Author Description

This is a valuable compilation of vital statistics copied from the early records of the town of Gorham, Maine. First published in 1895 in the "Portland Evening Express," the records included here are divided into four sections (Intentions of Marriage, Marriages, Births of Children, and Deaths) and arranged alphabetically by surname. Each entry in the first two sections contains the name of the bride and groom; date of publishment or marriage; race, if nonwhite; and place of residence if other than Gorham. The Births of Children section gives the names of each parent; names and birth dates of children; and, in some instances, places of residence and death dates of children, if known. Because the early records of Gorham listed few deaths, the compiler relied on church records, newspaper notices, and gravestone inscriptions to gather the list of deaths included in this volume. Each entry provides the name of the deceased and date of death and sometimes the name of the deceased's spouse, the place and cause of death, the deceased's age at death, and other biographical notations. Also of interest to genealogists are the introductory notes, which include abstracts from the first town meeting in 1765 and biographical information on Judge William Gorham.