The Colonial Church Records of the First Church of Reading Wakefield

"Presented in this volume are two of the finest sets of church records from the colonial era of Massachusetts history that have thus far remained unpublished. Culled from a survey of hundreds of sets of church records, these two sets, from Reading (Wakefield) and Rumney Marsh (Revere), are a testament to the rich diversity of early New England religious culture. Both are remarkable for their chronological breadth, their depth, or both, and reveal an extraordinary amount of information on church life over the course of the colonial era. The Reading records, in particular, are unique insofar as they cover the entire period up to the Revolution, while the Rumney Marsh book casts unprecedented light on the neglected period of 1715 through 1757."--BOOK JACKET.