MA: Individual County Chronologies

BARNSTABLE created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony. (Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19)

BARNSTABLE 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)

BARNSTABLE lost town of Rochester to PLYMOUTH. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 60 [1707]/p. 755)

Boundary between BARNSTABLE and PLYMOUTH 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)

BERKSHIRE created from HAMPSHIRE; BERKSHIRE included a small area of present New York. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 33 [1760-1761], sec. 1/p. 432)

BERKSHIRE lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Worthington was created from Plantation #3. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 16 [1768], sec. 1/p. 1028)

BERKSHIRE lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Cummington was created from Plantation #5. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 5, ch. 6 [1779-1780], sec. 1/pp. 1072-1073)

BERKSHIRE lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Middlefield was created from towns of Worthington, Chester, Partridgefield (now Peru), Becket, Washington, and Prescott's Grant (now Middlefield). (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 19, sec. 1/p. 228)

BERKSHIRE lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Rowe was created from the Myrifield Grant and non-town territory. (Mass. Acts 1785, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 230)

BERKSHIRE lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Hawley gained from Plantation #7. (Mass. Acts 1793, ch. 18, sec. 1/p. 242)

BERKSHIRE lost to FRANKLIN when town of Monroe was created from town of Rowe and non-town area called the Gore. (Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 93, sec. 1/p. 707)

BERKSHIRE lost to FRANKLIN when towns of Charlemont and Rowe gained from town of Zoar. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 344 and ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 345)

Boundary between BERKSHIRE and HAMPDEN was clarified when line between towns of Sandisfield and Tolland was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1853, ch. 293/p. 535)

BERKSHIRE lost to COLUMBIA (N.Y.) when New York acquired the southwestern corner of Massachusetts, known as Boston Corner. (Pratt, 2:223; Van Zandt, 70, 76)

Boundary between BERKSHIRE and HAMPDEN was redefined when line between towns of Sandisfield and Tolland was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1855, ch. 358, sec. 1/p. 755)

BRISTOL created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony; BRISTOL included part of present Rhode Island. (Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19)

BRISTOL 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)

[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)

[17 February 1746/1747] BRISTOL lost to NEWPORT (R.I.) and PROVIDENCE (R.I.), and lost to creation of BRISTOL (R.I.) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts. BRISTOL still included part of present Rhode Island. (Arnold, 2:157; R. I. Recs., 5:207-209)

Boundary between BRISTOL and NORFOLK was clarified when line between towns of Attleborough and Wrentham was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 48/p. 319)

Boundary between BRISTOL and PLYMOUTH 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)

BRISTOL gained from NEWPORT (R.I.) and lost to PROVIDENCE (R.I.) when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U. S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean; BRISTOL eliminated from Rhode Island. (Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts 1861, ch. 379/pp. 4-6; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68)

Boundary between BRISTOL and PLYMOUTH 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)

CUMBERLAND (Me.) created by Massachusetts from YORK (Me.). (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 7 [1760-1761], secs. 1, 2, 6/pp. 372-374)

CUMBERLAND (Me.) was extended northward to the Atlantic watershed when King George III created the new royal province of Quebec, which was bounded on the south by the watershed between the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. This implicitly set the northern limit of Maine. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 1, 77; Shortt and Doughty, 119-120)

CUMBERLAND (Me.) gained from YORK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1786, ch. 18, sec. 1/p. 407)

CUMBERLAND (Me.) gained from YORK (Me.), lost to KENNEBEC (Me.), and lost to creation of OXFORD (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1805, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/pp. 573-574)

CUMBERLAND (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; CUMBERLAND became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

Massachusetts claimed some of the Duke of York's territory in present Maine and created DEVONSHIRE (extinct). County was unnamed until 27 May 1674. (Mass. Recs., 5:16; Reid, Maine, 138; Williamson, 1:443)

Following the Treaty of Westminster (9 February 1673/1674) that ended the Anglo-Dutch war and restored New York to the English, King Charles II regranted to the Duke of York the territory he had granted on 12 March 1663/1664, including the area between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers in present Maine and part of Quebec, Canada. Massachusetts's DEVONSHIRE (extinct) continued to operate for settlements in present Maine situated east of the Kennebec River, although they were within the formally defined jurisdiction of New York's CORNWALL (N.Y., extinct). (Parry, 13:136; Swindler, 4:282; Williamson, 1:446)

DEVONSHIRE (extinct) was apparently eliminated when war broke out between the Abnaki Indians and the English in present Maine. New York's CORNWALL (N.Y., extinct) also ceased to exist. (Williamson, 1:446)

DUKES (N.Y., extinct) created by New York, in present Massachusetts, from the Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Island. (N.Y. Col. Laws, ch. 4/1:122)

DUKES (N.Y., extinct) was eliminated when King William III and Queen Mary II issued a new charter for the province of Massachusetts Bay; Massachusetts Bay Colony now included Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket Island, and the Elizabeth Islands. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

DUKES created from non-county area in Massachusetts Bay Colony (Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands). (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 7 [1695-1696]/p. 216)

ESSEX created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

ESSEX gained small area (15 acres) from MIDDLESEX when town of Andover gained from town of Billerica [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 1:333)

ESSEX gained towns of Amesbury, Haverhill, and Salisbury from NORFOLK (original) when King Charles II made New Hampshire a royal colony separate from Massachusetts; NORFOLK (original) eliminated. (Swindler, 6:322; Van Zandt, 61)

ESSEX continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

ESSEX gained from SUFFOLK when town of Saugus gained from town of Chelsea. (Mass. Acts 1841, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 350)

ESSEX lost small area to MIDDLESEX when town of Reading gained from town of Lynnfield. (Mass. Acts 1854, ch. 246, sec. 1/p. 163)

ESSEX lost to MIDDLESEX when town of North Reading gained from town of Lynnfield. (Mass. Acts 1857, ch. 238, sec. 1/p. 572; Mass. Sec. Comm., 41)

Boundary between ESSEX and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Tewkesbury and Andover was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1903, ch. 373, sec. 1/p. 343)

Boundary between ESSEX and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of North Andover and North Reading was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 149, sec. 1/p. 98)

Boundary between ESSEX and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of North Reading and Andover was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 250, sec. 1/p. 213)

Boundary between ESSEX and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Lynnfield and Reading was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1905, ch. 361, sec. 1/p. 286)

ESSEX lost small area to MIDDLESEX when town of Wakefield gained from town of Saugus [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1933_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1933, ch. 298, sec. 1/p. 453; Mass. Sec. Comm., 59)

