USGenWeb Genealogical Site for the Town of
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East Bridgewater Massachusetts Plymouth County |
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Including the Villages of Eastville, Elmwood (formerly Joppa) and Northville
See also the site for the parent town of Bridgewater
Noyes-Kingman House, East Bridgewater
Constructed before 1791
| You are visitor |
| since August 4, 2002 |
New Information on This Site
March 11, 2008 — We have a new address! Many USGenWeb sites have relocated, and we have, too. Please bookmark our new address.
February 12, 2004 — I have completed the online transcription of Nahum Mitchell's History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, including an extensive Family Register (Boston: Printed for the author by Kidder and Wright, 1840; repr. Bridgewater: Henry T. Pratt, 1897; Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1970; Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1983; Salem, MA: Higginson Books, 1992). This work was begun by the late CJ McNew, completed by the current webmaster and supported by the greatly appreciated efforts of many volunteers. Although a number of errors have been discovered in this work it is still a very useful starting point for research on early Bridgewater families.
October 2, 2003 — I have completed the online transcription of "The Vital Records of Bridgewater, Mass.," transcribed by George Ernest Bowman and published in The Mayflower Descendant between 1900 and 1914. These literal transcriptions of births, marriages and deaths from the first two volumes of the town records are often referred to by professional genealogists in preference to the alphabetized version published by NEHGS. In these transcriptions events for most families run through about 1720.
May 28, 2003 — Williams Latham's Epitaphs in Old Bridgewater is now complete and online. This 1882 work contains literal tramscriptions of all of the gravestones in the oldest cemeteries in Bridgewater, East Bridgewater and West Bridgewater. The online version has been transcribed by Arthur Richardson and Dale H. Cook, and includes all of the illustrations, cemetery plans, indices, corrections and appendices from the book. We have added an extra page including online map links, locations, directions to some of the cemeteries and photographs of many of them by Arthur.
May 22, 2003 — The Cemeteries Page has been revised, and now includes photographs of some of the cemeteries taken by Arthur Richardson.
April 29, 2003 — There is a new page for East Bridgewater Family Researchers and Websites where you can list specific East Bridgewater families that you are researching or web sites specializing in East Bridgewater families.
April 26, 2003 — A list of Bridgewater and Brockton newspapers has been added, showing library holdings on microfilm.
February 22, 2003 — The list of Cemeteries and Cemetery Transcriptions has been revised and expanded. The location of each cemetery is given, and links to online map sites have been added to help you locate the cemeteries.
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Lookups and Resources
If you have any East Bridgewater material and would like to volunteer for lookups please send email to Dale H. Cook.
When requesting a lookup please use the email link following the listing for that book, limit your request to one or two specific names on separate lines, and please thank the volunteer for their time and effort.
Vital Records of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1917) — Dale H. Cook.
Heman Howard, The Howard Genealogy: The Descendents of John Howard of Bridgewater, Massachusetts (Brockton, MA: The Standard Printing Co., 1903) — Email Aaron Howard —
"The Vital Records of Bridgewater, Mass.," transcribed by George Ernest Bowman and published in The Mayflower Descendant between 1900 and 1914. These literal transcriptions from the town records are often referred to by professional genealogists in preference to the alphabetized version published by NEHGS. An index of names has been included.
Rev. Henry F. Jenks, "Record of Marriages Solemnized in the East Parish of Bridgewater, Mass. From March 4, 1725, To August 3, 1803" (New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 45 [1891]:12-14, 142-145, 244-246, 283-285; 46 [1892]:55-57, 167-171).
Bradford Kingman, "Marriages in the Town of Bridgewater Previous To Its Division" (New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 21 [1867]:225-228).
Ray Brown has transcribed the Bridgewater marriage records from Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 by Frederick W. Bailey. They are available sorted by husbands' names or by wives' names. His New England Genealogy site on RootsWeb includes many other transcribed records, genealogical information for several Connecticut families and many other resources for New England research.
Early Bridgewater Families includes information on the early generations of East Bridgewater families founded in Bridgewater by Samuel Packard and John Washburn.
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Family Researchers and Websites
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Books, Newspapers and Records
You can find copies of books for sale by using the search engine at Bookfinder.com.
Books that are no longer in copyright can often be found online at Internet Archive Text Archive, Family History Archives or Google Books. Additional books are available through two sites that many libraries offer access to - Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest Online.
Henry Edwards Scott, Vital Records of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1917). See above for lookups.
Ann S. Lainhart, 1855 and 1865 Massachusetts State Censuses for East Bridgewater (Boston: By the Author, 1988).
Nahum Mitchell, History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater... See the full citation under Books Online below. Note that although a number of errors have been discovered in this work it is still a very useful starting point for research on early East Bridgewater families.
An Epitome of the History of the Town of East Bridgewater (East Bridgewater: Historical Program Committee for the Tercentenary Celebration, 1930).
Paul John Rich, The History of East Bridgewater (East Bridgewater, MA: The Arthur Baggia Press, no date).
