name was probably adopted from fancy, as many of the names of towns in the vicinity were, none of the settlers here, as we can ascertain, having come from Bridgewater, in England.   From this period the town took its place with others in the public records, while its own have also been generally well preserved, which will render its subsequent history more authentic.   John Cary was chosen Constable 1656, the first officer ever chosen in town, and the only one in that year, as it was not incorporated in season for the spring elections.   In May, 1657, the town officers were John Willis, Deputy; Lawrence Willis, Grand Juror; Samuel Tompkins, Constable; Arthur Harris and John Haward, Surveyors of highways.   The first freemen were

   These had taken the Freeman's oath probably before the incorporation of the plantation.   In 1657 we find among the freemen of Bridgewater, these additional names, viz: —

   These names assist us in ascertaining who were the first settlers in the place.   Some of them, as Standish, Lawrence Willis, Godfrey, Bayley, Lathrop, and Snow, were not original proprietors, but most of them came from Duxbury, and had afterwards probably became purchasers.   Josiah Standish was the second son of Capt. Miles Standish, and had his father's share perhaps; he married Sarah, daughter of Samuel Allen, of Braintree, and settled here, but after a few years returned again to Duxbury.   Besides these and a few others from Duxbury, as Mitchell, Alden, and Leonard: there soon came in several families from the adjoining towns in Massachusetts, as Packard, Byram, Allen, Whitman, Shaw, Bacon, Kingman, Conant, Hooper, Hudson, Lazell, Dunbar, Hill, Perkins, Johnson, Leach, and others, as also Field from Providence, Alger from