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The History of Woburn,
With Genealogical Register of its Early Settlers.
Middlesex County, Mass.
FROM THE GRANT OF ITS TERRITORY TO CHARLESTOWN,
IN 1640, TO THE YEAR 1860.
By Samuel Sewall (Boston, Mass., 1868)
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Order item B588
FORMAT: ELECTRONIC ONLY (CD ROM)
The text of this book, 663 pages, has been converted to PDF files and burned on a CD-ROM disk, viewable using the software program Acrobat Reader which is included on the disk. There is no index, however, the text is completely searchable using the Acrobat Reader's "FIND" function. The disk is available for $14.95 + $3.99 shipping & packing charge (Add $1.00 S&P for each additional volume ordered).
The Woburn Records, which are quoted or referred to in this history, were taken from:
1. Nineteen volumes in folio, bound and in excellent order; exhibiting the votes and proceedings of the town at all general meetings from the beginning. Volume 11, of this collection, records the doings of the Selectmen at their meetings held monthly for several years from 1672, agreeably to vote of the town April 13, 1644.
2. Proprietors' book of Records from 1739 to 17 65, a thin folio, unbound, much shattered, and in some parts defective.
3. A volume of Treasurer's Records, from 1739 to 1772; a folio, bound in parchment, but a cover now broken off.
4. First Parish Records, in folio, 3 volumes, complete from 1730, when Second Parish incorporated.
5. Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Woburn, from 1641 to 1841; originally contained in two volumes folio, but now copied with numerous additions from authentic sources, and collected into one large bound folio volume.
CONTENTS
Chapter I - Woburn, originally Charlestown Village - Elevated to a Township - Church gathered - Pastor ordained - Town incorporated, 1642 - Town Officers first chosen, 1644 - Streets laid out - Common Fields authorized - Johnson's Account of Woburn, 1652 - Successive Division of Town Lands
Chapter II - Civil Customs & Institutions - Moral and Religious Habits of the first Settlers - Town Officers - Town Meetings - Measures of the Town to prevent Pauperism - Taxes largely paid in Products of the Soil - Zeal for the Institutions of Religion, and teaching the Catechism - Death and brief Notices of the Seven Commissioners for building up Woburn
Chapter III - Death of Capt. Edward Johnson - Site of first Meetinghouse - Building of Second Meeting-house, 1672 - Description of it - Settlement of Rev. Jabez Fox as Colleague with Rev. Thomas Carter, 1679 - A Sunday's Services as observed in 1680 - An Imaginary Sketch
Chapter IV - King Philip's War - Oppressive Taxes - Patriotism of the Town - The Fight at Narraganset - Woburn Soldiers killed in the Battle - Incursions of Indians into the Town - Ravages of the Small-pox, 1678 - Death of Rev. Thomas Carter, 1684 - Biographical Notice - Arbitrary Proceedings of Sir Edward Andros - Contest over the "Mistick Bridge" Question - Difficulties relating to Rev. Mr. Fox's Salary - Death of Rev. Jabez Fox - Memoir of his Life
Chapter V - Call & Settlement of Rev. John Vox, 1703 - Declaration of the Church concerning Religious Doctrine and Ordinances, 1703 - Baptists in Woburn, 1671 - Ecclesiastical Proceedings against them - John Russell, Sen., sentenced to Prison by the Court of Quarter Sessions - Defense of the Persecutions of the Baptists - Biographical Notices of the Subscribers to the Declaration of the Church, namely William Johnson, Deacon Samuel Walker, Joseph Wright, Sen., William Locke, Sen., James Converse, Jr.
