History of Fitchburg, Middlesex county, Mass. by Rufus C Torrey, 1865
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Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
HISTORY
OF THE TOWN
OF
FITCHBURG
MASSACHUSETTS
TO THE YEAR 1836
COMPRISING ALSO A
HISTORY OF LUNENBURG
FROM
ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE YEAR 1764
BY RUFUS C. TORREY
1865.
"Few Town Histories will ever be written a second time; the pains are too great and the praise too
little." - N. A. Review.
Fitchburg: Pulbished by the Fitchburg Centennial Committee. E. & J. Garfield, Printers, 1865.
PREFACE.
The writer has been induced to undertake the present work by a desire to save from the oblivion to which
they were hastening, some of the events connected with the history of this town. Many of these are
treasured up in the memories of a few aged people, and must, in the course of nature, soon be inevitably
lost, if not preserved in a connected and tangible form. Though the number of these relics of other days
is now small, much information has been derived from them, and much more might have been obtained, had
inquiries been commenced a few years earlier.
The writer has had full access to the proprietor's books, and to the town records of Lunenburg and Fitch-
burg. Oral and written information has been furnished with the utmost cheerfulness, by all those in poss-
ession of facts worthy of note. The labors of another who has preceded me in this department, have made
my path one of comparative ease.
In 1831, Nathaniel Wood, Esq., in a series of lectures read before the lyceum of this town, gave an inter-
esting and discriminating sketch of the events connected with its history. Many circumstances were coll-
ected and preserved by him, which would have been lost to the present writer. Unrestricted use of Mr.
Wood's papers has been
iv PREFACE.
generously granted to me, who otherwise would not have been encouraged to undertake the work. While then
its merits, if it possess any, are mainly to be ascribed to another; its faults and defects are charge-
able to me.
To N. F. Cunningham, Esq., and J. A. Marshall, M.D., the respective town clerks of Lunenburg and Fitch-
burg, this public expression of my thanks is due for the readiness with which they have afforded me every
facility in their power, in the compilation of this work. I tender my grateful acknowledgements.
If I have succeeded in impressing any with the importance of preserving the records and traditions of
the early history of these towns, and if those who peruse this work, derive from it a pleasure equal to
half of the labor I have spent in writing it, I shall not be without a reward.
HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
The Town of Fitchburg is situated in the north-eastern part of the County of Worcester, about forty-
seven miles in a north-westerly direction from Boston, and twenty-four miles nearly north from Worcester.
It is thirty miles west from Lowell, and four hundred and nineteen north east from the city of Washington.
The general boundaries of the town are as follows: - north by Ashby in the County of Middlesex, east by
Lunenburg, south-east by Leominster, south by Leominster and an unincorporated district called No-town,
and west by Westminster and Ashburnham.
The average length of the town, from north to south, is a little more than six and a half miles, and the
average breadth somewhat less than four and a half miles. It contains seventeen thousand eight hundred
and seventy-nine acres, according to a survey made by Levi Downe in 1830.
The general surface of the township is extremely uneven. It consists almost entirely of hills, some of
which are very abrupt, and are of considerable magnitude. Rollstone, a hill lying immediately south-
west of the village, rises abruptly three hundred feet above the bed of the stream which flows at its
base; and there are other summits which
6. HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
rise still higher. Of meadow lands, there are scarcely any to be found in the limits of the town.
The soil is very broken, and much labor is required to subdue it thoroughly. When once put into a good
state of cultivation, it h as produced heavy crops of potatoes and the varioius kinds of grain common
to this section of the country. Wheat has been, and is still cultivated with considerable success. The
town abounds in good pasturage lands, which, in consequence of the moist soil, seldom fail. Nearly the
whole of the township was originally covered with a heavy growth of pine, which, being cut off, has
given place to oak of different kinds, beech, chestnut, rock-maple, birch, ash, etc. Walnut was formerly
abundant, but now it is not very common.
A strange neglect has prevailed in regard to the cultivation of trees for shade and ornament, and the
beautiful and easily cultivated fruit trees of New England. Apples are common, and a few cherries may
be seen; but peaches, rareripes, pears, grapes, plums, apricots, nectarines, strawberries, etc., which
might be produced in abundance, and with but little care and expense, are almost wholly strangers among
us. Not a little beauty would be added to the village, were its streets ornamented with the majestic
elm; and not a little would be added to the comfort of the citizens, were their grounds plentifully
stocked with the wholesome and delicious fruits of summer and autumn.
Rev. Peter Whitney, in his valuable history of Worcester County, remarks thus of Fitchburg: - "This is
a very hilly and uneven, but fertile town. The hills are large, high and steep; however, on them there
is not borken, poor and waste land. In general, the soil is excellent."
The soil of this town is a decomposition of mica slate and gneiss. The former produces a soil of a
medium quality, and is generally well fitted for grazing. The soil of a greater part of Worcester County
is based on gneiss, which differs from granite only in having a slaty structure. The soil resulting
from the decomposition of this rock furnishes some of the most fertile and productive farms in the State.
p.7 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
The hills of the town (with the exception of Rollstone) are mostly formed of mica slate. Rollstone, which
rises three hundred feet high, and is nearly a mile in circumference, is a mass of granite, and "might
furnish enough to supply the whole state for centuries." This granite has not been extensively quarried,
on account of the little demand for stone. It has hitherto been principally used for door-steps, in
building the "Stone Mill," and in constructing three excellent bridges over the Nashua River. The six
columns which support the front and projecting part of the "Nashua River Hotel," are of this granite.
The hill is favorably situated for quarrying, and the stone is easily split into blocks of almost any
size. This granite is of the same kind and color with that of Westford. Some of it is too coarse for
architectural purposes; but blocks can be obtained no wise inferior to the best of Chelmsford granite.
This granite is sold at the quarry, well dressed, at thirty-five and forty cents the superficial foot.
The peculiar appearance of the rock composing Pearl Hill, in the north-eastern part of the town, formerly
induced the belief that gold or silver ore might be found beneath the surface, and attempts were made to
expose the supposed mines. But all search was fruitless. For the want either of funds or perseverance on
the part of those engaged in this mining undertaking, the attempt was soon abandoned, and it has never
since been resumed.
Whitney, in his history of Worcester County, has the following pertinent remarks on this subject:
"In the present state of our population, riches, in these northern parts, are with much greater facility,
procured from the surface of the earth, by the various instruments of cultivation, than from deep and
latent mines of the richest ore. When the country becomes overstocked with inhabitants, and support
from the soil shall not be so easily
p.8 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
obtained, it is not improbable that from this mountain will be dug large quantities of those shining
metals, as everything at present favors the conjecture." The population of the place has not yet be-
come so dense as to make it necessary to have recourse to the precious metals, that may be obtained
within the bowels of Pearl Hill, for their support; and it may be doubted whether the present day and
generation will witness this period. The promising indications of the existence of such metals have
not induced another search, though the desire for their possession, which so strongly incited our fathers,
has not diminished in the breasts of their sons. The latter wisely regard the solid granite of Rollstone
as a more valuable possession.
Upon the elevation formerly known as Appletree Hill, situated east and northeast of the village, there are
indications of the existence of mineral coal; and the high and increasing price of fuel will soon, it is
presumed, cause a thorough examination into the matter.
Till within a few years, the roads in this town were in a wretched condition. The first settlers, as is
usual in such cases, located their habitations on the heights of various hills; and for the convenience
of the inhabitants, the roads were laid out in a sinuous course from one hill to another. The principal
roads thus passed over the loftiest hills in the town; and it would seem that generally the most direct
route between two places was avoided for the purpose of making the public ways both crooked and uneven.
Our fathers had as much abhorrence for a straight road, as nature once had for a vacuum. The "flat
rock road," which leads over the hill immediately north of the village, and the road which passes over
"Carter's hill," by the house of P. Williams, Esq., were once the great thoroughfares between Vermont and
Boston. The former is now impassable to carriages of modern construction, and the latter is but little
used.
Within a few years, a great reform in this respect has taken place; and the town is now as distinguished
for its excellent roads, as formerly it was for its bad roads. The reform was commenced by straightening
and otherwise improving the road leading to Leominster* (footnote: *measures have recently been taken for
making still further improvements on this route)
p.9 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG
A new road to Ashburnham was opened in 1830. It generally follows the course of the river, and is a
level and well made road. About the same time a new road was opened to Lunenburg, and communication
with that place is now easy and agreeable.
A new and comparatively level road has recently been opened between this place and Westminster. The roads
which afford communication between the people of Fitchburg and their northern neighbors at Ashby, are
hilly and crooked. A few years only will be suffered to elapse before the evil will be remedied. A great
amount of travel passes through this town on the Boston and Keene route. Two excellent stone bridges
on this road were built over the Nashua River, a few rods west of the village, in 1829.
They are both built with three arches, having a span of twenty-five feet, and, with the embankments, cost
over twenty-one hundred dollars. They were somewhat injured by the freshet of February, 1835. In con-
sequence of the foundations of the piers not being laid sufficiently firm and deep, they were undermined
by the force of the water, and settled several inches. The travel over them, however, has not been inter-
upted and no farther damage is apprehended from their slightly twisted conditon. The beautiful stone
bridge over the Nashua at the "Burbank Paper-Mill" was built in the Fall of 1834, at an expense of more
than eleven hundred dollars. It has two arches, each with a span of thirty feet.
The town has daily communications, by means of mail stages, with Boston, Keene and Lowell. Stages
also depart three times a week for Springfield and Worcester, and return on alternate days. Accomo-
dations stages also pass daily between this place and Boston.
There are no natural ponds in the limits of the town, though the neighboring towns of Westminster,
Ashburnham and Lunenburg are highly favored in this respect. The artificial ponds, formed by the dams
on the Nashua at the various mill seats are all small, on account of the fall in this stream in the
greater part of its course through the town. The only stream of much importance in the town, is the
north
p.10 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
branch of the Nashua* (This river and the plantation of Lancaster, were formerly called Nashaway. Nashua
is a modern refinement, but by no means an improvement. The ancient name is much the better of the two,
and it should have been preserved; but as Nashua has been universally adopted I have thought it proper
to comform to the spirit of the times) the sources of which are in the towns of Westminster and Ashburn-
ham. Westminster pond, lying about seventy rods southerly from the Congregational meeting-house in
Westminster, contains more than one hundred and sixty acres; and Wachusett Pond, lying at the base of the
mountain of the same name, about three miles sout-easterly from the centre of the same town, is nearly as
large. Two small streams issue from these ponds, and soon uniting, pass the "narrows" and enter Fitch-
burg, flowing in a north-easterly direction.
A stream from Ashburnham and Gardner flows through the westerly part of Westminster, and, being aug-
mented by two other streams, known as Tophet Swamp Brook and Beech Hill Brook, takes an easterly direct-
ion, enters this town, and soon unites with the above mentioned streams from the ponds in Westminster.
Phillip's brook, which has its source in Watatich and East ponds, in the easterly part of Ashburnham,
flows in a southerly and souty-easterly direction through the northern part of Westminster, and re-
ceiving several minor streams, passes into Fitchburg, and unites with the main stream about a mile and
a half west of the village. These several streams, united, form the north branch of the Nashua River.
This continues in a north-easterly direction till it reaches the centre of the town, when it takes a
south-easterly course and passes into Leominster. It receives several contributary streams in addition
to those already mentioned. A small stream rises in the southerly part of the town and runs into the
Nashua near to Sheldon's & Pillsbury's grist-mill. A saw-mill is located upon it. Punch brook, of about
the same size with the last named stream flows through the village and empties into the Stone Mill Pond.
Four dams are built on it, two of these afford water power for a cabinet-maker's shop, and a carriage
maker's shop. The other two are at present unoccupied. Baker's brook
p.11
enters this town from Ashby. It flows in a south-easterly direction, nearly the whole length of the town,
and receiving Pearl Hill brook, passes into Lunenburg and Leominster, and unites with the Nashua. Two
saw mills are located on it. Wanoosnock brook, which rises in Notown, runs through the southerly part
of the town, and unites with the Nashua River near the centre of Leominster. There is one saw-mill on
it within the limits of Fitchburg. There are several saw-mills and other shops on the tributaries to
the Nashua, which have been already mentioned.
Osborn's mills, on the Turnpike, are on the principal stream which comes from Westminster. A large number
of shingles are made here. A saw-mill and grist-mill are at the same place. The latter is, however, but
in little use.
Perkins & Baldwin's Factory is on Phillips' brook, about one hundred and sixty rods above its junction
with the Nashua, and not far from two miles west of the village. Shirtings of a good quality are manu-
factured here. The brook here, which is a constant stream, makes a fall of eighty feet in thirty rods.
Sixteen looms are in operation at this place.
At the junction of Philips' brook with the Nashua is situated J. T. Farwell & Company's Scythe Manu-
factory. Dams are thrown across both streams, the waters of which are thus secured.
A. Crocker & Company's Paper-mill is located on the Nashua, at the distance of one and a half miles
west of the village. A good head of water is secured here. At this establishment paper of various
kinds, principally however printing and writing paper, is manufactured to a considerable extent. The
same "privilege" furnishes water power to A. Kimball & Company's scythe manufactory, situated a few
rods below the paper-mill. The scythes manufactured by Messrs. Kimball & Farwell have had an extensive
sale, and they are well known to be a superior quality. Great numbers of them are sold annually.
Sheldon & Pillsbury's dam is located about one hundred and eighty rods below the one last mentioned.
From this pond a trench has been dug, nearly one hundred and fifty rods in length, by means of which
p.12 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
the water is conveyed to a saw-mill and grist-mill. A fall of twenty-two feet is obtained, and it may
be considered perhaps as the best mill seat on the stream. The grist-mill is furnished with two runs
of stones, a corn-cracker and a flour-bolter. A large quantity of grain is brought to this mill, some
from a great distance. It is more particularly noted for the superior manner in which flour is bolted.
In this respect it is not inferior to any mills in this region. The average quantity of flour prepared
here, during the past year, has been about five barrels per day. In the course of the present year it
will probably be doubled.
Town & Willis' Cotton Mill is situated a few rods west of the common. Twnety looms are here in operation,
in manufacturing 4-4ths sheetings. It is at present leased to Levi Sherwin.
The Fitchburg Woolen Mill owned by the same company as the cotton-mill last mentioned, occupies an
eligible situation in the very centre of the village. It is a commodious building of brick, and furnished
with all the necessary out-buildings. Sixteen looms are in operation; eight of which are for broadclothes
and eight for cassimeros.
Newton's Cotton Factory, about one hundred rods below the one last named, was formerly a manufactory for
sheetings. The Stone Mill, a large granite building, is situated in that part of the village known as
the Old City. It is four stories high, and occupied by Percy Atherton, as a cotton factory. It has forty
looms for weaving sheetings.
Crocker & Gardner's Paper-mill generally known as the Burbank Paper-mill, is eighty rods farther down
stream. A good head of water is obtained here. This mill is altogether used for the manufacture of
wrapping paper. Two engines are kept in almost constant motion, night and day, to furnish pulp suffi-
cient to supply one machine. Both of the paper-mills in this town have, in connection with their mach-
ines, a late improved drying cylinder. The paper passes from the machine over a heated cylinder (gener-
ally from four to six feet in diameter,) which completely dries it. At the same time it is cut into
pieces of
p.13 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
convenient size, ready to be folded into reams. Water is also furnished at this dam for a workshop
not connected with the paper-mill.
