In the following information all the names, dates and other essential particulars which appear in the returns to the Court in the County of Worcester during the entire period – a full half-century, from 1737 to 1788 – in which these entries were made, are given. The returns from each place have been brought together and arranged under the name of the town or district, in this case Brookfield Massachusetts.
Abbreviations: – w. for wife; ch. for child or children.
The first date in each entry is that of the return of the warrant to the Court.
What was a warning?
By an act in 1692-3 strangers entertained in any town for the space of three months, and not warned out,” and their names returned to the Court of Quarter Sessions, would be considered as inhabitants of such towns, and this act was practically in force through the Provincial period. In accordance with these provisions the towns issuing warnings against new comers, and recording the names with the Court, were relieved from liability of their support, throwing the same upon the towns from which they came, if they proved to be improvident and worthless; and this action not only included that class of persons, but also those in every way responsible. In some towns a large proportion of its inhabitants, many of whom became prominent citizens, appears in the list of persons warned; and the fact that a family were warned to leave town is not to be considered as indicating that they were paupers or even in indigent circumstances. It is true that some were in this condition, but very many were not.
Brookfield Massachusetts Warnings
1750 Aug. 21 Allen, Benjamin, wife and children.
Allen, Aaron, wife and children.
1757 May 11 Allen, Katherine, widow, ch. Mary, Nathan, from Petersham.
1757 Aug. 16 Adams, Mary, and child, from Oxford at house of Jeremiah Adams. July 18, 1757.
1760 May 2 Ayres, Mary, widow. Dec. 17, 1759.
1761 May 11 Allen, Zebra, from Mendon.
Abbot, Nathaniel, w. Elizabeth, and child, from Ashford, Connecticut, April 7, 1761.
1762 Aug. Adams, Lydia and Edith, poor persons at house of Francis Dodge, from Grafton Jan. 27, 1762. July 15, 1762.
1763 May 10 Ainsworth, Mary, widow, ch. Deborah and .
1764 May 8 Ainsworth, Smith, from Woodstock.
1766 Jan. 7 Ainsworth, Benoni, and ch. from Dudley. Dec. 6, 1765.
1766 May 11 Adams, Mary, from Grafton.
Aynsworth, Hannah, w. Martin, from Sturbridge. May 6, 1766.
1755 Nov. 5 Braford, Elizabeth, w. Robert, and son Robert, from Western. Oct. 10, 1755.
1761 May 11 Banister, Benoni, w. and five ch., from Western.
1763 May 10 Beal, John, w. Sarah, ch. Sibyl, Prudence, Hannah, from Sturbridge.
1764 May 8 Burnap, Daniel, w. Elizabeth, from Hopkinton.
Burnet, Sarah, from Oxford.
1765 Aug. 20 Burnet, Isabel, from Oxford.
Bridge, Isaac, w. Mary, ch. Mary, from Spencer.
1754 Nov. 5 Cooley, Aaron, Marcy, Mary, Moses, from No. 2 called Westmoreland, New Hampshire province.
1762 May 11 Champney, Samuel and w. from Cambridge.
Curtis, Sarah, from Charlton. Dec. 10, 1761.
1764 May 8 Crosby, Sarah, infant son William, from Westboro’.
1759 May 9 Dodge, Capt. John, w. Ruth, servant Mary Harcess?
Dodge, Abraham, w. Elizabeth, ch. John and Hannah, from Wendham, Essex Co. Mar, 19, ’59.
1764 May 8 Dean, John, from Oakham.
Davis, Mary, from Western.
1765 Aug. 20 Domo, Phebe, from Western.
1767 Jan. 6 David, Patience, Indian woman, from Grafton. Dec. 1, 1766.
1763 May 10 Elwell, Anna, and infant ch., from Dudley.
1746 Aug. Freeland, James, w. Sarah.
1755 Nov. 5 Fenton, John, w. Ann, from Rutland.
1764 May 8 Fortune, Larnwell, from Medford.
1754 Nov. 5 Graton, Joseph, from Leicester.
1757 May 11 Gott, Agnes, ch. William, from Rutland.
1746 Feb. Gilbert, Mary, widow.
1763 May 10 Gilbert, Sarah, from Ipswich.
1765 May 21 Getchell, Jacob, from Amesbury.
1765 Aug. 20 Goodell, Keturah.
Goodell, Jonathan, w. Mary, ch. Ebenezer, Lois, Jonah, Asa, Patience, from Marlborough.
1761 May 11 Hayward, Jonas, w. Martha, dau. Elizabeth, also Deborah, widow, all from Western.
1762 May 11 Holton, Israel, w. Sibel, ch. Lydia, Mary, John, Sibel, Israel, Phebe, Mehitable, Artemas, from Spencer.
1764 May 8 Hardy, Samuel, w. Tabitha, from Westborough.
Harrod, Lucy, from Hopkinton. Sept. 5, 1763.
1764 Nov. 5 Hager, Sarah, ten or eleven years old, daughter of Will Hager, deceased, from Western. Oct. 14, 1764.
1765 May 21 Haven, Asa, from Framingham.
Hodgman, Jonathan, w. Sarah, ch. Jonathan, Lott, Marcy, Sarah, Susanna, from Acton. Jan 7 1765.
