The oldest town in Worcester County, Lancaster was established by petition in 1653. It was previously a plantation known as Nashaway. (Two other locales, Prescott and West Town, may also have been known as Nashaway at that same time.) About 1676, Lancaster was destroyed by Indians and remained desolate for four or five years. In fact, killings, torture and captivity by the Indians was a major problem for early settlers. Later settlers, in the 18th-century, included a group of Shakers. The bounds of Lancaster changed many times, with the town becoming smaller as parts were taken for Harvard, Bolton, Leominster, Shrewsbury, Berlin, Sterling and Clinton. This fiche collection consists of twelve volumes of vital and other town records.

Lancaster Births 1649-1816, Marriages 1712-1814, Deaths 1707-1813, Intentions 1737-1814. Vol 1. Occasional death references scattered among the births.

Births 1730-1766, pp 2-8; Marriages 1712-1759, pp 2-4, 10-14

FICHE 1

Marriage Intentions 1737-1770, pp 9, 15-43

FICHE 1

Intentions 1770-1772, pp 44-49; Births 1682-1761, pp 50-91

FICHE 2

Marriage Intentions 1755-1760, pp 93-96, 102

FICHE 3

Marriages 1749-1776, pp 97-101, 123-127, 131-138

FICHE 3

Births 1735-1816, pp 92, 103-122, 128-130, 140-141

FICHE 3

Births 1736-1813, pp 142-191

FICHE 4

Vitals 1647-1812, pp 192-200; Marriages 1775-1795, pp 201-217

FICHE 5

Marriage Intentions 1772-1785, pp 218-240

FICHE 5

Marriage Intentions 1785-1808, pp 241-282

FICHE 6

Deaths 1707-1802, pp 283-292; Marriages 1795-1814, pp 294-329

FICHE 7

Intentions 1814-1808, pp 330-359; Immigrants 1801, pp 360-361

FICHE 8

Lancaster Births 1776-1843, Deaths 1796-1844. Vol 2.
Births and deaths are arranged in alphabetical order. Deaths on the last page are those of inhabitants of the Shaker Village in Lancaster.

Births 1776-1843 A-L, pp 1-74

FICHE 9

Births 1776-1843 M-Z. pp 75-151

FICHE 10

Deaths 1796-1844 A-H, pp 1-45

FICHE 11

Deaths 1796-1844 H-V, pp 46-109

FICHE 12

Deaths 1796-1844 W-Z, pp 110-123

FICHE 13

Shaker Deaths 1792-1831, p 124

FICHE 13

Lancaster Intentions & Marriages 1815-1856. Vol 3.

Intentions & Marriages 1815-1825

FICHE 14

Intentions & Marriages 1825-1838

FICHE 15

Intentions & Marriages 1837-1847

FICHE 16

Intentions & Marriages 1847-1856

FICHE 17

Lancaster Record of Roads 1729/30-1862. Vol 1+.

Roads 1729/30-1811, pp 1-65

FICHE 18

Roads 1812-1862, pp 66-97; Index, pp 98-102

FICHE 19

Lancaster Copy of the Earliest Town & Proprietors Records and Subsequent Proprietors Records 1653-1837. Book 1. Most of the records in this book pertain to land. Those through 1670 are referred to as town records, while those from 1716 usually are identified as proprietors' records. There is no data from 1671-1715.

Town Records 1652-1670, pp 1-53

FICHE 20

Proprietors Records 1716-1719, pp 60-73

FICHE 20

Proprietors Records 1719-1792, pp 74-143

FICHE 21

Proprietors Records 1792-1837, pp 144-196

FICHE 22

Lancaster Proprietors Records 1718-1744. Vol 1.
Though some pages are worn away and some ink is faded, the handwriting found in these land records is delightful to read. Note that the last few pages appear to be property valuations.

Index; Proprietors Records 1710-1744, pp 1-15

FICHE 23

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 16-39

FICHE 24

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 40-67

FICHE 25

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 68-93

FICHE 26

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 94-118

FICHE 27

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 119-144

FICHE 28

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 145-165

FICHE 29

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 166-192

FICHE 30

Proprietors Records 1718-1744, pp 193-214+

FICHE 31

Lancaster Proprietors Records 1666-1818; Transcript of the Earliest Land Records. Vol 3. There are two parts to this volume, the transcript from pages 1-233 (1659-1741) and original records from pages 234-309 (1789-1818). Neither seem to include data for the years 1742-1788.