Next to the stream, situated about two hundred and forty rods below the paper-mill, is Poor's (formerly
Slater's) Woolen Factory. Sixteen looms are in operation here; on six of which cassimeres, and on ten,
broadcloths are woven.
A dam is again thrown over the Nashua about one hundred rods farther down stream. From this pond the
water is conducted by a trench, about fifty rods in length, to the Woolen Factory occupied by Amos
Hill. This is a brick building, erected within a few years. A part of the factory is occupied by Amos
Hill who has twelve looms in operation in making broadclothes. In the part occupied by Alfred Messenger
there are eleven looms employed in making negro cloth.
Commencing with Osborn's mills on the Turnpike, and including Perkins & Baldwin's Factory, which is not
on the principal stream, there are twelve mill seats already occupied. Of these, four are sites for
cotton factories, three for woolen factories, two for paper-mills, two for saw and grist-mills and one
for a scythe factory.
This account does not include A. Kimball's Scythe Factory, which is supplied with water from A. Crocker
& Company's pond. There are several saw-mills, turning lathes, work shops, etc., connected with most of
the factories above numerated. A dam has been built over the stream between A. Crocker's and Sheldon's
dams and a chair shop is about to be erected on the spot. It is calculated that there are five "privi-
leges" yet unoccupied, between Osborn's mills and J. T. Farwell's Scythe Factory. There are also several
other convenient places on the Nashua, where dams may be constructed. At the present time not one half
of the water power which may be developed on this stream and its tributaries is "improved."
Other manufactories and trades must be noticed briefly. Another chair shop has been opened in the village.
Here also are carriage and coach makers, wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers, blacksmiths, window sash
and blind makers, saddle and harness makers, trunk makers, two clock and watch makers and jewellers,
book-binders and book-
p.14 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG.
sellers, apothecaries, stone cutters, hatters, bellows makers, brick makers, coopers, painters (house,
sign, carriage and ornamental) masons, tailors, glaziers, a bakery, a tannery, a printing office, etc.,
etc. The first printing office was opened in 1830; since which time a newspaper has been published here.
For a short period in 1834, three papers (two political and one religious) were printed. The present
newspaper (Worcester County Courier) and printing office are owned by J. Garfield.
There are eight public stores, containing the usual variety of English, American and West India goods,
and two bookstores.
The Fitchburg Bank was incorporated in the year 1832, with a capital of $100,000. and went into operation
in July of the same year. It has usually declared semi-annual dividends of 3-1/2 %, and the stock is
about ten per cent. advance. Francis Perkins has been President and Ebenezer Torrey, Cashier, of this
institution from the commencement.
The number of inhabitants previous to the Census of 1791, is a matter of uncertainty. When the town was
incorporated, February 3d, 1764, it contained about forty families; and the population at this period may
be estimated at two hundred and fifty people. According to the census of 1791 it amounted to eleven
hundred and fifty-one. The taxable polls in 1793 amounted to two hundred and sixty-eight - at the same
time eighteen towns of the County contained a greater number and thirty towns a lesser number. The
population in 1800 was one thousand three hundred and ninety; in 1810, one thousand five hundred and
sixty-six. In 1820, one thousand seven hundred and thirty-six; in 1830 two thousand, one hundred and
seventy-nine. Within the last ten years the population has increased in a great ratio than at any former
period; and at the present time the number of inhabitants may be estimated at twenty-six or twenty-seven
hundred. The increase from 1791 to 1800 was two hundred and thirty-nine; from 1800 to 1810, one hundred
and seventy-six; from 1810 to 1820, one hundred and seventy; from 1820 to 1830, four hundred and forty-
three.
The principal circumstances which tended to retard the population
p.15
ot the town in the earlier period of its history, was the expense of maintaining and keeping in repair
the roads and bridges. The broken and uneven nature of the soil rendered the construction of roads
laborious and costly. The item for building and keeping in repair the several bridges over the Nashua
River and its tributaries, was not small. The art of constructing durable bridges wa not understood in
those days. They were built of frail and unsuitable materials, and were constantly in need of repairs.
When built in the most approved style of those days, they were liable to be swept away in the first
freshet. The rivers, which have since been the source of the wealth and prosperity of the town, were,
in the opinion of its earlier settlers, its greatest evil. In 1793, according to Whitney's History
there had been built on the Nashua a saw-mill, a corn mill, a fulling mill, a clothier's works, a
trip-hammer, and works for grinding scythes. These occasioned a gret resort of people to the place,
and from a considerable distance.
At this period, there was much trave; through the place, by people on their way between Vermont and
Boston. With these exceptions, there was nothing to give to the growth of the place an impulse beyond
that of the neighboring towns. The people subsisted principally by husbandry; and the soil upon which
they toiled, was by no means peculiarly excellent. The unsettled condition of the country, during the
period of the commercial restrictions, and the last war with Great Britain, tended still further to
check the business in the place. Manufacturing establishments might have done a profitable business,
but this was the period of their infancy in our country; and the experiment of indtroducing them was
attended with that varied and uncertain success which usually marks the first efforts for finding new
and untried channels for business and profit.
Many of those who found manufacturing a lucrative employment during the war, had their profits cut off
and their business ruined at the termination of the contest, by the introduction of foreign goods, with
which the markets were glutted, and with which they could not compete.
p.16 History of Fitchburg.
Note on the Manufactures. - As the manufacture of cotton and woolen goods forms so important a branch
of the business of the town, it has been thought that a more particular account of the time at which
the several factories were erected and put into operation, would prove interesting.
Arrival of Deacon Amos Kimball & cousin, Ephraim Kimball.
Lunenburg.
The exact period when Deacon Amos Kimball and his cousin, Ephraim Kimball removed from Bradford, Mass.,
and settled within the limits of the present town of Fitchburg, is not known; but it was probably during
the year 1745 or 1746, when this town constituted a part of Lunenburg.
Amos Kimball settled on the farm which Samuel Hale now occupies, and Ephraim Kimball lived on what is
now known as the Storey farm. They built the first dam across the Nashua River in this town, near the
place now occupied by the "Stone Mill" and erected here a saw mill and a grist-mill. This primitive
dam, the model of which might have been taken from the structures of the beavers, was a frail piece
of workmanship, and was generally swept away by the annual freshet. After the close of the Revolutionary
struggle, a fulling mill and clothier's works, a carding machine, and works for grinding scythes, were
erected here. The building occupied by the carding machine was afterwards used for manufacturing satinets
and for other purposes - but to little extent, and less profit. These buildings have since given place
to the excellent stone structure, which willl be mentioned in its proper place.
A new dam of granite was built a few feet below the old one, in 1826. The brick factory, now owned
by Messrs. Town, Willis and others, was the first factory erected in the town, and among the earliest
(probably the 2nd or 3rd) built in this state. It was commenced soon after Slater's factory at Pawtucket
in the year 1807. A factory was built at New Ipswich, N.H. a short time previous; Plant's factory at
Lancaster, Mass., and one at Peterborough, N.H., were undertaken very soon after. The dam belonging
to the brick factory was built by Ephraim Kimball in 1807, and the factory was commenced at the same
time by a company of about thirty individuals, who took shares in this novel experiment of spinning
cotton.
The building which they erected was thirty feet by sixty. The
p.17 History of Fitchburg.
lower part was used as a workshop, while the upper was occupied by a picker, and was used as a store
house for cotton. The Corporation (the company was incorporated in the winter of 1806-7) employed
one man named Robbins, who had had some experience at Slater's mill works in Pawtucket, to make patterns
for castings, construct machinery, and "start" the mill. This Mr. Robbins usually drank a quart of
brandy daily, and was not altogether a very amiable character. Being puffed up as master-workman and as
the possessor of important secrets, he assumed an independent and overbearing demeaner, which was not
very pleasant in the eyes of the Corporation. All the workmen here employed had to take shares in the
concern, and when it became necessary to lay an assessment upon these, Robbins claimed an exemption,
on the grounds of being the most important man. To this the Corporation would not assent; and there-
upon the master-workman determined that they should feel his power. Instead, then, of hastening the
completion of that part of the machinery which would be first wanted, he deliberately went to work upon
that which would be needed last, and thus retarded the "starting" of the factory for some time.
But Robbins soon found that he had over-estimated his own importance; for some of the enterprising young
workmen, by climbing the lightning-rod and descending the scuttle of the factory, got possession of his
chest, which contained his important patterns, and made themselves acquainted with all the secret know-
ledge which the said chest contained. Hereupon Robbins was unceremoniously dismissed.
Afterwards an individual by the name of Field, who had been engaged at New Ipswich, N.H., was hired to
take the immediate superintendance of the factory, which went into operation under his direction. The
operations of the company did not appear to have been very profitable at first, in consequence of the
imperfections of the machinery, and the great expenditures necessary in such experimental undertakings.
In a company, too, of such heterogeneous materials, grat unanimity could not be expected; and complaints
were frequently heard, and shares often passed from one owner to another.
In a few years, however, the Corporation betan to do a more profitable
p.18 History of Fitchburg.
business, machinery of an improved construction having been introduced, and the restrictions upon
the commerce of the country, and the subsequent war operating in their favor.
The Corporation had committed a great oversight in not securing a proper title to their dam. The
individual who built it was owner of the land on one side of the river, and the Corporation owned on
the other side. The dividing line between them was in the middle of the river. This individual having
lost money by building the dam, demanded four hundred dollars of the Corporation to cover his loss.
This was refused. He then informed the Corporation that he was owner of one half of the dam, which he
offered to sell them for the sum of twelve hundred dollars. The Corporation having neglected to comply
with his terms, he sold his title to the dam and a piece of land (now occupied by Capt. Z. Sheldon's
carpenter's shop,) for fifteen hundred dollars to two persons, who soon commenced building some works
there. They made free use of the water, and finally cut away a part of the dam. This was the death
blow to the Corporation. Their business was suddenly stopped when they were reaping an immense profit
from it and they were soon involved in a ruinous law-suit. An unusually large quantity of cotton on
hand was, after some time, disposed of at a great sacrifice. They were suffering a loss of undoubtedly
more than fifty dollars daily - perhaps nearer a hundred.
The question at issue between the Corporation and the owners of the other side of the river, was finally
decided by referees against the former. The expenses of this suit and the heavy damages awarded against
them were more than the Corporation were able to bear. It failed in 1816. In addition to the factory,
they owned the two brick boarding houses, and the brick store now occupied by Messrs. McIntire and
Caldwell.
After the failure of the Corporation, their property was purchased by Messrs. Putnam & Perkins, for
about one third of its original cost. It remained in their hands and the factory was kept in operation,
till 1822, when it was purchased by Msssrs. Town & Willis, who put in machinery for the manufacture of
woolen goods. It has remained in
p.19
their hands since that period. In 1834 it was enlarged by an addition of forty feet in length and thirty
eight in breadth.
The second attempt at cotton spinning, in this town, was made by Capt. Martin Newton. He had been em-
ployed by the Corporation, when their works were first put in operation. The location of the carding
machine, near the site of the present stone mill, has already been mentioned. In this building, Capt.
Newton put in operation two spinning frames, on "Election Day," in the year 1810. The expense of fitting
up this limited concern was about $1,800 - and the profits at the end of the first year were but little
short of $1,000. It yielded an income of at least 60 percent on the capital invested. Cotton yarn,
at this period, readily commanded eighty-five cents per pound.
This business proving to be so lucrative, Capt. Newton, in connection with Solomon Strong (at present
one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas) and Jonathan Flint, (both of these latter then be-
longed to Westminster) erected, in the year 1812, the building now known as Newton's factory and cont-
inued there the manufacture of cotton goods.
The dam at the "Rollstone (cotton) Mill" was built by Jonas Marshall and Deacon Ephraim Kimball in the
year 1794.
(Ephraim Kimball was the son of that Ephraim Kimball who as among the earlier settlers of the town.
Deacon Ephraim Kimball left a large family, several of whom are now living in this town.)
This was the second dam built across the Nashua. At the same time they built a saw-mill; and shortly
afterwards a clothier's works and a trip-hammer wer built on the site of the blacksmith's shop a few
rods below the factory. No vestiges of these now remain.
The Red (or Rollstone) Mill was built in 1813 by John & Joseph Farwell and Nehemiah Giles. When
Messrs. Putnam & Perkins purchased the property of the exploded "Corporation" they bought the Roll-
stone Mill also, as the pond of the former intruded somewhat upon the water-wheel of the latter. It
was owned by General Ivers Jewett and in 1833, it was purchased by Messrs. Town, Willia and others.
p.20 History of Fitchburg.
The factory on Phillip's brook, generally known as "Baldwin's factory," was built in the fall of 1814.
The persons engaged in this undertaking experienced a fate common to many, who, about this time, em-
barked their whole fortune in cotton manufactories. Soon after the commencement of their operations
peace was declared between this country and England, and the company failed. The fall of the water at
this place is very great. The hole occupied by the factory was extremely rugged and rocky and great ex-
pense was incurred in clearing it out. The factory is supplied by two small ponds - the surface of the
water in the upper one being nearly on a level with the steeple of the factory, which is about thirty
rods distant. The Red Woolen factory, situated about a mile southeasterly of the village, and now own-
ed and occupied by Benjamin Poor of Boston, was built in 1823 by Tyler Daniels & Company. It was in
their possession four or five years when they disposed of their interest in it. After changing owners
several times, it was purchased by Samuel Slater, whose heirs sold i t to the present owner. For several
years it was not in operation. It was put in operation again by J. A. A. Laforest & Co., in 1834. An
addition was made to this mill in 1827.
The Stone Mill (cotton) was built in 1826 by Oliver Fox, Esqr. It is very near, or partly occupies, the
site of the first grist-mill and saw-mill erected in the town by Deacon Amos and Ephraim Kimball. The
present lessee and owner of the machinery is Percy Atherton.
The brick (woolen) factory at South Fitchburg was built by Hollis Hartshorn in 1832. Soon after the
commencement of the building, William Whitney of Boston became joint owner in the concern. It is now
owned by him and Capt. Z. Sheldon. It is leased to Amos Hill, as has been mentioned in another place.
The Burbank paper-mill and dam (the third built across the Nashua) was built in the year 1804 by Thomas
French. The mill went into operation the following year.
A. Crocker & Co.'s paper mill was built in 1826; and the dam there was made in the previous autumn. This
place was exceedingly rough and difficult to access. The dam alone cost $1,500.
p.21 History of Fitchburg.
The above account embraces the most important items relating to the origin and progress of the manu-
factures of Fitchburg.
Previous to the commencement of the manufacture of woolen cloths in 1822, some attempts had been made
in manufacturing satinets, in the Old City, but the scheme was a losing one, and was soon abandoned.
Saw-mills were built on several of the minor streams, in different parts of the town, at quite an early
period.
When the town was in its infancy, the opinion in general, that it could never be a flourishing place,
as its enterprise and prosperity would always be checked by the burthensome taxes necessary to keep
in repair the roads and bridges. The Nashua river was considered as the curse of the place! The
present condition and future prospects of the town are a singular commentary on the opinion of our
fathers.
The number of ratable polls at this time was about 700. The militia is composed of three companies, viz.,
two standing companies and one of light infantry.