1765 Aug. 20 Hinds, —, w. of Seth, from Ware.
1766 Aug. 19 Hoit, Sarah, from Shrewsbury. July 20, 1766.
1767 Jan. 6 Harrington, William, from Keene, New Hampshire, now with Charles Adams. Sept. 6, 1766.
Haskell, Anna, from Bolton.
Hews, Merriam and Mary, from Palmer.
1764 May 8 Ingram, Katherine, from Stafford.
1762 May 11 Johnson, Mary, widow.
1765 Aug. 20 Johnson, David, w. and ch. Daniel, David, Oliver, Mary, Rebecca.
1754 Nov. 5 Lovell, Lois, from Worcester.
1762 May 11 Leavens, John, w. Mary, ch. John Jr., from Killingly, Connecticut.
1745 May 14 McCoy, William, w. Tabitha.
1746 Feb. McCoy, Hannah, minor daughter of William.
1746 Aug. McMains, Robert, w. Elizabeth, ch. Azubah.
1754 Nov. 5 Morris, James and Deborah, from Sommen in Hampshire County. April 30, 1754.
1765 Aug. 20 Mixter, Samuel, from Waltham.
1767 Jan. 6 Morgin, Paul, w. Hannah, alias Hannah Levering, from Exeter, New Hampshire.
1764 May 8 Nelson, William, w. Mary, ch. John, Sarah, William, Mary, from Woodstock.
1766 May 11 Newhall, Martha, Jonas, Abigail, from Palmer. March 3, 1766.
1767 Jan. 6 Nowlen, Margaret, widow, from Wookstock. Feb. 24, 1766.
1766 Jan. 7 Owen, Mary, from Ware.
1763 May 10 Paddock, Ephraim, w. Sarah, ch. Ephraim. Sarah, Bradford, from Western.
1765 May 21 Perry, Margaret, w. of Joseph, from N. H.
1765 Aug. 20 Pratt, Elizabeth, from Rutland District.
1766 May 11 Parker, Sarah, w. of Nathan, son Jesse, from New Braintree.
1766 May 11 Pike, Samuel, w. Mehitable and children.
1746 Aug. Reed, Benjamin, w. Mary.
1757 May 11 Rogers, Samuel, w. Captivity, ch. Jemima, Mary, Lucy, Caleb, Samuel, Moses, from Charlton. Dec. 7, 1756.
1765 May 21 Richardson, Jonathan, w. Lydia, ch. Thomas, Hannah, Ephraim, Jonathan; grand-ch. Alice Brown, Ruth Deven, Rebecca Deven, Solomon, Jeremiah Deven. April 19, 1765.
Rood, Isaac, from Sturbridge.
1767 Jan. 6 Richmond, Robert, Jr. from N. Braintree Dist.
1750 Aug. 21 Sabin, Mary.
1754 Nov. 5 Smith, Margaret, a transient person.
1756 Feb. 3 Smith, James, w. and ch. Elizabeth, James, John, Nanny, Mary, Sarah, from Western.
Smith, Johnny, w. and one ch. from Western.
Smith, Simeon.
Smith, Nathan, w. Katharine and children.
Sanders, Noah, w, from Rehoboth.
1762 May 11 Scot, Mary, from Ware.
Seney, Stepony, negro or mulatto, w. Betty, ch. Samuel, Brooks, Joseph, from Natick.
1765 Aug. 20 Stephenson, Hannah, from Rutland. Aug. 5, ’65.
1766 Aug. 19 Smith, Mary, from Dorchester.
1757 May 11 Tenant, Robert, w. Sarah, ch. Thomas, Sarah, Mary, from Ipswich.
Thompson, Robert, w. Abigail, ch. Lucy, Eliza, Hannah, Ruth, Joseph, Benjamin, Jessie, from Ware River Parish.
1758 Feb. 7 Vose, Richard, w. Rhoda, ch. Asa, Jesse, Ebenezer, Sarah. Nov. 10, 1757.
1767 Aug. 18 Vell, John, from Upton. July 7, 1767.
1746 Aug. Wood, Joseph, w. Tabitha, ch. Joseph, Isaac, Elinor, Rebecca.
1750 Aug. 21 Whiston, Increase, w. and three ch.
1754 Nov. 5 Weeks, Samuel, from Western, now with Amiel Weeks. Oct. 9, 1754.
1763 May 10 Wood, Joseph, w. Dorothy, ch. Jason, Smith, Joseph, Elizabeth.
Wood, Oliver and Samuel, from York Gov’t.
1764 May 8 Wedge, Sarah, from Brimfield.
1765 May 21 Wood, Joseph, w. Dorothy, ch. Jason, Smith, Joseph, Elizabeth, from New York.
1765 Aug. 20 Whitney, Hannah, from Shrewsbury.
1766 Jan, 7 Witt, Elias, from Marlborough.
1765 May 21 Young, Ichabod, infant, from Haverhill. Dec. 5,’64.