Boston Marriages 1752 - 1809

Registry Department City Of Boston.

Records Relating to the Early History of Boston.
(Formerly Called Record Commissioners' Report)

This volume, which is the Thirtieth Report in the series of Boston Records, contains the Marriages recorded in the Town of Boston from 1752 to 1809 inclusive, collated with the Book of Banns for the same period with additions from other sources.

Edward W. McGlenen, City Registrar

The records hereinafter printed are principally copied from three volumes of Boston marriages in the custody of this department: Vol. 12, 1761 to 1809; Vol. 13, 1760 to 1814; and Vol. 15, 1807 to 1828.

Ezekiel Goldthwait was town clerk from 1741 to 1761; ¹William Cooper, 1761 to 1809; Charles Bulfinch, from November 13 to December 14, 1809; and William Clark was elected December 14, 1809.

The publishments or intentions of marriage from 1751 to 1809, inclusive, have been compared with the records, and all differences of spelling noted. The intentions, for which no subsequent records of marriage appear, have been printed separately.

The publishments are in five volumes Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 the entries merely giving the names, dates and towns, nearly all being of Boston.

The original book in which the marriages from 1751-61 were recorded is supposed to have been lost many years ago, but from the church and court records many marriages have been proven. The intentions of all others not recorded are also printed.

A few duplications will be found, which were unavoidable, as the marriages did not appear in the Town Records; but were found later in the Church Records.

For the following research I am indebted to Rev. Anson Titus:

Thomas Dean & Jane Stedman, widow, married October 12th , 1691, by Sam Sewall, Assitt. Suffolk County Court Files, folio 4814.

Mr. John Miffin of Philadelphia and Miss Elizabeth Bagnall, married at the Quaker's Meeting House (June 23, 1737). Boston Evening Post, Monday, June 27, 1737.

Samuel Swift and Eliphal Tilley, both of Boston, married October 8th, 1738, by William Sanford, Justice of the Peace. Town Records, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

A manuscript volume in the Public Library, Watertown, Mass. On the fly-leaf is written:

Intentions of Marriage 1752 - 1809
 

1.William Cooper, born in Boston in 1720, died there 28 February, 1809. He was distinguished for his patriotic services during the Revolutionary War, and for nearly half a century was town clerk and connected with town affairs. He was the son of William Cooper, pastor of Brattle-street Church, 1715-1743, and brother of Samuel Cooper, pastor of Brattle-street Church, 1740-1783.

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