The town is divided into twelve school districts. From the School Returns furnished to the Legislature,
for the year 1835, I gather the following statements: The number of children attending Common Schools
from four to sixteen years of age is, males - 271; females - 289. Average attendance, 416. Children
not attending Common Schools any portion of the year - 15 males and 26 females. Aggregate time of
keeping school in all the districts is, in winter, 28 months 21 days; summer 28 months, 7 days. Number
of male instructors, 11; female instructors - 14. Average wages per month, exclusive of board, - winter
$16.67; summer - $4.30. Amount of money raised by tax for supporting Common Schools - $1,237.50. Esti-
mated amount paid for tuition at the Academy and private schools - $705.00
The Academy is a commodius, two story building, situated a few rods easterly of the Common. It was
erected in 1830, at an expense of about $1,200. It is furnished with two school rooms on the lower
floor; the former of which will accommodate 65 scholars, and the latter, 30 scholars. The average
number of scholars attending for several years past has been about thirty.
p.22 History of Fitchburg.
CIVIL HISTORY
Before entering upon the civil history of the town, it may be proper to take a glance at the situation
and condition of this part of the country, at the time when the white man first placed his foot upon it,
and sought an abiding place and shelter in the then unknown wilderness.
What events transpired previous to this period, the imperfect traditions of the natives do not inform us.
The elements of nature were at work upon the soil, but its mould was not disturbed by the arts of civilized
life. Trees sprung forth, grew to majestic height, and then fell to the earth in the natural
progress of decay.
The Nashua River wound its devious course through the forest, the stillness of which was not interrupted
save by the shout of the savage, the cry of the beast of prey, or the scream of the wild bird of the
wilderness. The current of the stream may have been choked by the trunks of trees, hurled by the viol-
ence of the tempest into its bosom. The mass of accumulating water would then burst forth, perhaps
seeking a new channel in its onward course. What changes have heretofore taken place in the course of
the Nashua River, we know not - running water is always wearing.
There is every appearance that the bed of the stream which flows by Messrs. Perkins & Baldwin's factory,
once was situated ten or twenty feet higher than at pesent, in the ledge of rocks near their dam. But the
changes, which have taken place on the surface of our township, are more fit speculations for the geologist.
We cannot speak with certainty of its appearance, till after it was visited by the white
man.
At this period we know that this section of the country was thinly peopled by several Indian tribes. A
few years previous to the landing of our fathers at Plymouth, a deadly pestilence raged among the
aborigines, and swept nine-tenths of them to their graves. The Indian population did not average one
inhabitant to each square mile.
p.23 History of Fitchburg.
The Indians of New England were divided into five principal tribes, all of which extended their juris-
diction into the limits of the present county of Worcester. There were, also, several smaller tribes
under their own sagamores or sachems; but they were all tributary to the larger tribes.
The Pequods, whose sovereign resided at New London, CT., had dominion over the Nipmucks, in the southern
and southwestern part of the county. The Narragansetts occupied what was then the colony of Rhode Island.
They, also, had tribute from some of the Nipmucks. The Pokanokets or Wampanoags lived in the Plymouth
colony. Their sachem's seat was at Mount Hope near Bristol, R.I. The celebrated King Philip, or Meta-
com was their chief. They extended their authority over another portion of the Nipmucks. It is not
probable that either of these tribes extended their jurisdicition as far as Fitchburg.
The Massachusetts were the next great tribe northward, and extended from the bay of the same name to
the Connecticut River. The Nashuas in the vicinity of Lancaster, and the northern protion of the Nipmucks
were under this tribe. If this town was included in the territory of the Nashuas, it was under the juris-
diction of the Massachusetts; but this is not very probable, as the Nashuas consisted of only fifteen
or sixteen families, residing on the intervale lands of Lancaster, or near the ponds of Sterling.
The Pawtuckets dwelt in the northeastern parts of the State, on the banks of the Merrimack and its
tributaries. This tribe probably extended over the northern part of the county. If this supposition
be correct, then Fitchburg undoubtedly formed part of the territory of the Pawtucket indians.
Again, it has been supposed that the town was in the territory of the Penicooks, who principally re-
sided in the region about Concord, New Hampshire. But there is not much foundation for the opinion that
their realms extended so far south.
The Nipmucks, if ever an independent, were now a broken down tribe, as most of the neighboring sachems
claimed sovereignty over them.
p.24 History of Fitchburg.
They were a harmless, simple minded race, and many of them became converts to christianity, through the
preaching of the celebrated Apostle, Elliott. These Indians and the Nashuas conducted with good faith
towards their white neighbors, until King Philip's war in 1675, when they were induced to unite with him.
When the Nashuas were broken up, most of them joined the Penicooks at the north.
The Indian population was so extremely sparse, when this territory began to be settled by the whites, that
there is no reason to believe that the geographical lines of the different tribes were distinctly marked -
they were determined rather by tacit consent or general understanding. Sometimes, when the hunting
parties of one tribe pursued their game into the limits of another, or caught their fish in the bosoms
of the aggrieved party, and measures of retaliation were concerted. Hence feuds, not only between indi-
viduals but between whole tribes, arose, and bloody wars were originated.
There do not appear to be any well authenticated accounts, which tend to show that the Indians of any
tribe ever made any part of this town a permanent place of residence. Stone arrow-heads have been dug
up in various places, and other implements of Indian manufacture have been found in the field opposite
to the house of Capt. Philip F. Cowdin, but not in sufficient numbers to authorize a supposition that
their owners ever permanently resided there. They have, however, left behind them sufficient numbers
to conclude that they were neither ignorant nor unmindful of the excellent shad, alewives or salmon-
trout which sported in the waters of the Nashua River, or of the deer and wild turkeys, which found
a shelter and a covert under the branches of the majestic pines which towered above our hills.
It may be an amusing speculation to inquire when the soil of Fitchburg was first pressed by the foot of
the white man. In 1643, but little more than twenty-two years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply-
mouth, the region about Lancaster was in subjection to Sholan, sachem of the Nashuas. He had opened a
species of traffic with
p.25 History of Fitchburg.
the people of Watertown, Mass., and for greater convenience in this respect, he invited Thomas King and
others* to remove to the fertile regions of the Nashua.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Insert:
Subject: Thomas King of Watertown, Mass.
Source : Genealogies Of The Families & Descendants of
the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts by Dr.
Henry Bond, Boston, 1860.
p.326
Thomas King aged 15 years, embarked at Ipswich, England, April, 1634 with
John Barnard's family. At the same time, embarked Thomas King, aged 19 yrs.
probably the Thomas King of Lancaster, Mass. (see also, Worcester Magazine,
pp.130 & 272.)
Thomas King of Watertown married and by his wife, Mary.
Insert: Torrey, New England Marriges Prior to 1700; p. 440:
Thomas King (-1644) & Mary ____? who m. (2) James Cutler; Watertown.
Thomas King & his wife Mary had children:
1. Thomas King b. March 6, 1640/1; buried Dec. 28, 1644.
2. Mary King b. Feb 2, 1642/3; m. Oct 19, 1659, John Johnson.
One other daughter, name not known.
He died Dec 3, 1644 and his widow m. March 9, 1644/5, James Cutler. Inventory
dated Dec. 24, 1646.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Thomas King & John Prescott ~ The Trucking Company
Source: History of Lancaster, Mass. by Rev. Abijah Marvin - Lancaster 1879.
p.65
There can no doubt that there were Indian trails from the seacoast to the
interior before the English came. And after their coming, the natives were accustomed to travel to the
lower towns, not only to reach the seaside, but also for the purpose of
traffic.
The English would naturally follow these trails when hunting, or visiting the
Indians at their settlements. It is probable that Thomas King, or the men whom he sent up to the Nashua
country, came through Sudbury and the upper part of Marlborough, to Lancaster, and that they crossed the
Nashua River near the Carter mills in South Lancaster.
This was almost in a direct line from Sudbury to George Hill, on the south-east side of which was the first
"trucking house," at a spot afterwards known as the "Indian camp pasture."
In the year 1653 the General Court directed "that Sudbury and Lancaster lay
out highways betwixt town and town, according to the direction of the court, for the countries use, and
then make them as need shall be."
This was doubtless the principal route to Boston for several years. Probably
there was a trail from Washacum lake, the seat of Sholan, to the Indian camp on George Hill, and also to the
"place of passing over," at Carter's mills.
The next step was to open a road to Concord, the nearest town directly east.
This was in the spring of 1656.
p.66
But as the trucking business had now been sold by King and Symonds to John
Prescott, and the place of trade had been moved from the Indian camp to South Lancaster, there was without
doubt a traveled way between the two points. This way can even now be traced by marks which leave no doubt
in the mind of those who have examined them. The road came down the hill from the Indian camp to the house
of Jonas Goss, and thence to
Prescott's corner.
Traces of this old road still exist. Again, starting from the Indian camp, and going
nearly north, on the eastern slope of George Hill, through a field which has been cultivated
the observer will come to what seems to have been an orchard, in which are a few straggling
old apple trees. This is directly west from the young orchard and grapery of Mr. Goss.
In the vicinity of these old trees is a very ancient celler-hole. Going still farther north,
into the next lot and about forty rods west of the house of E. Warren Smith, a well will be
found, nearly filled with stones. Proceeding towards the brook which comes down the hill-
side, another old well is found. Here the road must have been deflected towards the east,
and then sloping along towards the northeast. Here is a cellar-hole, and till recently
there were two. These are just west of the ledge which overlooks the meadow of Mr. Howard.
This was probably the site of the garrison house of Lieut. Nathaniel Wilder, though it may
be that his house was towards the southwest, where the old wells are located. The road can
be traced no farther, though. From the "lay of the land," it must have proceeded northerly,
and come out not far west of the house formerly occupied by L. W. Spalding, and now by
Cyrus D. Howe.
This old road is marked by a double line. It was extended, in process of time, as far as the
present poorhouse, skirting the hillside all the way.
The road to Concord was laid out in May or June, 1656 by a joint committee of the two towns.
George Wheeler and John Smalley from Concord acting with John Roper and Ralph Houghton, per-
formed the duty, whereof we have this record:
"We whose lands are hereunto put, being chosen by Concord and Lancaster, to lay out the
country highway betwixt the said towns, within the bounds of Lancaster, have acted and
concluded that the country highway shall go as followeth: the place whence we took our
beginning is at the highway beginning betwixt the lot of John Prescott and John Moore's
lot and so running on the east side of the minister's house, and over the north river by
Lawrence Water's house and so over Penacook River near to the house of Edward Brick (Breck)
and so over the interval, and through Swans' swamp, where the town hath already marked out
a highway for themselves, and so along to a little pine tree on the north side of Wata-
quadock Hill and so along the old path, or where may be most convenient within the bounds
of Lancaster."
The same road is after laid down in the reverse order, in the words following: "One way
for the country lieth from the entrance into the town on the east part, from Waterquadock
Hill down to the Swan's swamp, and over the wading place through Pennycook River, that is
by the Indian ware [wear, a dam for taking fish] and so along by Master Rowlandson's
ground and the river, and again up to goodman Waters, his barn, between old goodman Brick's
lot and that which was Richard Smiths, now in the possession of John Tinker, to be as it is
staked out, at the least five rods wide on the Neck, and to be as wide as can be on the east
side of the river - the Penacook - under ten rods and above five; and so from goodman Waters
over the North River, up by Master Rowlandson's, the breadth as is laid out and fenced,
marked and staked, up to goodman Prescott's ryefield, and so between that and John Moor's
lot, and across the brook, and up between John Johnson's and John Rugg's lots, five rods
wide and so beyond all the lots into the woods."
The only difficulty in fixing the location of this road arises when we reach the "highway
beginning betwixt the lot of John Prescott - called his ryefield and John Moor's lot". To
this we shall recur again.
p.68
About the same date, (perhaps a little earlier), the two Neck roads were opened. The east
road on the Neck went "from goodman Brick's house, through the end of his ground, and Ralph
Houghton's," and so on to "Quassoponican Hill," - sometimes called Whittemore Hill - "full
five rods wide." Edward Breck's house, as said above, was near the corner of the road east
of the house of C. L. Wilder.
To be continued, "Old Roads" Part 2, p. 68.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Indian Trails and Olde Roads - Lancaster, Mass. Part 2 of 2
Source: History of Lancaster, Mass. by Rev. Abijah Marvin - Lancaster 1879.
Part 2 of 2
p.68
The west road of the Neck, now tha main street from the Sprague Bridge to the North Village,
extended from "goodman Waters barn to Quassoponikin meadow, before the house of goodman
Gates, both goodman Joslins, etc., as it is laid out and marked, five rods wide, and in the
interval two rods wide."
This road was probably some rods west of the present main street. It began near the bridge
over the North river, some twenty rods above the Sprague bridge and ran along the hillside
west of the houses now (1879) situated on the west side of the main road; near the house of
John W. Barnes, across the grounds of Rev. Mr. Bartol, and those living north, by the
house of William McNeil, and onward to the road that now passes between Edward Phelps and
Mrs. Benjamin Otis, into the Ponakin Intervale.
The eastern range of lots on the Neck, extended from Nashua river one hundred and sixty rods
west and as the river curves often, the western bound of the lots was not in a straight line.
This road, by degrees, was moved eastward, up the hill, and made nearly straight, as it is
at present. There is an angle of about twelve degrees near the house of Mrs. Emily Green.
Next in the records we find "one way to the Mill at the head of the lots of John Prescott,
Thomas Sawyer, Jacob Farrah, five rods wide from the country highway to the mill."
Prescott's Mill was in Clinton, where now (1879) stands the Clinton Yarn Mill. The road
laid out was from the south part of South Lancaster to Clinton.
p.69
There is some difficulty in locating the next road. The Record reads as follows:
"One way, called the street or crossway, from goodman Kerley's Intervale, and the rest of
the intervail lotts, and so south between the double range of lots, five rods wide and so
toward Weshacome when it is past Jacob Farrow's lot; and also it receives the same width
between the house lots and intervale lots northward to the walnut swamp."
The Intervale lots here mentioned, extended from the North river, on either side of Roper's
brook, south by west towards the farm of Mr. Thayer, where William A. Kilbourn now resides.
It is supposed that the road began at the south end of the intervale, and went southerly,
on the west side of the little brook behind the house of Mrs. Mary Ware and rising to the
top of the bank, passed to the rear of all the houses on the west side of the street in
South Lancaster, and southwesterly to the house of Jonas Goss. Not far from the house of
Jonas Goss, it passed up the hill, and thence onwards to Weshacome.
Another road extended from the "millway at the end of goodman Prescott's rye-field to the
entrance of his intervale, five rods wide, and through the intervale over Nashaway river
and the Still river to the outside fence of Jacob Farrar's lott, two rods and an half wide."
This road began, probably, about ten or twelve rods west of Mrs. Ware's corner, and went
easterly by the present way to the Atherton bridge. Crossing the river it kept along the
eastern bank of the river to the "Neck bridge" where it met the Concord road, which went
over Wattaquadock hill.
Finally, "one way from that intervale way down along all the intervale, to the Still river,
and towards Groton, on the east side of the river, two rods wide." This road began at the
crossing of the Penacook and was directly in the line over which "Dead River" now flows, in
times of high water, with a volume nearly equal to the main stream.
p.70
Bridges were ordered to be built over the Nashua, near Carter's mills and the North river
above the Sprague bridge in the year 1659. The Records, under date of January 14, 1659
read:
"The Selectmen ordered for the bridges over Nashaway and North river, that they are on
the Neck of land do make a cart bridge over the North river by goodman Water's and they on
the south end do make a cart bridge over Nashaway about the wading place, at their own
expense."
