Boston
Pronunciation: Boss-tun, Bahs-tun
Population as of 2020: 675,647
Incorporated: 1630 (town), 1832 (city)
Original Name: Shawmut
The name Boston was originally intended to be used for the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was the land that would later be called Charlestown. What is now Boston was called Trimountaine for the 3 major hills in the area. For whatever reason, the colonists used the name Boston to designate this area instead.
“No reason is assigned on the records of the court for changing the name of Trimountain for that of Boston. It is however universally agreed, that the name itself had been selected in compliment to the Rev. John Cotton, who at that time was a preacher at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and whom they expected very soon to come over and take part in the establishment of their colony. Boston, moreover, had been a place of note in the annals of the persecuted puritans, and several of those who first settled here were born there : and it is also not improbable, that the sagacity of Winthrop and Johnson seeing ‘ the prognosticks of its future greatness written on the face of nature, too legibly and too indelibly to be mistaken,’ they may have claimed for the place of their choice, the name originally intended for their chief city.” (Source)
Chelsea
Pronunciation: Chell-see
Population as of 2020: 40,245
Incorporated: 1739 (town), 1857 (city)
Original Name: Winnisimmet
“Established as a town, separating from Boston and named after Chelsea, London.”(Source)
At that time, Chelsea, London was a rural village with farms as well as mansions owned by courtiers who needed to live near Whitehall Palace but who could not find or afford housing closer to the city.
(In the 16th century Chelsea was also the home of Sir Thomas More, which has nothing to do with this project but you know I can’t resist a Tudor connection.)
Revere
Pronunciation: Ri-veer, Ri-vee-ah
Population as of 2020: 62,186
Incorporated: 1846 (town), 1914 (city)
Original Name: ?
“In 1871 the name North Chelsea was changed to Revere in honor of the Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere.” (Source)
Did you know that Paul Revere was half French? His father was a Huguenot named Apollos Rivoire!
Winthrop
Pronunciation: Win-thrup
Population as of 2020: 19,316
Incorporated: 1852
Original Name: Winnisimmet
“Settled in 1630, Winthrop is one of the oldest communities in the country. It was named for John Winthrop; a governor of Massachusetts.” (Source)
Winthrop was frenemies with Roger Williams.
Wait! That’s it? Oh well, there’s plenty more to explore in the last part of the series – Worcester County!
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