Index pp 1-233, First Settlers, Land Records 1659-1720, pp 1-61

FICHE 32

Land Records 1659-1720, pp 62-135

FICHE 33

Land Records 1684-1723, pp 136-205

FICHE 34

Land Records 1699-1741, 1789-1807, pp 206-255

FICHE 35

Land Records 1795-1811, pp 256-305

FICHE 36

Land Records 1805-1818, 1726/1727, pp 306-309

FICHE 37

Partial Index for pages 234-309

FICHE 37

Lancaster Town Records 1725-1767. Vol 1.

Town Records 1725-1733, pp 1-45+

FICHE 38

Town Records 1733-1744

FICHE 39

Town Records 1742-1754

FICHE 40

Town Records 1754-1762

FICHE 41

Town Records 1762-1767

FICHE 42

Lancaster Town Records 1766-1800. Vol 2.
A reference to the death of George Washington is given 14 December 1799.

Town Records 1767-1775

FICHE 43

Town Records 1775-1780

FICHE 44

Town Records 1780-1784

FICHE 45

Town Records 1784-1787

FICHE 46

Town Records 1787-1790

FICHE 47

Town Records 1789-1793

FICHE 48

Town Records 1793-1796

FICHE 49

Town Records 1795-1800

FICHE 50

Lancaster Town Records 1800-1823. Vol 3.
On the last pages of this volume are found a few miscellaneous town records. They include short lists of persons, perhaps church members, from 1812-1820. Also of special interest is the claim of the town clerk of 1820 that the early town records were still in the possession of a previous town clerk.

Town Records 1800-1803, pp 1-69

FICHE 51

Town Records 1803-1805, pp 70-133

FICHE 52

Town Records 1805-1808, pp 134-171+

FICHE 53

Town Records 1808-1810

FICHE 54

Town Records 1810-1813

FICHE 55

Town Records 1813-1816

FICHE 56

Town Records 1816-1817

FICHE 57

Town Records 1817-1820

FICHE 58

Town Records 1820, 1806-1824

FICHE 59

Lancaster Births 1843-1905, Marriages 1843-1853, Deaths 1843-1858. Vol 4. Despite the title, deaths for 1858 are not found in this volume. Also, births after 1901 are excluded from this fiche. Further, there are some irregularities with page arrangement and/or numbering. For instance, there are two pages numbered as 54, as well as a change in the numbering system at that point. Before page 54, each page is numbered singly. Afterwards, double pages are considered as one page. Numbers in parenthesis after marriage and death pages below are listed because they appear to be original page numbers.

Births 1843-1853, pp 1-54

FICHE 60

Births 1838, 1840, 1853-1868, pp 54-83

FICHE 61

Births 1868-1889, pp 84-112

FICHE 62

Births 1889-1901, pp 113-136

FICHE 63

Births 1902-1905, pp 137-143

FICHE 72

Marriages 1843-1854, pp 144-157 (1-26)

FICHE 64

Deaths 1843-1857, pp 158-185 (1-46)

FICHE 65

Lancaster Marriages 1853-1905, Deaths 1859-1904. Vol 5.
Contrary to the dates on the binding of this volume, the death records here extend from 1858-1905. Also, some pages in the book are out of order and/or seem to be missing. If discrepancies appear between left and right pages of data, the pages may be mismatched. Search forward and back for the correct match. Hopefully, missing pages do not indicate missing data.

Marriages 1853-1879, pp 1-30

FICHE 66

Marriages 1879-1898, pp 31-60

FICHE 67

Marriages 1899-1905, pp 61-80

FICHE 68

Deaths 1858-1876, pp 1-27

FICHE 69

Deaths 1877-1892, pp 28-57

FICHE 70

Deaths 1893-1905, pp 58-88

FICHE 71

Births 1902-1905, pp 137-143

FICHE 72