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.25 cont'd History of Fitchburg.
They complied with his advice, and commenced the plantation in 1643. In 1653, the town, then con-
taining nine families, was incorporated by the name of Lancaster, Massachusetts. From this time the
inhabitants dwelt in peace, until the commencement of King Philips' war in 1675.
To the east of us, the town of Groton, Massachusetts which was incorporated in 1655. Beyond these
points which were on the verge of civilization, the white population did not extend for a considerable
time. Perhaps some hunter from these frontier settlements, in his solitary pursuit after game, may have
traversed our hills, and penetrated the unknow wilderness; but this is altogether conjecture.
February 10, 1676 - The Indians attacked Lancaster and after destroying the settlement by burning the
houses and murdering many people, the marched with the prisoners towards Canada. Among these was Mrs.
Rowlandson, wife of the minister of Lancaster.
After her return from captivity, she published an account of her journeyings through the wilderness, under
the title of "Twenty Removes" From this quaint work and other data, attempts have been made to trace her
course. But the country being then entirely wild, and her accounts extremely vague in consequence, her
mind at the same time being depressed by the hazards of her perilous situation, and by recollections of
the recent calamity which had fallen so heavily upon her - nothing very satisfactory has been elicited.
Her descriptions answer to three distinct routes, the most northern of which would carry her through
what became Fitchburg.
From her account it appears that she spent the first night of her captivity on a small island in a river.
This is supposed to be in Leominster. There is an island there answering very well to her description.
The second night she passed upon a high hill - the third night in Narrhagansett which is now Westminster
and on the eigth day of her captivity she arrived at a place now in New Braintree. If then it be assumed
that she stayed the first night in Leominster,
p.26 History of Fitchburg.
and the third night in Narrhagansett, there is every reason to believe that - independent of all tradi-
tion and all circumstances related by her - she passed the second night somewhere in the limits of the
present town of Fitchburg. Taking all things into consideration, there is a good foundation for the con-
jecture that she passed the 2nd night on Rollstone hill. If this conjecture be true, what a scene must
have been witnessed by her on the summit of that hill, on the night of the 11th of February, 1676.
The merciless savages, exulting in their success, were celebrating the massacre which they had inflicted
upon the innocent people of Lancaster, and testifying by their dreadful rites and hellish orgies, their
joy at shedding human blood. In the midst of them sat the lone white woman - her spirit crushed to the
earth by the weight of her sudden and overwhelming calamities. Torn from her husband, sorrowing for the
destruction of her kindred and friends, with no comforts to supply her neccessities - no shelter to pro-
tect her from the wintry blasts - and with a dread of a hopeless captivity in prospect, she was entirely
dependent upon the "tender mercies" of the savages, the murderers of her children.
I will now leave leave these matters of uncertain speculation, and proceed with the dull relations of
history.
The beginning of Lunenburg.
Previous to the incorporation of this town, under the name of Fitchburg, in 1764, it formed a part of
Lunenburg. To begin, then at the beginning, and acquire a knowledge of our origin, it is necessary to
search into the early records of Lunenburg, in the transactions and events of which town the people who
inhabited what is now Fitchburg, had an equal interest, and an equal share.
In Whitney's "History of Worcester County," the account of Lunenburg commences as follows: "On the 4th
of November, ***1719, the General Court, at the request of a number of gentlemen, made a grant to them of
this territory for a valuable consideration," etc. Who these "gentlemen" were is not known**, but it is
presumed they were among those whose names are preserved in the proprietor's books, as the earliest
settlers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Insert:
The Early Records of the Town of Lunenburg.
by Walter A. Davis, 1896.
SURVEY & ALLOTMENT
of the
NEW SOUTH TOWN WEST OF GROTON CALLED
TURKEY HILLS.
p.13 Survey and Allotment of Turkey Hills.
1st That Each and Every person to Whom a Lot is or shall be granted (no allotment or share to exceed
ye quantity of 250 acres) shall be obliged at ye entering his Name with ye Committee to pay down the
sume of fifty shillings in part, and at ye drawing of his lott, or when ye same is laid out, the sum
of fifty shillings more in full of ye five pounds for ye use of ye Province. And if any person who
enters his name, & pays ye first fifty shillings shall neglect or refuse to pay ye last fifty to com-
plete ye five pounds as Ordered by the General Court, when his lott is laid out & ready for draft,
every such person shall forfit his first payment and ye lott be free to be Granted to another proper
person as ye Committee shall see meet.
2nd. That every person to whom a lott is, or shall be granted shall be & is hereby obliged to build a
good dwelling house on his said allotment. And also to break up & sufficiently fence in three acres
of land at ye least within ye space of three years after ye said lotts are laid out & drawn, and do also
pay & do each of their full proportions towards ye building & furnishing of a Convenient House for ye
Publick Worship of God, in such Town where his lott shall fall, said house to be finished in four years
according to ye Order of ye General Court, And do also pay ye necessary charge of ye surveys and ye
Committee for their service in and about ye premises.
3rd. That every grantee to whom a lott is or shall be granted shall be & is hereby enjoyned effectualy
to settle & inhabit ye same in his own proper person, and not have liberty in any way whatsoever to sell
or alienate or any ways to dispose of his interest or allottment in either of said towns to any person
whatsoever, untill the whole conditions enjoyned by ye General Court be fully complied with & performed,
without ye leave & approbation of the Committee or the major part of them. Nor to any person or persons
but such as they shall approve and to be accepted by ye committee.
p.14 ** Allotment of Turkey Hills.
Names of all who bought lotts in Turkey Hills/Lunenburg
***1720***
£ s d
1. John Fletcher of Concord 2 10 00
2. Nathaniel Harris of Needham 2 10 00
3. Moses Smith of Needham 3 00 00
4. Roberd Harris of Needham 2 10 00
5. Abraham Woodward of Brookline 2 10 00
6. Aaron Smith of Needham 2 10 00
7. Timothy Harris of Roxbury 2 10 00
8. Ephraim Sautle (Sawtell) of Groton 2 10 00
9. Mr. Whittemore for his son Nathaniel - Concord 2 10 00
10. Jonathan Hubard of Concord 2 10 00
11. Joseph Hubbard of Concord 2 10 00
12. Daniell Davis of Concord 2 10 00
13. Jonathan Hartwell of Concord 2 10 00
14. Mr. William Keene of Concord 5 00 00
15. Elias Barron of Concord 2 10 00
16. Ensign John Warrin for his son John of Marlborough 2 10 00
17. Jonathan Child of Watertown 2 10 00
18. Jacob Fullam of Weston 2 10 00
19. John Whitney of Watertown 2 10 00
20. William Wood of Concord 2 10 00
21. Lieut. Jones for his son Josiah of Weston 2 10 00
22. Eleazer Green of Groton 2 10 00
23. Ephraim Peirce for his son Ephraim of Groton 2 10 00
24. Nathaniel Holden of Groton 2 10 00
25. Zachariah Sautle for his son David of Groton 2 10 00
26. William Whitney for his son William of Groton 2 10 00
27. Isaac Stone of Groton 2 10 00
28. Nathaniel Woods, of Groton 2 10 00
29. Nathaniel Woods, Jun'r of Groton 2 10 00
30. Nathan Haward of Concord 2 10 00
31. Edward Emerson Esq., for his son Edward - Newbery 2 10 00
_____________
80 10 00
p.15 Survey and Allottment of Turkey Hills
(Brought over from ye other side) 80 10 00
(balance forward)
32. John Calfe of Boston 2 10 00
33. Thomas Hale for his son Joshua, of Newbery 2 10 00
34. Daniel Thirston for his son Jonathanm, of Newbery 2 10 00
35. Phillip Goodridge of Newbery 2 10 00
36. Jonathan Poore of Newbery 2 10 00
37. William Blount for his son David Blount of Andover 2 10 00
38. Henry Chandler Jun'r of Andover 2 10 00
39. Thomas Pearly for Phillip Amey of Boxford 2 10 00
40. Jer. Perly for John Amey of Boxford 2 10 00
41. Jonathan Woodman for his son Stephen Woodman of Bradford 2 10 00
42. Thomas Tailer of Reading 2 10 00
43. Nathaniel Stow for his son Nathaniel Stow of Reading 2 10 00
44. Walter Bees of Lancaster 2 10 00
45. William Wheeler of Concord 2 10 00
46. Peter Harwood of Concord for his son Nathaniel 2 10 00
47. Thomas Woolly of Concord 2 10 00
48. Samuell Hartwell for his son Isaac, of Concord 2 10 00
49. Joseph Ball for his son Joseph Ball of Watertown 2 10 00
50. John Hastings of Watertown 3 00 00
51. Ebenezer Chadwick of Weston 2 10 00
52. Joseph Allen for his son - Weston 2 10 00
53. Jonathan Boyden for his son Josiah - Groton 2 10 00
54. Benjamin Prescott of Groton 2 10 00
55. Phinehas Parker of Groton 2 10 00
56. Thomas Tarbul (Tarbell) of Groton 2 10 00
57. Joseph Gilson for his son Jonas - Groton 2 10 00
58. William Laurence - Groton 2 10 00
59. James Goold of Salem 2 10 00
60. Mr. Samuell Page of Turkey Hills & 2 10 00
61. said Samuell Page for his son Joseph 2 10 00
62. Capt. James Richardson - Woburn & 2 10 00
63. For his son William Richardson - Woburn 2 10 00
p.16 Survey and Alottment of Turkey Hills
64. Jonathan Whitney of Concord 2 10 00
65. Isaac Whitney of Concord 2 10 00
66. Shadrik Whitney of Concord 2 10 00
67. Thomas Kemball, Jun'r 2 10 00
68. Mr. William Clark - Boston 00 00 00
69. Jonathan Shipley of Groton Paid page 15. 00 00 00
70. John Burrill, Esq. ditto 00 00 00
71. Jonathan Dows, Esq. ditto 00 00 00
72. Jeromy Allen, Esq. 5 00 00
73. Nathaniell Whitney, Jun'r of Weston 2 10 00
74. Edward Hartwell of Lancaster Paid page 15. 00 00 00
75. Amos Brown of Stow Paid page 15. 00 00 00
________________
181 00 00
Brought over from ye other side 181 00 00
76. M. Eleazer Flagg - Woburn Paid page 15. 00 00 00
77. Caapt. Richard Kembal for his son Joseph of Bradford 2 10 00
78. Mr. James Burbeen for his son James - Paid page 15. 00 00 00
79. Phineas Richardson Paid page 15. 00 00 00
80. Lieut. Thomas Perly Paid page 15. 00 00 00
________________
TOTALL 183 10 00
May 11th 1720 The Committees Attendence, Travel & Expenses in
Granting out ye South Town Lotts for which said town is Dr
To Col. Tailer two days & half 1 00 00
To Col. Thaxter two days attendance & travel one day 1 04 00
To Capt. Shipley two days attendance & travel 00 16 00
To Lieut. Whittemore one day & half at 8s 00 12 00
To Francis ffullam one day & half 00 12 00
Expence paid by Capt. Shipley 00 04 00
Expence then paid at Mr. Hubbard's - Two pounds, seven shillings and six pence 2 7 16
Paid by Mr. Whittemore at Concord - £00 00 10d 00 00 10
_________________
6 16 4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.27 History of Fitchburg.
Lunenburg.
Furthermore, this order, or grant of the General Court, is of great importance; for it is not only
the foundation of our municipal rights, but it is the basis upon which rests all the titles to real
estate in this town and in Lunenburg. I will therefore give it entire, from an exact copy of the orig-
inal records, as furnished by the Secretary of the Commonwealth:
"Anno Regni Regis Georgil Magnae Britaniae, etc. Sexto."
At a great and General Court or Assembly for his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New
England, begun and held at Boston, upon Wednesday, the twenty-seventh of May, 1719, and continued by
Prorogation to Wednesday, the fourth of November, 1719, and then met; being their second session.
Monday, December 7, 1719.
In the House of Representatives, the vote for granting two new towns was brought down from the Board, with
Amendments, which were read and agreed to - And the said vote is as follows, viz:
Voted that two new Towns, each containing a quantity of land not exceeding six miles square, be laid out
in as regular forms, as the land will allow; to be settled in a defensible manner, on the Westerly side
of Groton West line, and that of
William Tailor, Esq.
Samuel Thaxter, Esq.
Francis Fullam, Esq.
Capt. John Shipley
Mr. Benjamin Whittamore
Be a Committee fully impowered to allot and grant out the land contained in each of the said towns,
(a lot not to exceed two hundred fifty acres) to such persons, and only such as will effectually settle
the same within the space of three years next ensuing the laying out and granting such lots by the
Committee for the use of the Province, the sum of Five Pounds for each allotment, which shall be granted
and allotted as aforesaid; and that each person to whom such lot or lots shall be granted or laid out,
shall be obliged to build a good dwelling house thereon and inhabit it: and also to break up and fence in
three acres of land at least within the Term of three years; and that there be laid out and reserved for
the first settled Minister, a good convenient lot* (*this lot was where T & J Dunsmoor now lives, near
the north burial ground)
Also a lot for the school and a lot for Harvard College of two hundred and fifty acres each; and that the
settlers be obliged to build a good, convenient house for the Worship
footnotes:
The school lot was in the northwest part of Lunenburg and a portion of it came within the limits of
Fitchburt.
The Ministerial lot was so divided that it is now difficult to fix the precise situation of the several
parts.
The college lot was in the North, North East part of Lunenburg.
p.28
History of Fitchburg.
Lunenburg.
of God in each of the said towns, within the term of four years; and to pay the charge of necessary
surveys, and the Committee for their service in and about the premises; and that the Committee give
public notice of the time and place when and where they will meet to grant allotments.
Consented to: Samuell Shute."
These two townships were designated by the Committee appointed to allot and grant them out, as the North
and South Townships. The former (North Township) was afterwards incorporated by the name of Townsend,in
the county of Middlesex. The south township included the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg and a
large portion of Ashby.
Whitney and every other authority which I have seen assert that this grant was made on the 4th of November
1719. A copy of the grant was made on the 4th of November, 1719. A copy of the grant is given on the
first page of the book, containing an account of the doings of the Committee. It is as follows:
"At a Great and General Court or Assembly for his Majestie's Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, held Nov 4,
1719, in ye House of Representatives," etc. - This error of thirty-three days as to the date of the
Grant was probably made either by the Committee's being furnished with an imperfect copy of the act, or
by a mistake of Francis Fullam, the Committee's Clerk, in copying it into their book.
This latter was probably Whitney's authority, and it is not unlikely that others have followed him. How-
ever, the authority of the records of the General Court is not to be doubted. The act passed the House
of Representatives and received the signature of the Governor on the 7th of December, 1719, old style,
which corresponds with the 18th of December, new style.
Turkey Hill.
