MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 



BY FRANCIS H. LINCOLN. 



COUNTY RELATIONS. 



Hingham is in the County of Plymouth, but was never a part 

 of the Plymouth Colony. It was a part of the Colony of Massa- 

 chusetts Bay. 



May 10, 1643, the Colony of Massachusetts Bay was divided 

 into four counties, namely, Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, and Nor- 

 folk. The last was composed of the towns of Haverhill, Salisbury, 

 Hampton, Exeter, Dover, and Strawberry Bank (Portsmouth). 

 The four last-named towns having been " taken off " upon the 

 separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts in 1680, the 

 others were set back to Essex Feb. 4, 1680, and the original 

 County of Norfolk ceased to exist. Hingham and Hull were in 

 Suffolk, — Cohasset being until 1770 a part of Hingham. 



The County of Norfolk, as incorporated March 26, 1793, included 

 all the original territory of Suffolk except the towns of Boston and 

 Chelsea. Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset, therefore, were to be- 

 come a part of the new County of Norfolk, but before the new 

 county went into operation as such, the act establishing it was re- 

 pealed "so far as it respects the towns of Hingham and Hull,'* 

 June 20, 1793. 



Hingham and Hull therefore remained in Suffolk until June 

 13, 1803, when they were set off from Suffolk and annexed to the 

 County of Plymouth. 



POPULATION. 



The following table shows the population of Hingham, accord- 

 ing to all the official censuses which have ever been taken : — - 



1765. Colonial Census (includ- 1850. United States Census . 3980 



ing Cohasset) 2467 1855. State Census .... 4257 



1776. 1 Colonial Census . . . 20S7 1860. United States Census . 4351 



1790. United States Census . 2085 1865. State Census .... 4176 



1800. " " • 2112 1870. United States Census . 4422 



1810. " " • 2382 1875. State Census .... 4654 



1820. " " 2857 1S80. United States Census . 4485 



1830. " " • 3387 1885. State Census .... 4375 



1840. " " • 3564 1890. United States Census . 4564 



i 1776, Cohasset, 754. 



