1832 Map of Wareham Massachusetts

Wareham – Massachusetts History & Genealogy

Wareham, located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, was first settled by Europeans in 1678 and officially incorporated in 1739; it was originally part of the eastern part of Rochester and the Agawam Purchase from the Wampanoag people. The town lies at the head of Buzzards Bay and includes several rivers, notably the Weweantic and Agawam Rivers, which provided early industrial waterpower and access for maritime trade. Wareham’s position along the Massachusetts south coast made it a vital shipbuilding and fishing center during the 18th and 19th centuries, and it became a significant cranberry-growing region by the late 19th century. Early land and vital records for Wareham are held by Plymouth County, with county-level deeds dating back to 1685 and probate records beginning in 1686.

This town project is part of the much larger American History & Genealogy Project or better known by the abbreviation of AHGP. The project has been in existence online since 2000 and over the years has been spread out across the web. These pages are an attempt to consolidate it under one website of the larger project.

Wareham History

  • Agawam Tribe – Access Genealogy
    The Agawam Indians, also known as Agawom, were a significant group in southern New England, particularly in Massachusetts. The most notable tribe was located in Ipswich, which was sold in 1638 and part of the Pennacook confederacy, though it faced near extinction by 1658. A second band existed near Springfield, sold in 1635, while a third tribe near Wareham was subject to the Wampanoag and participated in the 1621 plot against the English. Despite their decline, remnants of the Agawam persisted into the early 18th century.
  • History of Wareham Massachusetts – Access Genealogy
    An historical sketch about Wareham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts as abstracted from the Plymouth County Directory and Historical Register of 1867. Includes a list of the men from Wareham who gave their life during the Revolutionary War.
  • Church History of Wareham Massachusetts

Wareham Genealogy Records

Wareham Biography and Genealogy

  • Genealogy of Edward A. Gammons of Wareham, MA
    Edward A. Gammons, born January 15, 1842, in South Wareham, MA, hails from a lineage rooted in English origin, with family records spanning several New England towns. His father, William Gammons, worked in local mills, and Edward began his career early, alternating work at sea and in the mills. Serving in the Civil War, he later became a prominent banker, dedicating nearly thirty years to the National Bank of Wareham. He married Mary Bowman Billings, and they had three children, continuing the family’s legacy in Wareham.
  • Biographical Sketch of Deacon Ebenezer Hamlin
    Deacon Ebenezer Hamlin, born on July 29, 1674, was the eighth child of James and Mary Hamlin. He lived on the family farm at Coggins Pond before moving to Rochester, Massachusetts, around his second marriage. A founding member of the Wareham church, he served as deacon from 1740 until his dismissal to Sharon, Connecticut, in 1742. He passed away on April 8, 1755, and in his will, he left funds for local worship. He had six children with his first wife, Sarah Lewis.
  • Biographical Sketch of Isaac Hamlin
    Isaac Hamlin, born on July 1, 1714, was the sixth child of Deacon Ebenezer and Sarah Hamlin. He moved to Wareham, Massachusetts, where he and his wife were founding members of the local church. After several relocations, including to Sharon and later Lenox, Massachusetts, he became involved in local commerce by owning a share in the Sharon Iron Works and establishing a mill in Lenox. Isaac married Mary Gibbs in 1737, and they had nine children, contributing to the community’s growth and development.
  • Knowles Family of New Bedford, MA
    Henry M. Knowles, son of Capt. John P. and Susan (Crosby) Knowles was born Dec. 14, 1842, in New Bedford, Mass. In 1864 he located in the practice of medicine in Wareham, Mass. In 1865 Mr. Knowles was married to Lucretia Bourne, of Wareham, Mass., and they had three children. After an experience of three years in his profession he discontinued it, removed to Cleveland, Ohio, and there entered upon a business career.
  • Ancestry of Nathaniel Reynolds Packard, 2d of Brockton Massachusetts
    Nathaniel Reynolds Packard (1833-1908) worked with his father in the latter’s wheelwright shop in Easton, where he continued until of age, going then to Wareham, Massachusetts, and working as a millwright for some time.
  • Stetson Family of Bridgewater, MA
    Nahum Stetson, son of Captain Abisha Stetson, was born in East Bridgewater Aug. 21, 1807. In 1846 he took the Parker Mills (Tremont Iron Works), in Wareham, and was agent, treasurer and clerk as long as these mills remained in operation.
  • Descendants of Samuel Sturtevant
    Samuel Sturtevant, the family’s immigrant ancestor, settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, by 1642 and married Ann in 1643. Some of his descendants settled in Wareham, Massachusetts.
  • Descendants of William Swift of Sandwich, MA
    Two of William Swift’s daughters married into families of Wareham. Joan Swift, daughter of Joseph and Mercy Swift of Sandwich and born 4 Dec 1713, married in 1743 Joseph Glover of Wareham. Rebecca Phillips Swift, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Ellis of Sandwich and born 18 Jun 1791, married Samuel Savery of Wareham.
  • Biographical Sketch of Samuel Thomas Wellman
    Samuel Thomas Wellman (1847-1930) was a prominent mechanical engineer born in Wareham, Massachusetts. Educated at Norwich University, he served as a corporal in the American Civil War. Wellman significantly contributed to the steel industry by building the first commercial open hearth furnace in the U.S. He founded the Wellman, Seaver Engineering Co. and held leadership roles in various engineering societies and companies, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His inventions revolutionized steel production and he remained active in professional organizations throughout his life.
1832 Map of Wareham Massachusetts
1832 Map of Wareham Massachusetts

Back to: Plymouth County Massachusetts History & Genealogy Project
Back to: Massachusetts History & Genealogy Project