Duxbury was settled in 1632 by the people of Plymouth and was named in homage to Captain Standish’s English estate, Duxbury Hall. This extensive town history covers a broad range of civil and military topics including: early settlement; highways and bridges, with a list of early surveyors; ancient landmarks; such as Captains Hill; the town’s commons, with names of the proprietors from 1690–1749; bounties and fines; Philip’s War; the Charter of 1691; the Stamp Act; the Revolution, with biographical sketches of soldiers; and ordinaries. Additional biographical sketches describe the first settlers including Captain Standish, John Alden, and John Howland. Also included are sections on schools and education, local Indian tribes and a list of town officers. More than 200 early families are mentioned in the genealogical register. These include the Alden, Arnold, Baker, Barker, Bartlett, Bradford, Brewster, Chandler, Church, Cole, Delano, Drew, Freeman, Glass, Harlow, Holmes, Howland, Hunt, Loring, Pabodie, Partridge, Peterson, Phillips, Prior, Rogers, Sampson, Seabury, Simmons, Soule, Southworth, Sprague, Standish, Sylvester, Thomas, Wadsworth, Weston, Williamson, and Winsor families. The appendix includes The Grant of Bridgewater, a list of vessels wrecked on Duxbury beach and information on shipbuilding, commerce, and fisheries.