ESSEX exchanged small areas with MIDDLESEX when town of Lynnfield exchanged with town of Reading. (Mass. Acts 1947, ch. 243, sec. 1/p. 222)

FRANKLIN created from HAMPSHIRE. (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 467)

FRANKLIN lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Athol gained from town of Orange. (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 62/p. 71)

FRANKLIN lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Prescott (extinct) was created from towns of Pelham and New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 614)

FRANKLIN gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Monroe was created from town of Rowe and non-town area called the Gore. (Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 93, sec. 1/p. 707)

FRANKLIN lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 33/p. 300)

FRANKLIN lost to WORCESTER when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 80, sec. 1/p. 70)

FRANKLIN gained from BERKSHIRE when towns of Charlemont and Rowe gained from town of Zoar. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 344 and ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 345)

Boundary between FRANKLIN and HAMPSHIRE was clarified when line between towns of Williamsburg and Whately was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1849, ch. 3/p. 198)

Boundary between FRANKLIN and WORCESTER was redefined in part when line between towns of New Salem and Prescott (extinct) was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 340, sec. 1/p. 310)

FRANKLIN gained from HAMPSHIRE when town of New Salem gained from towns of Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott were disincorporated when Quabbin Reservoir was created in the Swift River Valley. (Mass. Acts 1927, ch. 321, sec. 1/p. 384; Mass. Acts 1938, ch. 240, sec. 1/p. 188; Mass. Sec. Comm., 48)

HAMPDEN created from HAMPSHIRE. (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 137/p. 291)

HAMPDEN exchanged narrow strips with TOLLAND (Conn.) when an irregularity in the state boundary was straightened [not mapped]. (Bowen, Disputes, 66; Hooker, 28)

HAMPDEN gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Palmer gained from town of Western (now Warren). (Mass. Acts 1831, ch. 37/p. 545)

Boundary between HAMPDEN and BERKSHIRE was clarified when line between towns of Sandisfield and Tolland was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1853, ch. 293/p. 535)

HAMPDEN lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Norwich (now Huntington) gained from towns of Chester and Blandford. (Mass. Acts 1853, ch. 421, sec. 1/p. 639)

Boundary between HAMPDEN and BERKSHIRE was redefined when line between towns of Sandisfield and Tolland was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1855, ch. 358, sec. 1/p. 755)

HAMPDEN gained from HAMPSHIRE when town of Holyoke gained from town of Northampton. (Mass. Acts 1909, ch. 480, sec. 1/p. 498)

Boundary between HAMPDEN and HAMPSHIRE was redefined in part when line between towns of Ware and Palmer was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1910, ch. 471, sec. 1/p. 422)

HAMPSHIRE created from Non-County Area 1 (towns of Springfield, Northampton, Hadley, and all territory within 30 miles), effectively covering the entire western part of the province. (Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 2:52)

HAMPSHIRE gained from non-county area in Connecticut when the town of Westfield (now Southwick) was created from the town of Springfield. Part of Westfield extended into Connecticut, the result of disagreement over the line between Connecticut and Massachusetts. (Bowen, Disputes, 53-58; Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 2:432)

HAMPSHIRE gained non-county area in Connecticut when the town of Suffield was created. Suffield was entirely within present Connecticut, the result of uncertain geographical knowledge and disagreement over the boundary between the colonies. (Bowen, Disputes, 53-58; Mass. Recs., 5:13)

HAMPSHIRE gained non-county area in Connecticut when the town of Enfield was created. Most of Enfield was in present Connecticut, the result of uncertain geographical knowledge and disagreement over the boundary between the colonies. (Bowen, Disputes, 53-58; Mass. Recs., 5:410-411)

HAMPSHIRE continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

HAMPSHIRE lost to creation of WORCESTER. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 8 [1730-1731], sec. 1/p. 584)

[16 January 1741/1742] HAMPSHIRE lost to WORCESTER when town of Western (now Warren) was created from towns of Brookfield, Brimfield, and Kingsfield. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 17 [1741-1742], sec. 2/p. 1088)

HAMPSHIRE lost the towns of Enfield, Somers (formerly part of Enfield), and Suffield to Connecticut when Connecticut responded to the towns' request for annexation and extended jurisdiction over the area south of the 1713 provincial line. HAMPSHIRE continued to control a small part of Southwick that extended into Connecticut. (Bowen, Disputes, 62; Hooker, 22, 26)

HAMPSHIRE boundaries were redefined to cover all territory west of the Connecticut River [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 3, ch. 27 [1752-1753]/p. 656)

Boundary between HAMPSHIRE and WORCESTER was adjusted when the dispute between the towns of Greenwich (extinct) and Hardwick was settled [no discernible change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 15, ch. 51 [1756-1757]/p. 550)

HAMPSHIRE lost to creation of BERKSHIRE. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 33 [1760-1761], sec. 1/p. 432)

HAMPSHIRE lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Western (now Warren) gained from town of Palmer. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 17, ch. 14 [1764-1765]/p. 516)

HAMPSHIRE gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Greenwich (extinct) gained from town of Hardwick. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 17, ch. 218 [1764-1765]/p. 603)

HAMPSHIRE gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Worthington was created from Plantation #3. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 16 [1768], sec. 1/p. 1028)

HAMPSHIRE lost to HARTFORD (Conn.) when Connecticut unilaterally took over part of the town of Southwick that extended south of the 1713 provincial boundary. (Bowen, Disputes, 65; Hooker, 25)

HAMPSHIRE gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Cummington was created from Plantation #5. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 5, ch. 6 [1779-1780], sec. 1/pp. 1072-1073)

HAMPSHIRE gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Middlefield was created from towns of Worthington, Chester, Partridgefield (now Peru), Becket, Washington, and Prescott's Grant (now Middlefield). (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 19, sec. 1/p. 228)

HAMPSHIRE gained from WORCESTER when town of Orange was created from towns of Athol and Royalston. (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 38)

HAMPSHIRE gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Rowe was created from the Myrifield Grant and non-town territory. (Mass. Acts 1785, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 230)

HAMPSHIRE gained from BERKSHIRE when town of Hawley gained from Plantation #7. (Mass. Acts 1793, ch. 18, sec. 1/p. 242)

HAMPSHIRE lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Western (now Warren) gained from town of Palmer to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Temple, 10)

HAMPSHIRE lost to WORCESTER when town of Dana (extinct) was created from towns of Greenwich (extinct), Hardwick, and Petersham. (Mass. Acts 1801, ch. 14, sec. 1/p. 453)

