the old world and set his foot on the new; and in being able to trace accurately his own descent from him.   But the elements of such knowledge are fast fading away, and the difficulties of acquiring it, already great, are constantly increasing.

   The principal purpose of the present publication is to afford the inhabitants of Bridgewater, and those who were born or early resided there, wherever they may now live, some knowledge of those from whom they are descended, and if possible to enable them to see every link of the chain connecting them with their first American ancestor.   There are but few instances where it has been practicable to go beyond our own shores in search of European ancestry; and in many cases it has been difficult, and often impossible, to ascertain the first ancestor even in our own country.   This has been the case especially where new families in later times came into the town from other distant places.   And where any individual, with or without his family, has removed from the town, it has not generally been attempted to trace the descent any further.   It would be not only difficult, but liable to much error.   It must be observed, also, that as most of this work was prepared many years ago, the descent is not generally brought down much within the present century, and that therefore the younger families born since, and most of the numerous families, who have come into town within the last twenty or thirty years, will appear at all in the account here presented.   It would have swelled the book, already large, to an unwieldy size.   Having brought it down within the knowledge and memories of the present generation, they can continue it, each one for himself, if disposed.   In giving dates, months and days are generally omitted, but can be supplied when necessary by a recurrence to the records.   The insertion of them would have occupied much room without any adequate advantage.

   Great as has been the labor of research and the care in compiling this publication, there will still appear in it great deficiencies.   No notice will be found of many individual members, and even whole branches of many of the families.   Some parents neglected altogether to have their children recorded.   Others had it done partially, their younger children not being found on the record.   These defects were to be supplied only, if at all, by resorting to other sources, many of which were not always to be relied on, and family traditions and recollections least of any.