BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
1978
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 publish-
ing the Vital Records of the towns of Massachusetts, and that
the Council be authorized and instructed to make such ar-
rangements 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 G.  ANDREWS MORIARTY, JR.
HOSEA STARR BALLOU         JOHN WALLACE SUTER
ALFRED JOHNSON             WALTER KENDALL WATKINS
         HENRY EDWARDS SCOTT, Editor
 Originally published, Boston 1929

Reprinted 1978 by the
New England Historic Genealogical Society

Copyright 1978 by the
New England Historic Genealogical Society
Boston, Massachusetts

PREFACE

 Taunton, Massachusetts, was formally established in 1639
on land then known as Cohannett. Most of the early settlers
originated in the southwestern counties of England, and the
town quickly gained an important place in the political and
economic life of the Massachusetts colony. In 1675-1676 Taun-
ton was a major center for military operations against the
Indian King Phillip. Shortly thereafter the settlement was made
the shire town of Bristol County. This designation reflected
in part Taunton's rising economic importance. Its iron works,
established in the 16505, were among the first in English
America. In succeeding years other major industries sprang
up within the town. Taunton gunpowder helped win the
Revolution; Taunton cotton mills helped launch America's
Industrial Revolution. By 1850 the town had become a thriving
manufacturing community of over 10,000 inhabitants.
 Much of what we know about Taunton and its people comes
from the town's vital records. The original records, maintained
from colonial times, were destroyed by fire in 1838; but the
town officials conscientiously attempted to replace the missing
documents. Under their direction, a list of early marriages
and deaths was compiled from such diverse sources as church
registers, family Bibles, and gravestone inscriptions.
 This reconstructed list served as the basis for the three-
volume Vital Records of Taunton Massachusetts to 1850 published
in 1929 by the New England Historic Genealogical Society
at the expense of one Robert Henry Eddy fund. The present
edition is a two-volume reprint of that work. The Society is
pleased to make these records available again.

James B. Bell
Director and Librarian
THE TOWN OF TAUNTON, Bristol County, was estab-
 lished March 3, 1639, from common land called Co-
hannett.
 March 3, 1640, land at Assonet was granted to Taunton.
 June 19, 1640, bounds were established.
 October 26, 1672, certain lands were granted to Taunton.
 July -, 1682, the land called Assonet Neck was annexed to
Taunton.
 March 17, 1710, the North Precinct of Taunton was granted
to be a town by the name of Norton.
 June 12, 1711, a bill to perfect the said grant was passed.
 May 30, 1712, the South Precinct of Taunton was established
as Dighton.
 April 2, 1731, a part was established as Raynham.
 April 18, 1735, a part was included in the new town of
Berkley.
 February 6, 1810, and March 3, 1842, certain lands in Berkley
belonging to Taunton were annexed to Berkley.
 The town of Taunton was incorporated as a city in 1864.
 Population by Census: 1765 (Prov.),2735;
 1776 (Prov.),  3259; 1790 (U.S.),  3804;
 1800 (U.S.),   3860; 1810 (U.S.),  3907;
 1820 (U.S.),   4520; 1830 (U.S.),  6042;
 1840 (U.S.),   7645; 1850 (U.S.), 10441;
 1855 (State), 13750; 1860 (U.S.), 15376;
 1865 (State), 16005; 1870 (U.S.), 18629;
 1875 (State), 20445; 1880 (U.S.), 21213;
 1885 (State), 23674; 1890 (U.S.), 25448;
 1895 (State), 27115; 1900 (U.S.), 31036;
 1905 (State), 30967; 1910 (U.S.), 34259;
 1915 (State), 36161; 1920 (U.S.), 37137;
 1925 (State), 39255.

EXPLANATIONS

 1. The fact that a birth, marriage, or death is recorded in
Taunton does not prove that it occurred there, unless it is so
stated in the record. When places other than Taunton and
Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given
as they appear there; but when Taunton is named, the initial
letter only is used, except in unusual phrases.
 2. In all items from town records the original spelling is fol-
lowed, and no attempt is made to correct errors appearing in the
records.
 3. 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 par-
ents 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.
 4. 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 sur-
name is that of a married or unmarried woman, " ? m." is placed
in brackets after the Christian name.
 5. Marriages and intentions of marriage are printed under
the names of both parties. When both the marriage and in-
tention 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.
 6. 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.
 7. The Taunton fire of 1838 destroyed the original town
records. To replace them a copy of the early records of births,
marriages, and deaths was made, under the direction of the town
officials, from all original sources available, and this compilation
has been used as the basis of the present printed volume.
 8. The Vital Records of Rhode Island, compiled by James N.
Arnold, contain many Taunton items, which have not been in-
corporated in this volume.
4
              ABBREVIATIONS

