USGenWeb Genealogical Site for the Town of
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Abington Massachusetts Plymouth County |
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Including the Village of North Abington
See also the sites for the parent town of Bridgewater and the daughter towns of Hanover, Rockland and Whitman
Dyer Memorial Library, Abington
Home of the Historical Society of Old Abington
| You are visitor |
| since April 6, 2003 |
New Information on This Site
March 9, 2008 — We have a new address! Many USGenWeb sites have relocated, and we have, too. Please bookmark our new address.
May 3, 2004 — The 1790 Federal Census Data is now online.
June 22, 2003 — The newest addition is a series of transcriptions from Town Reports. The first to be posted are 1871 Deaths and 1871 Almshouse Residents from the 1872 Abington Town Report, transcribed by Natalie Fix.
April 29, 2003 — There is a new page for Abington Family Researchers and Websites where you can list specific Abington families that you are researching or web sites specializing in Abington families.
April 26, 2003 — A list of Abington newspapers has been added, showing library holdings on microfilm.
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Lookups and Resources
If you have any Abington material and would like to volunteer for lookups please send email to Dale H. Cook.
When requesting a lookup please use the email link following the listing for that book, limit your request to one or two specific names on separate lines, and please thank the volunteer for their time and effort.
F. Apthorp Foster, Vital Records of Abington, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1912) — Dale H. Cook.
1876 Abington Town Report - contains births, marriages and deaths for that year, as well as various other lists and reports. Paul lives in Maine, and has found Abington families that removed to the Oxford Co. area of that state. He has several resources from that area of Maine and would be happy to do some looking if someone suspects a connection. —
Paul Hines
Family Researchers and Websites
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Books, Newspapers and Records
You can find copies of books for sale by using the search engine at Bookfinder.com.
Books that are no longer in copyright can often be found online at Internet Archive Text Archive, Family History Archives or Google Books. Additional books are available through two sites that many libraries offer access to - Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest Online.
F. Apthorp Foster, Vital Records of Abington, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1912).
Benjamin Hobart, History of the Town of Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, From Its First Settlement (Boston: T. H. Carter and Sons, 1866; repr. Salem, MA: Higginson Books, 1987).
Aaron Hobart, Historical Sketch of Abington, Plymouth County, With an Appendix (Boston: Samuel N. Dickinson, 1839; repr. with modern index Salem, MA: Higginson Books, 1998).
Martha Campbell, Abington and the Revolution and Earlier Wars (Rockland, MA: Abington Bicentennial Committee, 1975). Well documented work on early Abington history.
Francis G. Walett, William D. Coughlan & Aaron Hobart, Old Abington in the American Revolution (Abington: Dyer Memorial Library Trustees, 1976).
Celebration of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Incorporation of Abington, Massachusetts, June 10, 1862... (Boston: Wright & Potter, 1862).
Official Program of the Commemorative Exercises of the 200th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town of Abington, Mass. (Rockland, MA: A. I. Randall, Printer, 1912). This June, 1912 celebration included participation by the daughter towns of Rockland and Whitman.
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A newspaper often had a succession of titles on its masthead during the course of its publication. Some libraries list newspapers by the last title used, followed by previous titles. Other libraries list all holdings under the most common, most familiar or most recent title. For each title the library's holdings are given.
Boston Public Library - Microtext Department
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Published Vital Records 1712 to 1850:
F. Apthorp Foster, Vital Records of Abington, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1912).
Vital Records 1712 to present:
Town Clerk
Abington Town Hall
500 Gliniewicz Way
Abington, MA 02351-1675
781-982-2112
Fax: 781-982-2138
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Vital Records 1841-1915:
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
617-727-2816
Fax: 617-288-8429
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Vital Records 1916 to present:
Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon St., 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
617-740-2600
Or order online:
Births
Marriages
Deaths
Massachusetts Vital Records Information from Ancestry.com.
Deeds and Probate
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
50 Obery Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-830-9200
Fax: 508-830-9221
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Researchers can search grantor books or grantee books at no charge.
Plymouth County deeds can now be viewed online
Plymouth Probate and Family Court
9 Russell St.
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-747-6204
Fax: 508-746-6826
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Vital Records from Town Reports
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Abington Public Library
600 Gliniewicz Way
Abington, MA 02351-1641
781-982-2139
Fax: 781-878-7361
Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Weds. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri. 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (No Saturday Hours in the summer).
Dyer Memorial Library
28 Centre Avenue
Abington, MA 02351
781-878-8480
The Dyer is a private library that houses historical and genealogical information on the Abington area including Whitman and Rockland. It is the home of the Historical Society of Old Abington.
Plymouth County Genealogists, Inc.
PCGI is a non-profit genealogical society whose monthly meetings are held the first Saturday of each month (except July and August) at 1:00 PM at the East Bridgewater Public Library. Meetings generally feature a guest speaker and the public is welcome. See the PCGI web site for details of upcoming meetings.
Old Colony Historical Society
66 Church Green
Taunton, MA 02780
508-822-1622
Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed on holidays and on Saturdays preceding Monday holidays
Museum Admission: Adults - $4.00, Children 12-18 and Seniors - $2.00
Genealogical Research: $7.00 per day
South Shore Genealogical Society
PO Box 396
Norwell, MA 02061
Meetings: The second Saturday of each month (except July and August) at 1:30 p.m. at the John Curtis Free Library, Rte. 139, Hanover, MA.
