| Historical Room Materials
Genealogy | Local
History | Military Histories
The Historical Room at the downtown library
carries more than 3,500 books, photographs and other historical records. Below are our favorites for local genealogical
and historical research. Unless otherwise noted, all materials are located in
the Historical Room.
Unfortunately, we do not carry birth, death, or
marriage records except in a few instances noted below. Please contact the City
Clerk's office for information on acquiring these records.
You may also want to take a look at our
favorite online genealogy resources.
Genealogy
Vital Records of Brockton - Birth,
death, and marriage records in Brockton from 1630 to 1850 - *929.3 B86
Brockton Directories
- These street
lists, dating back to 1869, provide names, home addresses, sometimes work
addresses, and often occupations of Brockton residents. Children are not listed.
The 1905 directory has births and marriages; the 1906 directory has births,
marriages, and deaths; and the 1907 directory has births, marriages and deaths.
- * 917.44 B86
Poll Taxes and City of Brockton
Street List - These sources, dating back to 1896, are arranged by ward and
precinct, with only the current volumes listing names and streets
alphabetically. They do, however, provide both the age and occupation of the
registered voter. Remember, women did not have the right to vote before 1920 and
therefore are not listed in early records of Poll Taxes. - *336.2 BRO
Genealogy of the Families Who Have Settled
in the North Parish of Bridgewater - The first 88 families are listed, with
information on where the paterfamilias came from, the names, births, marriages
and deaths of his wife and children, and if they moved elsewhere.- *974.48 N87.1
Death Registers - We have the ledgers
with deaths recorded on a daily basis for the following years: 1897-1904,
1907-1920, 1924-1941. Listed are name, sex, age at death, cause of death,
sometimes occupation, parents' names, sometimes parents' birthplace, and
residence and/or place of burial.
Poor Department Registers - These
ledgers date from 1887-1939 and can give some information regarding those who
required assistance. The United Sates suffered a Great Depression in the
thirties, but there were other economic depressions as well as the assortment of
economic tragedies many people suffered through fire, illness, flood, and
unemployment. These ledgers are also a good source of information for deaths.
North Bridgewater Annual Reports - For
the years Brockton was a town, annual reports for years 1851-1874 listed vital
statistics of death and marriages. City of Brockton documents did not include
this information in subsequent years.
Lineage Book: National Society of the
Daughters of the American Revolution - This 140-volume set is located in the
Deborah Sampson Chapter DAR bookcase of the Historical Room.
Heads of Families, First Census of the
United States, 1790 - Each New England state is a separate volume with an
index of family names listing the page where you will find the head of
household. Each state is organized into counties and then municipalities with
the family names listed in each town or city. The names are listed
alphabetically in the index, but not the towns or cities. - *312.7 +U58
A Genealogical Dictionary of the First
Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came before May
1692 on the Basis of the Farmer's Register - Often called
"Savage's" for its author, Joseph Savage - * 974 S26
Brockton High School Yearbooks - The
Brockton High School yearbooks can yield personal information and pictures about
family members. The years since 1960 are kept behind the main desk in the lobby.
Earlier editions, dating back to 1907, are titled Brocktonia and are
shelved in the Historical Room, *061 B86. Earlier still are the Brockton High
School and North Bridgewater High School graduation programs, dating back to
1864. They are stored in a box and catalogued at *379.744 B86g.
Back to Top
Local History
History of North Bridgewater by Bradford
Kingman - First published in 1866, before Brockton became a city or changed its
name, later editions up to 1895 were published as History of Brockton.
Kingman's history is packed with names, for soldiers in the Revolutionary War to
masonic members. Beyond the biographical section at the back of the book, there
are many notable citizens of Brockton mentioned who are not listed in the index.
Careful reading can yield a lot of information. - *974.48 B86a
You can also read this history
on the Internet at:
Google Books
Brockton 1881-1981: A Pictorial History
by Robert A. Kane - We also keep a copy of this book behind the main desk and
own a copy that patrons can borrow from the library. - *974.48 B86ka
A History of the Brockton Irish by
Robert A. Kane - This two-volume set is also available in the main collection
for borrowing. - 325.7448 K16h
The Story of Brockton's Fight against
Influenza by Ernest A. Burrill - A thorough telling of the impact of the
1918 influenza epidemic on Brockton. - *917.448 B96
History of the Brockton Relief Fund in Aid
of Sufferers from the R. B. Grover & Co. Factory Fire, Brockton, Mass.,
March 20, 1905. - *917.448 B86.1
Resolutions Adopted by the Mayor and City
Council of Brockton, Massachusetts on the Tragedy at Moosehead Lake, Maine, on
Sunday, May the thirteenth, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight. - *974.48
+B86.9
Back to Top
Military Histories
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the
Revolutionary War - This multi-volume set lists the names of revolutionaries
in alphabetical order, the regiment each one joined, period of service,
sometimes the location of service, and, when appropriate, their commisions. -
*973.3 M41
Records of the Massachusetts Militia in the
War of 1812-1814 - The index provides an alphabetical list of names leading
one to the page containing the name in a roster of men belonging to a regiment.
The dates of service per regiment, where they served, and where they were first
organized are among the chief facts given. - *973.5 +M41
The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies - Using the index,
one can find the soldiers listed alphabetically with references to volumes and
chapters. Rank, regiment, and tour of duty are among some of the information
which may be gleaned from this source. - *973.7 U58
Record of the Massachusetts Volunteers,
1861-1865 - Again, the index of soldiers will refer back to the exact
regiment, date of muster, and best yet, residence and age. These New England
state listings are often the most helpful and complete. Also, many recent
immigrants in the 1860's were drafted, providing a solid genealogical lead. -
*973.7 +BM41
Grand Army of the Republic, Department of
Massachusetts, Personal War Sketches of the Members of the Fletcher Webster Post
No. 13., Brockton - Anyone lucky enough to have a family member listed here
will gain wonderful details about that person's experience in the Civil War.
This set is stored in Cabinet 8.
Some Vital Statistics for Brockton veterans
of World War I - Listed alphabetically by name, this source leads one to
marriage announcements, death notices, and other news stories of interest for
those Brockton residents serving in World War I. - OV 974.48 BRO
Back to Top
|