David K. Wilson, The East Bridgewater Sesquicentennial, 1823-1973 (East Bridgewater: Sesquicentennial Committee, 1973).
Thomas Edward Reynolds, East Bridgewater Sesquicentennial, 1823-1973. Reflections of Times Past. (East Bridgewater: Sesquicentennial Committee, 1974).
Earlier Days in East Bridgewater (1977). From papers written by B. W. Keith, C. L. Nutter, B. W. Harris and R. W. Hobart.
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Nahum Mitchell, History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, including an extensive Family Register (Boston: Printed for the author by Kidder and Wright, 1840; repr. Bridgewater: Henry T. Pratt, 1897; Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1970; Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1983; Salem, MA: Higginson Books, 1992). This work was begun by the late CJ McNew, completed by the current webmaster and supported by the greatly appreciated efforts of many volunteers. Although a number of errors have been discovered in this work it is still a very useful starting point for research on early Bridgewater families.
Williams Latham, Epitaphs in Old Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Illustrated with Plans and Views (Bridgewater: Henry T. Pratt, printer, 1882; repr. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1976; Middleborough, MA, 1986). This book has been transcribed by Arthur Richardson and Dale H. Cook.
The East Bridgewater part of the book includes one major cemetery and four minor cemeteries:
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A newspaper often had a succession of titles on its masthead during the course of its publication. Some libraries list newspapers by the last title used, followed by previous titles. Other libraries list all holdings under the most common, most familiar or most recent title. For each title the library's holdings are given.
Boston Public Library - Microtext Department
Bridgewater
Brockton
Brockton Public Library - Historical Room
Note: Microfilms may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan
Brockton
Bridgewater Public Library - Historical Room
Bridgewater
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Published Vital Records 1823 to 1850:
Henry Edwards Scott, Vital Records of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1917).
Vital Records 1823 to present:
Town Clerk
East Bridgewater Town Hall
175 Central St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
508-378-1606
Hours: Mon. 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Tues. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Vital Records 1916 to present:
Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
617-740-2600
Or order online:
Births
Marriages
Deaths
Massachusetts Vital Records Information from Ancestry.com.
Deeds and Probate
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
50 Obery Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-830-9200
Fax: 508-830-9221
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Researchers can search grantor books or grantee books at no charge.
Plymouth County deeds can now be viewed online
Plymouth Probate and Family Court
9 Russell St.
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-747-6204
Fax: 508-746-6826
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Genealogical and Historical Societies, Libraries and Locations
Genealogical and Historical Societies and Libraries
East Bridgewater Public Library Tower Room
32 Union St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333-1598
508-378-1616
Fax: 508-378-1617
Hours: Mon. - Tues. 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Weds - Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri. 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (No Saturday hours during the summer).
Old Bridgewater Historical Society
Memorial Building
162 Howard Street
West Bridgewater, MA 02379
508-559-1510
Hours: Weds. 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.; other hours by appointment
Admission: Free.
Plymouth County Genealogists, Inc.
PCGI is a non-profit genealogical society whose monthly meetings are held the first Saturday of each month (except July and August) at 1:00 PM at the East Bridgewater Public Library. Meetings generally feature a guest speaker and the public is welcome. See the PCGI web site for details of upcoming meetings.
Old Colony Historical Society
66 Church Green
Taunton, MA 02780
508-822-1622
Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed on holidays and on Saturdays preceding Monday holidays
Museum Admission: Adults - $4.00, Children 12-18 and Seniors - $2.00
Genealogical Research: $7.00 per day
South Shore Genealogical Society
PO Box 396
Norwell, MA 02061
Meetings: The second Saturday of each month (except July and August) at 1:30 p.m. at the John Curtis Free Library, Rte. 139, Hanover, MA.
For beginners, amateurs and professionals interested in genealogical research in Plymouth and Norfolk Counties.
Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215-3695
617-536-1608
Hours: Mon. - Weds. 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.; Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Closed Sunday.
New England Historic Genealogical Society
101 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116-3007
617-536-5740
Fax: 617-536-7307
Library Hours: Tues. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Weds. 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Thurs. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday.
The library is closed for some holidays - call or see the website for details.
For non-members there is a daily admisssion fee for the research library.
NEHGS is nation's oldest genealogical society, founded in 1845. It offers unsurpassed resources for New England research including the Boston research library of over 200,000 volumes. Members not in the Boston area appreciate the extensive online resources including all issues of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the nation's oldest genealogical journal, published quarterly since 1847. Online resources also include member access to vital records through 1910, an ever-growing collection of online books, and databases derived from some of the Society's immense manuscript holdings.
Deborah Sampson Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Genealogical and Historical Locations
Sachem's Rock
Tradition holds that this was the site where the Bridgewater Deed was signed by Ousamequin (Massasoit), Myles Standish, Samuel Nash and Conatant Southworth.
