VITAL RECORDS of PETERSHAM MASSACHUSETTS
To the end of the year 1849
WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
PUBLISHED BY FRANKLIN P. RICE
1904


[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]

Explanations & Abbreviations are at the bottom of this page. Births - AGER to FURNESS Births - GAGE to MOSELY Births - NEGUS to YOUNG Marriages - ACKERMAN to CUTTING Marriages - DAGGET to JOSLIN Marriages - KEITH to RUSSELL Marriages - SABINS to YOUNG & UNIDENTIFIED Deaths - AINSWORTH to WOODWARD PUBLISHER'S NOTE The list of Petersham Births, Marriages and Deaths comprised in this volume includes all found in the Town Books covering the period from the earliest date there recorded to the end of the year 1849. Some additions and corrections have been made from other sources, these being indicated in each instance by proper reference. All of the records are condensed in print as much as is consistent with intelligibility, accuracy, and completeness of information. Differences in duplicates, and explanatory or other matter which seemed necessary or desirable, appear in brackets. Marriages and intention of marriage are printed under the names of both parties, but the full information concerning eachperson is given only under his or her name. An asterisk after a marriage indicates that the intention was not found recorded, and in many cases this is accounted for by the fact that neither party belonged in Petersham, and consequently publishment was made elsewhere. The double date is used in the months of January, Febuary and March prior to 1752 only when it so appears in the original, and instances of the modern form after 1725 are not uncommon. When places other than Petersham and Massachusetts are named in the original records, they are given in the printed copy. ABBREVIATIONS a.-----age abt.---about b.-----born ch.----child chn.---children co.----county C.R.---church record d.-----daughter; day; died Dea.---deacon D.R.---death record dup.---duplicate entry f.-----female G.R.---gravestone record h.-----husband inf.---infant int.---publishment of intention of marriage Jr.----junior m.-----male; married; month P.R.---private record rec.---recorded s.-----son Sr.----senior w.-----wife wid.---widow y.-----year 2nd----second PETERSHAM This township was an original grant made by the General Court in 1732, as a compensation to certain soldiers in the Indian Wars. The place was called Nichewaug until the town was incorporated in 1754. In 1801 the town of Dana was formed of parts of Greenwich, Hardwick and Petersham, and in 1842 another portion of Petersham was annexed to Dana. Population at different periods: 1765, 707; 1790, 1560; 1800, 1794; 1810, 1490, 1820, 1623; 1830, 1696; 1840, 1775; 1850, 1543. Population in 1900, 853.