Whitney's account thus proceeds: - "There is a hill, in the middle of the town, called Turkey Hill, on
account of the great number of wild turkeys which frequented the place in that day. It still retains
the name; and gave denomination to the whole tract previous to its incorporation." This account of
Lunenburg in Whitney's History, (which was published in 1793) was entirely prepared by Rev. Zabdiel
Adams, then minister of Lunenburg, and certainly a good authority in the matters of his own day. This
hill is now called "Clark's Hill,"
p.29
and is situated about two hundred rods southeasterly from the Meeting House. I have enquired of several
people who lived in Lunenburg previous to the publication of Whitney's history, and hardly one is to be
found who recollects that any one hill in particular was called "Turkey Hill" but they say that Turkey
Hills was the name given to "all the hills around" - not only to the hills of Lunenburg, but to the loftier
hills in Fitchburg, which were equally the resort of immense numbers of wild turkeys, which found
a favorite food in plentiful supply of chestnuts and acorns there abounding. One or two individuals,
however, are quite certain that Clark's Hill, though aged people still clung to its ancient designation.
The name of Turkey Hill is now entirely superseded.
There is indubitable evidence, that the tract included in the whole south township was called, not Turkey
Hill, but "Turkey Hills."
What Indian name was given to this territory is not known; but the first name applied to it by white men
was Turkey Hills.
When this order or grant of the General Court passed, December 7th, 1719, there was but one family re-
siding in the territory of Turkey Hills. The head of this family was Samuel Page - universally designated
by the honorable title of "Old Governor Page." This pioneer of the wilderness and patriarch of Turkey
Hills was born, as I have been informed, in this section of the county (probably in East Cambridge) in
1671 or 1672 and removed at an early age to South Carolina. From thence he returned to Groton, in this
state, where he remained but a short period, and in the summer of 1718, moved westward into what was
afterwards Lunenburg, where he remained until his death in 1747*
footnote *The inscription on his grave stone, executed in rude captitals reads as follows:
"Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Samuel Page.
He was ye first that settled in this town,
Who departed this life Sept. ye 7, 1747 in
ye 76 year of his age."
Insert: Samuel Page.
Samuel Page
Source New England Historical & Genealogical Register
p.297
Page.
Bond's History of Watertown, p.383 states that Samuel2 Page, son of Samuel1 Page went to South Carolina.
The following deeds and wills prove that it was Samuel Page son of John & Faith (Dunster) Page, who went
to South Carolina, that he married twice, had a large family and, returning to Groton, finally settled at
Lunenburg with most of his children.
In vol. 16 of the Middlesex County Deeds are three deeds filed on the same date, 8 June 1713, and following
each other in the book. The first (p.311): "John Page of Groton, Middlesex Co., husbandman
do give to my loving son Samuel Page of Groton...a five acre right lying in Groton ...first for his
houselot, fifteen acres bounding southerly on the land of John Longley, Northerly upon my own land,
easterly upon the Country Highway, Westerly upon the Town Common. Nextly five acres lying upon ye River,
bounded upon ye river Westerly, Southwardly by the land of Samuel Davis, northwrdly and eastwardly by my own
land and thirdly three acres of intervale lying upon the west side of the river bounding by the land of Deacon
Lawrence's, southward and northward by my own land, westward by the Town Common, eastward by the river (other
pieces mentioned) and I the said Samuel Page do receive this the above written as my full portion given me by
my honored father and bind myself, not to molest the abovesaid John Page for any more of his estate without
the said John Page, my honored father sees just cause for to give it to me by Will or Deed" etc. Signed by
John Page, Sr. and Samuel Page, Jan 13, 1693.
Second Deed (p.312): "Samuel Page Sen'r of South Carolina...for and in consequence of Ñ38. 3s. paid by Joseph
Sanderson of Groton"...sells to him "a five acre right lying and being in Groton as followeth. First the houselot
of fifteen poles wide, the whole length of the Lott, bounded southerly upon land of John Longley, northerly on
land of John Page, easterly on the country highway, westerly the town Common...also five acres...bounded west
upon the river, south by land of Samuel Davis, north and east by lands of John Page" (etc., for all other pieces
mentioned in the first deed).
Signed by Samue Page, April 30, 1713.
This Samuel Page married first a daughter of Nathaniel Lawrence, probably Sarah Lawrence who deceased before her
father, as in his Will in 1718 he leaves a bequest to son Samuel Page (Lawrence Genealogy Vol. 17. p. 18) By the
wording of the Will of Samuel Page I shoul djudge the following Children belonged to her:
1. Samuel Page b. 1692
2. John Page
3. Joseph Page
4. Jonathan Page
5. William Page
6. Nathaniel Page
7. David Page
and perhaps the daughter, Sarah Page.
On his return from South Carolina he settled at Lunenburg but entered the births of two children on the Groton records, viz.,
8. Elizabeth Page
9. Daniel Page.
On the Lunenburg records he entered these children with
p.298
the rest of his family and at this time he had a wife, Martha. Children on record:
Elizabeth Page b. Mar 23, 1719
Zacharia Page b. April 10, 1721; died 1721.
Daniel Page b. Aug 10, 1722
Martha Page b. b. May 31, 1725 died 1728.
Benjamin Page b. Oct 12, 1727
Thomas Page born Sept 6, 1730.
In 1740 the death of John Page, son of Mr. Samuel Page, at Jamaica is
recorded "Being there on ye Spanish Expedition." His wife Martha died in 1746 and he married thirdly, July 9, 1747,
Sarah Parce of Leominster. He died on Sept 7, 1747. His will (Worcester County Probate Vol. 2, p. 655, proved
Nov 3, 1747, is peculiar in the order of the naming of the
children. It would seem that the children of his first wife had already received poroperty from him, because he
starts with specific bequests to the sons of Martha, mentioning first "son Daniel, son Thomas," his daughters,
"Heirs of daughter Sarah Farnsworth, dec'd" "dau. Elizabeth Parker," then "goldheaded
came to son Samuel Page," and "all the residue to be divided between my sons Samuel Page,
Joseph Page, William Page, Nathaniel Page, executors.
All the sons with the exception of Samuel Page, Jr. returned to Charlestown, and married, 20 May 1719, Susanna
Page. He lived there for some years but settled finally at Medford. He died in 1749 and his age at death makes
him born in 1692, so that he must have been the eldest son. In his Will he mentions, besides his family, his
property at Medford, Charlestown and Lunenburg. It would seem probable from this date that Samuel Page, Sr's
first wife Sarah Lawrence died in South Carolina and that he married his 2nd wife there.
Dorchester, Mass. - Mary L. Holman
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
p.30 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg, Mass.
The Page family.
When the General Court's Committee (as they were styled) first visited the place in December, 1719,
in the performance of their duty, they found Governor Page, whose faithful subjects were composed of
his wife, Martha Page, and several promising children, occupying a comfortable habitation on the south-
erly side of Clark's Hill, a few rods to the rear of the barn belonging to the farm of Micah Marshall.
It is directly opposite to the principal grave yard, little more than one mile in a southeasterly dir-
ection from the meeting-house. Old Governor Page exercised not a little taste in the selection of his
place of abode; for it is not only one of the most beautiful situations, but the land there-abouts con-
stitutes one of the best farms in the town. He had, however, no title to the land which he was culti-
vating, for it was then public domain, and belonged to his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay.
Accordingly, when the Committee met at Concord, in 1720, for the purpose of granting out lots, Samuel
Page purchased one for himself and one for his son, Joseph Page. This Joseph Page was employed as a
"chainman" when the town was first surveyed, and probalbly was about twenty years old. I am inclined to
think that he was the Governor's eldest son. This dignitary's nearest neighbors were at Groton, on the
east, at Lancaster on the south and on the borders of the Connecticut river on the west. The record of
the births of his children commences in 1719, and enumerates six.
Previous to to this period there were born Joseph, Daniel, David, John, and probably one or two more.
One or more of them settled at Shirley, Massachusetts. Joseph Page resided all his days at Lunenburg.
One of them, David Page, as I have been told, removed to the northerly parts of Vermont, and was the first
settler of the town of Lunenburg in Essex County. It is reported that he afterwards returned to his native
state and dwelt in Petersham.
An elderly gentleman of Lunenburg, from whom this data was derived, remarked that he thought that the
descendants of the last mentioned son (Joseph Page) had not entirely disappeared at the present day, and,
in support of his opinion, related the following: This Joseph Page, having a roving disposition and a
speculative cast of mind, took it in his head,
p.31
when quite young, that he could make more money by trading with the Indians, than by cutting down forest
trees and cultivating the soil. Accordingly, he directed his course towards Canada, and commenced pur-
chasing beaver and otter skins of the natives upon this principle - that his foot weighed just four pounds
and his hand one pound. This they seemed to doubt, but were soon satisfied by his making the declaration
that it was as fair for one party as the other, since he weighed off to them, by the same weights, his
powder, tobacco, shot, etc. This grand field for making an honest living was, however, soon closed; for
some other traders coming that way, explained the trick to the Indians, and the Old Governor's speculating
son had to decamp very suddenly - weights and all - to save his life.
It appears from the town records of Lunenburg that "John Page, ye son of Samuel Page, died at Jamaica,
being there on the Spanish Expedition, December 29th, 1740 as they hear."
David Page was undoubtedly among the earliest - perhaps the first of the settlers in that part of
Lunenburg which is now Fitchburg. The birth of his eldest child is dated October, 1735. Some of the aged
people of Lunenburg think that the first settlement made within our present precinct, by a white man, was
on the place now owned by James L. Haynes - and that the occupant was sometimes called Governor Page.
Others say that David Page lived there, but from how early a period they cannot tell. Perhaps the title
of Governor appended to this Page, was a hereditary privilege, or these informants may have blended the
accounts of the two Pages in their minds. There can be but little doubt as to the residence of Old Gov-
ernor Page near the centre of Lunenburg; for the land on which the first pound was built, and for a
"passage to and from the same," was purchased of him, and the Governor himself was elevated to the office
of pound-keeper.
There is, however, strong circumstantial evidence that the first settlement within what is now Fitchburg,
was made by a man named Page - that his house stood a few rods westerly of the house of James L. Haynes,
a short distance south of the present travelled road,
p.32
and near the small brook which flows there. This house was "garrisoned," that is, sticks of timber, hewn
on two sides to about the thickness of six inches, were firmly driven into the ground so close together
as to touch. This kind of barricade extended around the house at the distance of about ten feet from it.
Port-holes were made through this of sufficient dimensions to allow the fire of musketry. These fortified
houses, called 'garrisons', were frequently a good defence against the attacks of the Indians. This Page
turned the above mentioned small brook from its natural course and made it flow for some distance under
ground, and then through his garrison. This was done so that if menaced by the savages, he might sit
securely in his habitation and defy their efforts.
Having thus treated of the family of Old "Governor" Page, the consideration of the affairs pertaining to
the township of Turkey Hills may be resumed.
Insert:
Historical Collections by John Warner Barber
p.565
"The head of this family was Samuel Page, universally designated by the
honorable title of "old Governor Page"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samuel Page, born June 4, 1672, in Groton, MA, died Sept. 7, 1747, in Lunenburg, MA, 75 years old. Married Sarah
Lawrence, born May 16, 1672, died before Aug. 4, 1718, perhaps in South Carolina. She was the daughter of Nathaniel
and Sara Morse Lawrence.
Second marriage, Martha, died Sept. 22, 1746. They had six more children--Elizabeth, Zachariah, Daniel, Martha,
Benjamin, and Thomas.
Third marriage (July 9, 1747, in Lunenburg, MA) Sarah Parce. Samuel died three months later.
Samuel returned to Groton where he was born to help rebuild the settlement there, but soon Indians were back on
the warpath. Stories of the opportunities in South Carolina had filtered into New England, and Samuel took his
wife and year-old-baby to settle, and was there for the next 20 years. About 1717 he returned with his family to
Groton. But before long, he was off again, moving seven miles east into dense unsettled wilderness to a place
which came to be called "Turkey Hills", thereby becoming the first settler of the town of Lunenburg. Historians
have bestowed on him the title of Governor Page as a result. He was the first poundkeeper of the town, and served
in many other public offices. Samuel's farm was owned by Mr. Robert Procter in 1951. The road that runs by the
farm is now (at least in 1951) called Page Street, and across the road from the farm is South Cemetery, where
Samuel's grave can be found. His grave marker reads, "Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Samuel Page. He was ye first
that settled in this town, who parted life September ye 7th A.D. 1747 in ye 76th year of his age."
1. Samuel Page,
born in Groton. Married (May 20, 1719, in Bedford, Mass.) Susanna Lawrence.
2. Joseph Page,
born in Groton, Mass., died possibly in Ringe, NH. Married Deborah Gould.
3. Sarah Page,
married Isaac Farnsworth
4. William Page,
married (July 11, 1733) Sarah Stevens of Andover.
5. David Page,
married (June 22, 1735) Priscilla Boynton.
6. Nathaniel Page,
born Sept. 4, 1702, in SC; died 1779, in Rindge, NH; 77 years old. Married (Dec. 25, 1733) Mercy Gould.
7. Johnothan Page,
born Jan. 5, 1710. Married Mary Farnsworth of "Turkey Hills".
8. John Page,
died 1740, in a Spanish expedition to Jamacia.
http://www.pollisplace.com/history/page.htm#SamuelPage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.32 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg
cont'd.
Having thus treated of the family of Old Governor Page, the consideration of the affairs pertaining to
the Township of Turkey Hills may be resumed.
The Committee appointed by the Act of December 7th, 1719, to allot and grant out the township, commenced
their duties on the 21st of the same month and began the survey. Besides other expense incurred by the
Committee, the future proprietors were charged with the sum of 12s 6pence old tenor, for Bisket, Cheese
& Jenger to carry into ye woods." The survey was resumed and completed in April of the following year
(1720).
p.33 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
On the 11th of May the Committee met at Concord, when the grantees entered their names for lots. They
were obliged to pay at this time the sum of fifty shillings, old tenor ($1.11) and obligated themselves
to pay a like sum when they should finally draw their lots. If any individual refused to pay the last
fifty shillings, he incurred a forfeiture of his lot, and of his first payment.
The eighty lots were subscribed for and the sum of 183£ 10s ($81.54) was paid. Of the eighty individuals
whose names were subscribed, seventeen belonged to Concord, fifteen to Groton, four to Needham and the
others to Newbury, Bradford, Reading, Boxford, Weston, Watertown, etc. Only one person's residence is
put down as "Turkey Hills." This is Samuel Page, who subscribed for two lots - one for himself and one
for his son, Joseph Page.
In May, 1721, the Committee again met at Concord, when the grantees drew their lots and paid for them in
full. At this time five more grantees had been admitted, notwithstanding that the south township was
"almost full". The number of grantees wa subsequently increased to 90.
It will be recollected that according to the act of the General Court, each grantee was to receive two
hundred and fifty acres. Twenty-two thousand, five hundred acres would thus be disposed of. Then a lot
was reserved for the first settled minister, for the school, for Harvard College, and there was a mini-
sterial lot. At the first division, forty-five acres "and that to be the standard of the best land," were
allotted to each man - and if any happened to be of an inferior quality, five or more acres were added to
it, "to make each lot equal."
This, it will be perceived, was taking but a small portion of the whole township. Accordingly in January,
1724, a second division of about sixty acres additional was made. The meadows, were also divided into
lots and annexed to the several "upland" lots; and thus
p.34 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg
they proceeded, making division after division, till nearly all the township of Turkey Hills was taken up
by the original proprietors, or their assigns.
There is one circumstance connected with the grant of the General Court worthy of notice. The limits of
the new township, according to that act, were not to exceed six miles square. Yet Turkey Hills embraced
the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg, and not a small portion of Ashby.
It would puzzle a surveyor of the present day not a little, to discover how the worthy and conscientious
progenitors of Turkey Hills contrived to get all this territory in a space of six miles square; for
Fitchburg alone is more than six and a half miles long and nearly four and a half miles broad - Lunenburg
is of about the same size - and add the part afterwards set off to Ashby in 1767, and we have a territory
equal to twelve miles in length and six miles in breadth, containing, at the least calculation, forty-
five thousand acres.
No one, however, seems to have found fault with the survey, and certainly people at this late period,
ought to remain satisfied with it.
In 1724 the grantees began to move into the town and occupy their respective lots. The first house built
by Old Governor Page has already been mentioned. The second dwelling house as I have been told, was
built by Edward Hartwell, Esqr. on or near the place
p.35 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
now occupied by Stephen Gibson. It is about three and a half miles in a southerly direction from the
centre of Lunenburg, on the Lancaster Road. This individual, who excercised a great influence over the
rising fortunes of the new township, came from Lancaster as early as 1724 - perhaps earlier.
Lieutenant Edward Hartwell
History of the Town of Lancaster,
Massachusetts by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin, 1879
p.170
First in the order of time of our military heroes in days of trial, were:
Capt Jabez Fairbank, a famous scouting officer.
Lieut. Edward Hartwell
Ephraim Wheeler
Daniel Osgood
Isaac Farnsworth
Isaac Lacain
John Bennet
Joseph Wheelock
Ezra Sawyer
Moses Willard
John Eams.
p.172
The next officer deserving notice was Lieut. Edward Hartwell, already named. On the 18th of March, 1725
he sent word to the Governor that most of the Lancaster soldiers had been scouting. When they were called
to serve under Colonel Tyng, and appear on a certain day at Dunstable, with fifty days' provisions, the
most of them "refused to go". Whereupon Governor Dummer wrote to Capt. Tyng informing him of the state
of things and urging him to assert his
p.173
authority. The governor evidently suspected Lieut. Edward Hartwell was at the bottom of the dissatis-
faction, and ordered that Tyng should "make strict inquiry," that Hartwell might be dealt with accord-
ingly. In consequence, Col. Eleazar Tyng came to Lancaster and found that. Lieut. Hartwell was not to
blame in the least manner. He wrote in reply, saying that Hartwell "did all in his power to promot and
further the design your honor commanded us to go upon. We marched yesterday and came last night at the
mouth of Nessonkeeg brook." The last service of Hartwell of which we have record in this war, is re-
ported in a letter which he sent, by the hand of Ensign Oliver Wilder, dated Aug. 23, 1725, stating that
he had been at Lancaster inspecting the soldiers under the command of Capt. Josiah Willard. He (Lieut.
Edward Hartwell) had removed to Turkey Hills, where he had a house and intervale land. Asking leave to
live there her assured the Governor that he would be in as "good capacity to serve both his King and his
Country." Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
p.35 cont'd History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
The third was built by Deacon Philip Goodridge, on the road leading to Lancaster, about three miles in
a southerly direction from the middle of Lunenburg. This house was built in the Autumn of 1724 - perhaps
earlier. The third was built by Deacon Philip Goodridge, on the place now occupied by his grandson,
Phinehas Goodridge on the road leading to Lancaster about three miles in a southerly direction from the
middle of Lunenburg. This house was built in the Autumn of 1724, or early in 1725. This Deacon Good-
ridge died in January 1729, and, as I have been informed, was the first person buried in the principal
graveyard of Lunenburg. The inscription reads:
"Here lyes ye Body of Mr. Philip Goodridge
2d son of Mr. Joseph and Martha Goodridge
Who was born at Newbury and died at Lunen-
burg, Jan. 16, 1728-9 in the 60 year of his
age - The first man interred in this place."
Among the names which appear on the records at an early date are those of:
Benoni Boynton
John Grout
Moses Gould
Samuel Johnson
Josiah Willard
Nathan Heywood
Jonas Gillson
Daniel Austen
Joshua Hutchins
Thomas Prentice
p.36 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
Several years after the grant of the General Court, much complaint began to arise concerning the
speculations which now began to be manifest among the original proprietors - for then, as in modern
days, there appeared a strong desire of turning everything into a money-making matter. Several of the
purchasers, totally disregarding the conditions of the grant, and the injunctions of the Committee,
neglected to perform any labor on their lots, and kept them from others likely to settle them.
Inasmuch as they "traded them from one man to another, for excessive gain and prices, which practice
was directly contrary to the written conditions and provisos upon which each person had his lot of the
Committee," these latter proceeded to declare several lots forfeited, and sold them to other persons,
from whom more obedience might be expected. After this summary proceedings, no more complaint was made
concerning land speculations.
In November, 1727, the General Court's Committee voted that the proprietors should forthwith proceed to
the erection of a Meeting-house, to be not less than forty-five feet in length and thirty-five in breadth.
From the diminutive size of this house it may be inferred that Turkey Hills, at this period, did not
contain many families; yet they had already conceived thoughts of rejecting the further tutelage of the
Committee appointed by the Great and General Court, and of setting up for themselves. They began to
bestir themselves in the matter of procuring an act of incorporation, and the meeting-house, proposed
by the Committee was not built. Ye they were not entirely without religious instruction, though they had
no meeting-house. May 15, 1728, Rev. Andrew Gardner was settled as minister of Turkey Hills. The
meetings, of course, were held in private dwellings. Mr. Gardner was graduated at Harvard University
in the year 1712. In the Autumn of 1719, he was ordained the first minister of
p.37 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
Worcester. Here he remained till his dismission in October, 1722. Where he was during the interval be-
tween this time and his installation at Turkey Hills, I do not know. He built and occupied the house
now standing on the west side of Clark's Hill, and now the residence of the heirs of David Wood, 2nd.
It has quite an air of antique decay about it - a small portion of the old diamond form glass still
remaining in some of the windows.
It was voted to raise the sume of £80 ($35.55) on landed estate, for the annual salary of the minister
for the next six years. This is apparently a very inadequate sum; but it will be remembered that money,
then, in consquence of its scarcity, was more more valuable than now - transactions between individuals
being carried on principally by barter - and that it was intended that the minister should derive his
principal support from the lands appropriated by the General Court. Dissatisfaction soon arose between
Mr. Gardner and his people. He accordingly asked for dismission, which the town voted in February, 1732;
and the church received his acquittance and gave him a discharge from his pastoral relations in the
November following. He thus continued in the pastoral office about four and a half years, and gave his
receipt for his settlement and salary during this period, to the town, for the sum of 394£. 12s. ($175.32)
He remained in the town several years after this, and was employed as the first school-master - the school
being kept in his own house. He was also allowed the privilege of building, at his own charge, "a suffi-
cient pew at the right hand of going in at the great doors of the meeting-house".
p.38
He finally removed to New Hampshire, nigh to the Connecticut River, where he died at a very advanced age.
The reasons of this dismission, so far as I have been able to learn, appear to be these: He was not a man
of that grave and sober demeaner, which the people of his time thought essential to the sacredness of
his office. He was apt to indulge in a levity of manner on the Sabath, which was not in keeping with the
solemnity of the day. He had also quite a predilection for hunting, and, it is said, wild turkeys and
game, even on the Sabbath, sometimes bore testimony of his skill as a marksman. For the truth of these
reports I cannot vouch.
On the first day of August, 1728, the proprietors of Turkey Hills, with their lands, were incorporated
by the name of Lunenburg, in the county of Middlesex. It was so named in compliment to King George II
who, in the preceding year, succeeded to the British throne. One of his titles was "Duke of Lunenburg"
he having a town or province of that name in his German dominions.
The first town meeting was held at the house of "Ensign Jonathan Willard," on the 19th of the same
month, by authority of an order in Council, directed to "Capt. Josiah Willard, a principal inhabitant,"
etc.
The first "Selectmen" were:
James Colburn
Josiah Willard
Hilkiah Boynton
Ephraim Pearce
Samuel (Gov.) Page - (note: this Governor Samuel Page was an honorary title)
In September it waqs voted to raise the sum of £200 ($88.88) for building and finishing a meeting-house,
"so far as it is, will do or answer therefor." This, the first meeting house, a building of small dim-
ensions and a mere shell, was located a few rods to the north of the dwelling house of Edmund Cushing
and nearly opposite to the present Town Meeting House. A pulpit and "a body of seats" were built in
1731. Ther persons "preferred" to have pews, had to build them at their own cost. A committee was chosen
"to state places for building the pews, and order who shall have them," and it was further ordered "that
the rule the committee shall go by shall be according to the inhabitants' improvements and stations, and
having some regard to pay." In April, 1733, it was voted to finish the galleries in the meeting house,
and to build "stairs up into them."
The worthy people of Lunenburg took good and seasonable care that all vagrants and rogues should meet with
their deserts; and accordingly in 1732, they voted "the sum of eight shillings for building a pair of
stocks."
In 1729 they chose Capt. Josiah Willard their agent "to join with others to consider what may be best
in order to divide the county of Middlesex." This object was effected April 2d, 1731, when Worcester
County was incorporated. At this time grand and "Petty" jurymen were chosen by the people in town meeting
assembled.
In a little more than two years after this, attempts were made to form a new county out of the counties
of Worcester and Middlesex, of which Groton was to be the shire town. Those attempts in a short time were
abandoned.
The subject of schools appears to have first engaged the attention of the town in 1732, when Rev. Gardner
was employed to teach a school for three months, in his own house. Next year it was kept at the houses of
several individuals in rotation, and in December, 1734 40£ ($17.77) were voted for a "Lawful School,"
"for the year past and present." In 1735, the Selectmen were directed to provide for a school "according
to the best manner for the town's safety and interest," and the year following they were directed to
"hire School Dames as they shall see fit, and otherwise as the Law requires." In 1737, 50£. and in 1738
£60 ($26.66) were appropriated towards the support of schools. During six months of the latter year,
"School Dames "were employed."
In 1740 the town resolved to build two "school houses" one at the north and one at the south end. But
this vote was soon reconsidered,
p.40 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
and they resolved to build one school house near the meeting house - and all persons residing more than
two miles distant from it, had liberty to support schools among themselves, the money which they paid to
the town for this purpose being refunded them. Whether this school house was ever built, I do not know,
as, for the several subsequent years, the school committee were directed to provide places to keep the
school in, and to move it as they thought best.
Some years after this, the town resolved to build four school houses in the four quarters of the town,
but they could not determine upon the place for their location. The schools continued to be kept in
different quarters of the town till Fitchburg was set off. The money for their support was gradually
increased from 25£ to 50£ in bills of credit. The exact sum cannot easily be estimated in consequence
of the depreciation in the value of the bills.
Immediately after the dismission of Mr. Gardner, in the autumn of 1732, Rev. David Stearns of Watertown
was hired to preach. He was invited to become the pastor of Lunenburg in the February following and
he was ordained in April. He received a settlement of 300£. 200£, of which were paid the same year and
100£ the following year. His salary was to be 120£ in "bills of credit" per annum, to the increased 5£
per annum till it would amount to 140£ "to be qualified by the present value."
Generally speaking, during the ministry of Mr. Stearns, the town enjoyed a profound peace in their
ecclesiastical affairs. They went through the process of building a new meeting house and of course
were not exempt from the troubles and divisions usually consequent on these occasions.
Insert: Keene NH
No. 13 Memento Mori. This stone is erected to perpetuate the memory of Madam Ruth Whitney, who departed this
life in the 72d year of her age. she was successively married to the Revd. David Stearns, of Lunenburg, and
the Revd. Aaron Whitney, of Petersham, N.H. both of whom she survived. For diligence, patience, piety and
knowledge, she was eminently distinguished. As this stone cannot tell all her virtues, suffice to say that
as a wife, she was prudent and faithful; as a mother, discreet and tender; as a neighbor, friendly and charitable;
as a Christian, intelligent and exemplary. A life thus spent terminated with composure on the first of November, 1788.
"The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance"
The death of Rev. Mr. Stearns, the
second minister of Lunenburg, which took place in March,
1761, in the 52nd year of his age, and 28th of his ministry.
He was much beloved by his people, who built a monument to
his memory. They also paid the whole amount of his salary
for the year 1761 to his widow, "Madam Ruth Stearns."
The following is a copy of the inscription upon the
tomb-stone of Rev Mr. Stearns:
"THIS MONUMENT,
ERECTED BY THE TOWN OF LUNENBURG,
IS SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF THE REVEREND DAVID STEARNS
THEIR MUCH BELOVED AND RESPECTED PASTOR,
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
IN THE JOYFUL EXPECTATION OF A BETTER
ON THE 9TH DAY OF MARCH A.D. 1761
AND IN THE 52d. YEAR OF HIS AGE.
IN HIS PRIVATE CAPACITY
HE WAS A KIND HUSBAND, A TENDER PARENT
AN AFFECTIONATE BROTHER AND A FAITHFUL FRIEND.
IN HIS MINISTERIAL CHARACTER
HIS CONVERSATION WAS PURE ENTERTAINING
AND INSTRUCTIVE
HIS DOCTRINES PLAIN AND SCRIPTURAL
AND HIS LIFE TRULY EXEMPLARY.
He was adorned with hospitality, with singular prudence and
a most endearing benevolence; with a good knowledge of men
and things, with a fervent zeal for the Glory of Christ, and
the salvation of souls; and was governed by the influence of
these accomplishments.
Help, Lord, for the Godly man ceaseth."
Mr. Stearns occupied the dwelling house which stands immediately north of the present Methodis meeting
house, where John Thompson
p.41 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
now dwells. In 1736 and 1737, and several subsequent years, additional sums of 25£ and 30£ were appro-
priated to "make good" his salary, in consequence of the depreciation of money.
The currency, at this period, was in a wretched condition. Bills of Credit had been issued so early as
1690, to meet the expenses of the expedition against Canada. The expense of the wars for several years
caused an extensive issue of these bills, beyond the means of the Province to redeem them, and they
consequently began to sink in value. There was not specie enough, even in the country, to redeem them;
the bills themselves causing the precious metals to disappear. In 1714, a public bank was established
loaning bills on land security. These continued to sink in value, causing so much loss to the community.
The bills were loaned on mortgage, with interest, and one-fifth part of the principal payable annually.
When the time of payment arrived, the paper money having sunk below its nominal value, the creditors
were obliged to pay a much larger amount of it, or sacrifice their estates in payment of the mortgages.
It was attempted to relieve this state of things by extending the limits of payment, but this course
served only to prolong this state of things. The most intelligent men of the time were ignorant of what
are now deemed the first principles of banking.
The land bank of 1741, like that of 1714, loaned bills, taking real estate for security, but possessed
no means of redeeming them. In 1749, specie was introduced from England, in payment of the Provincial
expenses in the expedition to Cape Breton. This, in a great degree, checked the evil.
In 1749, after having used their first meeting-house for twenty years, the town passed a vote for
building a new meeting-house for public worship, and appropriated the sum of 300£ "new tenor" ($1,000)
for the purpose. The building committee were instructed to let out the job to some one man, who would
do the work "cheapest and best." This house, which was demolished but a few years since, was located
on the slope of the hill, a few rods to the southeast of the present
p.42
meeting-house, on the spot now occupied by the school-house last built in the centre district.
The town voted 3£. 5s. 5d. "to pay for the Rum and other articles used at the raising of the meeting-
house," and "18s. 8d. to Josiah Dodge for the use of his rope," on the same occasion.
