INDEX
Vital Records Of Middleton, Essex Co., Ma
To The Year 1849
Published By The Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, Mass. 1904
[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]
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INDEX
Vital Records Of Middleton, Essex Co., Ma
To The Year 1849
Published By The Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, Mass. 1904
[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]
EXPLANATIONS.
The following records of births, marriages and deaths include all entries to be found in the books of record kept by the town Clrks; the church records now in the custody of the town Clrk; cemetery inscriptions; Bible records and other private records particularly those now in the possession of Mrs. Martha J. Averill of Middleton. These records are printed in a condensed form in which every essential particular has been retained. All duplication of the town Clrk's record has been eliminated, but differences in entry and other explanatory matter appear in brackets. Parentheses are used only when they occur in the original record, usually enclosing the maiden name of a wife.
When places other than Middleton 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 exAmmed, as items about the same family may be found under different spellings.
GEORGE FRANCIS Dow, Compiler.
The town, incorporated June 20, 1728, was made up of territory previously within the limits of Andover, Boxford, Salem, and Topsfield. It has long been supposed that its central location between these towns suggested the name that was adopted at the time of its incorporation.
The population of Middleton at different periods was as follows:
ABBREVIATIONS
MIDDLETON MATTERS
We have received a request from the "Committee on the Restoration of their Records, "in Middleton, that an article lately published in the Evening Journal of together with the accompaning communication, for the better enlightening of the public, in regard to the circumstances stated, should appear in our columns.
Had there never been any extended publication on the subject, we should not, we presume, be asked, and certainly should not be disposed, to give publicity to these disagreeable matters, beyond their sphere of traditionary rehearsal. But the publication of the article below, and the distribution of "a large number of extra copies" of the paper containing the same, seems to give the Committee some Claim upon us to comply with their request. [ From the Evening Journal.]
THE LOST RECORDS.
A little more than one hundred and twenty five years ago, in a small town not twenty miles from Salem, was gathered a little Congregational Church. They made their Records in a large book, made of very thick paper, and bound with strong cords, with a cover of the most substantial materials. Here with much care they recorded the names of their Ministers, dates of their settlement,----in short, the names of all its officers and members, together with their births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, for a period of more than a century.
The Society, or Parish, meanwhile becoming less and less Evangelical, at this time, refused to unite with the Church in settling a Minister, for no other reason than that he was too Orthodox; whereupon they (the parish) took the Meeting House, by a small majority, in order to procure preaching to suit them.
The Church, thus turned out of doors with their Ministers, Church Officers, and every member save two or three, resorted to a school house to worship; leaving behind their old church service and about half their funds, rather than obtain them at the expense and trouble of a lawsuit, as they were in the hands of those who would not give them up without.
Here they worshipped the God of their fathers, with none to molest or make them afraid. The sympathies of good men were enlisted in their behalf by the story of their wrongs, and the means to build a new Meeting House (coming mostly from abroad) was soon furnished, While the separation from the old Society was in progress, the Clerk of the Church put this old book into the hands of a lawyer in Salem, examination and advice, after which it mysteriously disappeared.
The Clerk called in vain, no one could tell what had become of it, and, after many fruitless inquiries, it was, with many regrets for the loss of their Covenant, By-laws and History, given up.
They bought a new book, and from poverty, or hoping soon to find the old one, purchased a very cheap one, costing probably less than a dollar. In this, for about twenty years, they made their records, which nearly filled it. At this period a young Minister was settled, and the old book made its appearance with a countenance radiant with intelligence and hope, not a word or a mark had disfigured Its fair face.
It was received with joy, and from it the pastor gathered one or two very interesting historical Sermons, which were listened to with great solemnity, as being, as it were, a voice from the dead. In a book containing so much interest, the pastor had a great desire to place his Records the side of his illustrious predecessors.
Therefore into this book he transscribed about sixteen pages, which be had already written in the other book, taking care to leave space for the remainder to be transcribed when the Church should so order; feeling perfectly justified in so doing, as far as his own Records Went; after which, it is supposed, he said to himself, Now these old leaves can be of use to the Church, and may be to me, with them, and by the aid of minutes taken with pencil at after meetings, I could make out the whole of my ministry, retaining about forty pages, therefore I will take them out, and no one can say that I wished to conceal them, as they contain nothing against me; besides, there is living proof now to be had that what I have left is nothing but truth, and no trouble can possibly arise from this act of mine.
