The New England Historical & Genealogical Register

"7. Descriptions of Armorial Bearings, and of other Heraldic devices, occasionally emblazoned, with sufficient explanations of the principles and terms of Heraldry.

"The Publication will embrace many other materials of a Miscellaneous and Statistical character, more or less connected with its main design; which, it is believed, will contribute to render it interesting to intelligent persons of every class in the community.

"Each Number will be embellished with a Portrait of some distinguished individual. There will also occasionally be illustrative engravings in the work."

The period has arrived when an awakened and a growing interest is felt in this country in the pursuit, and especially in the results, of Historical and Genealogical Researches; and when the practical importance, both to individuals and to society, of the knowledge which is obtained by such investigations, from the scattered and perishable records of local, domestic, and traditionary history, begins to be appreciated. The existence, and active exertions, of the Historical, Antiquarian, and Statistical Societies which have arisen within a few years past in most of the older states of the Union, is a sufficient evidence of the fact.

The New England Historic-Genealogical Society, chartered some years since by the Legislature of Massachusetts, proposes to direct its attention to the promotion of the objects above specified. It will do this in various ways;-particularly by the establishment of a Library, a Cabinet of Curiosities, and a Collection of Paintings; but especially by a Periodical. A Library, respectable for the time the Society has existed, has been established, and a Cabinet of Curiosities and a Collection of Paintings have been commenced. Though the Society early contemplated the publication of a Periodical, yet the time for issuing it seemed not to have arrived until the beginning of the present year, when a work was coinmenced. And through the goodness of a kind Providence we have been enabled to bring to a close the first Volume of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Some of the articles have been prepared with a great amount of labor, and in some cases from sources exceedingly rare. During the arduous labors performed, we have been sustained by the hope that we were not laboring altogether in vain.

We would here take occasion to express our thanks to those gentlemen who have aided us by contributing to the articles of our pages, by extending the circulation of the work, and by commending it to

the patronage of the community. In these ways essential service

has been rendered.

We now enter upon the duties of another year with undimin ished zeal and confidence in the cause we have espoused, hoping with the Divine blessing, to make the ensuing volume more valuable than its predecessor. In this work, we come in collision with no other class of men; we interfere with no other publication. Occupying a new and distinct department, we shall aim to make the periodical a work of permanent value as a repository of minute and authentic facts, carefully and methodically arranged on a great variety of subjects pertaining to antiquities, history, statistics, and genealogy. In doing this we cannot but feel that we are performing a great service for the country at large, but especially for New England, and her sons wherever scattered. Accurate and faithful his torians, chronologists, and genealogists are important benefactors. Such was Polybius among the Greeks, Tacitus among the Romans, Thomas Prince, Abiel Holmes, and John Farmer, in New England.

In preparing the Register, our sources of information have been Hazard's Historical Collections, the Panoplist and other periodicals, as newspapers, the Collections of the numerous Historical and Antiquarian Societies, the various works on Biography, the different Histories of the States and of the Country, as well as other works of a similar character, and the almost innumerable histories of towns, and historical and biographical discourses; but our greatest and best sources of information have been family, church, town, and county records, original ancient manuscript documents of various name and nature, and also many recent communications respecting matters of olden time. But little reliance has been placed upon hearsay or traditionary evidence. We make this general statement as an apology for not having mentioned continually, and many times over, the authorities for what we have published.

In preparing the coming volume, we are encouraged to expect the cooperation of several learned antiquaries and other estimable writers. We shall also have access to a large amount of valuable materials suited to our wants. In various ways we hope to give an increased interest to our works, and that a corresponding patronage will be awarded to us by a reading, intelligent, and generous public. We respectfully and earnestly solicit the assistance of those friendly to our object, and above all, the benediction of Him, whom

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