HAMPSHIRE gained from HARTFORD (Conn.) when Massachusetts gained part of the town of Southwick (the "Southwick Jog") that lay south of the Connecticut boundary and that had been annexed from Massachusetts in 1774. (Hooker, 25-26; Van Zandt, 69)

HAMPSHIRE lost to creation of FRANKLIN. (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 467)

HAMPSHIRE lost to creation of HAMPDEN. (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 137/p. 291)

HAMPSHIRE gained from FRANKLIN when town of Prescott (extinct) was created from towns of Pelham and New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 614)

HAMPSHIRE gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Ware gained from town of Western (now Warren). (Mass. Acts 1823, ch. 76/p. 114)

Boundary between HAMPSHIRE and FRANKLIN was clarified when line between towns of Williamsburg and Whately was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1849, ch. 3/p. 198)

HAMPSHIRE gained from HAMPDEN when town of Norwich (now Huntington) gained from towns of Chester and Blandford. (Mass. Acts 1853, ch. 421, sec. 1/p. 639)

HAMPSHIRE lost to HAMPDEN when town of Holyoke gained from town of Northampton. (Mass. Acts 1909, ch. 480, sec. 1/p. 498)

Boundary between HAMPSHIRE and HAMPDEN was redefined in part when line between towns of Ware and Palmer was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1910, ch. 471, sec. 1/p. 422)

HAMPSHIRE lost to FRANKLIN when town of New Salem gained from towns of Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott; HAMPSHIRE lost to WORCESTER when town of Petersham gained from towns of Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott, and when town of Hardwick gained from Greenwich. Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott were disincorporated when Quabbin Reservoir was created in the Swift River Valley. (Mass. Acts 1927, ch. 321, sec. 1/p. 384; Mass. Acts 1938, ch. 240, sec. 1/p. 188; Mass. Sec. Comm., 48)

HANCOCK (Me.) created by Massachusetts from LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1789, ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 25)

HANCOCK (Me.) lost to LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1790, ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 81)

Boundary between HANCOCK (Me.) and KENNEBEC (Me.) was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1799, ch. 39, sec. 1/p. 275)

HANCOCK (Me.) gained from SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 36/p. 430)

HANCOCK (Me.) gained from SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 4/p. 7)

HANCOCK (Me.) lost to SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1813, ch. 85/p. 157)

HANCOCK (Me.) lost to creation of PENOBSCOT (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 121, sec. 1/p. 156)

HANCOCK (Me.) lost to PENOBSCOT (Me.) when town of Hampden gained from town of Frankfurt and town of Orrington gained from town of Buckstown (now Bucksport). (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 13, sec. 1/p. 195 and ch. 14/p. 196)

HANCOCK (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; HANCOCK became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

HARTFORD (Conn.) gained from HAMPSHIRE when Connecticut unilaterally took over a small part of the town of Southwick that extended south of the 1713 provincial boundary. HARTFORD included a small area of Massachusetts. (Bowen, Disputes, 65; Hooker, 25)

HARTFORD (Conn.) lost the town of Colchester to NEW LONDON (Conn.); area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 5:220, 281, 378, 384)

HARTFORD (Conn.) lost to creation of MIDDLESEX (Conn.); area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 6:10-11)

HARTFORD (Conn.) lost to creation of TOLLAND (Conn.); area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 6:93)

HARTFORD (Conn.) lost to TOLLAND (Conn.) when town of Bolton gained from town of East Windsor; area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 7:62)

HARTFORD (Conn.) gained town of Hartland from LITCHFIELD (Conn.), lost to NEW HAVEN (Conn.) when town of Wolcott was created from towns of Southington and Waterbury; area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 8:372-373)

HARTFORD (Conn.) gained from NEW HAVEN (Conn.) when town of Berlin gained from town of Wallingford; area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. St. Recs., 9:284-285)

HARTFORD (Conn.) gained from NEW LONDON (Conn.) and TOLLAND (Conn.) when the town of Marlborough was created from towns of Colchester, Glastonbury, and Hebron; area in Massachusetts was unchanged. (Conn. Spec. Acts 1803, 2:1157-1158)

HARTFORD (Conn.) lost part of the town of Southwick (the "Southwick Jog") to HAMPSHIRE when the state boundary was adjusted; HARTFORD eliminated from Massachusetts. (Hooker, 25-26; Van Zandt, 69)

KENNEBEC (Me.) created by Massachusetts from LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1799, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 257)

Boundary between KENNEBEC (Me.) and HANCOCK (Me.) was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1799, ch. 39, sec. 1/p. 275)

KENNEBEC (Me.) gained from CUMBERLAND (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1805, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/pp. 573-574)

KENNEBEC (Me.) lost to OXFORD (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1808, ch. 97/p. 323)

KENNEBEC (Me.) lost to creation of SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1809, ch. 62, sec. 1/p. 459)

Boundary between KENNEBEC (Me.) and LINCOLN (Me.) was redefined in part when line between the towns of Gardiner and Litchfield was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1810, ch. 108/p. 194)

KENNEBEC (Me.) lost to LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 290)

KENNEBEC (Me.) exchanged with LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 160/p. 309)

KENNEBEC (Me.) gained from SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1813, ch. 108/p. 179)

KENNEBEC (Me.) lost to OXFORD (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1814, ch. 79/pp. 316-317)

KENNEBEC (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; KENNEBEC became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

LINCOLN (Me.) created by Massachusetts from YORK (Me.). (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 7 [1760-1761], secs. 1, 2, 6/pp. 372-374)

LINCOLN (Me.) was extended northward to the Atlantic watershed when King George III created the new royal province of Quebec, which was bounded on the south by the watershed between the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. This implicitly set the northern limit of Maine. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 1, 77; Shortt and Doughty, 119-120)

LINCOLN (Me.) lost to creation of HANCOCK (Me.) and WASHINGTON (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1789, ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 25)

LINCOLN (Me.) gained from HANCOCK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1790, ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 81)

LINCOLN (Me.) lost to creation of KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1799, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 257)

Boundary between LINCOLN (Me.) and KENNEBEC (Me.) was redefined in part when the line between towns of Gardiner and Litchfield was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1810, ch. 108/p. 194)

LINCOLN (Me.) gained from KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 290)

LINCOLN (Me.) exchanged with KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 160/p. 309)

LINCOLN (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; LINCOLN became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

Massachusetts reasserted authority over all of Maine west of the Kennebec River, an area that had been put under royal government in June 1665. YORK (formerly called YORKSHIRE) was reinstated. (Farnham, 7:317)

