Plymouth County, MA

NEW!  70-Page Illustrated Booklet

The early days of historic Plymouth County, Massachusetts , and its various towns and townships, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 70 Page Booklet, reprinted primarily from two hard-to-find books: the 1839 edition of Historical Collections of Massachusetts by John Warner Barber, and Massachusetts, a Guide to its Places and People, a WPA project. The spiral-bound booklet has the print enlarged for easier reading. A sheet of clear vinyl has been added to protect the front cover.

The communities mentioned include: Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton (formerly North Bridgewater), Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanover Center, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Mattapoiset, Middleborough, North Hanson, North Pembroke, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Sippican, Scituate, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman (South Abington).

The Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1839, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities.

   The book includes information on: Early Settlers, Churches, and Educational Institutions; Shoemaking, Ship Building and other Early Industries; The "cost" of Bridgewater; Contents of Cornerstone of Pilgrim Hall; 1769 Celebration of the Landing of the Pilgrims, including the menu served; Pilgrim Society formed in 1820, celebrating 200th Anniversary of Mayflower Arrival; King Philip's War; Billington Sea, Sacrifice Rocks, Burying Hill; the Fortuitous Escape of an Infant; Two Youngsters Who Scared the British; a Female Revolutionary Solder; Doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church; Major General Benjamin Lincoln bio; Plight of a Poor Pastor; Tombstone Inscriptions; John Alden and Priscilla Mullins; a Controversy over Authority; Sympathy with Shays Rebellion; the McKay Sewing Machine...or How North Bridgeport Shod the Union Army; the Ousting of John Lyman and John Oldham from Plymouth, early Pilgrim Problems, and other bits of history and trivia.

 The booklet has no index, but surnames mentioned in the 1839 section include:  ANNABLE, ANDREWS, AUSTIN, ALDEN, ALLYN, ALLEN, ANGIER, ARNALL, ARNOLD, BUCK, BRETT, BASSET, BOSWORTH, BOZWORTH, BRIGGS, BURGES, BASS, BACKUS, BOURNE, BALDWIN, BARTLETT, BARSTOW, BROOKS, BAKER, BATES, BESBEDGE, BETSCOME, BUCKLAND, BROWN, BEAL, BACON, BARNES, BARKER, BRADFORD, BREWSTER, BULKLEY, BARLOW, BILLINGTON, BRYANT, BARKER, BLACKMORE, BUMPUS, CLARK, CLARKE, COOK, CHUBBUCK, CUTLER, CAMPBELL, COOPER, CURTIS, CONANT, COTTON, CHADDOCK, CARY, COLMAN, CHAPIN, CARVER, CADE, COLLIER, CHURCH, COCKERUM, COCKERILL, COBBIT, CHAFFE, CARLSLYE, CHAMBERLIN, CUSHMAN, CUSHING, CARPENTER, COBB, CASELEY, CUDWORTH, COBURN, CHAMBERS, CLAPP, CHAUNCEY, DODGE, DREW, DUNCAN, DIMOCK, DREUCE, DEXTER, DANFORTH, DAVIS, DORBY, DIMMACK, DOTEY, DAWES, DAVENPORT, EDSON, EVERETT, EAMES, EATON, EVERSON, EDDENDEN, EELLES, EWELL, FISH, FARROW, FOP, FEARING, FOULSHAM, FULLER, FLORIO, FOSTER, FLINT, FITZRANDLE, FOBES, FORD, GURNEY, GILSON, GROSVENOR, GANNETT, GREEN, GRAY, GAY, GIBBS, GOULD, GILL, GILMAN, GATES, GARDNER, HUNT, HOWLAND, HOLMES, HARRIS, HOUSE, HASKELL, HAYWARD, HAWARD, HILL, HALL, HULL, HETT, HARDEN, HINES, HEWES, HOOPER, HITCHCOCK, HOBART, HAWLEY, HERSEY, HATCH, HODSKIN, HATHERLY, HAMMOND, HAWKE, HILLIARD, HUBBORD, HOVEY, HUNTINGTON, HICKLEY, HOLBROOK, IBROOK, JENNY, JACOB, JOHNSON, JONES, JAMES, JOSHLIN, JENKINS, KNIGHTS, KENDRICK, KEITH, KING, LOTHROP, LEWIS, LEONARD, LEONARDSON, LITTLE, LAWRENCE, LAZELL, LATHAM, LINCOLN, LeBARON, LORING, LARGE, LANE, LOBDELL, LOMBARD, LINNET, LAWSON, LUDKIN, LOBDIN, LANGER, LEAVITT, LOVELL, MITCHELL, MELLEN, MORSE, MARSH, MARTIN, MOTT, MINARD, MORRICK, MOORE, MITCHELL, MACCARTY, MEECH, MAYHEW, MIGHILL, MORTON, MATHER, MULLINS, NILES, NORTON, NOWLTON, NICHOLS, NELSON, NORTHEY, OTIS, OSBORN, PARTRIDGE, PATTEN, PHIPPENY, PALMER, PECK, PAYNTER, PITTS, POPE, PAYNE, PARKER, PRINCE, PORTER, PERKINS, PIERCE, REED, PRATT, RUST, RAND, ROBINSON, RICHMOND, RICHARDSON, RUSSELL, RIPLEY, RUGGLES, ROBBINS, ROWLEY, SILLIS, SHAW, SANGER, STANDISH, SEABURY, STURTEVANT, SMITH, SNELL, SHUTE, SMART, STRONG, SPRAGUE, SHAVE, SUTTON, STODDARD, STEPHENS, SCAMMELL, SWEDENBORG, STETSON, STEDMAN, SAMPSON, STACY, STUDSON, SEVER, SOUTHWORTH, STANDLAKE, SYLVESTER, STOCKBRIDGE, SUTLIFFE, souther, TURNER, THOMPSON, THOMSON, THOMPKINS, THOMAS, TUTTIL, TUCKER, TOWER, THAXTER, THATCHER, THACHER, TWISDEN, TILDEN, UNDERWOOD, VEAZIE, WINSLOW, WHITE, WITHINGTON, WISWALL, WHITMAN, WADE, WASHBURN, WATERMAN, WING, WARE, WHITNEY, WALTON, WILLIAMS, WAKELY, WESTON, WARD, WOODWORTH, WOODWARD, WINCHESTER, WALKER, WEST, WEEKS, WILDER, WHITON, WHITEFIELD, WILLIS, WALES, WADSWORTH, WETHERELL, WATSON, WARREN, and WEBSTER.

