106 THE DORSET COLONY IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



retired to London and was made Minister of the Savoy, and after- 

 wards of the parish of Lambeth. When the war was over he 

 returned to Dorchester. He died suddenly July 21st, 1648, and 

 was interred in the porch of St. Peter's Church. His name is still 

 held in affectionate remembrance by Bostonians, who not unfre- 

 quently journey to Dorchester for the express purpose of visiting 

 his last resting place. Of this I became aware when visiting the 

 County Museum Library for the purpose of this paper. On entering 

 the room I was at once introduced by the Curator to a lady from 

 Dorchester, Mass., who had come on this very errand. The coin- 

 cidence was singular. Mr. White influenced the politics of the 

 colony up to the time of his lamented death, but how the colony 

 progressed subsequent to this event I have not been able to ascertain, 

 my next entry bearing date 1726. 



Up to the year 1726 the Dorchester district was 35 miles in 

 length, and in some places six or eight miles wide. In that year a 

 district named Stoughton was removed from it, and Dorchester 

 became a comparatively small town, being narrow and but nine or 

 ten miles in length, the upper part woodland and unsettled. Since 

 then the town proper, now containing 14,445 inhabitants, has been 

 incorporated with Boston, of which city it is the 16th Ward. It 

 appears to have rapidly increased since 1855, when an invitation, 

 signed by some of the principal inhabitants, was sent to the Mayor 

 of Dorchester, Eng., making the modest request that a deputation 

 might be sent across to assist at the celebration of the 79th 

 anniversary of the birthday of the nation, and giving particulars 

 of the then population, value, &c. The former was stated to be 

 8,000, the value 10,182,400 dollars. It is, in fact, one of the 

 wealthiest towns in the States, and contains various extensive 

 manufactories. The main object of the letter, however, was 

 genealogical research, a subject dear to all Americans, however 

 pronounced their Republicanism, and enquiries were, I believe, set 

 on foot by Mr. T. Coombs, then mayor, in order to gain information 

 on the points indicated. I have not been able to find the answer 

 that was sent, but I believe I am right in stating that the connection 