a. - age
abt. - about
b. - born
B.C.M. - Bristol County Marriages
bp. - baptized
bur. - buried
ch. - child
chn. - children
C.R.1. - church record, First Congregational Church (Unita-
 rian)
C.R.2. - church record, First Congregational Church (Trinita-
 rian) (West Taunton)
C.R.3. - church record, Broadway Congregational Church
 (Trinitarian)
C.R.4. - church record, Lakeville and Taunton Precinct Con-
 gregational Church
C.R.5- - church record, Winslow Congregational Church (Trin-
 itarian)
C.R.6. - church record, Second Baptist Church
C.R.7. - St. Thomas Church ( Protestant Tipiscopal)
C.R.8. - St. Mary's Church (Roman Catholic)
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, Plain Burying Ground, between
 Broadway and Washington Street, Taunton
G.R.2. - gravestone record, Crane Avenue Burying Ground,
 Taunton
5
G.R.3. - gravestone record, Oakland Cemetery (Glebe Street
 Burying Ground), Glebe Street, Taunton
G.R.4.- gravestone record, Pine Hill Cemetery, corner of Ste-
 vens and Pine Hill Streets, East Taunton
G.R.5. - gravestone record, King Burying Ground, Middlebor-
 ough Avenue, East Taunton
G.R.6. - gravestone record, Staples Street Burying Ground,
 Seekell Street, East Taunton
G.R.7. - gravestone record, Caswell Street Burying Ground, op-
 posite Staples Street, East Taunton
G.R.8. - gravestone record, Caswell Burying Ground, Middle-
 borough Avenue, opposite the Fire Station, East Taunton
G.R.9. - gravestone record, Summer Street Burying Ground
 (Neck of Land), Taunton
G.R.10. - gravestone record, North Taunton Burying Ground,
 corner of Bay and Field Streets, North Taunton
G.R.11. - gravestone record, Westville Cemetery, between Co-
 hannet and Winthrop Streets, Taunton
G.R.12. - gravestone record, Burt, Crane, Gulliver and Walker
 Family Burying Ground, Gulliver Street, West Taunton
G.R.13. - gravestone record, Hathaway Burying Ground, Som-
 erset Avenue, between Railroad Avenue and the river,
 Taunton
G.R.14. - gravestone record, East Weir Cemetery, off Plain
 Street, between Beacon and Pratt Streets, Taunton
G.R.15.- gravestone record, Old Episcopal Church Burying
 Ground, Tremont Street, between Norton Avenue and
 Glebe Street, Taunton
G.R.16. - gravestone record, Willis Burying Ground, Worces-
 ter Street, near Alfred Lord Boulevard, Taunton
G.R.17. - gravestone record, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Crocket
 Street, Taunton
G.R.18.- gravestone record, Padelford Burying Ground, Mid-
 dleborough Avenue, East Taunton
G.R.19. - gravestone record, Richmond Cemetery, Richmond
 Street, Taunton
G.R.20. - gravestone record, Bassett Family Burying Ground,
 Crane Avenue, near Harvey Street, Taunton
G.R.21.- gravestone record, Friends Burying Ground or Har-
 vey Family Burying Ground, Crane Avenue, near Harvey
 Street, Taunton
G.R.22. - gravestone record, Bassett Family Burying Ground,
 Field Street, near Bay Street, Taunton
G.R.23- - gravestone record, Field Family Burying Ground,
 Field Street, Taunton
G.R.24. - gravestone record, Lincoln Family Burying Ground,
 Bassett Street, near Bay Street, Taunton
G.R.25. - gravestone record, Harvey Family Burying Ground,
 Fremont Street, near Bassett Street, Taunton
G.R.26. - gravestone record, Lincoln Family Burying Ground,
 Watson Street, near Bay Street, Taunton
G.R.27- - gravestone record, Wetherell Cemetery, corner of
 Lothrop and Prospect Hill Streets, Taunton
G.R.28. - gravestone record, Cooper Family Burying Ground,
 Berkley Street, near Pratt Street, Taunton
G.R.29. - gravestone record, Phillips Cemetery, corner of Berk-
 ley and Pratt Streets, Taunton
G.R.30. - gravestone record, Walker Family Burying Ground,
 Laneway Farm, off Burt Street, Taunton
G.R.31. - gravestone record, Walker Family Burying Ground,
 Laneway Farm,-off Burt Street, Taunton
G.R.32. - gravestone record, Reed Cemetery, west of Somerset
 Avenue, between Railroad Avenue and the river, Taunton
G.R.33. - gravestone record, Walker Cemetery, between Baker
 Road and Railroad Avenue, and between the railroad and
 the river, Taunton
G.R.34. - gravestone record, Sandy Hill Cemetery, near Seventh
 Street, off Somerset Avenue, Taunton
G.R.35- - gravestone record, Knapp Burying Ground, Tremont
