Dedicated to the Memory of
Cathy Joy Lasselle (CJ) McNew, Founder of this Site,
May 6, 1957 — July 30, 2002.
USGenWeb Genealogical Site for the Town of
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Hingham
Massachusetts
Plymouth County |
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Including the Villages of Accord, Cole Corner, Hingham Center, Liberty Plain, South Hingham, Tuttleville and West Hingham
See also the site for the daughter town of Cohasset (Norfolk County)
The Old Ordinary, Hingham
Constructed 1680, Expanded 1740 & 1760
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You are visitor |
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since February 8, 1998 |
New Information on This Site
July 21, 2008 — The second of three milestones has been reached in the transcription of the History of Hingham. The family registers from both of the genealogical volumes are now complete. I will now turn away for a while to work on other projects before returning to the history volume. For the time being I have added images of those history pages that have not yet been transcribed.
June 14, 2008 — I have completed the online transcription of Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Cohasset, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: Printed by Wright & Potter, 1916). Cohasset was originally the second precinct of Hingham, and events recorded in this volume that happened before August 23, 1775 took place in Hingham.
March 13, 2008 — We have a new address! Many USGenWeb sites have relocated, and we have, too. Please bookmark our new address.
October 17, 2004 — David Davis has contibuted a text file detailing the information he has collected concerning the Ancestry of William Sprague of Hingham.
August 23, 2004 — As a part of the continued work on the History of Hingham I have moved the supplemental information on the Family of Abraham Lincoln to its own directory.
April 26, 2003 — A list of Hingham newspapers has been added, showing library holdings on microfilm.
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Lookups and Resources
If you have any Hingham 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.
Lookups Available
The old 2nd Precinct of Hingham became the town of Cohasset, so some lookups for that town are given here.
History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volume I by various authors, Volumes II and III by George Lincoln (Hingham: Town of Hingham, 3 vols. in 4, 1893; vols. 2 & 3 repr. in 1 vol., Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1982, 1987). — Dale H. Cook. Also see transcription in Books Online.
George Lyman Davenport and Elizabeth Osgood Davenport, The Genealogies of the Families of Cohasset, Massachusetts (Somersworth NH: New England History Press, 1984) — Richard Souther.
E. Victor Bigelow, Narrative History of the Town of Cohasset, Massachusetts (Cohasset: Committee on Town History, 1898) — Richard Souther.
Burtram J. Pratt, Narrative History of the Town of Cohasset, Massachusetts, Volume II (Cohasset: Committee on Town History, 1956) — Richard Souther.
Charles T. Libby, The Libby Family in America, 1602-1881 (1882) — D. C. Clark.
Resources
Richard Souther's Souther Family Association Home Page contains a wealth of superb information for Hingham and Cohasset researchers.
David Davis has contibuted a text file detailing the information he has collected concerning the Ancestry of William Sprague of Hingham.
The old 2nd Precinct of Hingham became the town of Cohasset, and Richard Souther's Cohasset Page has some very useful information.
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Family Researchers and Websites
Queries
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Books, Newspapers and Records
Books About Hingham
You can find copies of books for sale by using the search engine at Bookfinder.com.
Various Authors, History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volume I (Hingham: Town of Hingham, 1893). See Books Online below.
George Lincoln, History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volumes II and III (Hingham: Town of Hingham, 1893; repr. 2 vols. in 1, Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1982, 1987). See Books Online below.
Ann S. Lainhart, 1855 and 1865 Massachusetts State Censuses for Hingham (Boston: By the Author, 1988).
Fearing Burr and George Lincoln, The Town of Hingham in the Late Civil War with Sketches of Its Soldiers and Sailors. Also the Address and Other Exercises at the Dedication of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. (Hingham, MA: Published by Order of the Town, Rand Avery & Co. Printers, Boston, 1876).
A Story of Its Settlement and Life, Its Ancient Landmarks, Its Historic Sites and Buildings (1911).
Hingham Old and New (Hingham Tercentenary Commission, 1935).
The following books and pamphlets are available from the Hingham Historical Society, P.O. Box 434, Hingham, MA 02043; 781-749-6120; email for more information.
Lorena Laing Hart and Francis Russell Hart, Not All Is Changed: A Life History of Hingham (Hingham: Hingham Historical Commission, 1993). A history of the town from 1633 to 1990.
Edward Franklin Ripley, Shepherd in the Wilderness: Peter Hobart 1604-1679: A Founder of Hingham Plantation in Massachusetts (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, ca. 2001)
Donald F. Robinson, Two Hundred Years in South Hingham, 1746-1946: The Story of a Church and a Community (Hingham: Hingham Historical Society, 1980)
Winston Hall, By the Wayside: Tales from the Past About Places and Things on Hingham's Roadsides (Hingham: Hingham Historical Society, 1984)
Winston Hall, Hingham Portrait Gallery: Who's Who in Town History (Hingham: Hingham Historical Society, 1992)
Mildred L. Justice, Notes on the "Old Ordinary" (Hingham: Hingham Historical Society, 1970). From a talk given to the Hingham Historical Society by the author in June, 1969.
