Taunton

Taunton, capital of Bristol county, Massachusetts, at the head of navigation on Taunton River, 34 miles by rail S. of Boston. It contains a fine park, a court-house, city hall, a state lunatic asylum, and numerous foundries and cotton-mills, locomotive and copper works, shipyards, and manufactories of bricks, nails, jewellery, &c. Taunton was settled from Taunton in England in 1637. Its first minister was William Hooke, who afterwards married Cromwell's cousin, and became his chaplain. Pop. (1880) 21,213; (1890) 25,448.