Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Town Clerk
CITY CLERK 62 FRIEND ST. AMESBURY, MA 01913 Phone: 978-388-8100 Fax: 978-388-8150 Website

Quick History
==== Establishment and former town name(s) ====

23 May 1666: Salisbury-new-town established as a town, from part of Salisbury

27 May 1668: Name of the town of Salisbury-new-towne changed. "Salisbury new toune..may be named Emesbury." The spelling in the margin of the records is "Amsbury". (Massachusetts Bay Records, Vol. IV, part 2, p. 376.)

Archiac name: Emesbury, Little Salisbury, New Salisbury, Salisbury-new-toune.

Section/Villages within the town: Allen's Corner, Amesbury Ferry, Attitash, Meadow Brook, Pleasant Valley, Pond District, Rings Corner, Rocky Hill, Salisbury Point.

Wikipedia

==== Boundary Changes ====

15 May 1667: Bounds between Salisbury-new-towne and Haverhill established.

12 May 1675: Just and full bounds allowed to "Amesbury". (Massachusetts Bay Records, Vol. V, p. 40.)

15 March 1844: Part of Salisbury

11 April 1876: Part established as Merrimac.

16 June 1886: Part of Salisbury annexed.

1 July 1886:

13 April 1981: Town charter adopted.

9 April 1996: New town charter adopted which established city form of government.

Resources
'''Early records.  Information about early residents of Amesbury''' before 1680 may be found in Norfolk (old) County records. Norfolk (old) County was discontinued in 1680, but her records are still available. For more details about these early records see Norfolk (old) County, Massachusetts.

Cemeteries
The first "cemetery" in Amesbury is believed to have been at the location where the large rock known as the "Golgotha Stone" is now. The names of the 18 men who were the first settlers are listed on the plaque:

Richard Currier, Thomas Barnard, Orlando Bagley, Anthony Colby, Thomas Macy, John Bailey, John Hoyt, John Colby, Philip Challis, William Barnes, George Martin, William Huntington, Valentine Rowell, Henry Blaisdell, William Sargent, Edward Cottle, Jarret Haddon and John Weed

Maps

 * 1) USGS GNIS FID 614180
 * 2) Google
 * 3) Hometown Locator

Vital Records

 * 1) Vital Records of Amesbury Massachusetts to the Year 1850 Google Books