At Last! It is with a feeling of great relief that at last I offer to the subscribers the first part of the work upon which I have been engaged for so many years.
With the appearance of this part I feel that the Rubicon is passed; that I have burnt my bridges and that nothing further can be added. For the past year I have been constantly upon the point of issuing this first part, but two important matters prevented: first, the conviction that more information pertaining to the early generations in America could and would be obtained; and, secondly, the fact that subscribers were few and far between.
As this goes to press, I lack over one hundred subscribers to make a number sufficient to reimburse myself for the actual cost of printing and publishing the work.
There are many, I feel assured, who would have contributed, had they been requested, to the fund for carrying the book through. To such, I state in brief that, as there remain nine parts to be issued, subscriptions are still welcome.
The first attempt to compile a genealogy of our family was made in 1733 by Deacon Edward Putnam, a grandson of John the first. He contented himself with the statement, given in full in the appendix, that John Putnam came over in 1634, and in giving a list of as many of the heads of families living in 1733, as he had knowledge of.
During the first part of this century, Gen. Rufus Putnam wrote a brief sketch of the family, particularly of his own line.
About 1820, the Rev. Eleazer Warburton Putnam collected materials looking towards the compilation of a family pedigree; but, some ten years later, learning that Col. Perley Putnam had commenced a genealogy of the family upon an extensive scale, he courteously provided him with such information as he then had.
To Col. Perley Putnam you owe this work; for, had he not collected, when he did, the records of so many families, it would have been almost impossible to present so complete a history as I hope this will be.
Colonel Putnam did not complete his work, but after his death the papers were deposited in the rooms of the Essex Institute and have been of service to many of our family who desired information concerning their ancestry.
During the period in which Colonel Putnam was working, others had taken an interest and several lines were worked out independently and some researches made in England, notably by the late George Palmer Putnam of New York.
Following Colonel Putnam, came Dr. Dana Boardman Putnam, who added much concerning the Maine families and later generations. Upon his decease the MSS, fell into the hands of Mr. Benjamin Putnam who in turn passed them to the Rev. Alfred Porter Putnam.
My own work commenced with the attempt to trace collateral lines in connection with some ancestral work. I was then but twelve years of age and entered into my work with great enthusiasm, having the libraries of Boston and Cambridge at my disposal. Soon I became interested in the family history in its broadest application and finally consulted with Rev. A. P. Putnam in regard to my work and offered to turn over to him all my notes, etc., if he would undertake the task of compiling a genealogy. His health forbade and so I found myself, figuratively speaking, the genealogical executor of my many worthy predecessors.
The labor of compiling this genealogy has been great; the letters that had to be written, the authorities to be consulted, the matter to be gleaned, - all have been a labor of love and one which has absorbed my entire time outside of business hours.
To the many who have encouraged me during this long period, and to those who have kindly furnished me with information concerning many lines apart from their own, I extend my cordial acknowledgements for the services rendered. The names of a few to whom I am most deeply indebted I mention below with great pleasure.
Dr. Henry Wheatland, Mr. Perley Derby, Hon. Deloss Putnam, Mr. Francis Barnes, Rev. Alfred P. Putnam, Mrs. Susanna Hartshorn, Hon. James O. Putnam, Mr. E. S. Jaqua, Mr. Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters and Mr. Harrison Ellery. I am tempted to add many more but such a list would include most of my subscribers.
The reason for publishing the work in parts is to allow an opportunity for belated accounts to reach me, and further investigation to be made in England and Holland concerning both the ancestry of John Putnam of Danvers and Jan Poutman of Albany.
Our family is one of considerable antiquity and many surprises are in store for the great body of our name.
Should a reunion of the descendants of John Putnam ever he held, those present on that occasion will doubtless be struck with the resemblance existing between members of the family, even when separated by many degrees of kinship. Never have characteristics, mental and physical, remained so fixed as in our family. The Putnam type is somewhat as follows: good physique, Saxon features, of good height, inclined to stoutness but not fleshy, even temperament, honest intentions, fixedness of purpose, high principles, satisfied with a fair share of good things of life, inclined to be too generous, patriotic and intensely military in spirit, more inclined to lead than to be led. There are many deviations from this standard as there are from all.
John Putnam has no reason to be ashamed of his descendants.
EBEN PUTNAM Beaver Brook, Danvers,
September 20, 1891