Josiah Dodge, b. Ipswich MA 8 September 1740, m. Lunenburg MA 8 November 1761 Hannah Conant
The conduct of the building committee, though they probably exerted themselves to have the work done,
"cheapest and best," did not give satisfaction. When they had expended the sum of 552£ it was not
allowed to them by the town; and a motion was made in the town meeting to "proceed against them in the
steps of the laws," but this did not prevail. The difficulty was afterwards adjusted, and the committee
was paid.
Mr. Stearns continued to preach till his death, which occurred in March, 1761. His funeral expenses
were defrayed by the town. They also voted to his brothers "weeds and gloves, to his sisters, veils,
handkerchiefs, gloves and fans, and to his sons-in-law, weeds and gloves." The whole of Mr. Stearns'
salary for 1761, was paid to his widow.
The condition of the highways, in the early history of the town, can hardly be imagined at the present
time. For the most part they were merely "bridle paths," winding through the woods, over one hill after
another, and making the travelled distance between two places nearly double what it is now. Wheel
carriages had not then been introduced. Travelling was done on horseback. In order that people might
not lose their direction, trees were marked on one side of the way. A few roads, which would soon prove
the destruction of one of our modern carriages, were laid out at an early season, near to the centre of
the town. But in that part of the town which is now Fitchburg, there was nothing of the kind, till, in
1743, a committee was chosen "to lay out and mark a way to the west line of our town, in order to answer
the request of the Hon. Thomas Berry, Esqr., in behalf of Ipswich Canada (Winchendon) and to accomodate
Dorcester Canada (Ashburnham) and the new towns above us." The two most important roads, which led from
this part of the town to the centre, were the one by David Page's (J. L. Haynes') and
p.43 Lunenburg.
corresponding nearly with what is now denominated the old road, and the one by David Goodridge's, who
lived on the place now occupied by William Bemis, near the brick factory at South Fitchburg.
In 1745 the town voted "that the men that live in the bounds of Major Hartwell's company build the bridge
over the North Branch in the way that goes to David Goodridge's, and the bridge over the said North Branch
in the way that goes to David Page's." At the same time, the men residing in the bounds of Captain
Willard's company were directed to build the bridge over "Mullepus Brook" in the northerly part of Lunen-
burg. The first of these bridges was where the arched bridge is in south Fitchburg, and the second near
to where the stone mill is in the "old city". In 1748, the road was laid out from the "south side of
Appletree Hill," over the bridge in the Old City, thence over the hill, and so on to Narragansett No. 2
(Westminster).
The bridge near David Goodridge's was rebuilt in 1749, and at the same time a new one was built between
James Poole's (where Joseph Farnsworth now lives) and Narragansett. This bridge was probably near Osborn's
mills. In 1750, the selectmen were empowered to cut away the trees in the road to Dorchester
Canada. At this time the annual expense of maintaining the highways was about equal to the salary of the
minister, viz: 60£ "lawful money." It was afterwards increased by the necessary expenses of the roads
in the westerly part of the town.
What little communication there was between Lunenburg and "the new towns above," was principally made
through the road by David Page's, already mentioned. This road probably passed the village of Fitchburg,
nearly in the same place with the present travelled way. It then wound up the hill by Enoch Caldwell's
- over Flat rock - through the land lately owned by Sylvanus Lapham - and thence to what was then the
Lunenburg west line, and into Dorchester Canada. John Scott, who lived where Benjamin Scott now resides,
had been for a long time desirous of a more direct route to the centre of Lunenburg; but the town would
not accede to his wishes. He accordingly procured a
p.44
Court's committee, who laid the present Scott road, "to the great satisfaction of Mr. John Scott," as the
Records say. This road passed from the middle of Lunenburg by the log house where John Battles, Jr. now
lives, then by Ebenezer Bridge's, where Deacon Jaquith now resides, and then by Scott's own house, and so
on to the road before mentioned. This Scott Road was for some years quite a celebrated thoroughfare, and
used to be called "The Crown Point Road".
Who were the earliest settlers in the territory which now constitutes the town of Fitchburg, it is
impossible to determine with accuracy. Enough has been said respecting David Page. John Scott, above
mentioned, appears to have been residing on his farm in 1734 - how much earlier I cannot tell. In this
year was recorded the birth of his eldest son, Edward Scott. Jonathan Wood, who was a man of considerable
note, was living on the place where widow Grace Wood lately lived (the last house in Fitchburg previous
to passing Baker's bridge) in 1735, when the birth of his first child was recorded. It is probable that
that he had been living there for some time. Samuel Poole lived on Charles Beckwith's place before 1740,
and his brother James Poole was living at the same timer where Joseph Farnsworth now lives. David Good-
ridge, at quite an early period, commenced on his farm at south Fitchburg. His house was partly on, or
very near to, the spot now occupied by the dwelling house of William Bemis.
David Carlisle lived where there is (or lately was) a cellar hole near to the bridge over Baker's brook
on the road leading to Isaiah Putnam's. Before 1745, Isaac Gibson was living where widow Prudence Gibson
now resides, and his brother, Reuben, where Arrington Gibson lives. Timothy Bancroft lived on the farm
now owned by Joseph Marshall. Ephraim Whitney lived where Stephen Lowe now lives - Thomas Dutton on Capt.
Benjamin Wheeler's place - William Henderson on Abel F. Adams' farm - John White on the French place, now
occupied by William Wyman.
In the year 1745 or 1746, Amos Kimball and his cousin Ephraim Kimball moved from Bradford into this town.
Amos Kimball built the house where Samuel Hale now lives, and Ephraim Kimball the house on the Story farm.
They probably owned land down to the river, and so up the same, including Rollstone. They built a grist
p.45
mill with one run of stones, soon after they came here, on the place where the stone factory now stands.
The dam which they built is said to have been not more than forty feet in length, in consequence of a
natural bank, on the other side of the river, confining the water to a narrow channel at this place.
This dam was made of a log laid across the river, having "spoilings" driven in above it. Almost every year
a freshet would sweep round the south end of the dam and oblige them to extend it several feet further.
The Kimballs, living at rather too great a distance to take immediate charge of their mill, they employed
one Hodgkins for tender. He built for himself a little hut or stall on the ground between I. Phillips'
store and the house below. This habitation of Hodgkins was the first building, with the exception of the
mill, erected in what is now the Old City.
At this time, Samuel Poole had a garrison - Capt. Samuel Hunt, who lived where David Page previously
lived, had one - there was one at Isaac Gibson's, and one at Joseph Spafford's.
Between the years 1740 and 1750, the Indians did not cease to keep the inhabitants of the frontier towns
and this town may fairly have been considered as such - in a state of constant alarm. England, at this
time was waging war with France; and their colonists suffered dreadfully from the incursioins and attacks
of the savages, who were instigated by the French in Canada. The French government paid a large bounty
for English scalps, and a still larger one for English prisoners. Prisoners were also ransomed for large
sums of money, which was a further inducement to the Indians to take their prisoners alive. Though the
war with France was closed by the treaty of Aix la Chapelle in 1748, the dread of Indian depredations did
not cease until several years after. Indian scouts were frequently reported to have been seen - alarms,
many of which undoubtedly arose from false apprehensions, were excited, and fears were daily aroused from
a consciousness of insecurity.
p.45 Lunenburg
In the summer of 1747, a body of Indians made their appearance within the borders of this town, and
committed several acts of depradation. As this was the only occasion, of which we have authentic
accounts, that the Indians made their appearance in this town, as enemies, I have thought that it
would not prove uninteresting to notice the incursion with some degree of particularity.
Besides the bounty paid in Canada for English prisoners, and the exposed condition of this settlement,
another reason for the attack upon this place, as I have been informed, was the following:
There was living at this time, in the neighborhood of Mr. John Fitch, who then resided upon a spot
very near to the place where the brick house of Oliver Kendall stands in Ashby, a certain half-tamed
Indian called Surdody. This part of Ashby was then included in Lunenburg. Mr. Fitch accidentally
felled a tree one day, unto the wigwam of Surdody, while the latter was absent on some hunting expedi-
tion. Surdody, on his return home at evening, found his dwelling crushed to the earth, and his wrath
was kindled. Fitch did not seek him with an apology, or with any offer of reparation; niether did
Surdody request any recompense of, or shower any reproaches upon his white neighbor.
He sought a recompense more congenial with the Indian disposition. He immediately took up his line of
march for the north, and soon laid his grievances before his indian brethren in Canada. He described
to them the defenceless state of the whites in this region, and prevailed upon a band of them to
accompany him back upon a laudable expedition of vengeance and booty.
Mr. Fitch, feeling insecure, had previously petitioned the government for assistance. Two soldiers
named Jennings and Blodgett, were accordingly stationed at his house, for his protection. Upon the
arrival of the Indians, some of them posted themselves in lurking positions about Fitch's dwelling
with a body of them passing over the hill where John Turned lived, to the hill where William Coggswell
and Edmund Proctor lived, and even to the south part of the town, to the hill where Stephen Houghton
lived - lurked about in the woods
p.47
there, to take a view of the state of things in Lunenburg. As it happened to be Sunday, and as our
fathers were more in the habit of going to meeting than their descendants at the present day, the
Indians were not a little surprised and disappointed at seeing such a concourse of white faces, and
men armed for attack - for at that time people went armed to church. They accordingly skulked back to
their comrades, telling them that the pale faces were as thick as the leaves in the forest, and that
it wa utterly hopeless to attack them there. But they determined not to go back empty handed. So they
killed an ox which was quietly browsing in the woods; made an encampment, roasted the beef and made
merry. This camp was afterwards discovered in a field then belonging to John Scott, and is not a
great distance from McIntire's saw-mill, on the Scott road. It was (if it is not now) called the camp
pasture, from this circumstance.
Before making an attack upon John Fitch, they divided into parties, and reconnoitered the neighborhood.
On the brow of Pearl Hill they anxiously looked down upon the Gibsons, and longed to lay their hands on
them. But these giants, whose size and strength would have done honor to the days of chivalry, were
hardy looking men, and to use the words of one of their descendants, "the Indians didnt dare to tackle
them." In a kind of cave on the hill were afterwards found a gun barrel, an axe, and several implements
of Indian manufacture - supposed to have been left here on this occasion.
The proceeded to David Goodridge's, one evening, and one of them, as he afterwards informed Mr. Fitch,
when in captivity, climbed into a tree near to the house, for the purpose of reconnoitering the premises
through the window.
He saw a white woman feeding her child with milk. They retired from this house without doing any damage.
On the following day, Mr. Goodridge was out on horseback, in search of a cow, which did not return home
the previous night. He was on the hill, near the place where S. Ward Harris now lives, when the Indians
suddenly started up the path, a few paces in front of
p.48 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
him, and commanded him to surrender. He immediately turned his horse in order to retreat, when lo!
Another Indian, completely armed, faced him there to cut him off in that direction. He then made a
circuit, aiming to come down the hill towards Kimball's mills. The savage ran in a direct line to cut
him off in this direction, also. It was a fair race, but the horseman gained upon the footman - and
as Goodridge passed in front of the Indian, perceiving that it was in vain to think of taking him alive,
fired - but fortunately, owing to the rapidity of Goodridge's motion, or some other cause, missed his
mark. The leaps of the horse down the steep part of the hill were afterwards measured, and found to
be eighteen feet in length!
In his flight, Goodridge lost his hat, and the Indians secured it as a trophy. It is not a little re-
markable that, about ten years after this in the succeeding war, an Indian was taken somewhere on the
Connecticut River, having on his head the identical hat of Deacon David Goodridge, not much worse for
the wear. On his getting clear of the Indians, Goodridge, betook himself to Page's garrison, and an
alarm was forthwith fired. In a short time men poured in from Lunenburg and even from Groton. It is
worthy of notice that in two hours after the alarm was given, Major Willard, with a company of cavalry
arrived at the garrison from Lancaster.
The Indians, upon the alarm being given, retired to the top of Rollstone, from whence they could command
a view of the movements beneath them, and seeing a great commotion, and people flocking in from abroard,
they thought it advisable to withdraw into some secret place.
John Fitch's Garrison Attacked.
It was on the following morning, according to the accounts of aged people, that the garrison of John
Fitch was attacked. He lived at this time several miles distant from his nearest neighbors, and was the
farthest west of them all. His family consisted of himself, wife, four children (one son and three
daughters) and the two soldiers already mentioned. One of these, on going out of the fort to examine
about the premises, (thinking from certain indications that Indians were lurking in the vicinity), was
immediately shot down.
p.49
The Indians then commenced the attack upon the garrison, which Fitch and the remaining soldier defended
for a short time. The latter was soon shot through the port hole and Fitch was induced to surrender.
Surdody, the Indian, was desirous of having him killed on the spot, but he was overruled in this by the
others, who were disposed to carry him and his family into captivity, and so receive the highest bounty
from the French, and a large sum for their ransom. Fitch, accompanied by his wife and four children,
under the escort of his captors, was carried to Montreal. His habitation was at such a distance from the
principal settlement, that the report of his capture was not spread till the following morning.
It reached the middle of Lunenburg, however, long before the rising of the sun, and the alarm, (three
muskets, heavily loaded, discharged with a certain interval between each report) was immediately fired.
Soldiers arrived in an incredibly short period, from Groton, Lancaster and from Westford.
They immediately put themselves under the command of Major Hartwell, and started in pursuit. They had
not proceeded far beyond the smoking ruins of the garrison, before they discovered a paper stuck in
the bark of a tree. This contained a request, signed by Fitch, not to have his friends pursue him; for
the Indians had given him to understand what his destiny was to be if they were molested, and if he
should be pursued, and likely to be overtaken, then the Indians should forthwith kill him together
with his wife and children. The soldiers, on the receipt of this, returned. Fitch and his family were
carried to Montreal, where they remained for about one year, enduring great hardships. They were then
ransomed, principally by means of a subscription raised among the people of Bradford, the place of
his former residence.
p. 50 Mrs. Fitch died on the return.
with the exception of Mrs. Fitch, who died while on her return, at Providence, R.I.*
*footnote: Author - I would here correct an error in Whitney's account of this affair, which as as
follows: "In the summer of the year 1749, the Indians came into the southwest limits of the town, and
killed two soldiers, Jennings and Blodget, who were stationed there, and carried Mr. John Fitch and his
family into captivity, who all returned safely, after enduring incredible hardships and fatigues, except
Mrs. Fitch, who sickened and died in Canada."
There is an error of two years in this statement. In the first place, the war between France and England
was concluded in 1748 and the French would not pay a bounty for English prisoners after that period.
Secondly, an aged man of this town, recently deceased, remembered how old he was when Fitch was taken,
and was quite positive that the event occurred on the 16th of July, 1747. Thirdly, the records of Lunen-
burg state that Susanna Fitch ye wife of Mr. John Fitch - deceased December ye 24th, 1748 at Providence
in ye colony of Rhode Island." Now Mrs. Fitch could not die at Providence in 1748, and be taken captive
by the Indians in the following summer. The authority the records cannot be disputed. Furthermore,
the intentions of marriage between Mr. Fitch and his second wife were recorded in December, 1750, quite
too early if he was taken in 1749, and his first wife lived nearly or quite a year after the event.