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The area known as the Bridgewaters was originally inhabited by Wampanoag who called it Saughtuchquett (Satucket). In 1642 Marshfield was established from the northern part of Duxbury and inhabitants of the latter petitioned for compensating land in the interior. The General Court granted their petition in 1645 and six trustees were appointed to divide the land - Captain Myles Standish, John Alden, George Soule, Constant Southworth, John Rogers, and William Brett. The action by the General Court was primarily an authority to purchase land, and Captain Standish, Samuel Nash, and Constant Southworth were appointed to make the purchase. The March 23, 1649 deed which they signed with Ousamequin (Massasoit), "Sachem of the county of Poconocke", was witnessed by John Bradford and William Otway (Alias) Parker. The purchase was said to have been executed on a hill called Sachem's Rock.
Fifty-four original proprietors each received one share in the new land, and two additional proprietors were later added. The purchases of additional lands were granted in subsequent years. Settlement began after 1650 in what is now West Bridgewater, but only eighteen of the fifty-six proprietors ever lived on their new land. The area was at first known as Duxbury New Plantation, and was incorporated as the township of Bridgewater in June, 1656. On Dec. 24, 1683, the "great division" of the township into four parts was assented to by the proprietors, the central part remaining common land.
The first church in the township was established in the West Parish with the ministry offered to a Mr. Bunker in 1660, but it appears from the records that he never settled there as minister. About 1662 a minister's house was erected and the settlement of Reverend James Keith as the first minister was recorded on Feb. 18, 1664. He was granted one of the two additional proprietorships, the other going to Deacon Samuel Edson. A new and larger meeting house was built in 1671.
Many Bridgewater men fought in King Philip's War, which began June 21, 1675. Although some outlying homes and barns were destroyed and some livestock killed no Bridgewater lives were lost in that conflict.
In the East Parish the meeting house of the Third Church of Bridgewater was raised on March 15, 1720 and its first minister ordained in 1724. On December 14, 1723, the East Parish was constituted the third precinct. On June 14, 1823, the town of East Bridgewater was incorporated.
Early Bridgewater industries included the manufacture of iron, small arms and cannon. Edged tools and the first machine-made nails were early products, and textile mills were in operation by the late eighteenth century. In East Bridgewater the Keith brothers operated one of the earliest iron-slitting mills in the southeastern part of Massachusetts. In 1740 a triphammer was in use here making edged tools, and cannon and muskets used in the Revolutionary War were made here. In the late 19th century the arrival of the railroad stimulated industrial growth including shoe manufacturing.
When trolley lines reached town the shift toward a residential community began, and since the population expansion after the Second World War the town has had a heavily residential population.
| 1820 | (U.S.) | 1,435 | 1830 | (U.S.) | 1,653 | 1840 | (U.S.) | 1,950 | 1850 | (U.S.) | 2,545 | |||
| 1855 | (State) | 2,930 | 1860 | (U.S.) | 3,207 | 1865 | (State) | 2,976 | 1870 | (U.S.) | 3,017 | |||
| 1875 | (State) | 2,808 | 1880 | (U.S.) | 2,710 | 1885 | (State) | 2,812 | 1890 | (U.S.) | 2,911 | |||
| 1895 | (State) | 2,894 | 1900 | (U.S.) | 3,025 | 1905 | (State) | 3,169 | 1910 | (U.S.) | 3,363 | |||
| 1915 | (State) | 3,689 | 1920 | (U.S.) | 3,486 | 1925 | (State) | 3,538 | 1930 | (U.S.) | 3,591 | |||
| 1935 | (State) | 3,670 | 1940 | (U.S.) | 3,832 | 1945 | (State) | 4,008 | 1950 | (U.S.) | 4,412 | |||
| 1955 | (State) | 5,359 | 1960 | (U.S.) | 6,139 | 1965 | (State) | 7,460 | 1970 | (U.S.) | 8,347 | |||
| 1975 | (State) | 9,485 | 1980 | (U.S.) | 9,945 | 1990 | (U.S.) | 11,104 | 2000 | (U.S.) | 12,974 |
NOTE: The date of the establishment of East Bridgewater is subsequent to the date of the earliest census in which population appears. This is due, probably, to the fact that the territory in question was well defined and recognized in census enumerations prior to the date of its formal incorporation as a district or town.
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East Bridgewater Town Hall
175 Central St.
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
508-378-1606
East Bridgewater Public Schools
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See also the site for the parent town of Bridgewater
Commonwealth Communities page for East Bridgewater
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Plymouth County, MA - USGenWeb
Plymouth County Records Online - USGenWeb
Massachusetts Genealogy - USGenWeb
The USGenWeb Project - Home Page
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Please note that although I was born and raised within 10 miles of East Bridgewater I now live hundreds of miles away and do not have easy access to the town.
Email comments to Dale H. Cook
Please visit the Plymouth Colony Pages
USGenWeb East Bridgewater, MA, commenced 04-Aug-2002.
Created and maintained by Dale H. Cook.
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Copyright © 2003-2008 by Dale H. Cook. All rights reserved.