Index
Vital Records Of Amherst,
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
To The Year 1850
(Some Records to the Early 20th Century)
Published by The New England Historic and Genealogical Society in the Corbin Collection,
and by The Search & Research Publishing Corporation

[Transcribed by Carlton O. Hommel]



Explanations & Abbreviations are at the bottom of this page.





EXPLANATIONS

The following records of births, marriages, and deaths include all entries to be found in the church records and in the cemetery records. The records of intentions are those that did not result in a marriage.

These records are printed in a condensed form in which every essential particular has been preserved. All duplication of records has been eliminated, but differences in entry and other explanatory matter appear in brackets.

The numbers at the left of every entry refer to the page number(s) cited in the reference at the end of the entry.

Parentheses are used when they occur in the original record; also to indicate the maiden name of a wife.

When places other than Amherst in Massachusetts are named, they are not shown as in MA except to avoid confusion. Towns outside of Massachusetts have their states indicated.

Marriages 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. When the date of a marriage is noted as "soon after". or "immediately after", the date given is that of the Intention, as the marriage date was not known.

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.

AMHERST HISTORY

The earliest known document of the lands now comprising Amherst is the deed of purchase dated December 1658 between John Pynchon of Springfield and three native inhabitants, referred to as Umpanchla, Quonquont and Chickwalopp.

When the first permanent English settlements arrived in 1727, this land and the surrounding area (including present-day South Hadley and Granby) belonged to the town of Hadley. Wikipedia
  • In 1734, the third Precinct of Hadley was established.
  • In 1759, the third Precinct of Hadley was established as the District of Amherst.
  • In 1775, this was made a Town.
  • In 1789, 1811, 1812 and 1814, parts of Hadley were annexed to Amherst.
  • In 1815, the bounds between Amherst and Hadley were established, and parts of each town annexed by the other.

ABBREVIATIONS
  • a.----age.
  • abt.----about.
  • Æ.----Age at Death.
  • aka. ----also known as.
  • Amh. ---- Town of Amherst, MA.
  • Amh. Bapt. Ch.----First Baptist Church of Amherst.
  • Amh. Coll. Ch.---- Amherst College Congregational Church.
  • b.----born.
  • bef.----before.
  • bet.----between.
  • dba.----did business as.
  • bpt.----baptized.
  • bur.----buried.
  • ca. ----circa, about.
  • Capt. ---Captain.
  • certif.----certificate.
  • ch.----child.
  • chn.----children.
  • Co.----county.
  • d.----daughter; day; died.
  • Dea.----Deacon.
  • dec.----deceased.
  • dev.----developed.
  • div. ----divorced.
  • dup. or Dup.----duplicate entry.
  • Dy'd.--- Died.
  • Ens.----Ensign.
  • est.----estate.
  • F & I W.---French & Indian War
  • fff. ----- following.
  • h.----husband; hour.
  • Inf.----infant or Infantry
  • int.----intention of marriage.
  • jr.----junior
  • m.----male; married; month.
  • NA.----North Amherst Cemetery.
  • N Ch.----North Congregational Church of Amherst
  • Prof.---- Professor or professional.
  • rec.----recorded.
  • Reg't.----regiment
  • rem.----removed.
  • s.----son.
  • SA.----South Amherst Cemetery
  • S Ch.----South Congregational Church of Amherst
  • sic.----An insertion used to call attention of something anomalous or erroneous.
  • sr.----senior.
  • unm.----unmarried (usually never married).
  • undev.----undeveloped
  • w.----wife; week.
  • WC.---- West Amherst Cemetery
  • wid.----widow.
  • widr.----widower.
  • y.----year.
  • Vol.----Voluntary
  • 1st Ch.---- First Congregational Church of Amherst
  • 2nd Ch.----Second Congregational Church of Amherst
  • State abbreviations per US Postal Service

REFERENCES

New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA, "The Corbin Collection, Vol. 1, Records of Hampshire Co., MA".
  • GenRec----Genealogical Records to 1929.
  • GR1----South Cemetery Inscriptions, 1820 - 1934.
  • GR2----North Cemetery Inscriptions, 1823- 1935.
  • GR3----Center (West) Cemetery Inscriptions, 1743- 1929.
  • VR1----Vital Records Book A, 1745-1855.
  • VR2----Vital Records Book B, 1741- 1885.
  • VR3----Vital Records, 1745 - 1935.
  • VR4----Records of Marriages, Intentions and Deaths, 1739 - 1847.

Search and Research Publishing Corp., Wheat Ridge, CO., "Early Vital Records of Western Massachusetts".
  • CH----Amherst Church Records of Baptisms .
    • Pages 1 through 48.----First Church of Amherst 1739-1844.
    • Pages 48 through 69.----Second Church of Amherst 1784-1844.
    • Pages 69 through 72.----South Church of Amherst 1830- 1843.
  • JAS---J. A. Smith's "Families of Amherst, Hampshire County".




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