Massachusetts, relying on a new survey of its northern limit and responding to the Dutch capture of New York in August 1673, claimed some of the Duke of York's grant east of the Kennebec River in present Maine (including the Pemaquid settlement) and created an unnamed county that on 27 May 1675 was named DEVONSHIRE (Mass., extinct). This unnamed county overlapped part of CORNWALL (N.Y., extinct), but the Duke of York did not recognize the Massachusetts claim. (Mass. Recs., 5:16; Reid, Maine, 138; Williamson, 1:443)

[15 March 1677/1678] Massachusetts purchased the proprietary rights granted in 1635 to Ferdinando Gorges, an attempt to legitimatize the extension of its jurisdiction northeastward to the Kennebec River in present New Hampshire and Maine. (Farnham, 7:350)

[17 March 1679/1680] YORK (Me.) eliminated when Massachusetts organized a new government for Maine (area between the Piscataqua and Kennebec Rivers) in accordance with terms of Ferdinando Gorges's 1635 grant. (Farnham, 7:356; Williamson, 1:556, 563)

King William III and Queen Mary II issued a new charter for the province of Massachusetts Bay. The new charter included the former colonies of Maine (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers), Acadia (now Nova Scotia), and all remaining territory of present Maine between Acadia and the Kennebec River. This legitimized Massachusetts control of Maine. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

[4 March 1628/1629] King Charles I chartered the Massachusetts Bay Company to establish a colony in the territory stretching from three miles north of the Merrimack River ("to the Northward of any and every Parte thereof") to three miles south of the Charles River and extending westward from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific Ocean. The northern limit was in dispute and Massachusetts claimed a line three miles north of the source of the Merrimack River, which would have included part of present New Hampshire and Maine. Map depicts the modern northern and western limits of Massachusetts. (Andrews, 1:359; Paullin, 26, pl. 42; Swindler, 5:32-42)

Massachusetts created four original counties: ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, NORFOLK (original, extinct), and SUFFOLK. Non-County Area 1 was created in western Massachusetts. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

King William III and Queen Mary II issued a new charter for the province of Massachusetts Bay, extending its boundaries to encompass New Plymouth Colony; Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard; and the former colonies of Maine (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers); Acadia (now Nova Scotia); and all remaining territory of present Maine between Acadia and the Kennebec River. Map depicts non-county area in Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

Non-county area in Massachusetts Bay Colony lost to creation of DUKES and NANTUCKET. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 7 [1695-1696]/p. 216)

YORK (Me.) gained all Massachusetts territory between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers in present Maine; non-county area of Massachusetts in present Maine was eliminated. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 9, ch. 75 [1716-1717]/p. 485)

MIDDLESEX created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

MIDDLESEX lost small area (15 acres) to ESSEX when town of Andover gained from town of Billerica [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 1:333)

MIDDLESEX continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

MIDDLESEX lost to creation of WORCESTER. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 8 [1730-1731], sec. 1/p. 584)

MIDDLESEX exchanged with WORCESTER when town of Harvard was created from towns of Groton, Lancaster, and Stow. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 4 [1732-1733], sec. 1/p. 644)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Upton was created from town of Hopkinton. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 11 [1735-1736], sec. 1/p. 764)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Ashby was created from towns of Fitchburg and Ashburnham [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1767_pt. for location]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 15 [1766-1767]/p. 908)

MIDDLESEX gained from WORCESTER when town of Boxborough gained from town of Harvard. (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 8, sec. 1/p. 214)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Berlin was created from towns of Marlborough, Northborough, and Bolton. (Mass. Acts 1784, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 98)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Southborough gained from town of Framingham [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1786_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1786, ch. 21, sec. 1/p. 410)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was redefined in part when the boundary between towns of Medway and Sherburne was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1792, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 155)

MIDDLESEX gained from WORCESTER when town of Ashby gained from town of Ashburnham. (Mass. Acts 1792, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 224)

MIDDLESEX exchanged with NORFOLK when town of Natick exchanged with town of Needham. (Mass. Acts 1797, ch. 22, sec. 1/p. 142)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Northborough gained from town of Marlborough. (Mass. Acts 1807, p. 52)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Upton gained from town of Hopkinton to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1808, ch. 106, sec. 1/p. 336)

MIDDLESEX lost small area (one acre) to WORCESTER when town of Bolton gained from town of Marlborough to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1829, ch. 47/p. 72)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Ashby gained from town of Fitchburg to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]; MIDDLESEX exchanged with NORFOLK when town of Holliston gained from town of Medway. (Mass. Acts 1829, ch. 125/p. 200 and ch. 133/p. 209)

MIDDLESEX exchanged with WORCESTER when towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, and Milford exchanged territory. (Mass. Acts 1835, ch. 72/p. 382)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined in part when line between towns of Marlborough and Bolton was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 36/p. 330)

MIDDLESEX lost to NORFOLK when town of Roxbury gained from town of Newton. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 167, sec. 1/p. 481)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from WORCESTER when town of Marlborough gained from town of Southborough to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1843, ch. 89, sec. 1/p. 53)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined in part when line between towns of Shirley and Lunenburg was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1846, ch. 74/p. 35)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined in part when line between towns of Shirley and Lunenburg was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1848, ch. 194, sec. 1/p. 708)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from ESSEX when town of Reading gained from town of Lynnfield. (Mass. Acts 1854, ch. 246, sec. 1/p. 163)

MIDDLESEX gained from ESSEX when town of North Reading gained from town of Lynnfield. (Mass. Acts 1857, ch. 238, sec. 1/p. 572; Mass. Sec. Comm., 41)

MIDDLESEX lost small area to WORCESTER when town of Milford gained from town of Holliston. (Mass. Acts 1859, ch. 149/p. 312)

MIDDLESEX gained from WORCESTER when town of Hudson gained from town of Bolton. (Mass. Acts 1868, ch. 79, sec. 1/p. 62)

