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 Bolton 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.
Bolton Massachusetts Warnings
1753 May 8 A child called William in care of Francis McFaden and wife.
1760 Aug. Alexander, Joanna.
1757 May 11 Amiden, Uriah, w. Abigail, ch. Joseph, Benjamin, Joel. May 22, 1756.
Arwin, Margaret. May 18, 1756.
1765 Aug. 20 Barker, John.
1756 May 11 Barney, Thomas, w. Martha, ch. Martha, Lucy, John, Supply. March 15, 1756.
1763 May 10 Bayley, Nichols, w. Mary, ch. Matthew, Marcy, Oliver, Ephraim, Mary, Susanna. From Stow in May, 1762 Aug. 2, 1762.
1764 May 8 Biglow, Mary, from Brookline. Jan. 30, 1764.
1762 May 11 Boyd, Alexander, w. Lucy and one ch.
1754 Aug. 20 Brooks, Isaac, w. Mary, ch. Isaac, Jacob, Jonathan, Seth. May 22, 1754.
Bruce, Timothy, w. Susanna, s. Timothy.
1767 Aug. 18 Burnham, Nathaniel, w. Elizabeth, ch. Ruth, Thomas, John, Job, Francis, from Lunenburg. July 6, 1767.
1759 May 9 Bush, Mary, her ch. she calls Betsy Redden. March 26, 1759.
1764 Aug. 21 Butler, Sarah, poor girl from Westborough, Feb. 1764. May 14, 1764.
1767 Jan. 6 Campbell, Robert, w. Deborah, ch. James, Alice, Mary, Deborah, Eleanor, Robert, Sarah, Abigail, from Londonderry, N. H. since March, 1766.
1766 May 11 Church, Caleb, w. Elizabeth, ch. Hannah, from Ivancaster since May, 1765. April 7, 1766.
1750 May 8 Clegg, Joseph.
1757 May 11 Cooledge, Philip, ch. Sarah. May 22, 1756.
1747 May 12 Coolidge, Josiah, w. Mary and family.
1742 Aug. 17 Corley, James, w. and dau.
1752 Aug. 18 Dain, Matthew, w. and dau., from Groton.
1764 Aug. 21 Dean, Seth, from Woburn Feb. 1764. Aug. 6, ’64.
1757 May 11 Dudley, James, w, Mehitahle.
1760 Aug. Eames, Joanna. May 14, 1760.
1760 Aug. Faulkner, Hannah. May 14, 1760.
1766 Aug. 19 Faulkner, Paul.
1767 Jan. 6 Fay, Joseph, w. Lucy, ch. Joseph, Levi, from Northborough since March, 1766.
1750 May 8 Foskett, Mary.
1765 May 21 Fuller, Amos, w. Mary, ch. Hannah.
1762 May 11 Gates, Joseph, w. Hepzibeth, ch. Simeon, Levi, Prudence Gates, mother of said Joseph, from Stow, April 8, 1762.
1745 Feb. 26 Glazier, Zacheus and w.
1761 Aug. 18 Goodell, Susanna, ch. Susanna, Joseph, Martha, from Marlboro’, March 10, ’61. July 22, 1761.
1763 May 10 Goss, James, w. Mary, dau. Mary, from Lancaster, May, 1762. April, 1763.
1753 May 8 Goss, Mary, widow.
1764 May 8 Gould, Muzza, w. Martha, ch. Elihu, Isaiah, from Berwick. Feb. 20, 1764.
1760 Aug. Graves, Lydia, ch. Luther, Calvin, Elizabeth, Lydia. May 14, 1760.
1766 May 11 Greenleaf, Dr. Daniel Jr., w. Nancy, ch. Silence, from Harvard.
1747 Nov. 3 Harbutt, Mary.
1764 Aug. 21 Harris, Samuel, from Acton, April, 1763.
1765 May 21 Haxtines, Nathaniel, w. Elizabeth, from Leicester April, 1765. Jan. 17, 1765.
1767 Jan. 6 Hemenway, Joshua, from Concord since March, 1766. Dec. 1, 1766.
1754 Aug. 20 Horton, Joseph, w. Allie, ch. Jonathan, Ann, July 26, 1754.
Hudson, Ebenezer, ch. John, from Marlborough since Aug. 1764. Feb. 11, 1765.
1762 May 11 Hudson, Elizabeth, w. John, ch. Hannah, Charles, Stephen, from Marlborough. Dec. 28, 1761.
1763 Aug. 16 Hudson, Hannah, from Westborough, Dec. ’62.
Hudson, John, from Southborough, April, 1763. April 8, 1763. Ch. of John.