Among the famous and not-so-famous names in the 1940 section are:  Benjamin Fearing, Francis Davis Millet, Jonathan Holmes, John Carver, Deborah Sampson, David Potter, Benjamin Gannett, Isaac Howland, Charlotte Mitchell (the last of her Indian tribe), Judge Baylies, Eleazer Carver, Col. Edson, Col. Benjamin Church, Deason Joseph Alden, Samuel Stetson, Gov. Winslow, Ichabod Thoman, Squire Keen, Dolor Davis, Robert Barker, Whittier, Squire William Sever, Dr. Bela Lincoln, Samuel Lincoln, John Jacob, Major Samuel Thaxter, Caleb Bates, Roger Conant, Samuel Veazie, James Otis, Thomas W. Lawson, Samuel Woodworth, Supreme Court Judge William Cushing, Maria Louise Pool (author), Frances A. Humphrey (author), William Warren Hatch (author), Jane Austin (author), Daniel Webster, Lydia Marie Child (author), Rev. Ichabod Wiswall, Adelaide Phillips, Standish family, Col. Aaron Hobart, Jesse Reed, Samuel W. Dyer, Capt. Moses N. Arnold, William Lloyd Garrison (abolitionist), Wendell Phillips, Augustus Whitman, Paul Revere, Elijah Cushing, Alexander Conte Hanson, Samuel Rogers, Melville Otis, Eleazer Nash, Constant Southworth, Thomas Edison, Daniel Waldo, Thomas Morton, Dr. Charles Jackson (co-discovered of Etherization), Gov. Edward Wilslow, Richard Sparrow, William Harlow, Kendall Holmes, and William Crowe.

ILLUSTRATIONS include Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Kingston, Daniel Webser's House, Four Corners in Middleborough, North Bridgewater, New Jersusalem Church Doctrines, Harbor at Plymouth (full page), Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth, Wareham, Ancient House at Scituate, and Mattapoiset. Most are about 1/3 page in size. A few light-hearted illustrations from Bill Nye's have also been included. Inserted in the booklet is a copy of the Map of Massachusetts which accompanied the Barber book.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?