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 returns made to the Salem Quarterly Court; 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.
Whe places other than Newbury 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 examined, as items about the same family may be found under different spellings.
As Newbury and Newburyport have been so closely connected, both socially and geographically, it will be desirable to examind the records of both towns when making researches. Byfield parish is included in these records, and on account of its close proximity to Rowley may contain records of Rowley families not given elsewhere.
The original bood of records beginning about 1640 was copied in 1690 by Henry Short, the town clerk. The original has been followed in these pages, any changes or additions occurring in Short's record being so indicated.

ABBREVIATIONS
a age jr junior
abt about m male; married; month
b born rec recorded
bef before s son
bet between S. dup Copy of vital records made by Henry Short about 1690
bp baptized sr senior
bur buried TC Town Copy
CC Copy made by Joshua Coffin unm unmarried
ch child w wife; week
chn children wid widow
Co county widr widower
d daughter; day; died y year
Dea deacon 7br September
h husband; hour 8br Octember
inf infant 9br November
int intention of marriage xbr December

CHURCH RECORDS
CR1 First Congregational Church
CR2 Second Church, now First of West Newbury
CR3 Third Church, now First Religious Society (Unitarian) of Newburyport
CR4 Fourth Church, now Second of West Newbury
CR5 Byfield Church
CR6 Amesbury Monthly Meeting of Friends
CR7 Queen Anne's Chapel (Episcopal), of Newburyport
CR8 St. Paul's Church (Episcopal), of Newburyport
CR9 First Presbyterian Church, Old South of Newburyport
CR10 Belleville Congregational Church, Newburyport
CR11 Purchase Street Methodist Church, Newburyport

CEMETERY RECORDS
GR1 private burial ground on Joseph Ilsley's farm, Oldtown
GR2 Oldtown Cemetery
GR3 Newbury Neck Cemetery
GR4 Queen Anne's Churchyard, Belleville, Newburyport
GR5 St. Paul's Churchyard, Newburyport
GR6 Walnut Hill Cemetery, West Newbury
GR7 Bridge Street Cemetery, West Newbury
GR8 Merrimac Cemetery, West Newbury
GR9 Crane Neck Hill Cemetery, West Newbury
GR10 Friend's Burying Ground, Turkey Hill road, West Newbury
GR11 private burial ground, C.W. Ordway farm, West Newbury
GR12 Lower Green Cemetery, Oldtown
GR13 Highland Cemetery, Newburyport
GR14 Byfield Cemetery
GR15 Sawyer's Hill Cemetery, Newburyport
GR16 Old Burying Hill, Newburyport

PRIVATE RECORDS
(Bibles, Family Records, Etc.)
PR1 Short's sexton's book now in possession of Miss Ruth Short
PR2 Record of deaths from Selectmen's books
PR3 Interleaved almanacs of Capt. Joseph O'Brien now in possession of the Essex Institute
PR4 Bible record now in possession of James L. Odiorne of West Newbury
PR5 Bible record now in possession of Alonzo Jaques of West Newbury
PR6 Bible record now in possession of the heirs of John Greenleaf Plummer of Newburyport
PR7 Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Catherine Pearson of Newburyport
PR8 Manuscript of Rev. Moses Parsons now in possession of the heirs of Mrs. Susan E. Parsons Forbes of Byfield
PR9 Bible record now in possession of Edward A. Hale of Newburyport
PR10 Bible record now in possession of the heirs of Maj. E.F. Bartlett
PR11 Bible record now in possession of Charles F. Smith of Newburyport
PR12 Diary of Samuel Tappan in possession of the heirs of Mrs. Abbie Smith Nickerson
PR13 Family record now in possession of Frank Thurlo
PR14 Bible record now in possession of Miss Ruth Short
PR15 Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Phebe Plumer
PR16 Sampler now in possession of Miss Eleanor Jones of Newburyport
PR17 Bible record now in possession of Miss Lizzie Jaques
PR18 Ancient book of accounts and records kept by Stephen Emery now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D., of West Newbury
PR19 Bible record now in possession of Miss Emily A. Bailey of West Newbury
PR20 Copy book now in possession of Mrs. J. Appleton Brown of West Newbury
PR21 Family record now in possession of Miss Harriet N. Hills of Newburyport
PR22 Bible record now in possession of Miss Mary Russell Curzon of Newburyport
PR23 Bible record now in possession of Daniel M. Davis
PR24 Bible record now in possession of Stephe P. Hale
PR25 Family register now in possession of Leonard Smith of Haverhill
PR26 Family register now in possession of Leonard Smith of Haverhill
PR27 Family register now in possession of Leonard Smith of Haverhill
PR28 Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Harriet A. Menut
PR29 Bible record now in possession of Mrs. Margaret M. Coffin
PR30 Bible record now in possession of Edwin S. Jaques
PR31 Diary kept by Dudley and Thomas Sticknet, formerly in possession of Matthew Stickney of Salem
PR32 Bible record now in possession of Edward A. Hale
PR33 Stephen Jaques' Journal printed in the Essex Institute Historical Collections
PR34 Family register now in possession of Miss Lizzie Jaques
PR35 Records kept by Rev. Moses Hale now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D
PR36 Records kept by Moody Emery now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D
PR37 Records kept by Stephen Hale now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D
PR38 Family records now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D
PR39 Vital records kept by Eunice M. Emery now in possession of Rev. Rufus Emery, D.D
PR40 Bible record now in possession of Mrs. J.A. Brown
PR41 Bible record now in possession of Miss Charlotte Smith

Copyright ©2005-'07 by John Slaughter & Jodi Salerno
Last Updated: 31 October, 2007