MIDDLESEX lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained all of Brighton and Charlestown. (Mass. Acts 1873, ch. 286, sec. 1/p. 716, ch. 303, sec. 1/p. 747, and ch. 314, sec. 1/p. 810)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1874_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 277, sec. 1/p. 189)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from SUFFOLK when Newton gained from Boston [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1875_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1875, ch. 184, sec. 1/p. 773)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Somerville was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1891_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1891, ch. 294, sec. 1/p. 856)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line through the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge was adjusted [not mapped], and line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 242, sec. 1/p. 178 and ch. 243/p. 179)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 431, sec. 1/p. 376)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined when line between towns of Marlborough and Southborough was redefined [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1901, ch. 393, sec. 1/p. 306)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and ESSEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Tewkesbury and Andover was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1903, ch. 373, sec. 1/p. 343)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and ESSEX was redefined in part when line between towns of North Andover and North Reading was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 149, sec. 1/p. 98)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and ESSEX was redefined in part when line between towns of North Reading and Andover was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 250, sec. 1/p. 213)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined in part when line between towns of Berlin and Hudson was redefined [no change], and when line between towns of Marlborough and Berlin was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1905_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1905, ch. 357, sec. 1/p. 283 and ch. 358, sec. 1/p. 284)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and ESSEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Lynnfield and Reading was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1905, ch. 361, sec. 1/p. 286)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from WORCESTER when towns of Boxborough and Littleton gained from town of Harvard [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1906_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1906, ch. 483, sec. 1/p. 654 and ch. 484, sec. 1/p. 655)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and NORFOLK was redefined in part when line between towns of Newton and Brookline was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1907, ch. 249, sec. 1/p. 194)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and WORCESTER was redefined in part when town of Hopkinton's boundary with towns of Milford and Upton was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1907, ch. 423, sec. 1 and ch. 424, sec. 1/pp. 362-363)

Boundary between MIDDLESEX and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line in the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1910, ch. 312, sec. 1/p. 239)

MIDDLESEX gained small area from ESSEX when town of Wakefield gained from town of Saugus [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1933_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1933, ch. 298, sec. 1/p. 453; Mass. Sec. Comm., 59)

MIDDLESEX exchanged small areas with ESSEX when town of Lynnfield exchanged with town of Reading. (Mass. Acts 1947, ch. 243, sec. 1/p. 222)

NANTUCKET created from non-county area in Massachusetts Bay Colony (Nantucket Island). (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 7 [1695-1696]/p. 216)

[13 January 1629/1630] The Council for New England (chartered to establish colonies between 40 degrees and 48 degrees north latitude) issued a new land patent (the "Old Charter") that granted land title and trading rights, but no powers of government, to New Plymouth Colony for the area east of Narragansett Bay and south of a line from the Pawtucket (now Blackstone) River to the mouth of the Cohasset River. New Plymouth Colony included part of present Rhode Island. (Andrews, 1:295; Paullin, 28, pl. 43A; Swindler, 5:28)

New Plymouth Colony lost to Rhode Island Colony when King Charles II granted Rhode Island a charter as a self-governing corporate colony. New Plymouth Colony still included part of present Rhode Island. (Bowen, Disputes, 33; Swindler, 8:368)

New Plymouth Colony gained from SUFFOLK and Rhode Island Colony when a joint commission from Massachusetts and Plymouth demarcated their mutual boundary ("Old Colony Line"). (Bradford, 427 n.)

[27 February 1664/1665] New Plymouth Colony gained from Rhode Island Colony when royal boundary commissioners set Rhode Island's eastern limit along the Blackstone River and the east coast of Narragansett Bay, pending a conclusive royal decision. (Arnold, 1:315)

New Plymouth Colony created three original counties: BARNSTABLE, BRISTOL, and PLYMOUTH to cover all non-county area in New Plymouth. (Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19)

[17 February 1746/1747] NEWPORT (R.I.) gained from BRISTOL when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts; NEWPORT included part of present Massachusetts. (Arnold, 2:157; R. I. Recs., 5:207-209)

NEWPORT (R.I.) lost to BRISTOL when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U.S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean. (Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts 1861, ch. 379/pp. 4-6; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68)

Non-County Area 1 in Massachusetts colony was unsettled, unorganized area covering the western half of the province. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

Non-County Area 1 lost all territory to creation of HAMPSHIRE; Non-County Area 1 eliminated. (Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 2:52)

NORFOLK (original, extinct) created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts; NORFOLK included territory in Massachusetts and the New Hampshire settlements. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

NORFOLK (original, extinct) was eliminated when King Charles II made New Hampshire a royal colony separate from Massachusetts. (Swindler, 6:322; Van Zandt, 61)

NORFOLK created from SUFFOLK. (Mass. Acts 1793, ch. 43, sec. 1/p. 272 and ch. 9, sec. 1/p. 314)

NORFOLK exchanged with MIDDLESEX when town of Natick exchanged with town of Needham. (Mass. Acts 1797, ch. 22, sec. 1/p. 142)

NORFOLK lost small strip to PLYMOUTH when town of Bridgewater gained from town of Stoughton [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1798, ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 164)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained from Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1804, ch. 45, sec. 1/p. 412)

NORFOLK gained small area from PLYMOUTH 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)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted when the line between Boston and Brookline was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1825_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1825, ch. 90/p. 73)

NORFOLK exchanged with MIDDLESEX when town of Holliston gained from town of Medway. (Mass. Acts 1829, ch. 125/p. 200 and ch. 133/p. 209)

Boundary between NORFOLK and BRISTOL was clarified when line between towns of Attleborough and Wrentham was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 48/p. 319)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained Thompson Island from Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1834, ch. 102/p. 129)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was redefined when line between Boston and Roxbury was redefined [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 37/p. 681)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted slightly when line through water between Roxbury and Boston was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 202, sec. 1/p. 222)

NORFOLK gained from MIDDLESEX when town of Roxbury gained from town of Newton. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 167, sec. 1/p. 481)

NORFOLK lost small area to PLYMOUTH 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)

Boundary between NORFOLK and PLYMOUTH was clarified in part when line between towns of Weymouth and Abington was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1847, ch. 138/p. 391)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line through water between Boston and Roxbury was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1850, ch. 281, sec. 1/p. 460)

NORFOLK lost small area to SUFFOLK when Boston gained from Dorchester [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1855_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1855, ch. 468, sec. 1/p. 907)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted slightly when line along streets between Boston and Roxbury was shifted to sides of streets from centerlines [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1860, ch. 172, sec. 1/p. 138)

Boundary between NORFOLK and PLYMOUTH was clarified in part when boundary between towns of Abington and Randolph was clarified [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1861, ch. 86/p. 390)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained all of Roxbury. (Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 359, sec. 1/p. 754)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained all of Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1869, ch. 349, sec. 1/p. 646)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted slightly when line along streets between Boston and West Roxbury was shifted from one side to the other [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1870, ch. 146, sec. 1/pp. 21, 95)

NORFOLK lost small area to SUFFOLK when Boston gained from Brookline [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1870, ch. 374, sec. 1/p. 290)

