.),  727  1790 (U.S.),  809 ;
1800 (U.S.),  1039 1810 (U.S.),  1114;
1820 (U.S.),  1197 1830 (U.S.),  1237;
1840 (U. S.), 2139 1850 (U. S.), 3974;
1855 (State), 4012 1860 (U.S.),  4082;
1865 (State), 3080 1870 (U.S.),  3631;
1875 (State), 4572 1880 (U.S.),  5504;
1885 (State), 5923 1890 (U.S.),  6520;
1895 (State), 6858 1900 (U.S.),  7801.

EXPLANATIONS.
1. WHEN places other than Palmer and Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given in the printed copy. Prior to 1798, the vital records of Palmer are imperfect.
2. In all records the original spelling is followed.
3. The various spellings of a name should be examined, as items about the same family or individual might be found under different spellings.
4. Marriages and intentions of marriages are printed under the names of both parties, but the full information concerning each party is given only in the entry under his or her name. 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.
5. 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 only when they occur in the original text, or to separate clauses found there - such as the birthplace of parents, in late marriage records.

ABBREVIATIONS.
a. -age
abt. - about
b.-born
ch. - child
chn. - children
Co. - county
C.R. - church record, First Congregational
d. - daughter died; day
Dea. - deacon
dup. - duplicate entry
G.R.1. -gravestone record, Palmer Cemetery
G.R.2. - gravestone record, Old Center Cemetery
h. - husband
inf. - infant
int. - publishment of intention of marriage
Jr. - junior
m. - married month
P.R. - private record, from Book of Marriages by Jonathan Shearer, Justice of the Peace
probl. - probably
rec. - recorded
s. - son
Sr. - senior
w. - wife  week
wid. - widow
widr. - widower
y. - year
1st. - first
2d. - second
3d. - third