Boston Deaths 1799-1825

This database contains over 8,000 records of death abstracted from three handwritten ledgers. William Howe (1781-1848) and his father Joseph Howe (1753-1818) operated a tinsmith shop at 15 Marshall Lane in Boston. The first two volumes span August, 1799 to April 1815; August, 1809 to March 1817. The third volume covers July 1821 to July 1825, after the death of Joseph Howe. The handwriting in each volume is identical, therefore not possibly kept by the elder tinsmith Joseph Howe. Since this ledger commences the year after Joseph's death it was probably kept by his son William Howe also a tin plate worker.

The entries include the name and date of the deceased that were inscribed upon the coffin plate. Details related to the cause of death appear on many of later entries.

These volumes are in the R. Stanton Avery manuscript collection at NEHGS. Call number: MSS A 5862.

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