Explanations of the Vital Records of Methuen 1725 to 1849

EXPLANATIONS

The following records of births, marriages and deaths include all entries to be found in the books of record kept by the town clerks; in the church records; in the cemetery inscriptions; and in many private records found in family Bibles. These records are printed in a condensed form in which every essential particular has been preserved. All duplication of the town clerks' record has been eliminated, but differences in entry and other explanatory matter appear in brackets. Parentheses are used when they occur in the original record; also to indicate the maiden name of a wife.

When places other than Methuen 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. 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.

**ABBREVIATIONS**
a	age	inf	infant
abt	about	int	intention of marriage
b	born	jr	junior
bef	before	m	male; married; month
bet	between	rec	recorded
bp	baptized	s	son
bur	buried	sr	senior
ch	child	TC	town copy
chn	children	unm	unmarried
Co	county	w	wife; week
d	daughter; day; died	wid	widow
Dea	deacon	widr	widower
dup	duplicate entry	y	year
h	husband; hour

**CHURCH RECORDS**
CR1	First Congregational Church Records

**CEMETERY RECORDS**
GR1	Old Burying Ground, on Meeting House Hill
GR2	Village Burying Ground
GR3	Elmwood Cemetery

**PRIVATE RECORDS**
(Bibles, Family Records, Etc.)
PR1	Record kept by Dr. Alfred Poor, now in possession of the Essex Institute.
PR2	Record now in possession of Daniel H. Sawyer.
PR3	Bible record now in possession of Daniel H. Sawyer.
PR4	Bible record now in possession of Miss Albianna H. Howe.
PR5	Bible record now in possession of Miss Annette Corliss.
PR6	Bible record now in possession of Miss Emma Gage.
PR7	Bible record now in possession of John Clark.
PR8	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Mary Griffin.
PR9	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Mary Bailey.
PR10	Family record now in possession of Mrs. Granville Foss.
PR11	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Aaron Huse.
PR12	Family record now in possession of Mrs. Enoch Griffin.
PR13	Bible record now in possession of Charles Sawyer.
PR14	Record now in possession of Mrs. Helen S. Gordon.
PR15	Family record now in possession of Mrs. Hugh Smith.
PR16	Manuscript record now in possession of Mrs. Enoch Griffin.
PR17	Bible record now in possession of Historical Society of Methuen.
PR18	Bible record now in possession of Josiah W. Bodwell.
PR19	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. M.A. Hildreth, Yonkers, NY.
PR20	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Abby Kenison.
PR21	Family record now in possession of Mrs. Charles Goldsmith.
PR22	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Charles Goldsmith.
PR23	Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Rebecca Whittier.