Newbury, Massachusetts

History
Pawtucket Indians hunted, fished and captured seasonal runs of smelt, alewives, shad, salmon and sea-run trout before English settlers appeared in the 1630s. The settlers were younger and more socially prominent than settlers of other towns in the area, and were forced out of England by declining economic opportunities.

In 1635, Rev. Thomas Parker of Wiltshire, England applied to the General Court to start a plantation on land that is now Newbury.

Early on, fishing was an important industry, as was small-scale shipbuilding, weaving, tanning and shoemaking.

Farmers dealt in cattle and sheep and by 1791 there were 3,000 head of cattle grazing on town lands. Woolen goods, made by the first American-made wool carding machines, were established by the late 1700s, as well as snuff, chaises and slate. Competition from England's woolen mills decreased the emphasis on wool goods and led to greater cotton fabric production and the establishment of a cooperage, machine made nail factory and scythe mill.

In the late 18th and early 19th century, industry rivaled agriculture as the major employer of residents. In 1844, James Steam Mills was established, in 1850 the railroads arrived in town and by 1845 45,000 pairs of shoes were made. After the Civil War, despite an abortive attempt to mine silver and gold in the town, much of the manufacturing initiative died as water power gave way to steam power. The economy of the town swung back to agriculture and by the end of the 19th century there was a big shift to dairying in Newbury. By 1905, instead of shoes, milk, poultry and eggs were the most significant businesses.

Name variations
Byfield, Newbury, Old Town, South Byfield. The town was named "Newbury" in honor of the home town of many of the early settlers.

Geography/size
Newbury is located in northeastern Massachusetts, bordered by Newburyport and Salisbury on the north; West Newbury, Groveland, and Georgetown on the west; Rowley on the south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Newbury is about 12 miles east of Haverhill; 28 miles north of Boston; about 72 miles south of Portland, Maine; and about 250 miles from New York City. In 1764, the port of Newbury was so prosperous and densely settled that it broke off from Newbury to become Newburyport.

Notable inhabitants

 * Abraham Toppan (1606-1672)
 * Rev. Christopher Toppan (1671-1747)
 * Percival Lowell (1571-1665)

Historic sites & museums

 * The Joshua Coffin House - 14-16 High Street, Route 1A (978) 463-2057
 * The Spencer-Pierce-Little House - Little's Lane (617) 227-3956

Local libraries

 * Newbury Town Library - 0 Lunt Street, (978) 465-0539. Library hours are Monday-Wednesday, noon-8 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday closed, Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Experienced Genealogist and Newbury Town Historian Dick Cunningham is available to assist the public with local history and family research at the The Newbury Town Library on Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. in the Kathryn Brown Room.

Town clerk contact

 * Address: Town of Newbury, Massachusetts, Town Hall, 25 High Rd., Newbury,MA 01951 (978)462-2332

Graveyards, cemeteries, burying grounds

 * First Parish Buring Ground - Located on High Rd./Rte. 1A in Newbury just over the Newburyport line.
 * The Burying Ground of the First Settlers - Located on High Rd./Rte. 1A. First burials were in 1635.
 * Newbury Neck Cemetery - Located on Old Rowley Rd. at junction of High Road (Rte 1A) south of Parker River. First burials, 1763.
 * Evergreen Cemetery - Located on Cottage Rd., first right after crossing Parker River Bridgeon Rte 1A north. First burials, 1786. Note: Privately maintained.

Contributors
24.62.206.114