NORFOLK exchanged small areas with WORCESTER when town of Bellingham exchanged with town of Mendon. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 69, sec. 1/p. 57)

NORFOLK lost small area to SUFFOLK when Boston gained Mt. Hope Cemetery from town of West Roxbury [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1872_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 197, sec. 1/p. 143)

NORFOLK exchanged small areas with SUFFOLK when Boston exchanged with Brookline [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1872_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 267, sec. 1/p. 210)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained West Roxbury. (Mass. Acts 1873, ch. 286, sec. 1/p. 716, ch. 303, sec. 1/p. 747, and ch. 314, sec. 1/p. 810)

NORFOLK lost small area to SUFFOLK when Boston gained from Brookline. (Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 220, sec. 1/p. 143)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Brookline was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1890_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1890, ch. 339, sec. 1/p. 299)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted slightly when line between northern Brookline and Boston was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1894, ch. 242, sec. 1/p. 219)

Boundary between NORFOLK and PLYMOUTH was adjusted when line between towns of Cohasset and Hingham was adjusted [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 330, sec. 1/p. 318)

Boundary between NORFOLK and SUFFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Hyde Park was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 251, sec. 1/p. 185)

Boundary between NORFOLK and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Newton and Brookline was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1907, ch. 249, sec. 1/p. 194)

NORFOLK lost to SUFFOLK when Boston gained all of Hyde Park. (Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 469, sec. 1/p. 450 and ch. 583, sec. 1/p. 600)

Boundary between NORFOLK and PLYMOUTH was adjusted when line between towns of Hingham and Cohasset was adjusted [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1928, ch. 160, sec. 1/p. 184)

OXFORD (Me.) created by Massachusetts from CUMBERLAND (Me.) and YORK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1805, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/pp. 573-574)

OXFORD (Me.) gained from KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1808, ch. 97/p. 323)

OXFORD (Me.) gained from KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1814, ch. 79/pp. 316-317)

OXFORD (Me.) lost to SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1819, ch. 41, sec. 1/p. 71)

OXFORD (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; OXFORD became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

Massachusetts, responding to a request from disgruntled Rhode Islanders, extended its jurisdiction over the settlement at Pawtuxet. (Arnold, 1:111)

The Pawtuxet settlers, who gave their allegiance to Massachusetts in 1642, returned to Rhode Island jurisdiction. (Arnold, 1:267)

PENOBSCOT (Me.) created by Massachusetts from HANCOCK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 121, sec. 1/p. 156)

PENOBSCOT (Me.) gained from HANCOCK (Me.) when town of Hampden gained from town of Frankfurt and town of Orrington gained from town of Buckstown (now Bucksport). (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 13, sec. 1/p. 195 and ch. 14/p. 196)

PENOBSCOT (Me.) gained from SOMERSET (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1817, ch. 15/p. 398)

PENOBSCOT (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; PENOBSCOT became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

PLYMOUTH created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony. (Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19)

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)

PLYMOUTH gained town of Rochester from BARNSTABLE. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 60 [1707]/p. 755)

PLYMOUTH gained small non-county area between BRISTOL and PLYMOUTH [not mapped]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 76 [1708]/p. 767)

[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)

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)

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)

PLYMOUTH gained towns of Hingham and Hull from SUFFOLK. (Mass. Acts 1803, ch. 14, sec. 1/p. 246)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

SOMERSET (Me.) created by Massachusetts from KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1809, ch. 62, sec. 1/p. 459)

SOMERSET (Me.) lost to HANCOCK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 36/p. 430)

SOMERSET (Me.) lost to HANCOCK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 4/p. 7)

SOMERSET (Me.) gained from HANCOCK (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1813, ch. 85/p. 157)

SOMERSET (Me.) lost to KENNEBEC (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1813, ch. 108/p. 179)

SOMERSET (Me.) lost to PENOBSCOT (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1817, ch. 15/p. 398)

SOMERSET (Me.) gained from OXFORD (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1819, ch. 41, sec. 1/p. 71)

SOMERSET (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; SOMERSET became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

SUFFOLK created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts; SUFFOLK included territory in the northeast corner of present Rhode Island. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

SUFFOLK lost to Rhode Island Colony when King Charles II granted Rhode Island a charter as a self-governing corporate colony and defined its boundaries; SUFFOLK eliminated from Rhode Island. (Bowen, Disputes, 33; Swindler, 8:368)

SUFFOLK lost to New Plymouth Colony when a joint commission from Massachusetts and Plymouth demarcated their mutual boundary ("Old Colony Line"). (Bradford, 427 n.)

[27 February 1664/1665] SUFFOLK gained from Rhode Island Colony when royal commissioners set the provincial boundaries of Massachusetts, New Plymouth, and Rhode Island along the Blackstone River and the east side of Narragansett Bay, pending a conclusive royal decision. (Arnold, 1:315)

[15 March 1689/1690] SUFFOLK gained non-county area in Connecticut when Massachusetts created the town of Woodstock. Woodstock lay almost entirely within present Connecticut, the result of uncertain geographical knowledge and disagreement over the line between the two colonies. (Bowen, Disputes, 53-58; Bowen, Woodstock, 1:31)

SUFFOLK continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

[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)

SUFFOLK lost to creation of WORCESTER; SUFFOLK eliminated from Connecticut. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 8 [1730-1731], sec. 1/p. 584)

[17 February 1746/1747] SUFFOLK lost to PROVIDENCE (R.I.) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts; SUFFOLK eliminated from Rhode Island. (Arnold, 2:157; R. I. Recs., 5:207-209)

SUFFOLK lost small area to PLYMOUTH 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)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when the boundary between towns of Medway and Sherburne was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1792, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 155)

SUFFOLK lost to creation of NORFOLK. (Mass. Acts 1793, ch. 43, sec. 1/p. 272 and ch. 9, sec. 1/p. 314)

SUFFOLK lost towns of Hingham and Hull to PLYMOUTH. (Mass. Acts 1803, ch. 14, sec. 1/p. 246)

SUFFOLK gained from NORFOLK when Boston gained from Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1804, ch. 45, sec. 1/p. 412)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted when the line between Boston and Brookline was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1825_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1825, ch. 90/p. 73)

SUFFOLK gained from NORFOLK when Boston gained Thompson Island from Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1834, ch. 102/p. 129)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was redefined when line between Boston and Roxbury was redefined [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 37/p. 681)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted slightly when line through water between Roxbury and Boston was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 202, sec. 1/p. 222)