Arthur D. Marble, The Country Store of Long Ago (Hingham Historical Society, 1928). A description of the general store that stood at Hingham Centre from 1803 to 1918.
George H. Hartwell, Hingham's Colonial Industries (South Shore Nature Club, 1954).
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Books Online
History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volume I by various authors, Volumes II and III by George Lincoln (Hingham: Town of Hingham, 3 vols. in 4, 1893; vols. 2 & 3 repr. in 1 vol., Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1982, 1987). Partial transcription of vols. 2 & 3 available here.
Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Cohasset, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: Printed by Wright & Potter, 1916). Cohasset was originally the second precinct of Hingham, and events recorded in this volume that happened before August 23, 1775 took place in Hingham.
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Newspapers
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
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Hingham Gazette 1833-1834, 1836-1837
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Hingham Journal 1996 to present
Hingham Journal and Mariner 1993-1995
The Hingham Journal and South Shore Advertiser 1871-1872, 1888-1913, 1916-1921
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Hingham Mariner 1984, 1986-1990, 1991-1993
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Vital Records
History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volume I by various authors, Volumes II and III by George Lincoln (Hingham: Town of Hingham, 3 vols. in 4, 1893; vols. 2 & 3 repr. in 1 vol., Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1982, 1987). See lookups above. Also see transcription in Books Online.
Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Cohasset, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston: Printed by Wright & Potter, 1916). Cohasset was originally the second precinct of Hingham, and events recorded in this volume that happened before August 23, 1775 took place in Hingham.
Vital Records 1635 to present:
Town Clerk
Hingham Town Hall
210 Central Street
Hingham, MA 02043-0239
781-741-1410
Fax: 781-740-0239
Hours: Mon., Weds., Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tues. 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Birth records are available in long form (8-1/2x11) for $5.00 and short form (index card) for $3.00. Marriage records are $5.00 for marriages up to 1985, and $3.00 for marriages from 1986 to date. Death records are $5.00 for deaths up to 1987, and $3.00 for deaths from 1988 to date. Make checks payable to the Town of Hingham.
Vital Records 1841-1915:
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
617-727-2816
Fax: 617-288-8429
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Birth records are available in long form (8-1/2x11) for $5.00 and short form (index card) for $3.00. Marriage records are $5.00 for marriages up to 1985, and $3.00 for marriages from 1986 to date. Death records are $5.00 for deaths up to 1987, and $3.00 for deaths from 1988 to date. Make checks payable to the Town of Hingham.
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
Divorces
Deaths.
Massachusetts Vital Records Information from Ancestry.com.
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Deeds and Probate
Until 1793 Hingham was in Suffolk County:
Suffolk Registry of Deeds
24 New Chardon St.
Boston, MA 02114-9660
617-788-8575
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Suffolk Probate and Family Court
24 New Chardon St., 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
617-788-8300
Fax: 617-788-8962
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
From 1793 to 1803 Hingham was in Norfolk County:
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
649 High St.
Dedham, MA 02026-1831
781-461-6101
Fax: 781-326-4246
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Norfolk Probate and Family Court
35 Shawmut Rd.
Canton, MA 02021
781-830-1200
Fax: 781-830-4310
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
From 1803 to date Hingham has been in Plymouth County:
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 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.
Order Probate Records Online.
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Cemeteries and Cemetery Transcriptions
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Genealogical and Historical Societies, Libraries and Locations
Genealogical and Historical Societies and Libraries
Hingham Public Library
66 Leavitt Street
Hingham, MA 02043-2757
781-741-1405
Fax: 781-749-0956
Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Fri. - Closed; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sun. 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Summer Hours: Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Sun. - Closed.
Hingham Historical Society
P.O. Box 434
Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-7721
Founded in 1914, the Society maintains Old Derby Academy and the Old Ordinary, a museum exhibiting 350 years of Hingham history. A variety of membership plans are available and there are many opportunities for volunteers.
South Shore Genealogical Society
PO Box 396
Norwell, MA 02061
Email: soshoregen@yahoo.com
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 8:00 p.m.; Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Closed weekends.
New England Historic Genealogical Society
101 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116-3007
617-536-5740
Fax: 617-536-7307
Email: nehgs@nehgs.org
Library Hours: Tues. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Weds. - Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Winter Hours (Dec. - Mar.): Tues. - Weds. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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 circulating library of more than 30,000 volumes and online resources including all issues of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the nation's oldest genealogical journal, published quarterly since 1847.
