A History of Framingham, Massachusetts (Historiography)

This important volume of local history and genealogy was written as a "labor of love" by Reverend William Barry, pastor of the first church of Framingham from 1835 to 1845, and was published in Boston in 1847. The writing is clear, straightforward, and extensively documented. The history of Framingham from the earliest land grants in 1640 to the end of Barry's tenure as pastor comprises the first 153 pages of this 454 page volume. In this carefully researched text, the author covers Framingham's part in King Philip's War, the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution, and Shay's Rebellion. Included is a detailed civil history of the town with many extensive footnotes on the inhabitants mentioned, as well as a section devoted to the history of the Indians of Framingham Plantation with particular attention to the Praying or Christian Indians of Natick Plantation. In addition, the author has included a thirty-six page ecclesiastical history of the town. A highlight of this history is the extensive genealogical section which occupies about two-thirds of the book. This alphabetically arranged register lists all the residents known to have been in the town before 1800; many of the genealogies are very extensive and cover four or five generations. Additional features of the book include: an appendix with a record of the original General Court order establishing the township of Sudbury in 1639 along with lists of early settlers; a listing of the names of Framingham men who served as soldiers during the period, 1710-1775; and an index to the historical section.