SUFFOLK lost to ESSEX when town of Saugus gained from town of Chelsea. (Mass. Acts 1841, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 350)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted when line through water between Boston and Roxbury was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1850, ch. 281, sec. 1/p. 460)

SUFFOLK gained small area from NORFOLK when Boston gained from Dorchester [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1855_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1855, ch. 468, sec. 1/p. 907)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted slightly when line along streets between Boston and Roxbury was shifted to sides of streets from centerlines [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1860, ch. 172, sec. 1/p. 138)

SUFFOLK gained from NORFOLK when Boston gained all of Roxbury. (Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 359, sec. 1/p. 754)

SUFFOLK gained from NORFOLK when Boston gained all of Dorchester. (Mass. Acts 1869, ch. 349, sec. 1/p. 646)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted slightly when line along streets between Boston and West Roxbury was shifted from one side to the other [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1870, ch. 146, sec. 1/pp. 21, 95)

SUFFOLK gained small area from NORFOLK when Boston gained from Brookline [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1870, ch. 374, sec. 1/p. 290)

SUFFOLK gained small area from NORFOLK when Boston gained Mt. Hope Cemetery from town of West Roxbury [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1872_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 197, sec. 1/p. 143)

SUFFOLK exchanged small areas with NORFOLK when Boston exchanged with Brookline [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1872_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 267, sec. 1/p. 210)

SUFFOLK gained from MIDDLESEX and NORFOLK when Boston gained all of Brighton, Charlestown, and West Roxbury. (Mass. Acts 1873, ch. 286, sec. 1/p. 716, ch. 303, sec. 1/p. 747, and ch. 314, sec. 1/p. 810)

SUFFOLK gained small area from NORFOLK when Boston gained from Brookline. (Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 220, sec. 1/p. 143)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was adjusted when line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1874_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1874, ch. 277, sec. 1/p. 189)

SUFFOLK lost small area to MIDDLESEX when Newton gained from Boston [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1875_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1875, ch. 184, sec. 1/p. 773)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Brookline was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1890_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1890, ch. 339, sec. 1/p. 299)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was adjusted when line between Boston and Somerville was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1891_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1891, ch. 294, sec. 1/p. 856)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted slightly when line between northern Brookline and Boston was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1894, ch. 242, sec. 1/p. 219)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was adjusted when line through the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge was adjusted [not mapped], and line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 242, sec. 1/p. 178 and ch. 243/p. 179)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and NORFOLK was adjusted when line between Boston and Hyde Park was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 251, sec. 1/p. 185)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was adjusted when line between Boston and Newton was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1898_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1898, ch. 431, sec. 1/p. 376)

Boundary between SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX was adjusted when line in the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge was adjusted [not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1910, ch. 312, sec. 1/p. 239)

SUFFOLK gained from NORFOLK when Boston gained all of Hyde Park. (Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 469, sec. 1/p. 450 and ch. 583, sec. 1/p. 600)

WASHINGTON (Me.) created by Massachusetts from LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1789, ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 25)

Under authority of the Treaty of Ghent (24 December 1814) commissioners from Great Britain and the United States agreed on the division of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay. Moose, Dudley (now Treat), and Frederick (now Dudley) Islands were assigned to the U.S. and made part of WASHINGTON (Me.) [not mapped]. (Paullin, 59)

WASHINGTON (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; WASHINGTON became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

WORCESTER created from HAMPSHIRE, MIDDLESEX, and SUFFOLK; WORCESTER included the town of Woodstock in Connecticut. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 8 [1730-1731], sec. 1/p. 584)

WORCESTER exchanged with MIDDLESEX when town of Harvard was created from towns of Groton, Lancaster, and Stow. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 4 [1732-1733], sec. 1/p. 644)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Upton was created from town of Hopkinton. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 11 [1735-1736], sec. 1/p. 764)

[16 January 1741/1742] WORCESTER gained from HAMPSHIRE when town of Western (now Warren) was created from towns of Brookfield, Brimfield, and Kingsfield. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 2, ch. 17 [1741-1742], sec. 2/p. 1088)

WORCESTER lost town of Woodstock to Connecticut when Connecticut responded to Woodstock's request for annexation and extended jurisdiction over the area south of the 1713 provincial line; WORCESTER eliminated from Connecticut. (Bowen, Disputes, 62; Hooker, 22, 26)

WORCESTER boundaries were redefined to cover all adjacent territory not already specifically part of another county [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 3, ch. 27 [1752-1753]/p. 656)

Boundary between WORCESTER and HAMPSHIRE was adjusted when the dispute between the towns of Greenwich (extinct) and Hardwick was settled [no discernible change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 15, ch. 51 [1756-1757]/p. 550)

WORCESTER gained small area from HAMPSHIRE when town of Western (now Warren) gained from town of Palmer. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 17, ch. 14 [1764-1765]/p. 516)

WORCESTER lost small area to HAMPSHIRE when town of Greenwich (extinct) gained from town of Hardwick. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 17, ch. 218 [1764-1765]/p. 603)

WORCESTER lost small area to MIDDLESEX when town of Ashby was created from towns of Fitchburg and Ashburnham [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1767_pt. for location]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 15 [1766-1767]/p. 908)

WORCESTER lost to MIDDLESEX when town of Boxborough gained from town of Harvard. (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 8, sec. 1/p. 214)

WORCESTER lost to HAMPSHIRE when town of Orange was created from towns of Athol and Royalston. (Mass. Acts 1783, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 38)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Berlin was created from towns of Marlborough, Northborough, and Bolton. (Mass. Acts 1784, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 98)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Southborough gained from town of Framingham [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1786_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1786, ch. 21, sec. 1/p. 410)

WORCESTER lost to MIDDLESEX when town of Ashby gained from town of Ashburnham. (Mass. Acts 1792, ch. 2, sec. 1/p. 224)

WORCESTER gained small area from HAMPSHIRE when town of Western (now Warren) gained from town of Palmer to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Temple, 10)

WORCESTER gained from HAMPSHIRE when town of Dana (extinct) was created from towns of Greenwich (extinct), Hardwick, and Petersham. (Mass. Acts 1801, ch. 14, sec. 1/p. 453)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Northborough gained from town of Marlborough. (Mass. Acts 1807, p. 52)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Upton gained from town of Hopkinton to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1808, ch. 106, sec. 1/p. 336)

WORCESTER gained small area from FRANKLIN when town of Athol gained from town of Orange. (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 62/p. 71)

