North America -- United States of America -- Commonwealth of Massachusetts -- Plymouth County
Plymouth County
Chronological History of Plymouth County
02 Jun 1685
PLYMOUTH created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony. (Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19)
07 Oct 1691
PLYMOUTH continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)
19 Nov 1707
PLYMOUTH gained town of Rochester from BARNSTABLE. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 60 [1707]/p. 755)
29 Oct 1708
PLYMOUTH gained small non-county area between BRISTOL and PLYMOUTH [not mapped]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 76 [1708]/p. 767)
18 Mar 1712
[18 March 1711/1712] The "Old Colony Line" that divided Massachusetts and New Plymouth when they were separate colonies was declared the boundary separating SUFFOLK from BRISTOL and PLYMOUTH [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 152 [1711]/p. 799)
20 Nov 1770
PLYMOUTH gained small area from SUFFOLK when town of Bridgewater gained from town of Stoughton to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 5, ch. 15 [1770-1771], sec. 1/p. 116)
08 Feb 1798
PLYMOUTH gained small strip from NORFOLK when town of Bridgewater gained from town of Stoughton [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1798, ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 164)
18 Jun 1803
PLYMOUTH gained towns of Hingham and Hull from SUFFOLK. (Mass. Acts 1803, ch. 14, sec. 1/p. 246)
14 Jun 1823
PLYMOUTH lost small area to NORFOLK when town of Cohasset gained from town of Scituate to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1823, ch. 28/p. 237)
09 Apr 1836
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and BRISTOL was redefined in part when line between towns of Rochester and Fairhaven was redefined [no change].(Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 193, sec. 1/p. 876)
20 Mar 1840
PLYMOUTH gained small area from NORFOLK when town of Scituate gained from town of Cohasset to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1840, ch. 58, sec. 1/p. 206)
31 Mar 1847
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and NORFOLK was clarified in part when line between towns of Weymouth and Abington was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1847, ch. 138/p. 391)
21 Mar 1861
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and NORFOLK was clarified in part when boundary between towns of Abington and Randolph was clarified [no change].(Mass. Acts 1861, ch. 86/p. 390)
01 Jun 1867
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and BRISTOL was clarified in part when boundary between towns of Lakeville and Taunton was clarified [no change].(Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 352, sec. 1/p. 745)
14 Apr 1897
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and BARNSTABLE was clarified in part when line between towns of Wareham and Bourne was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 281, sec. 1/p. 258)
30 Apr 1897
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and NORFOLK was adjusted when line between towns of Cohasset and Hingham was adjusted [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 330, sec. 1/p. 318)
23 Mar 1928
Boundary between PLYMOUTH and NORFOLK was adjusted when line between towns of Hingham and Cohasset was adjusted [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1928, ch. 160, sec. 1/p. 184)
Massachusetts Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, John H. Long, Editor and Historical Compiler; Peggy Tuck Sinko, Associate Editor; Douglas Knox, Book Digitizing Director; Emily Kelley, Research Associate; Laura Rico-Beck, GIS Specialist and Digital Compiler; Peter Siczewicz, ArcIMS Interactive Map Designer; Robert Will, Cartographic Assistant. Copyright The Newberry Library 2009