 Street, West Taunton
G.R.36. - gravestone record, Phillips Family Burying Ground,
 Staples Street, Taunton
G.R.37. - gravestone record, St. James Cemetery, Liberty Street,
 East Taunton
G.R.38. - gravestone record, Father Wilson Cemetery, Wash-
 ington Street, Taunton
G.R.39. - gravestone record, St. Francis Cemetery, Glebe Street,
 West Taunton
G.R.40. - gravestone record, St. Joseph's Cemetery, East Bri-
 tannia Street, at Raynham line, Taunton
G.R.41. - gravestone record, St. Mary's Cemetery, East Britan-
 nia Street, near Broadway, Taunton
G.R.42. - gravestone record, Woodward Family Burying
 Ground, an eighth of a mile into the woods in the rear of
 the house of Chester Woodward, Norton Avenue, between
 Short Street and Norton town line, Taunton
G.R.43. - gravestone record, Gilbert Family Burying Ground,
 between the Cooper Burying Ground and Pratt Street,
 Taunton
G.R.44. - gravestone record, Old Richmond Cemetery, in the
 woods, at the river, back of houses which are nearly oppo-
 site the new Richmond Cemetery, Taunton
G.R.45. - gravestone record, Colored Cemetery, a little east of
 Precinct Street, Taunton
G.R.46. - gravestone record, Williams and Padelford Family
 Burying Ground, near Elliot's Corner, in the woods on Mr.
 L. W. King's estate, Taunton
G.R.47. - gravestone record, private burying ground, south of
 Stevens Street, on the west side of County Street, Taunton
G.R.48. - gravestone record, a small cemetery, opposite the
 junction of Railroad Avenue and South Street, North
 Dighton
G.R.49. - gravestone record, Lincoln Family Burying Ground,
 Davis Street, near Shores Street, Taunton
G.R.50. - gravestone record, Mayflower Hill Cemetery, Broad-
 way, corner of Washington Street, Taunton
G.R.51. - gravestone record, one gravestone, lying flat, on the
 Soper farm, Williams Street, immediately in the rear of the
 County Street Schoolhouse, Taunton
G.R.52. - gravestone record, from a record of gravestones in the
 old burial grounds of the Precinct Congregational Society
 of Lakeville and Taunton, published in THE NEW ENGLAND
 HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, vol. 8.
G.R.53. - gravestone record, two stones on Ox-Bow Farm,
 owned by Walter C. Baylies, Williams Street, Taunton
G.R.54. - gravestone record, a small family burying ground in
 the woods west from Richmond Street and nearly opposite
 the residence of Frank C. Robinson, Taunton
G.R.55. - gravestone record, a small family burying ground in
 the woods about one-third of a mile north of Rocky Woods
 Street, about opposite Range Avenue, Taunton
h. - hours; husband
inf. - infant
int. - publishment of intention of marriage
Jr. - junior
Lt. - Lieutenant
m. - marriage; married; month
min. - minutes
P.C.R. - Plymouth Colony Records
P.R.1. - private record, from an account book of Edmund Wil-
 liams, in the possession of the Old Colony Historical So-
 ciety of Taunton
P.R.2. - private record, from the Bradford Rose Bible, in the
 possession (1911) of Miss 1. A. Blake of New Brunswick,
 N. J.
P.R.3. - private record, from a Blake family record, in the pos-
 session (1911) of Amasa E. Blake of Taunton
P.R.4. - private record, from a Reed Bible, in the possession
 (1911) of Mrs. Eben A. Hall of Greenfield
P.R.5. - private record, from the Tisdale-Lincoln Bible, in the
 possession (1911) of Mrs. Eben A. Hall of Greenfield
P.R.6.-private record, from the Benjamin Lincoln Bible, in
 the possession (1911) of Mrs. Eben A. Hall of Greenfield
P.R.7. - private record, from original papers in the possession
 (1911) of Edward Seaver of Taunton
P.R.8. - private record, from an original record of the Ma-
 comber family, in the possession (1905) of Miss Alice
 Hamlen Macomber of Augusta, Me.
P.R.9. - private record, from an original record of the family
 of Joseph Macomber (son of John), in the possession
 (1905) of Miss Alice Hamlen Macomber of Augusta, Me.
P.R.10. - private record, from the Abiel Macomber Bible, in
 the possession (1905) of Charles F. Paul of Berkley
P.R.11. - private record, from an Edward Blake family record,
 in the possesion of the New England Historic Genealogical
 Society
P.R.12. - private record, from the James Dean Bible as pub-
