Hoyt's classic study of the early families of Salisbury, Amesbury, and nearby areas within Massachusetts and into coastal New Hampshire and York County, Maine is very highly regarded.
The original was published in four soft-cover volumes in 1897, 1902, 1916 and 1919; we have reprinted them here in a single massive volume, with continuous pagination for your convenience. There are four separate and quite complete indexes, and you will find, in addition to detailed genealogies of the early settlers and their families for the first few generations, copies of such rare early original sources as the various church records, original town lists of the first settlers; 17th century tax lists, etc.
The hundreds of meticulously detailed genealogical sketches of the immigrants and their descendants make up 95% of the book, bringing researchers back to Salisbury and Amesbury again and again. Many of the family sketches include the English origins of these early 17th century settlers.
The quantity of records given for each family varies widely. A number are given full genealogical treatment covering 7 or 8 generations; among them the Colby, Currier, Davis, Littlefield, Morrill, and Wells families while other families are covered for only the first few generations. Salisbury and Amesbury remains a truly excellent starting place for your early research in this area.
