Wareham was incorporated as a town in 1739, combining the eastern part of Rochester and the western part of Plymouth (called "Agawam Plantation", the present East Wareham). The first settlers in the area that was to become Wareham arrived soon after 1680. These families moved here from other towns in the area, some of which are as follows:
Hingham: Bates, Chubbuck, Fearing, Norris
Dartmouth: Hathaway
Plymouth: Sampson, Savery, Sturtevant
Rochester: Briggs, Bumpus, Doty
Sandwich: Besse, Blackmer, Bourne, Burgess, Gibbs, Hammond, Nye, Perry, Saunders, Swift
The Wareham First (Congregational) Church was founded soon after the town was incorporated. For nearly 100 years, this was the only church in town. The extant records of the First Church, up to 1891, were compiled and published by the late Leonard H. Smith Jr. as Records of the First Church of Wareham, Mass. 1739-1891 (Clearwater, FL: by the compiler, 1974). However, Church Record Book 2, containing records from about 1800-1845 has been missing since before 1900, so there is a corresponding gap in the information.
The Baptists were active from about 1830 to 1865, after which their church was sold to the Roman Catholics. I am not aware of any extant records for the Baptists, except for marriages which appear in the town vital records.
The Methodists have been active since about 1831, and at times have had churches in the Wareham Center, East Wareham, Onset, and Oak Grove sections of town. In the 1960's, the first three were combined into the Wesley United Methodist Church, located on Main Street in Wareham Center. The extant records of these three churches are now held by the United Church, but are very incomplete, especially for the years before 1900.
The Roman Catholics have been in town since before 1865, but their church was established in that year. This parish has continued to the present time, as St. Patrick's Church, located on High Street.
The Episcopalians began a ministry in Wareham in 1868, but did not become well established until 1883, when the present church building was purchased, and moved to Wareham from West Springfield. This church is located on High Street. Records begin in 1883, the original books being kept at the church and a microfilm copy of the early records being available at the Diocesan Archives in Boston.
The Advent Christian Church, in the Tihonet section of town, was established in 1887. I do not have information on what records they may have, if any, that would be of help to genealogists.
Two sources of Wareham History are found in the following: