Amesbury, Massachusetts, Town Records and Papers, 1710, 1760, 1801-1868, 1910
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Not requestable
Scope and Content Note
The Amesbury, Massachusetts, collection of town records and papers consists of tax records, record books, receipts, deeds, a militia enrollment log, and a property plan. It has been organized into two series.
Series I. Town Records contains records of East Parish freeholders' meetings, tax records, records from Stephen Nichols, a tax collector, and records from two surveyors of highways, Sargent Moody and David Currier. It also includes a militia enrollment log created by Albert Merrill during the United States Civil War and a document certifying ballots counted during an election.
Series II. Personal Papers contains receipts of John Blasdell, Jr., Jacob Rowell, William Carleton, David Currier, and John I. Baker as well as deeds and record books. It also includes a hand drawn plan of some houses and barns and a petition regarding cutting passages through the dams on the Powow River.
Dates
- Creation: 1710, 1760, 1801-1868, 1910
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Historical Sketch
The town of Amesbury, Massachusetts, was originally settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1668. Beginning as a modest farming community, it developed a maritime and industrial economy. Shipbuilding, shipping and fishing were important. The ninety-foot drop in the Powow River provided the power for early industries.
In the 19th century, textile mills were built at the falls, as was a mechanized nail-making factory, believed to be the nation's first. The Merrimac Hat Company produced more hats than any of its competitors. Beginning in 1853, Amesbury became famous for building carriages, a trade which evolved into the manufacture of automobile bodies and was active until the Great Depression.
Extent
1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Amesbury, Massachusetts, collection of town records and papers consists of tax records, record books, receipts, deeds, a militia enrollment log, and a property plan.
Series List
SERIES I. Town Records
SERIES II. Personal Papers
Physical Location
Phillips Library Stacks
Provenance
The two East Parish record books were a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Everett D. Jewett in August, 1973. The 1710 deed was purchased in 2003 (acc #2003.034). The provenance of the rest of the material is unknown.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Tamara Gaydos, April 2018.
Subject
- Bayley, Joshua (Person)
- Blasdell, John, Jr. (Person)
- Challis, Thomas (Person)
- Currier, David (Person)
- Huntington, John, 1643-1729 (Person)
- Merrill, Albert (Person)
- Moody, Sargent (Person)
- Nichols, Stephen (Person)
- Rowell, Jacob (Person)
- Sawyer, John (Person)
- Amesbury Philomathean Society (Organization)
- Indian Head Factory (Organization)
- West Amesbury Union Lyceum (Organization)
- Title
- AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, TOWN RECORDS AND PAPERS, 1710, 1760, 1801-1868, 1910
- Author
- Processed by: Tamara Gaydos; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Phillips Library Repository