Genealogical and Historical Locations
Old Derby Academy
34 Main St.
Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-7721
In 1784 Madam Sarah Derby deeded the buildings at 34 Main Street and the land around them to those wishing to establish a school on the premises. That happened in 1791, the year after she died, leaving much of her estate to the school's trustees to provide income for the new enterprise. The academy was intended to be a co-educational facility, perhaps the only one in the country at that time. The original buildings were torn down in 1818, replaced by a Federal-style structure. Old Derby was the only source of secondary education in town until 1872, when Hingham High School opened. Old Derby was bought by the Bought by the Hingham Historical Society after the academy moved to new quarters in the mid 1960s.
The Old Ordinary
21 Lincoln St.
Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-0013
Hours: Mid-June through Labor Day, Tues. - Sat. 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Open through mid-October by appointment.
Admission: Adults - $3.00; Children - $1.00.
The original structure dates from 1680 and saw major expansions in 1740 and 1760. It began as a home and eventually became a tavern or ordinary. It is now a Hingham Historical Society museum, filled with 18th and 19th century furniture, samplers, musical instruments, costumes and paintings. The surrounding period garden is attributed to Frederick Law Olmstead Jr.
Old Ship Church
First Parish in Hingham, Unitarian Universalist
90 Main Street
Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-1679
The Old Ship Church is the oldest meetinghouse in continuous use in the United States. The congregation was gathered in 1635 under Reverend Peter Hobart. The central portion of the building was raised July 26 - 28, 1681, and expanded in the 18th century. Interior modifications hid structural details including the beams of the ship-framed roof. A 1930 restoration returned the building to a combination of 17th and 18th century elements.
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History, Census Data and Maps
Around 1633 several families including that of Edmund Hobart landed at Charlestown. After a few months they moved to a settlement called Bare Cove after the mud flats in the harbor at low tide. The name was changed to Hingham in 1635 - many early families came from Hingham, England. Early families included those of Hobart, Lincoln, Beal, Loring, Otis, Cushing, Gardner, Whiton and Fearing. In 1635 Edmund's son, Reverend Peter Hobart, arrived with his family and in that year the First Parish of Hingham was established. The original simple meetinghouse was replaced in 1681 by the Old Ship Church, the oldest home of continuous worship in the nation. It is named for the framing of the roof, resembles the inverted hull of a ship.
Hingham became a port of entry and a fishing port, with industries which included coopering, cordage, shoemaking, cabinetmaking, leather working and blacksmithing. Today many antique homes line Main Street.
The Second Precinct of Hingham was established as the town of Cohasset on April 26, 1770.
From its establishment in 1635 until 1793 Hingham was part of Suffolk County. From 1793 to 1803 it was part of Norfolk County, and it has been part of Plymouth County since 1803.
Population by Census
| 1790
| (U.S.)
| 2,085
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| 1885
| (State)
| 4,375
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| 1920
| (U.S.)
| 5,604
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| 1930
| (U.S.)
| 6,657
|
| 1940
| (U.S.)
| 8,003
|
| 1950
| (U.S.)
| 10,665
|
| 1960
| (U.S.)
| 15,378
|
| 1970
| (U.S.)
| 18,845
|
| 1980
| (U.S.)
| 20,339
|
| 1990
| (U.S.)
| 19,821
|
| 2000
| (U.S.)
| 19,882
|
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Maps
Hingham Centre 1878 — Contains the location of Leavitt St., Main St., Fearing Store, etc., in 1878 — provided by Richard Souther.
Hingham Harbor Area 1878 — Contains the location of Mill Pond, Old Ship Church, Hingham Cemetery, Cushing's house, etc., in 1878 — provided by Richard Souther.
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Hingham Town Government and Institutions
Hingham Town Web Site
Hingham Town Hall
210 Central Street
Hingham, MA 02043
781-741-1400
Hours: Mon., Weds., Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tues. 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Old Ship Church, First Parish of Hingham (Unitarian Universalist, established 1635)
Second Parish in Hingham (Unitarian Universalist, established 1746)
School Department
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Other Hingham Websites
Commonwealth Communities page for Hingham
The Hingham Journal (Weekly Newspaper - Circulation 5,164)
South Shore Network Hingham Page
The Web Directory for Hingham
Hingham High Alumni Web Site
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USGenWeb Links
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 about ten miles from Hingham 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 Hingham, MA, commenced 08-Feb-1998.
Created by Cathy Joy Lasselle (CJ) McNew.
Revised and maintained since 26-Aug-2002 by Dale H. Cook.
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Copyright © 2003-2008 by Dale H. Cook. All rights reserved.
