"Of this Town"

Question

In searching the Marblehead, Essex (USA), the phrase "of this town" is encountered in early records (circa 1700).

Does this typically mean "born of this town", or "resident of this town"?

Comments

"Marblehead, Essex" is presumably a reference to Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts (in 1700 it was in "Province of Massachusetts Bay").

Answer 1

Yes. "Of this/the town (parish, county, neighborhood, state, etc.)" is fairly common to find, and generally means that the person is either from or lives in a place that was mentioned earlier in the record.

For example, a marriage record from "parish A" might list the bride as being of the parish and the groom as being of "parish B".

Answer 2

Can only go off UK Records - Where they usually use of this Parish, it means resident of the said Parish.

Comments

Same goes for my researches in german records. Residents, not necessarily born there.

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Which is why I don't put it into birth locations.

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Thank you.

UK record keeping practices are likely a good reference for that area in that period.

Notably, perhaps in contrast, Quebec, Canada records of the same period, FR records are likely a good reference.

FR records seem to identify the people. UK records seem to identify the place.

Answer 3

I have frequently encountered the phrase "of this place" in old newspaper articles, even into the early 1900s.  I take it to mean a resident of the place where the newspaper was published, and that usually tracks with census data from around the same time, if that is available.

Comments

Thanks

Answer 4

In records from colonial New England, I interpret this as the person's current place of residence.

In New Netherland marriage records, the similar entries ("van Someplace" in Dutch or "from Someplace" in English translation) normally indicate the person's place of birth.