1850 Counties of  Massachusetts

County Description Area in sq miles Courts held at Pop in 1850
Barnstable in extreme eastern part, whole of Cape Cod & Elizabeth Island.  Atlantic on south & East, Cape Cod bay on north & Buzzard bay on west 325 Barnstable 35,276
Berkshire on western side 1,400 Lenox 49,591
Bristol southeast part, on Buzzard's bay & Rhode Island line 600 New Bedford & Taunton 74,577
Dukes southeastern part, comprehends Martha's Vineyard, Chippequiddick, Noman's Land & Elizabeth islands in Atlantic ocean 120 Edgarton 4,540
Essex northeast corner, Atlantic ocean & Massachusetts bay on east, crossed by Merrimac river not given Ipswich, Salem & Newburyport 131,300
Franklin northern boundary, crossed by Connecticut river 650 Greenfield 30,870
Hampden southwest part, water by Connecticut river 585 Springfield 51,281
Hampshire western part, crossed by Connecticut river 532 Northampton 24,084
Middlesex eastern part, Massachusetts bay on east, crossed by Merrimack river 800 Cambridge, Lowell & Concord 161,383
Nantucket an island, situated off the southeast part of the mainland in the Atlantic ocean 50 Nantucket 8,454
Norfolk south eastern part, Massachusetts bay on east 400 Dedham 57,983
Plymouth in southeast part, Cape Cod bay on east 600 Plymouth 55,697
Suffolk east part, at head of Massachusetts bay, comprising Boston, Chelsea & the adjacent islands 116 Boston 144,507
Worcester in central part 1500 Worcester 130,789

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