1764 May 8 Hudson, Miriam, dau. John, from Westborough Feb. 20, 1764.
Jewett, Edward, from Stow.
1757 Aug. 16 Johnson, John, w. Zerviah, ch. David, Jonathan, Noah, Daniel, Job, Lydia. June 13, 1757.
1761 Aug. 18 Johnson, John, w. Mary, his ch. David, Noah, Daniel; Jehonadab, her ch. July 22, 1761.
1750 May 8 Johnson, Mary.
1766 May 11 Johnson, Simon, w. Elizabeth, ch. Simon, from Shirley. Dec. 30, 1765.
1767 Jan. 6 Larkin, William, w. Hannah, ch. Hannah, Mary, from Lancaster since March, 1766.
Larking, Duncan and ch.
1753 May 8 Larking, Matthias.
1761 May 11 McBride, John, w. Jane, ch. William, Mary, Ann, poor people. Jan. 21, 1761.
1765 Aug. 20 Merriam, Nathaniel, w. Esther, ch. Mary, Abigail, Patience, Simon, Ebenezer, Sarah, from Stow, April 24, 1765.
1767 Aug. 18 Moor, Martha, from Shirley.
1766 May 11 Moore, Capt. Abijah, w. Eunice, ch. William, Rufus, Bathsheba, Tamar, Abijah, Gideon, Eunice, Jephah, from Princeton.
1767 Jan. 6 Parkhurst, Abraham, w. Hannah, ch. John, Hannah, Ruth, Solomon, since March, 1766.
1764 May 8 Parmenter, Ephraim, from Sudbury. April 2, ’64.
Parmenter, Asa, w. Eunice, ch. Biles, Nathaniel, Bude, from Marlborough since March, 1766. Dec. 1, 1766.
Phips, Charles, from Groton since March, 1766.
1753 May 8 Pierce, David, w. and children.
Piper, John, w. and children.
1766 May 11 Powers, Timothy, w. Martha, ch. Levi, from Harvard since April 1, 1765. Nov. 4, 1765.
1744 Aug. 21 Pratt, Elizabeth.
Pratt, Joseph, from Harvard since March, ’66.
1756 May 11 Priest, John Jr., w. Bethia, ch. John and Mary.
1758 May Quiltis, Patrick, poor person. March 10, 1758.
1764 May 8 Rand, Joshua, from Marlborough. Feb. 20, ’64.
1766 May 11 Richardson, Jonas and Rebecca, from Worcester.
1766 Aug. 19 Right [Wright?], Gardiner, s. of Thomas. July 7, 1766.
Robbins, Micah, w. Abigail.
Rogers, Alice, from Boxford. April 5, 1764.
1765 Aug. 20 Ross, Elijah, w. Hannah, ch. Micah, Elijah, from Sudbury, May 15, 1765. July 1, 1765.
1752 Aug. 18 Russell, John, from Malden.
1767 Aug. 18 Russell, Submit, from Hopkinton. July 6, ’67
1742 Aug. 17 Sawer, Jess? w. and child.
1764 Nov. 5 Scott, Abraham, from Lexington Nov. 3 1763
1760 Aug. Sever, Rebecca. June 23, 1760.
1765 May 21 Snow, Uriah, w. Lucy, ch. Uriah Jr., Sarah, Lucy, from Marlborough, Feb. 17, ’64. Feb. 11, ’65.
1765 Aug. 20 Stone, Benjamin, from Acton, April 1, 1765.
1764 Aug. 21 Twitchell, Daniel, poor boy from Sherborn Feb. 1764. May 14, 1764.
1767 Jan. 6 Walker, Jesse, w. Rebecca, ch. Jabez, Phebe, Esther, Ruth, Eunice, from Marlborough since March, 1766.
1757 May 11 Ward (alias Bartlett), Ephraim, w. Elizabeth, ch. Dinah.
1765 Aug. 20 Whitney, Nathan, w. Tabitha, ch. Asa and Ira, from Stow, April 1, 1765. July 1, 1765.
1761 May 11 Williams, Margaret, poor person. April 20, 1760.
1766 May 11 Woods, Deborah, from Groton. Dec. 30, 1765.
1763 Aug. 16 Woods, Joseph, minor, from Westborough, Nov., 1762. Aug. 8, 1763.
1764 May 8 Worthington, Francis, w. Rachel, ch. John, from Stow. March 21, 1764.
1761 Aug. 18 Wright, Thomas, w. Abigail, ch. Abigail, Abel, from Harvard. July 22, 1761.