Amesbury Massachusetts

Amesbury is a city in Essex County located in northeastern Massachusetts along the Merrimack River near the New Hampshire border, an area originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples including the Powhatan-affiliated Pawtucket prior to English settlement; the town was first settled about 1642 as part of Salisbury and incorporated as Amesbury in 1668, with early population documented in town meeting records, land grants, and church registers; Essex County was established in 1643, providing jurisdiction for probate, land, and court records from that date, while Amesbury maintained its own town-level vital records, as Massachusetts towns recorded births, marriages, and deaths from the 17th century, with statewide registration beginning in 1841; the community developed along the Powwow River, where waterpower supported mills and later carriage manufacturing in the 19th century, influencing employment and migration patterns reflected in census schedules beginning in 1790; Amesbury was incorporated as a city in 1996, though genealogical records remain tied to earlier town governance and county repositories.

William Patten of Cambridge 1635 and his descendants

Map of Cambridge as it would have been in 1638

The Patten genealogy is quite expansive in its 290 pages, as it presents known descendants of William Patten of Cambridge down through nine generation. Published in 1908 it lacks the source and quality control of more recent professional genealogies, but still provides Patten descendants with plenty of material for their genealogical research. Early descendants of William Patten resided in Amesbury, Billerica, Cambridge, and Tewksbury, Massachusetts; as well as Killingly, Stafford, and Windham, Connecticut and Lincoln County, Maine.

Essex County Massachusetts Probate Records 1675-1681

The “Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay” established a judicial system in 1628, with a General Court in Boston and quarterly courts in major towns like Salem and Ipswich by 1635. These courts managed probate matters, and after Essex County’s formation in 1643, individual probate courts were later established in 1692. These are the probate records from 1675 to 1681, sourced from various original documents, including detailed wills and estate settlements.

Essex County Massachusetts Probate Records 1665-1674

The “Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay” established a judicial system in 1628, with a General Court in Boston and quarterly courts in major towns like Salem and Ipswich by 1635. These courts managed probate matters, and after Essex County’s formation in 1643, individual probate courts were later established in 1692. These are the probate records from 1665 to 1674, sourced from various original documents, including detailed wills and estate settlements.

The Waitley family in the United States

“Marian Drew Waitley’s ‘The Waitley Family in the United States’, self-published in 1956, documents the lineage and historical narrative of the Waitley family, tracing back to John S. Waitley, an early ancestor from Scotland. This book leverages details from a 19th-century biographical history specific to several Iowa counties to shed light on John S. Waitley’s life, including his migration from Massachusetts to Ohio and his role as a Free-will Baptist Church minister. The narrative explores his family connections, notably a disputed link to Josiah Bartlett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and outlines the broader familial contributions and movements across the United States, all while addressing discrepancies in historical and genealogical records regarding familial relations.”

Horton Genealogy of Rehoboth and Attleboro Massachusetts

The Horton family in Attleboro, Massachusetts, has a rich history dating back to the early settlers in New England. Gideon Martin Horton was a prominent merchant whose four sons—Everett Southworth, Edwin Jackson, Gideon Martin, and James Jackson—became successful jewelry manufacturers, contributing significantly to the local economy. The family’s legacy includes military service, civic leadership, and substantial community involvement. Notable descendants, such as Major Everett S. Horton, exemplified both patriotism and business acumen, shaping Attleboro’s identity and contributing to its development over generations.

Biography of Robert Thompson Davis, M. D., of Fall River, MA

Dr. Robert Thompson Davis (1823-1906) was a notable physician, politician, and businessman in Fall River, MA. Born in Ireland, he immigrated to the U.S. as a child and later graduated from Harvard Medical School. His public service included roles as mayor, state senator, and congressman, where he championed various causes including abolition and public health reform. A successful businessman, he invested significantly in the city’s industrial growth. Davis was also deeply involved in the Irish Land League, reflecting his commitment to social justice. He died in Fall River in 1906.

Free Massachusetts Vital Records

Vital Records of Bellingham Massachusetts to 1850

This is a collection of free vital records books for Massachusetts towns, most of them known as “Tan Books.” Generally, these records go up to 1850 at which, the genealogist can use the census records to assist in identifying the family connections further. They’re called “tan books” because they were bound by tan cloth. Included with this article is an account of why and how these manuscripts were published along with links to all 274 Massachusetts vital record books which can be freely read.

Biography of Doctor Thomas S. Brigham

Doctor Thomas S. Brigham, born in Coventry, Connecticut, in 1769, was the eldest son of Honorable Paul Brigham. He moved to Norwich at age twelve and likely studied medicine with Doctor Joseph Lewis. Brigham married Polly Dana and practiced medicine in Norwich before relocating to Amesbury, Massachusetts, where he married again and had five more children. After practicing in Maine, he and his family remained apart following his departure from Norwich. Brigham gained considerable recognition in his medical career before his death in 1821.

Narrative of the Captivity of Nehemiah How

A Narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How, who was taken by the Indians at the Great Meadow Fort above Fort Dummer, where he was an inhabitant, October 11th, 1745. Giving an account of what he met with in his traveling to Canada, and while he was in prison there. Together with an account of Mr. How’s death at Canada. Exceedingly valuable for the many items of exact intelligence therein recorded, relative to so many of the present inhabitants of New England, through those friends who endured the hardships of captivity in the mountain deserts and the damps of loathsome prisons. Had the author lived to have returned, and published his narrative himself, he doubtless would have made it far more valuable, but he was cut off while a prisoner, by the prison fever, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, after a captivity of one year, seven months, and fifteen days. He died May 25th, 1747, in the hospital at Quebec, after a sickness of about ten days. He was a husband and father, and greatly beloved by all who knew him.

Biography of Warren Sargent

Warren Sargent, born on September 1, 1837, in Allenstown, was a prominent brick manufacturer with deep ancestral roots traced back to England. He descended from a long line of Sargents, including his great-grandfather, who was a farmer and married three times. Warren worked the family farm before establishing a brick manufacturing business with his brother, eventually continuing alone after 1891. He married twice, first to Fannie E. Knowles and later to Florence L. Staples Brown, and was active in local Democratic politics and community organizations.