to 1843, excepting a few entries of births in the latter part of that period. There is, however, a meagre copy of births from 1783 to 1826.

RICHMOND. All records from 1770 to 1775.

ROCHESTER. All records from 1686 to 1696.

ROXBURY. Records of proceedings from 1630 to 1646, and "The town book wherein most men's lands being recorded (by) gods providence being burned." This was burned prior to Jan. 17, 1653.

RUSSELL. All records from 1792 to 1803.

RUTLAND. All records from 1713 to 1719.

SALEM. All records from 1630 to 1635.

SANDWICH. Records of proceedings from 1638 to 1650. SCITUATE. Records of proceedings from 1633 to 1645, and of births, marriages, and deaths to 1638.

SHEFFIELD. Records of proceedings from 1769 to 1777. SOUTHWICK. All records from 1770 to 1776, and from 1820 to

1833.

STERLING. All records from 1781 to September, 1794. These were burned.

STOUGHTON. Records of soldiers in the Rebellion and some miscellaneous records were burned.

Srow. Records of births, marriages, and deaths from 1683 to 1713.

STURBRIDGE. The first fourteen pages, covering a period prior to 1733, have been torn from the proprietors' records.

SWANSEA. Records of deaths from 1800 to 1843.

TAUNTON. Records of proceedings from 1639 to 1803, and of births, marriages, and deaths from 1639 to 1659 and from 1701 to 1799.

TEWKSBURY.

were burned.

Records of deaths from 1830 to 1843. These

TISBURY. Records of proceedings of both Middletown and Tisbury from the date of the establishment of Middletown, prior to 1671, to 1686, and from 1801 to 1837.

TOPSFIELD. Records of proceedings from 1648 to 1674, and of births, marriages, and deaths from 1645 to 1695. The latter have been supplied from the records of the county court.

TOWNSEND. Records of proceedings for 1732 and 1733, and of marriages from 1780 to 1810.

WALPOLE. Records of proceedings from 1776 to 1780.

WASHINGTON. Records of proceedings for the year from April 12, 1777, to April 16, 1778, six pages being torn from the first volume.

WENHAM.

Records of proceedings from 1646 to 1652.

WESTFIELD. Records of proceedings from 1669 to 1674 and from 1763 to 1765.

WESTHAMPTON. Records of births, marriages, and deaths from 1778 to 1807. There is a copy of births evidently made from private records, with some dates as early as 1753.

WESTON. Records of proceedings from 1712 to 1745.
WEYMOUTH. All records from 1635 to 1641.

WILLIAMSTOWN. Records of proceedings from 1765 to 1803; of births, marriages, and deaths for that period; of births and deaths from 1843 to 1860; and of marriages from 1823 to 1860. A copy of births obtained from other sources covers births from 1765 to 1831; and some original records of births to 1835, with a few deaths in 1843 and 1844, are here recorded.

WOBURN. The first volume is lost. There is, however, a volume which appears to be a copy of memoranda of important events beginning in 1640, and containing the regular records later.

WRENTHAM. The first volume of proceedings, of which, however, there is a copy.

YARMOUTH. Records of proceedings from 1639 to 1677. The records of the First Parish from 1639 to 1679, and the copies of the record of marriages returned to the court under the act of June 14, 1642, to 1796, are missing also. All of the above were burned at different times.

LOST RECORDS OF COUNTIES.

From the fact that the county records have had abiding places and were not carried about from house to house, the loss of those has not been great, and, as far as ascertained, the following are all that are lost from the several series:

County of Barnstable.

All court records prior to Oct. 22, 1827.

One volume of records of the probate court from 1821 to 1825. All probate files prior to Oct. 22, 1827, were burned.

Ninety-three out of ninety-four volumes in the registry of deeds, covering the time from Oct. 6, 1686, to Oct. 22, 1827. Thirty-two volumes now in the registry contain records of deeds returned and re-recorded after the fire of Oct. 22, 1827.

County of Bristol.

Records of the county court from June 2, 1685, to July 14, 1696. The records from July 14, 1696, to July 14, 1702, have recently been found.

County of Essex.

Records of marriages from November, 1631, to April, 1791, containing records of the following towns: Andover, Merrimack Village (now Bradford), Newbury, Rowley, Salem, Topsfield, and Wenham. There is, however, a copy.

County of Franklin.

Records of the county commissioners from June 24, 1811, to June 9, 1829.

County of Middlesex.

The second volume of records of the county court from 1664 to 1670.

County of Nantucket.

Records of the county commissioners from May, 1883, to May,

1888.

County of Suffolk.

Records of the court of assistants prior to 1673.