Chapter VI - Re-seating of the Meeting-house, 1710 - Discontent arising therefrom - Location of the Two Thousand Acres of Land granted by the General Court in 1664 - Scarcity of Money, 1721 - Province Loan of 50,000 - Woburn takes its Proportion - A Second Loan, 1728 - Bad Investment of the Share allotted to Woburn - Various Efforts to collect and reinvest - Supposed Loss of most of the Fund - Lovewell's Flight, 1725 - Interesting Account of the Woburn Men who took Part in it
Chapter VII - Growth and Condition of the Schools from 1690 to 1775 - Wages - Teachers - Master Fowle - School-houses - Moving System - Schools of Inferior Grade to Grammar Schools - Grading System introduced - Contention about Schoolmasters, 1725
Chapter VIII - Valuation of Woburn, 1708 - Petition of Goshen and Shawshin to be made separate Precincts or Towns - Petitions evaded or denied - Separation of Goshen (Wilmington) from Woburn, 1730 - Erection of Shawshin into an Independent Precinct, 1730 - Ordination of Rev. Edward Jackson as Colleague with Rev. John Fox, 1729 - Dinner provided on that Occasion
Chapter IX - Dissensions between Rev. Messrs. Fox and Jackson - Divisions among the People - Suit of Rev. Mr. Fox against the Parish for Salary - Success of the Suit - Complaint by Rev. Mr. Jackson to the Court of Sessions respecting the Non-payment of his Salary - Compromise effected and Harmony restored, 1740 - Vote to sell the Two Thousand Acres of Town Land located in Lunenburg, 1733 - Sale effected, 1734 - Details of the Management of the Trust Fund arising from the Sale, 1734 to 1772
Chapter X - Proceedings for the Establishment of a Third Parish - Third Society organized, 1746 - Installation of Rev. Josiah Cotton, 1747 - Vote of First Parish to build a new Meeting-house, 1745 - Vote renewed, 1747 - Discussion as to its Site - Question settled, and House built, 1748-51 - Choice of Pews - Description of the House - Transfer of Second Meeting-house to the Town, 1754 - Taken down and Town House built of the materials - Scandalous Charges against Rev. Mr. Jackson - Rev. Josiah Cotton the Libeller - Suit at Law by Rev. Mr. Jackson against Rev. Mr. Cotton for slander - Mr. Cotton sustained - Review of the Case - Rev. Mr. Jackson vindicated - His Death, 1754 - Memoir of his Life
Chapter XI - Efforts to find a Successor to Rev. Edward Jackson - Call of Mr. Josiah Sherman - His Ordination, 1756 - Reunion of the Third Parish with the First, 1759 - Rev. Josiah Cotton dismissed and Third Parish dissolved - Memoir of Col. Roland Cotton - Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton - Attempts to enlarge the First Parish Meeting-house, 1769 - Vote of Parish to enlarge, 1772 - Beginning of "Old French War," 1755 - Record of Woburn in the War - Incidents of the Contest as narrated by Samuel Thompson and Capt. John Wood - Financial Troubles of Rev. Mr. Sherman - Efforts of the Parish to relieve them - His Dismissal from the Pastorship - Sketch of his Life
Chapter XII - Events leading to the Revolutionary War - Raising of Minute-men - Battle of Lexington - Incidents of the Fight - Services and Sacrifices of Woburn during the War - Excessive Taxation - Depreciation of Currency - Great Increase of Prices - Convention at Concord to remedy the Evil - Bill of Rights and New State Constitution - Federal Constitution - Biographical Notice of Col. Loammi Baldwin - Historical Sketch of Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford)
Chapter XIII - Feeling towards the Tories or Refugees - Instructions of the Town to its Representative in the General Court on the Subject - Financial Troubles of the Town - Shay's Rebellion - Proceedings of the Town in relation thereto - Construction of Middlesex Canal - Schools from 1775 to 1866 - New Departure in 1792 - A Committee examines the School System - Its Report - Division of the Town into Districts - New School-houses built, 1794-5 - Warren Academy founded 1827 - Academy Building burned and rebuilt, 1838 - Memorial of Isaac Warren, Esq. - Petition of Second Parish to be set off as a separate Town, 1797 - Opposition to the Measure - Incorporation of Burlington, 1799 - Public Services in Commemoration of the Death of Washington
Chapter XIV - Continuation of Ecclesiastical History (Chapter XL) from 1775 - Parish without a Pastor - Several Candidates heard - Rev. Samuel Sargent called and ordained, 1785 - Divisions and Enmities in the Parish - Mutual Council called, 1798 - Address of Joint Committee of Church and Parish to the Council - Advice of Council - Dismission of Rev. Mr. Sargent recommended - Advice disregarded - Mr. Sargent resigns, 1799 - Call to Candidates, 1801-1802 - Mr. Joseph Chickering chosen Pastor, 1803 - Ordained, 1804 - Third Meeting-house burned, 1808 - New House built and dedicated, 1809 - Sale of Pews - Rev. Mr. Chickering asks a Dismission - Call of Council, 1821 - Dismission advised - Rev. Mr. Chickering leaves - Biographical Notice - Call to Rev. Joseph Bennett - His Ordination, 1822 - Success of his Ministry - Organization of a Church in South Woburn - Erection and Dedication of a House of Worship, 1840 - Fifth Meeting-house of First Parish; Dedication, 1840 - Death of Rev. Joseph Bennett, 1847
Chapter XV - Call of Mr. Jonathan Edwards - Ordained, 1848 - Dismissed, 1856 - Rev. Daniel March installed, 1856 - Resigns, March, 1862 - Installation of Rev. J. C. Bodwell, 1862 - Resigns, 1866 - Sketch of his Life - Congregational Parish, North Woburn - Society formed, 1849 - Successive Pastors - Baptist Church and Society - Independent Baptists - Universalist Society - Unitarian Society - Methodist Episcopal Society - Roman Catholics - Protestant Episcopal Church Chapter XVI - Progress of the Town since 1800 - Population - Business - Wealth - Poor-Farm - Cemetery - Schools - Town Library - Other Libraries - Sabbath Schools - Banks - Gas-Light Company - Masonic Institutions - Fire Department - Charitable Reading Society - Conclusion.
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