WORCESTER lost small area to HAMPSHIRE when town of Ware gained from town of Western (now Warren). (Mass. Acts 1823, ch. 76/p. 114)

WORCESTER exchanged narrow strips with TOLLAND (Conn.) and WINDHAM (Conn.) when an irregularity in the state boundary was straightened [not mapped]. (Bowen, Disputes, 66; Hooker, 28)

WORCESTER gained small area (one acre) from MIDDLESEX when town of Bolton gained from town of Marlborough to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1829, ch. 47/p. 72)

WORCESTER lost small area to MIDDLESEX when town of Ashby gained from town of Fitchburg to accommodate local property owner [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1829, ch. 125/p. 200 and ch. 133/p. 209)

WORCESTER gained small area from FRANKLIN when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 33/p. 300)

WORCESTER lost small area to HAMPDEN when town of Palmer gained from town of Western (now Warren). (Mass. Acts 1831, ch. 37/p. 545)

WORCESTER exchanged with MIDDLESEX when towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, and Milford exchanged territory. (Mass. Acts 1835, ch. 72/p. 382)

WORCESTER gained from FRANKLIN when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem. (Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 80, sec. 1/p. 70)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Marlborough and Bolton was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 36/p. 330)

WORCESTER lost small area to MIDDLESEX when town of Marlborough gained from town of Southborough to accommodate local property owners [location unknown, not mapped]. (Mass. Acts 1843, ch. 89, sec. 1/p. 53)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Shirley and Lunenburg was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1846, ch. 74/p. 35)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Shirley and Lunenburg was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1848, ch. 194, sec. 1/p. 708)

WORCESTER gained small area from MIDDLESEX when town of Milford gained from town of Holliston. (Mass. Acts 1859, ch. 149/p. 312)

WORCESTER lost to MIDDLESEX when town of Hudson gained from town of Bolton. (Mass. Acts 1868, ch. 79, sec. 1/p. 62)

WORCESTER exchanged small areas with NORFOLK when town of Bellingham exchanged with town of Mendon. (Mass. Acts 1872, ch. 69, sec. 1/p. 57)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined when line between towns of Marlborough and Southborough was redefined [no discernible change]. (Mass. Acts 1901, ch. 393, sec. 1/p. 306)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when line between towns of Berlin and Hudson was redefined [no change], and when line between towns of Marlborough and Berlin was adjusted [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1905_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1905, ch. 357, sec. 1/p. 283 and ch. 358, sec. 1/p. 284)

WORCESTER lost small area to MIDDLESEX when towns of Boxborough and Littleton gained from town of Harvard [change too small to display on interactive map; shapefile users see small_changes 1906_pt. for location]. (Mass. Acts 1906, ch. 483, sec. 1/p. 654 and ch. 484, sec. 1/p. 655)

Boundary between WORCESTER and MIDDLESEX was redefined in part when town of Hopkinton's boundary with towns of Milford and Upton was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1907, ch. 423, sec. 1 and ch. 424, sec. 1/pp. 362-363)

Boundary between WORCESTER and FRANKLIN was redefined in part when line between towns of New Salem and Prescott (extinct) was redefined [no change]. (Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 340, sec. 1/p. 310)

WORCESTER gained from HAMPSHIRE when town of Petersham gained from towns of Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott, and town of Hardwick gained from Greenwich. Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott were disincorporated when Quabbin Reservoir was created in the Swift River Valley. (Mass. Acts 1927, ch. 321, sec. 1/p. 384; Mass. Acts 1938, ch. 240, sec. 1/p. 188; Mass. Sec. Comm., 48)

Massachusetts created YORKSHIRE (now YORK, Me.) in Maine after southern Maine towns (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers) acknowledged Massachusetts's jurisdiction over all territory within the new boundaries that it declared on 26 May 1652. Towns located farther north near Casco Bay gave their allegiance later, the last in 1658, practically eliminating the Province of Lygonia. Massachusetts claim conflicted with the 1635 grant of Maine to Ferdinando Gorges. (Farnham, 7:274, 288; Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 1:124; Reid, Maine, 21)

YORKSHIRE (now YORK, Me.) went into abeyance after representatives of the Gorges family rejected Massachusetts's claim and resumed government of Maine (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers). (York County, 2:5)

YORK (Me., formerly called YORKSHIRE) was reinstated when Massachusetts reasserted authority over all of Maine west of the Kennebec River, an area that had been put under royal government in June 1665. (Farnham, 7:317)

YORK (Me.) continued as a de facto county in present southwestern Maine after England's Committee for Trade and Plantations ruled that the 1639 proprietary grant of Maine (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers) to Ferdinando Gorges was valid and that Massachusetts had exceeded the intent of its charter by extending its jurisdiction more than three miles north of where the Merrimack River meets the Atlantic coast. (Farnham, 7:339)

[17 March 1679/1680] YORK (Me.) eliminated when Massachusetts organized a new government for Maine (area between the Piscataqua and Kennebec Rivers) in accordance with terms of Ferdinando Gorges's 1635 grant. (Farnham, 7:356; Williamson, 1:556, 563)

YORK (Me.) was reinstated under the new Massachusetts charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II for the province of Massachusetts Bay. The new charter included the former colonies of Maine (area between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers), Acadia (now Nova Scotia), and all remaining territory of present Maine between Acadia and the Kennebec River. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80)

YORK (Me.) gained all Massachusetts territory between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers in present Maine. Northern limit was indefinite. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 9, ch. 75 [1716-1717]/p. 485)

YORK (Me.) boundaries were redefined to cover all territory east of New Hampshire that was not specifically part of any other Massachusetts county [no change]. (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 3, ch. 27 [1752-1753]/p. 656)

YORK (Me.) lost to creation of CUMBERLAND (Me.) and LINCOLN (Me.). (Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 4, ch. 7 [1760-1761], secs. 1, 2, 6/pp. 372-374)

YORK (Me.) was extended northward to the Atlantic watershed when King George III created the new royal province of Quebec, which was bounded on the south by the watershed between the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. This implicitly set the northern limit of Maine. (Cappon, Petchenik, and Long, 1, 77; Shortt and Doughty, 119-120)

YORK (Me.) lost to CUMBERLAND (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1786, ch. 18, sec. 1/p. 407)

YORK (Me.) lost to CUMBERLAND (Me.), and lost to creation of OXFORD (Me.). (Mass. Acts 1805, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/pp. 573-574)

YORK (Me.) eliminated from Massachusetts when the state of Maine was admitted to the Union; YORK became a Maine county. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

Massachusetts : Individual County Chronologies