Framlingham vs Framingham
What is the name of that town in Massachusetts
Technically Framingham, Massachusetts should really be Framlingham, Massachusetts. Why the name change is the first mystery of the town.
Brief History of the Town Name
In 1662, the town was originally called Danforth Farms. The area was originally owned by Thomas Danforth who acquired the land by purchasing various land grants by the Massachusetts General Court.
After selling off some of his lands, Thomas Danforth started naming the area Framlingham after his birthplace Framlingham, England.
Born in Framlingham
According to historians, there are only three people that are recorded to be born in Framlingham, Massachusetts:
- Tomas Eames had two children, Nathaniel Eames (b. December 30, 1668) and Lydia Eames (b June 26, 1672),
- Joseph Bradish had a son named Joseph Bradish (b November 28, 1672)
Framingham not Framlingham
Then one day in 1673 everyone stopped calling it Framlingham. No one is exactly sure why the letter 'l' was removed from the name.
Since December 23, 1673, the Massachusetts County Court has recorded the name of the area as Framingham.
Some historians thought it was a clerical error - perhaps someone just left out the 'l' and it changed history. However, around 1673, Thomas Danforth started referring to the area as Framingham in his writings.
I wasn't able to find out what event/situation in December 1673 caused the name change. I believe that it had to have happened sometime in December 1673 and that is why the Massachusetts County Court made a note of it.
Framingham wouldn't be an official town until another 26 years later.
If you have any insights please leave a comment below.
Celebrate Framlingham in Framingham
The town still honors the mother city, Framlingham, England, and invited a representative to the town during Framingham's Centennial celebration. The person was treated like royalty.