From 1890-1903, the Dedham Historical Society in Dedham Massachusetts printed a quarterly pamphlet for it’s historical society called the “Dedham Historical Register.” In this pamphlet a variety of genealogical data was published on families of Dedham and the villages emanating from the early residents of Dedham, such as Dorchester, Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Needham, and Sharon, etc.
This is a collection of free vital records books, otherwise known as “Tan Books” for Massachusetts towns. Generally, these records go up to 1849/1850 at which, the genealogist can use the census records to assist in identifying the family connections further. Included with this article is an account of why and how these manuscripts were published along with links to all 198 books which can be freely read or downloaded.
The Allen family, to which Mrs. Louise Prescott Allen Chandler belongs, is one of the oldest in East Bridgewater or, indeed, in Massachusetts. We give her line from the emigrant ancestor, Samuel Allen, from whom she is descended in the ninth generation.
This Boston – East Bridgewater Chandler family, the head of which was the late Hon. Peleg Whitman Chandler, long one of the leading counselors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and one of a family of lawyers, comes of a Massachusetts-Maine branch of the ancient Duxbury family whose progenitor was Edmund Chandler. The branch just alluded to for several generations at New Gloucester and Bangor, Maine, and at Boston in this Commonwealth, has been one of liberal education, college-bred men, men who have adorned the legal profession, and it has allied itself through generations with a number of the ancient and first families of the Old Colony. There follows in chronological order from Edmund Chandler, the first American ancestor of this branch of American Chandlers, and in detail the family history and genealogy.
From the pioneer days at the settlement at Hingham and Taunton the Lincoln family has been a continuous one in that region of Massachusetts; one of prominence in the start, it has maintained itself both here and in the country at large and in both has long since become numerous. It has been claimed by the late Hon. Solomon Lincoln that all the Lincolns in Massachusetts are descendants of the Lincolns who settled in Hingham in 1636 and 1638. He says: “We have evidence of authentic records that the early settlers of Hingham of the name of Lincoln were four, bearing the name of Thomas, distinguished from each other by their occupations, as miller, weaver, cooper and husbandman; Stephen (brother of the husbandman); Daniel, and Samuel (brother of the weaver).” He adds “our claim is that the early settlers of Hingham above enumerated were the progenitors of all the Lincolns of the country. From Hingham the Lincolns trace their early home to Norfolk County, England.”
Jedediah Holt was the son of Nicholas Holt, who came from Andover, Mass., to Blue Hill in 1765. Jedediah was born at Andover, March 12, 1754. He married Sarah Thorndike, Feb. 24, 1778. She died Jan. 15, 1836. They had six children as follows: Jedediah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Samuel, Stephen and Sally.
Alexander Bisset Munro was born 25 Dec. 1793 at Inverness, Scotland to Donald and Janet (Bisset) Munro. Alexander left Scotland at the age of 14, and lived in Dimecrana in the West Indies for 18 years. He owned a plantation, raising cotton, coffee and other produce. He brought produce to Boston Massachusetts on the ship of Solomon Dockendorff. To be sure he got his money, Solomon asked his to come home with him, where he met Solomon’s sister, Jane Dockendorff. Alexander went back to the West Indies, sold out, and moved to Round Pond, Maine, and married Jane. They had 14 children: Janet, Alexander, Margaret, Nancy, Jane, Mary, Solomon, Donald, John, William, Bettie, Edmund, Joseph and Lydia.
The picturesque island of Utilla is the most south-westerly of the group known as the Bay Islands. The islands are six in number. They are Ruatan, Bonacco, Utilla, Helene, Barburat and Morat; and are situated in the Bay of Honduras an arm of the Caribbean Sea. Bonacco, the most easterly of the group, was discovered by Columbus on his fourth voyage in 1502. Taken together these islands form a flourishing Department in the Republic of Honduras. In 1858 the population of Utilla was 101 souls. It now (1904) numbers nearly 800 inhabitants. And for many years past the island has … Read more
This volume was the first contribution to the series of biographies of deceased ministers, which the Lutheran board of publication had resolved to issue. It is singular in one respect, that it embraces the sketches of three men of the same name, and bearing to each other the near relations of grandfather, son and grandson. The writer of the present volume regrets that he was limited to so small a space for the full exhibition of the lives of these three most worthy men. He was compelled reluctantly to omit much that would have more fully illustrated their characters, but … Read more
James W. Agee wrote this pamphlet as a way to publish the vital records of every known Agee. Unfortunately, at the time of publication, he estimates to have received only a quarter of responses to the cards he sent out. Since he only asked for vital records, that’s all he presents in this manuscript. He claims all living Agee’s, except one, could claim descent from “the 24” who were the 24 children of James and Anthony Agee: Noah, James, Jacob, John, Hercules, Joseph, Rhoda, Ruth, Celia, Mary, Chloe, and Nancy, all children of James Agee; and Joshua, James, Daniel, Matthew, Jacob, John, Isaac, Joseph, Reuben, Anthony, Noah, and an unnamed daughter who married a ? Christian, all children of Andrew Agee.
Samuel Hall married a daughter of George Choate, and had the following children: Joanna, George, Rebecca and Richard.
Capt. Foster Hardin was a sailor and sea captain in early life, and married Ann Robertson Aug. 24, 1826, “both” being recorded at that time as of Sedgwick. Mr. Hardin died March 11, 1874, and Ann, his widow, February 1887, aged above eighty. Their children were: Edsley, David, George, Mary, Hiram, Eveline, John, Francis, Robert, Marcy and Charles.
The Clough Genealogy of Blue Hill, Maine is a study into the genealogy of two supposed brothers, Asa and Benjamin Clough. Asa Clough was born at Haverhill, Mass., Aug. 25, 1764; died Jan. 2, 1851, in his eighty-seventh year. He married Abigail Pecker, Nov. 27, 1789. She was born at Bradford, Mass., Nov. 27, 1766, and died March 16, 1854, in her eighty-eighth year. They had a family of ten children, as follows: Daniel, Cheever, Sally, John, Asa, Leonard, James, Lydia, Zelotes, and Louisa. Benjamin was born Aug. 15, 1755, married Relief Wyman, March 12, 1788. She was born Sept. 16, 1761, and died March 25, 1819. The date of his death is not recorded. The children of Benjamin, Sr., and Relief (Wyman) Clough were: Moody, Abigail, Hannah, Phebe, Benjamin, Dorias, and Ezra. There was a third brother, John, who travelled from Haverhill Mass. to Blue Hill Maine, however, he is not treated in this genealogy.
Farther down the road towards the tide mills stands the house built by John Cheever about 1835. Mr. Cheever came from Beverly to Blue Hill village and settled, where he kept a store and began to build a fishing fleet, the first being the schooner “Marion”, built at the village. The father of the writer sold him the land for his house, store, wharf, fish flakes and garden, where he carried on business and continued to reside until his death in 1851, aged fifty-one years. His wife was Betsey Gardner, of Beverly, by whom he had seven children, as follows: … Read more
Phineas Dodge, head of this family, died at about 80 years of age. He was the son of Elisha and Lydia (Day) Dodge, born Sept. 6, 1813. In his youth he was a sailor, afterwards became a ship carpenter and ended his days as a farmer. The children of Phineas and Harriet Newell (Candage) Dodge were: Justin, Rosina, Adelbert, Clara, mina, Frank, Annah and George.
James Candage was the son of James and Elizabeth Candage, who settled upon the Neck in 1766 from Beverly, Mass., born May 9, 1753; married Hannah, daughter of John Roundy, April 13, 1775; she was born at Beverly, August 4, 1753; died March 12, 1851, aged 97 years, 7 months, 8 days; he died Jan. 12, 1819, aged 65 years and 8 months. Their children were: Elizabeth, Samuel, Gideon, Sarah, James, Azor and John.
Capt. Merrill was the son of Caleb and Betsey (Candage) (Day) Merrill, widow of James Day; born May 5, 1804. He was a sea captain, who married Louisa Clough, daughter of Asa and Abigail (Pecker) Clough, August 28, 1831; she was born Sept. 27, 1811; died August 22, 1847 leaving children as follows: Caroline, Juliet, William, Horace, Parris, Mary and Abby.
The Coggin lot was the one taken up by Thomas Coggin, who came to it from Beverly, Mass., with his family in 1765. Here he built his humble abode and resided the first years of his life in town – just how many the record does not show. He was born Feb. 14, 1734; married Lydia Obear, Feb., 1755. He died Feb. 11, 1821, aged eighty-nine years; she died Oct. 22, 1800. The children were: Hezekiah, Molly, Lydia, Josiah, Samuel and Elizabeth.
Peter McFarland, a shoemaker of Scotch descent, who is said to have come from the city of New York, where he left a wife and several children, here (Bluehill Maine) to build a log cabin and make his abode prior to 1800. He married Elizabeth Carter by whom he had eight children: Jonathan, Lydia, Peter, Oliver, Irene, Alpheus, Amos and Rodney.
Amos Allen, born in Sedgwick, Oct. 3, 1772, married Joanna Herrick, of Sedgwick, Dec. 25, 1793, removed to Blue Hill in 1795, where he became owner of Carleton’s mills and of the land and buildings taken up and improved by the Carletons, He was a miller, farmer, ship owner, preacher and a representative to the Maine legislature in 1820-1-2-3, and in 1842, and a man of influence and force of character. He died Jan. 28, 1855, aged 84 years. His children were: Hepzibah, Amos, Ebenezer, Herrick, Amos 2d, Joanna, Joseph, Huldah, Harriet, George and Daniel.