town and district, administrative and historic county of Essex, England, in the north-central part of the county. The town of Braintree lies on the Roman road known as Stane Street. The district also includes the other old market towns of Halstead and Witham, which are set in rich farmlands. The wool cloth trade that brought prosperity to the towns and villages in the late Middle Ages was superseded by crepe and silk manufacture introduced by Huguenot refugees in the 17th century. Fine medieval churches and many noteworthy domestic buildings survive. Area district, 236 square miles (612 square km). Pop. (2001) town, 42,393; district, 132,171.

town (township), Norfolk county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S. It lies along Weymouth Fore River (an inlet of Hingham Bay), just southeast of Boston. It was settled in 1634 as Monoticut (an Algonquian word meaning “abundance”) and was part of Boston until it was separately incorporated in 1640 and named for Braintree in Essex, England. At that time, the town included the areas of present-day Randolph, Holbrook, Quincy, and parts of Milton. To obtain a clear title, the town purchased its land from Native Americans in 1665. Ironworks, using local bog iron, were established there as early as 1643, and glassmaking began in 1752. Factories built during the 18th and 19th centuries produced a wide variety of products, including chocolate, textiles, and hardware. Most employment in the area is now based on services and trade, although manufacturing remains important.

The statesman John Hancock (Hancock, John) and Presidents John Adams (Adams, John) and John Quincy Adams (Adams, John Quincy) were born in a section of the town that was separately incorporated as Quincy in 1792. The General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace is a restored 18th-century home in Braintree. The village of South Braintree (within the township) was the scene of the payroll robbery murders that led to the Sacco-Vanzetti trial (Sacco-Vanzetti case) of 1920–27. Area 15 square miles (39 square km). Pop. (1990) 33,836; (2000) 33,828.