VITAL RECORDS of DUNSTABLE
[MIDDLESEX CO., MA]
INDEX AND ABBREVIATIONS & EXPLANATIONS

Excerpted from VITAL RECORDS of DUNSTABLE, Massachusetts To 1849
The Essex Institute, Salem Mass., 1913

[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger & Coralynn Brown]






Abbreviations & Explanations at bottom of this page



EXPLANATIONS



The following records of births, marriages and deaths include all entries to be found in the books of record kept by the town clerks; in the church records; in the returns made to the Middlesex C. Quarterly Court; in the cemetery inscriptions; and in private records found in family Bibles etc. These records are printed in a condensed form in which every essential particular has been preserved. All duplication of the town clerk's record has been eliminated, but differences in entry and other explanatory matter appear in brackets. Parentheses are used when they occur in the original record;also to indicate the maiden name of a wife. When places other than Dunstable and Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given in the printed copy. Marriages and intentions of marriage are printed under the names of both parties. Double-dating is used in the months of January,February and March, prior to 1752, whenever it appears in the original, and also, whenever from the sequence of entry in the original the date may be easily determined. In all records the original spelling of names is followed and in the alphabetical arrangement the various forms should be examined, as items about the same family may be found under different spellings, The early records of the Congregational Church, organized in 1685, now the First Congregational Church of Nashua, N. H., cannot be found.

DUNSTABLE

On October 16, 1673, the town of Dunstable was incorporated upon petition of twenty-six proprietors of lands along the merrimack, Nashua and Souhegan rivers. It derived its name from Dunstable, in Bedfordshire, England, the former home of some of the eariest settlers of this locality. Jan. 4, 1733, part established as Nottingham(N.H.). July 4, 1735, part included in the new town of Litchfield(N.H.). By the divisional line established in 1741, between assachusetts and New Hampshire, a large part of the original township,together with what is now Nashua, N.H., was included in the latter state. June 8, 1747, parts of Groton and Nottingham annexed. Jan. 6, 1752, part annexed to Groton. June 7, 1753, part of Groton annexed. June 14, 1754, part of Nottingham annexed. Apr. 24, 1755, part of Chelmsford annexed. June 22, 1789, part established as the District of Tyngaborough, and Mar. 3, 1792, part annexed to the District. In 1793, 1796 and 11803, parts of Groton annexed. Jan. 29, 1798, and June 10, 1814, bounds between Dunstable and Tyngsborough were established. Feb. 15, 1820, bounds between Dunstable and Groton were established. The population of Dunstable at different periods was as follows:--

1765, 559 1820, 584
1776, 679 1830, 593
1790, 380 1840, 603
1800, 485 1850, 590
1810, 475 1900, 427

1910, 408.


ABBREVIATIONS

  • a-------age.
  • abt-----about.
  • B-------born.
  • bef-----before.
  • bet-----between.
  • bp.-----baptized.
  • bur.----buried.
  • C.R.----Congregational Church records.
  • ch.-----child.
  • chn.----children.
  • Co.-----county.
  • Ct.R.---court record, Middlesex Co. Quarterly Court.
  • d.------daughter.
  • Dea,----deacon.
  • dup.----duplicate entry.
  • G.R.1---gravestone record, Meeting House Hill Cemetery.
  • G.R.2---gravestone record, Central Cemetery.
  • G.R.3---gravestone record, Swallow private burying ground.
  • G.R.4---gravestone record, Blood private burying ground.
  • G.R.5---gravestone record, Little Cemetry, South Nashua, N.H.
  • G.R.6---gravestone record, Drake(Tyng) Cemetery, South Nashua N.H.
  • G.R.7---gravestone record, Thompson Cemetry, Tyngsborough.
  • G.R.8---gravestone record, Sherburne Cemetry, East Tyngsborough.
  • G.R.9---gravestone record,Fletcher private burying ground, Tyngsborough.
  • G.R.10--gravestone record, Gould private burying ground, Tyngsborough.
  • h-------husband; hour.
  • inf-----infant
  • int-----intention of marriage.
  • jr------junior.
  • m-------male;married;mouth.
  • N.R.----1st. book of Dunstable Town Records at City Hall, Nashua, N.H.
  • P.R.1---Bible record now in possession of William French
  • P.R.2---Bible record now in possession of William P. Proctor
  • P.R.3---Bible record now in the possession of Jonas Kendall
  • P.R.4---Bible record now in the possession of Jonas Kendall
  • P.R.5---Bible record now in the possession of Jonas Kendall
  • P.R.6---Bible record now in the possession of Miss Alice L. Butterfield
  • P.R.7---Bible record now in the possession of Mrs. Frank Chapman
  • P.R.8---Framed record now in possession of Elfred Swallow
  • P.R.9---Record now in possession of Andrew J. Gilson
  • P.R.10--Bible record now in the possession of Mrs. Nancy Ingalls
  • P.R.11--Bible record now in the possession of Almond Kendall
  • P.R.12--Bible record now in the possession of Mrs. Libni Herman Parker
  • P.R.13--Bible record now in the possession of Libni Herman Parker
  • P.R.14--Record now in the possession of Mrs. Angie S. Parkhurst
  • P.R.15--Bible record now in the possession of Miss Marietta Parker
  • P.R.16--Bible record now in the possession of Mrs. Mary Blodgett
  • P.R.17--Note book now in the possession of Miss L. Ardena Butterfield
  • P.R.18--Bible record now in the possession of Mrs. Addie Cummings
  • P.R.19--Bible record now in possession of Jonathan F. Bancroft of Tyngsborough
  • rec-----recorded
  • ret.----return
  • s.------son
  • sr.-----senior
  • T.C.----town copy
  • unm.----unmarried
  • w.------wife,week
  • wid.----widow
  • widr.---widower
  • y.------year

Blind Counter


MA INDEX