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Archiver > DUTTON > 2000-08 > 0966793623


From: "Darrell A. Martin" <>
Subject: Re: Sherborn, MA
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 12:47:03 -0500
In-Reply-To: <399FFD43.894FC464@midohio.net>


At 10:46 AM 08/20/2000 -0500, Carole Dutton Malisiak wrote:
>Hello,
>
>Southwest of Boston, MA, is a town named Sherborn with about
>3500 people. I just thought that this was interesting and
>wondered how it came to have that name. Does anyone know?
>
>Carole

Hi, Carole:

It doesn't answer your question, but here's some historical background. According to "Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts," prepared by Frederic W. Cook, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and published in 1948:

------------------------------
Sherborn, Middlesex County.

1674, Oct. 7. Established as a town. More land granted the petitioners and proprietors of land at or near "Boggestow", ". . . the name of the place to be called Sherborne". (Mass. Bay Rec., Vol. V, p. 23.)

[In April 1679 some land was exchanged between "Sherborne" and "Naticke". The next month it was returned.]

1684, May 17. The grant of land made to the inhabitants at or near "Boggestow" confirmed and the name of the town to be Sherborne.

[. . .]

1724, Dec. 3. Part of the town of "Sherburn" established as Holliston.

1792, Mar. 3. Bounds between "Sherburn" and Medway established.

1820, Feb. 7. Part of "Sherburne" annexed to Natick.

1852, May 3. The corporate name of the town of "Sherburne" changed to Sherborn.

[. . .]

------------------------------

Note that except for that which is enclosed in [square brackets] all spellings and punctuation (specifically including the quotation marks) are exactly as published. Also note that in early Mass. records, spellings were erratic, inconsistent, and not infrequently humorously befuddled even by the standards of the time. Even when they were usually consistent, they could change over time without benefit of any formal action. That's what seems to have happened for BORN >> BURN. However, there was a specific corporate name change in 1852 that established the current spelling.

Darrell

Darrell A. Martin
a native of the Dutton District, Springfield, Vermont
no longer proud to have been a Vermonter
but still proud of my Vermont roots
currently in exile in Addison, Illinois


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