 lished in THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGI-
 CAL REGISTER, vol. 59
P.R.13.- private record, from the Walter Dean Bible as pub-
 lished in THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGI-
 CAL REGISTER, vol. 59
P.R.14. - private record, from a note published in THE NEW
 ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, vol.
 60
P.R.15. - private record, from a copy of a list of deaths kept by
 Rev. Isaac Backus, in the possession of the New England
 Historic Genealogical Society
P.R.16. - private record, from gravestone records copied by Otis
 Allen of Mansfield, in the possession of the New England
 Historic Genealogical Society
P.R.17. - private record, from the Abiel Dean Bible, in the pos-
 session (1927) of Ralph E. Washburn of Marion
P.R.18. - private record, from the Walker Baker Bible, in the
 possession (1927) of Mrs. E. Frank Baker of Taunton
P.R.19. - private record, from the Seth Paul Bible, in the pos-
 session of the Old Colony Historical Society of Taunton
P.R.20. - private record, from the Dier Pratt Bible, in the pos-
 session (1927) of Miss Zilpha Chase of Taunton
P.R.21. - private record, from an account book of Thomas
 Leonard containing marriages from 1684 to 1713, in the
 possession of the Old Colony Historical Society of Taunton
P.R.22. - private record, from a journal of deaths begun by Na-
 thaniel Leonard with 1793 and continued by his son Lemuel
 into 1848, in the possession of the Old Colony Historical
 Society of Taunton
P.R.23. - private record, from an account book of goods sold
 from a peddler's wagon, in the possession of the Old Colony
 Historical Society of Taunton
P.R.24. - private record, from a record of deaths kept by a
 Lemuel Leonard, in the possession of the Old Colony His-
 torical Society of Taunton
P.R.25. - private record, from the marriage records of three
 Justices of the Peace, James Williams, his son Brig. Gen.
 James Williams, and his son Alfred Williams, 1737 to 1837,
 in the possession of the Old Colony Historical Society of
 Taunton
P.R.26. - private record, from a torn fragment relating to the
 Burt family, in the possession (1928) of Walter Kendall
 Watkins of Wakefield
P.R.27. - private record, from a record book of the Rev.
 Thomas Clap, in the possession of the Old Colony His-
 torical Society of Taunton
P.R.28. - private record, from an old record book by John God-
 frey and George Godfrey, both Justices of the Peace, in
 the possession (1928) of Charles Godfrey Washburn of
 Taunton
P.R.29. - private record, from a photographed copy of a Soper
 family Bible record, in the possession of the Massachusetts
 Society of Mayflower Descendants
P.R.30. - private record, from a photograph of a Soper-Paull
 marriage certificate in the possession of the Massachusetts
 Society of Mayflower Descendants
P.R.31. - private record, from the William Seaver Bible, in the
 possession (1911) of Edward Seaver of Taunton
P.R.32. - private record, from a Blake family record, in the
 possession (1928) of Walter Kendall Watkins of Wakefield
P.R.33. - private record, from the John Pipon Bible, in the pos-
 session of the Old Colony Historical Society of Taunton
P.R.34. - private record, from an embroidered mourning pic-
 ture, in the possession (1928) of Francis Apthorp Foster
 of Vineyard Haven
P.R.35. - private record, from a sampler, in the possession
 (1928) of Francis Apthorp Foster of Vineyard Haven.
 The additions in brackets were supplied by Mr. Foster
P.R.36. - private record, from the Bible of Mrs. Elizabeth L.
 Padelford, in the possession (1928) of Francis Apthorp
 Foster of Vineyard Haven
P.R.37. - private record, from the Thomas Leonard Bible as
 published in THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEA-
 LOGICAL REGISTER, vol. 32
q.v. - which see; whom see
E.R. - Rebellion Record
rec. - recorded
s. - son
Sr. - Senior
S.C.F. - Suffolk Court Files
T.P.R. - Taunton Proprietors' Records, a verbatim copy of the
 vital records found in the Proprietors' Records, used in
 conjunction with the modernized copy of the same made
 for the City Clerk's office after the fire of 1838
w. - week; wife
wid. - widow
widr. - widower
y. - year