For beginners, amateurs and professionals interested in genealogical research in Plymouth and Norfolk Counties.
Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215-3695
617-536-1608
Hours: Mon. - Weds. 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Thurs. 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.; Fri. 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Closed Sunday.
New England Historic Genealogical Society
101 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116-3007
617-536-5740
Fax: 617-536-7307
Library Hours: Tues. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Weds. 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Thurs. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday.
The library is closed for some holidays - call or see the website for details.
For non-members there is a daily admisssion fee for the research library.
NEHGS is nation's oldest genealogical society, founded in 1845. It offers unsurpassed resources for New England research including the Boston research library of over 200,000 volumes. Members not in the Boston area appreciate the extensive online resources including all issues of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the nation's oldest genealogical journal, published quarterly since 1847. Online resources also include member access to vital records through 1910, an ever-growing collection of online books, and databases derived from some of the Society's immense manuscript holdings.
Deborah Sampson Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
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In 1664 Andrew Ford of Weymouth and his brother-in-law James Lovell purchased 200 acres of land in Plymouth Colony known as the Souther Grant. Andrew's portion became known as Ford's Farms. The first settler on Ford's Farms was Andrew Ford, Jr., who built a house at what is now the intersection of Washington St. and Adams St. in about 1679. Andrew Jr. was followed by his brothers James, Ebenezer and Samuel.
The inhabitants of what is now Abington petitioned the General Court for incorporation in 1706, but the petition was denied, primarily because there was no minister settled there. In 1711 Rev. Samuel Brown was engaged as minister, and a new petition was successful. Abington was incorporated on June 10, 1712, from Ford's Farms, certain lands adjoining, and part of northeastern Bridgewater.
Early industries included lumber, pottery, and tanning, which led to the production of shoes in small shops. By the early 19th century the shoe industry became the largest source of employment in the town, and by the time of the Civil War the industry was dominated by several large manufacturers. The arrival of the Old Colony Railroad in 1845 gave the residents of Abington and other Plymouth County towns the opportunity to shop in and commute to Boston, beginning the evolution of many towns into bedroom communities. As with other area towns the shoe industry in Abington began a decline in the years before WWII.
Two portions of the original town have become seperate towns. On March 9, 1874, East Abington was incorporated as the town of Rockland, and on March 4, 1875, the town of South Abington was incorporated, and was renamed Whitman in 1886.
| 1765 | (Prov.) | 1,263 | 1776 | (Prov.) | 1,293 | 1790 | (U.S.) | 1,453 | 1800 | (U.S.) | 1,623 | |||
| 1810 | (U.S.) | 1,704 | 1820 | (U.S.) | 1,920 | 1830 | (U.S.) | 2,423 | 1840 | (U.S.) | 3,214 | |||
| 1850 | (U.S.) | 5,269 | 1855 | (State) | 6,937 | 1860 | (U.S.) | 8,257 | 1865 | (State) | 8,576 | |||
| 1870 | (U.S.) | 9,308 | 1875 | (State) | 3,241 | 1880 | (U.S.) | 3,697 | 1885 | (State) | 3,699 | |||
| 1890 | (U.S.) | 4,260 | 1895 | (State) | 4,207 | 1900 | (U.S.) | 4,489 | 1905 | (State) | 5,081 | |||
| 1910 | (U.S.) | 5,455 | 1915 | (State) | 5,646 | 1920 | (U.S.) | 5,787 | 1925 | (State) | 5,882 | |||
| 1930 | (U.S.) | 5,872 | 1935 | (State) | 5,696 | 1940 | (U.S.) | 5,708 | 1945 | (State) | 6,374 | |||
| 1950 | (U.S.) | 7,152 | 1955 | (State) | 9,407 | 1960 | (U.S.) | 10,607 | 1965 | (State) | 11,790 | |||
| 1970 | (U.S.) | 12,334 | 1975 | (State) | 13,456 | 1980 | (U.S.) | 13,517 | 1990 | (U.S.) | 13,817 | |||
| 2000 | (U.S.) | 14,605 |
Census Data
Currently available: 1790 Federal Census
Maps
1893 Topographic Map of Abington (865 x 900 - 576 kb)
From the 1893 Abington Quadrangele (15 minute series)
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See also the sites for the parent town of Bridgewater and the daughter towns of Hanover, Rockland and Whitman
Commonwealth Communities page for Abington
Abington Mariner (Weekly Newspaper)
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Plymouth County, MA - USGenWeb
Plymouth County Records Online - USGenWeb
Massachusetts Genealogy - USGenWeb
The USGenWeb Project - Home Page
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Please note that although I was born and raised about 5 miles from Abington I now live hundreds of miles away and do not have easy access to the town.
Email comments to Dale H. Cook
Please visit the Plymouth Colony Pages
USGenWeb Abington, MA, commenced 06-Apr-2003.
Created and maintained by Dale H. Cook.
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Copyright © 2003-2008 by Dale H. Cook. All rights reserved.
