Norfolk County, Massachusetts - Chapter 53: Statistical Review, 1918

Chapter 53: Statistical Review

Norfolk County was created by an act of the General Court on March 26, 1793, and was organized the following June. In June, 19 17, the county was therefore 124 years old. The following table shows the growth in population from the time the county was organized to the last official census. The first United States census was taken in 1790, three years before Norfolk County was called into existence, but the population for that year has been easily ascertained by taking the figures for the Suffolk County towns that were afterward set off to form the County of Norfolk.

From this table it will be seen that there has been a steady increase in the number of inhabitants in each census period, except in the decade from i860 to 1870. The decrease in that period was caused by the annexation to Boston of the Town of Roxbury on January 5, 1868, and the Town of Dorchester on January 3, 1870, the population of those towns having formerly been enumerated in Norfolk County, where they belonged. The increase between 1870 and 1880 was checked to some extent by the annexation of West Roxbury to Boston on January 5. 1874.

In a number of the published tables of the census for 1910, the total population of the county is given as 187,506, but there was evidently an error in footing the column, as any one can verify by adding the figures above. Between the years 1910 and 1915 the Town of Foxboro is the only one in the county that shows a decrease, the population in 1910 being 108 more than in 1915. All the other towns in the county show an increase, and the loss in Foxboro is so slight that it may have been due to errors in taking the enumeration.

Official Roster

Following is a list of the principal county officers from the time Norfolk County was established in 1793 to the beginning of the year 1917, with the year in which each was elected or entered upon the duties of his office: (Some of the early officers were appointed by the governor of the state.)

Clerks of Courts - Nathaniel Ames, 1793; John Lathrop, Jr., 1797; Horatio Townsend, 1799; John S. Williams, 181 1 ; Horatio Townsend, 1812; Jairus Ware, 1826; Ezra W. Sampson, 1836; Erastus Worthington, 1866; Louis A. Cook, since January 1, 1897. Dr. Nathaniel Ames, the first clerk, was also an associate justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

Treasurers - Isaac Bullard, 1793; John Bullard (son of Isaac), 1808; George Ellis, 1852; Chauncey C. Churchill, 1855; Charles H. Smith, 1889; Henry D. Humphrey, 1907. Chauncey C. Churchill died in office on April 18, 1889, and Charles H. Smith, of Dover, was appointed to serve until the next election. Mr. Smith was elected at each succeeding election until succeeded by the present treasurer, Henry D. Humphrey in 1907.

Registers of Deeds - Eliphalet Pond, 1793; James Foord, 1813 ; Enos Foord, 1821 ; James Foord (2nd), 1861 ; John H. Burdakin, 1873; Edward L. Burdakin, 1916; Walter W. Chambers, 1917. Four registers of deeds died while in office. James Foord died on October 15, 1821. His successor, Enos Foord, held the office for nearly forty years, his death occurring on April 22, 1861. John H. Burdakin died in October, 1916, and his brother, Edward L. Burdakin, was appointed to the vacancy. He died on June 12, 1917, when the present incumbent, Walter W. Chambers, was appointed.

County Commissioners - By the act of February 26, 1828, the Court of General Sessions of the Peace was abolished and the governor was authorized to appoint four commissioners in each county to perform the functions formerly exercised by the Court of Sessions. On April 14, 1828, Gov. Levi Lincoln appointed as commissioners in Norfolk County Samuel P. Loud, William Ellis, Nathaniel Tucker and Louis Fisher.

These commissioners held office until after the passage of the act of April 8, 1835, which authorized the people to elect three county commissioners. Samuel P. Loud, Seth Mann and Joseph Hawes were elected in Norfolk County. The first meeting of this board was held on May 22, 1835. It seems that the people were somewhat lax in the performance of their duty in the matter of electing commissioners, as on March 17, 1841, an act of the Legislature went into effect authorizing the governor to fill vacancies, in case of failure to elect, from the candidates receiving the highest number of votes. No change was made in the board in Norfolk County from 1835 to 1844, when James C. Doane was elected to succeed Seth Mann. In 1847 Nathan Jones succeeded Joseph Hawes, and in 1853 Nathaniel F. Safford succeeded Samuel P. Loud.

By the act of November 11, 1854, the people were to elect one commissioner annually, to serve for three years. Under this law a change was made in the board each year, except in case of reelections. Since that time the board of commissioners for each year is given in the following list, except in those years where no change was made. In such cases the number of years served by the same members of the board is indicated:

1871 - David H. Bates, Milton M. Fisher and Galen Orr. Mr. Orr came on the board in April, when Joseph M. Churchill was appointed associate justice of the Municipal Court of the City of Boston.