But, alas, in his distant home, surrounded by a happy and beloved people, where he has just commenced his labors, with a prospect of an immediate revival, he is surprised to find, by a letter, that he is tracked as a culprit But he says to himself; I have done my best, and left them a fair and clean Record; if they (there is only a few such) are not satisfied with what I have left, they will not be with anything I can do, therefore I will not trouble myself about the matter, the whole truth will soon be known.
The old book was found in the house of one of those who would not go with the Church when they left the old Society, after his decease. He probably obtained it at the office of the Attorney in Salem, from one of his Clerks, supposing the rightful owner called for it. It appears now that things have by some means been reversed, and that the ------(?) on the part of a few, a great desire to loose -----(?) there is now no other Church, nor ever has been, who would own it, and we must, however hard it may talk about seine of us of late.
ONE OF THEM.
THE LOST RECORDS.
Messrs. Editors--- An article in the Evening Journal of the 7th of March, might lead the readers of it into error; some facts material to a perfect knowledge of the case being ommitted. We are informed by the writer "that they made their Records in a large book." The book is eight inches in length, six inches in breadth, and about one inch in thickness, made of thick, course, rough paper, not ruled, and contains about sixty pages of blank paper.
This book was for a long time m the possession of Deacon P., one of "the church thus turned out of doors," and we can find no person that has any knowledge of its having been lost, but the writer of the article in the Journal. It was borrowed by Deacon B., who promised positively to return it, and, that he may comply with his promise, claims the right of keeping the "old book" in his possession.
No one ever considered this "old book" to be the property of the Church, over which "a young minister was settled," and that affords a most satisfactory reason why the Records of that Church were not made in that "old book."
With a knowledge of these facts by "the young minister," this "old hook," was lent to him by Deacon B. The " new book," described as "a very cheap one," is in length and breadth one rtird larger than the old one, about equal in thickness, containing now ----(?) four pages of blank paper, which is ruled; is good paper to write on, and bound in modern style.
The writer says, "it is nearly filled up;" yet it contains twenty-four pages of blank paper more than the "old book," each page being one third larger.
The "young minister after having made his Record in "the new bOok," transcribed the Record to the "old book," which he had borrowed, and cut out and carried away, all thee Church Record for the time he was Clerk, amounting to eighteen pages.
The Church are of opinion that the transcript left by "the young Minister," is no Record; and in this opinion they have the concurrence of eminent Clergymen and lawyers. Suppose a Town Clerk of Danvers, after having been in office four years, and about to remove from the town, should borrow some "old book," the property of Salem, before Danvers was set oft and into that "old book" transcribe all the Records he had made, and cut out every leaf of the Record he had made in the Danvers books, and take them away; would such a transcript be the Record of Danvers? We think not; yet this is a parallel case.
The Church, by an unanimous vote, directed their Clerk to write to this "young minister," and ask for a return of their Record. This he did several weeks since, but our "young minister" has not deigned to make any reply to the Clerk, or to return the Record. And is it a crime for the Church to ask the restoration of their property,--- Records which properly belong to them ? Yet this is all the ground the writer of that article, has for the assertion, "that he (the young minister) is tracked as a culprit."
As a justification of the act of copying, the writer says, "the pastor had a great desire to place his Records by the side of his illustrious predecessors." In "the one or two very interesting historical sermons," which the pastor gathered from the "old book," the character he gave to some of his predecessors was any thing but illustrious. They were censured in no measured terms, and his hearers might reasonably come to the conclusion that he would have considered it rather a disgrace than m honor, to be placed in such company. The writer makes his "young minister" say, "No one can say that I wished to conceal them, (the Records,) as they Contain "nothing against me."
We think no one present at the Ecclesiastical Council, of January, 1854, or who had read its decision (always excepting the writer and young minister,) would be likely to concur in that opinion.
JUSTICE.