Records of the court of general sessions of the peace from 1692 to 1701.

Records of the inferior court of common pleas from 1751 to

1776.

The loss of these records is lamentable, but it must be accepted. It should serve as a warning to the public authorities and to the custodians of records of all kinds.

PROTECTION OF RECORDS FROM FIRE.

In December, 1889, a circular letter was sent to the city government of each city and the selectmen of each town calling attention to the requirement that safes should be provided for the records, and that such as were becoming worn, mutilated, or illegible should be bound and copied. Inquiries soon commenced to arrive for copies of the "new law," although it had been a law since in 1851 cities and towns were required to provide a suitable place for the safe keeping" of their records, and in 1857 were required to provide safes. The circulars have been followed by visits, and such action as seemed necessary, and the following pages show the improvement made.

That the building of the city and town halls has followed as a consequence of the urging to action in providing safe places for the records is not, of course, claimed; but in

several places where buildings had been authorized by vote, but from lack of harmony work had not been commenced, it was entered upon. The suggestion that a vault should be placed in a building not originally intended for the records has in some cases been adopted.

The improvement in the cities is given in detail as follows:

BEVERLY. A large vault has been built, and everything is protected.

BOSTON. Four vaults have been built in the basement of the city hall, one each for the use of the city clerk, the auditor, the collector, and the city registrar. The large one for the clerk's use is used for the storage of ballot-boxes and ballots, to the exclusion of records. The vault intended for the city registrar has, since the removal of his office to the old court house, been used by the mayor. The clerk's record room has been fitted with metal roller shelving, and a large metal file case provided. A vault for the overseers of the poor has been built in the Charity Building on Chardon Street.

The removal to the old court house of the offices of the city registrar, board of health, inspector of buildings, board of survey, and superintendent of public buildings, and of the Dorchester branch office of the city surveyor, is undoubtedly an improvement in the way of safety; but, with the exception of such matter as is kept in a vault by the city registrar, the records are unprotected from fire, and the law as it stands is plainly violated.

BROCKTON. A city hall has been built, containing ten vaults, nearly all large, those of the assessors and city engineer being especially roomy. All the records are protected. The vaults are all fitted in metal, thereby removing all possible danger from fire within.

CAMBRIDGE. A new city hall has been built, with ample vault room for the records of the several departments. The city engineer has a large fire-proof room for the plans and note books. The overseers of the poor have had a vault built for their records in the building occupied by them. All records are now protected. CHICOPEE. Two new safes have been provided, which makes a sufficient equipment for the present.

EVERETT. A new brick building fitted for a city hall has been leased for a term of ten years. The city clerk, the treasurer and collector, the city engineer, and the assessors each have a vault in their offices, and there is a large vault in the basement for the

overflow from the departments. The auditor, the clerk of the council, the inspector of buildings, the clerk of the minor departments, and the overseers of the poor each have safes.

FALL RIVER. A city hall has been completed, with several vaults, but no provision has been made for the protection of the records of the assessors or of the overseers of the poor.

GLOUCESTER. A very large vault has been built, and all the records are now protected.

HOLYOKE. Provision has been made for keeping the records of the assessors and of the city engineer, which were unprotected, in a vault. The records are now protected.

The city

LOWELL. A new city hall has been built, and all the departments have ample vault room, some fitted in metal. engineer has a large fire-proof room for his plans and note books, and all records are protected.

MALDEN. A large vault has been built, annexed to the city hall, sufficient for the overflow of records from the safes and vaults of the several departments. All records are now protected.

MARLBOROUGH. The city hall has been renovated, and four vaults have been built. The clerk, the treasurer, and the auditor each have a vault on the main floor, and the city almoner and the water registrar each one in the basement, which is above ground on two sides. The assessors have the safe formerly used by the clerk, and the collector has two new ones. All the records are now safe from fire, whereas the clerk's were formerly greatly exposed.

MEDFORD. New safes have been procured for the auditor and the assessors. More room is needed for the records of the clerk.

NEW BEDFord. A new safe has been purchased for the board of public works, but the records of the assessors are not provided for.

NEWBURYPORT. A new vault has been built for the clerk's use, having nearly twice the capacity of the old, and all records are protected.

PITTSFIELD. The town hall was refitted in 1890, and a vault was built in the basement, into which steam heat was carried. In 1891 the same building, then the city hall, was remodelled, and vaults were built for the clerk and the assessors. All records but

the plans of the city surveyor are now in vaults or safes.

SALEM. The vault in the clerk's office has been enlarged, and a large one has been built in the basement for the overflow of records from the safes and vaults. All the records are protected, with the exception of a part of those of the overseers of the poor.