There is a story current, respecting this second wife of John Fitch, to this effect: She undertook,
one day, to make some candles, and accordingly put the ingredients - tallow and wicking - together
in a kettle over the fire, and commenced stirring them together. This she continued to do till she
was reduced nearly to the state of the liquid over which she was engaged. One of her neighbors en-
quiring the meaning of such unusual conduct, she replied that she was making candles, and wondered
very much "why they did not come?"
Jacob Fitch, who was an infant when he was carried into Canada, was afterwards a Clerk in the store
of Dr. John Taylor of Lunenburg. Though in other respects well formed, his lower limbs were of dwarf
size, in consequence of the rigor with which he was bound.
50. cont'd. History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
After this period, Mr. Fitch was prospered in his worldy concerns, and became one of the weathiest
men of the town. When the country above him became settled, he opened a public house. He presents one
of the many instances of the uncertainty of riches. He lived to the good old age of one hundred and
five years, and died in Ashby.
A few Indians remained behind, after the capture of Fitch - to observe its effects. They continued
several days skulking about and on the watch for more prisoners or scalps. Deacon Amos Kimball was
hoeing corn in his field, and, hearing a rustling in the brush fence near him, he looked in that
direction and saw a gun pointed at him through the fence, by an Indian. The Indian seemed to be re-
serving his fire till his victim should draw a little nearer. Kimball knew that if he ran, it would
be sure death, as he was then so near; so he pretended not to see anything, and kept scratching with
his hoe, and looking down, as if busily at work - till he supposed that he had attained sufficient
distance to give him a chance to escape. He then made good use of his heels. The Indian, as his only
chance, fired, and the ball struck a tree a short distance in front of his intended victim.
p.51 Bowman killed and scalped.
As Kimball immediately gave the alarm, this scout thought it best to be off. A few of them made a
circuit through Westminster - killed one man named Bowman, who was at work in a field, and, according
to the statement of my informant, (Arrington Gibson), "carried his scalp into captivity." They passed
rapidly on towards Canada, and overtook their companions with Fitch, before their arrival at Montreal.
This was the lastof Indian warfare and depredations within our borders.
After the events above detailed, and previous to the incorporation of the town of Fitchburg, several
families moved into the western part of Lunenburg, whose names will be given when I speak of those
living in Fitchburg when it was formed into a separate town.
Capt. Samuel Hunt came into this town from Worcester, as I have been told, and built a part of the
house now occupied by James L. Haynes. In the year 1761, he commenced keeping a tavern there. This was
the first public house ever kept in the precincts of Fitchburg.
At this period, considerable difficulty was experienced in the collections of taxes. The paper money
was of uncertain value, and the Constables, upon whom this duty devolved, had not sufficient authority
to enforce prompt payments. They were required to pay over the sums which they had been ordered to
collect within a certain period; and if they failed to collect them, the loss fell upon their own
shoulders. It was not uncommon for them to pay their fines rather than accept office. In January, 1763,
a town meeting was held in "Capt. Joshua Hutchins' "Long Chamber" when Abijah Hovey was chosen Constable.
He being absent, a messenger was despatched for him, who reported "that Mr. Hovey whould not serve the
town as Constable - would be glad if the town would excuse him; if they would not, he would pay the fine."
And so he paid the fine. "Then they chose Jonathan Pearce as Constable. He replied that he did not choose
to serve unless he
p.52 Lunenburg & Fitchburg.
could be sufficiently authorized to collect the taxes. After a long disputation and debate, Mr. Pearce
was again desired to declare to the town his acceptance or non-acceptance of the office. He desired
more time for consideration; and finally refused to serve."
Jonathan Bradstreet was then chosen. "Mr. Bradstreet being immediately notified of the town's choice,
presented himself to the town and being asked by the moderator whether he would accept the office of
Constable, Mr. Bradstreet replied that he scrupled whether the fine could be recovered of him; the
moderator insisting upon a peremtory answer, he replied he scrupled whether the fine could be recovered
of him," and finally he refused to serve. Richard Taylor was next chosen, "who made his appearance, and
declared he would not serve once and again." The town excused him. Paul Wetherbee was then chosen, and he
accepted the office.
I have already mentioned the death of Rev. Mr. Stearns, the second minister of Lunenburg, which took place
in March, 1761, in the 52d year of his age, and 28th of his ministry. He was much beloved by his people,
who built a monument to his memory.* They also paid the whole amount of his salary for the year 1761
to his widow, "Madam Ruth Stearns."
*The following is a copy of the inscription upon the tomb-stone of Rev. Mr. Stearns:
"This Monument,
Erected by the Town of Lunenburgh
Is Sacred to the Memory
Of the Reverend David Stearns
Their Much Beloved and Respected Pastor
Who Departed This Life
In the Joyful Expectation of a Better
On the 9th Day of March A.D. 1761
And In The 52d. Year of His Age.
In His Private Capacity
He Was A Kind Husband, A Tender Parent
An Affectionate Brother And A Faithful Friend.
His Conversation Was Pure Entertaining
And Instructive
His Doctrines Plain and Scriptural
And His Life Truly Exemplary.
He Was Adorned
with hospitality, with singular prudence and a most
endearing benevolence, with a good knowledge of men and things,
with a fervent zeal for the Glory of Christ, and the salvation of
souls; and was governed by the influence of these accomplishments.
Help, Lord, for the Godly man ceaseth."
p.53 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg.
Immediately after the decease of Mr. Stearns, Rev. Josiah Bridge (Harvard University, 1758) was
hired to preach; and in August of the same year, Rev. Samuel Payson, a classmate of Mr. Bridge,
was hired. In the following February, the town "gave him a call," offering him an annual salary
of 80£, and 200£ for his encouragement and comfortable settlement." He was ordained in September,
1762. A committee was chosen "to make suitable provision for the venerable Council, and other gentle-
men of note and distinction who shall attend the ordination."
Mr. Payson continued but five months in the ministry, having died February, 1763, aged 24 years.
He was a native of Walpole, Mass.* Rev. Ebenezer Sparhawk of Templeton, Mass., was invited "to
come and pray with the town," and the neighboring ministers were invited to attend the funeral. The
town also "voted to give to widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Stearns, (affianced to Rev. Mr. Payson) a neat, handsome
suit of mourning." "to the father and brothers of the deceased, weeds and gloves - to his mother and half
sister, veils, handkerchiefs and gloves."Rev. Messrs. Champney, Fiske and Davis were hired to preach after
Mr. Stearns death.
*The inscription upon the tomb-stone of Rev. Mr. Payson is as follows:
"Quiescunt
Sub Hoc Tumulo
Relique
REV. SAMUEL PAYSON A.M.
QUI
ECCLESLE LUNENBURGENSIS PASTOR
DOCTUS FIDELIS
PRESTANTI VIR INGENIO
MORUMQUE GESTU AMABILI
VIRTUTIS POTIUSQUAM DIERUM PLENUS
ATROPHAE MORBO
OCCUBUIT
ID. FEB. SALUT, M. DCCLXIII
AET. XXIV.
A FATHER ERECTS THIS
MONUMENT
TO THE MEMORY OF A BELOVED SON.
It may be translated thus:
"Here rests within this tomb, the remains of Rev. Samuel Payson, A.M., the learned and exemplary
Pastor of the Church of Lunenburg. He was a man of superior abilities, and of an amiable disposi-
tion; more distinguished for virtue than for length of days. He died of an atrophy in February, AD
1763 aged 24 years.
p.53 cont'd
Mr. Davis received an invitation to
p.54 History of Fitchburg & Lunenburg, Mass.
"settle," which he declined. May 19th, the town concurred with the church in appointing "a fast on
Thursday come fortnight." In November, Rev. Zabdiel Adams was procured to preach. He was settled soon
after Fitchburg was incorporated.
Lunenburg wants its independence from Fitchburg.
For several years previous to this event, (the incorporation of the town) the inhabitants of the westerly
side of Lunenburg began to have shrewd suspicions that they were able to walk alone - that they were
sufficient in knowledge and in numbers to manage their own affairs - and that it was an unnecessary burden
upon them to be compellled to travel the distance of five or ten miles to attend devine service and trans-
act the ordinary business of town affairs.
It will be seen, upon an inspection of the case, that there was a pretty good foundation for these opinions.
By an examination of the Records, it will be seen that a very fair proportion of those who were
selected to manage the most important affairs of the town, was taken from among those afterwards belonging
to Fitchburg. It ought furthermore to be considered, that a ride of ten miles then, was quite a differ-
ent affair from a ride of that distance now.
Of the roads at that period, mention has already been made. They were but little better than cow-paths.
When this town was incorporated, there were no wheel carriages here of a higher rank than ox carts. Any
vehicle of lighter construction would have soon gone to destruction over such roads. Journeys were then
made on horseback or on foot. A spruce young gentleman, in treating the lady of his affections to a ride,
or the sober-minded husband in carrying the partner of his life to church - brings the sure-paced animal
to the horse-block, and mounts, the lady places herself on the pillion behind him. The horse starts off on
a walk, - the greatest speed at which it would be considered safe to drive the horse through roads so
rough (at a walk). They thus pursued their journey, winding along up one hill and then another. The horse
leaps over the smaller streams, for fear of wetting his feet, and wades boldly
p.55 Lunenburg.
through the larger ones, even to endangering the feet of his riders. Now the gentleman dismounts to "let
down" the bars, and then proceeds along, dodging under the boughs, twigs and limbs of trees. He must
start very early, or arrive at his journey's end very late. It is therefore not to be wondered at, that
the early settlers of this town began so early as they did, to desire a separation from Fitchburg, that
they might be nearer home in the performance of their public duties, whether they were such as they owed
to the community or to God.
March 1757 - Samuel Hunt's petition to be set Lunenburg apart.
From the record of the town meeting, March, 1757, it appears that Samuel Hunt and others petitioned to
the town of Lunenburg to have the westerly part of the same set off, in order to have it incorporated
into a separate town. This petition was referred to a committee, with directions to report at the next
May meeting. At the May meeting, the committee reported - but whether in accordance with the request
of the petitioners or not, we are not informed. The report, however, excited considerable debate and
was re-committed for an amendment and the committee was directed to report at the following September
meeting. Among the recorded proceedings of the September meeting, no one word is said respecting the
report, or Samuel Hunt's petition. Nothing further respecting this subject is recorded, until May,
1761, when the town voted that the request of Samuel Hunt and others, "be so far granted that one-half
of the land in the township of Lunenburg, and the westerly part thereof - running a parallel line with
the west line of said township - be and hereby is set off a separate Parish by itself; provided they
shall place their meeting-house as near the center of said parish as may be, so as to accommodate the
whole, and that as soon as they are able and do maintain the Gospel among themselves, that they shall
be freed from all costs and charges of maintaining the Gospel in the first parish." But this grant did
not satisfy the petitioners; for the record states that immediately a motion was made that the request
be granted in full - which passed in the negative.
p.56 Lunenburg's Separation
Amos Kimball.
In the following August, the request of Amos Kimball and others, to be set off into a separate town, was
presented. It shared the same fate with that of Samuel Hunt - with the exception that it did not live
nearly so long, for the measure was killed on the spot. "After debate thereon, it passed in the negative."
In the warrant for town meeting in March, 1763, there was an article, to hear the petition of Deacon
Benjamin Foster and nine others "to set off into a district and precinct by themselves" all the in-
habitants on the westerly side of Pearl Hill Brook and Dorchester farm, so called. The town refused
to act on this article.
In the warrant for town meeting in the May following, there was an article of similar import - with the
exception that it said to the General Court, to incorporate the westerly part, etc., into a town. This
article was negated. But the advocates for this measure made another attempt in the following January
and with much better success, for the town then voted "let the people go." This vote was passed January
25, 1764, at "the request of Beacon Benjamin Foster, Deacon Samuel Putnam, and others," which was as
follows:
That the town vote "the lands in said Lunenburg which lie west and westwardly of the line herafter de-
scribed, should be set off from said town, that so the said lands, and inhabitants thereon, may be formed
by the General Court into a town of district, as they shall think proper."
Description of the Line.
Here follows a description of the line, which corresponds with the easterly boundary of Fitchburg. This
was granted on condition that "the inhabitants should pay their minister's tax, as heretofore they had
done, until they should be formed into a district."
The long sought-for object of the people of the westerly part of Lunenburg having been obtained, a
committee consisting of:
John Fitch
Amos Kimball
Samuel Hunt
Ephraim Whitney &
Jonathan Wood
was chosen to wait upon the
p.57
General Court, to procure the act of incorporation; and they performed their duty so promptly and per-
severingly, that on the 3d of February, 1764 - just nine days after the passage of the above vote - the
act passed the Legislature and received the signature of the Governor. February 3, 1764 was therefore
the birthday of Fitchburg which was 72 years old on th 3rd of February, 1836.
It is the general report that the town was named in honor of John Fitch, who was the first man on the
Committee appointed to procure the act of incorporation, and was the same individual who was taken
captive by the Indians in 1747. Some people think that the town was named in honor of Col. Timothy
Fitch, a wealthy merchant of Boston, who owned extensive tracts of land in the town and was considered
in those days, as a man of "note and distinction." It is true that John Fitch, at this time, was an
extensive landholder, and perhaps a man of some influence - and he may have taken an active part in
getting the town incorporated. Yet there were many in the town who were held in higher estimation than
he. Previous to this period, he seems to have been elected to only three offices by the good people of
Lunenburg. In 1738 he was chosen one of the "hog rieves"; afterwards he was chosen "to take care of the
deer," and again "to take care of fire and burn the woods" These certainly were not distinguished stations.
But whether the town was named in honor of this individual or of the above named Colonel Fitch,
is a point which will probably remain forever in obscurity. This is a circumstance not a little surprising
when it is considered how recently the town received its name, and that there are people now living who
remember the event perfectly well.
This history continues - full book online with Google Books Online
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
The Survey and Allotment of the New South Town West of Groton Called Turkey Hills.
full book online with Google Books Online.
An account of the General Court's Committee's proceedings in granting and lotting out the lands
in the South Township Westward of and Contiguous to ye Town of Groton in the County of Middlesex
called Turkey Hills - by virtue of ye grant or order of ye General Court.
At a Great & General Court or Assembly for His Majesty's Province of ye Massachusetts Bay held Nov'r
4th, 1719.
In ye House of Representatives the vote for Granting two new towns is as follows: viz. Voted that
two towns, each containing a quantity of land not exceeding six miles square to be laid out in as
regular form as ye lines will allow, to be settled in a defensible manner on ye westerly side of Groton
west line. And that:
William Tailer
Samuel Thaxter
Francis Fullam
Capt. John Shiply
Mr. Benjamin Whittemore
be a committee fully impowered to allot and grant out ye land contained in each of ye said towns (a lot
not to exceed two hundred & fifty acres) to such persons & only such persons as will effectually settle
ye same within ye space of three years next ensuing ye laying out & granting such lotts by said
p.2 Survey and Allotment of Turkey Hills.
Committee who are instructed & directed to admit eighty families or persons at least who shall pay the
sume of five pounds for ye use of ye Province the sum also of five pounds for each allotment. Which
shall be granted & allotted as aforesaid. And that each person to whom such lot or lotts shall be granted
& laid out shall be obliged to build a good dwelling house thereon & inhabit it, and also to break up
and fence in three acres of land at ye least within ye term of three years, and that there be laid out
and reserved for ye first settled minister a good convenient lot and also a lot for ye school, and a
ministerial lot & a lot for Harvard College of two hundred & fifty acres each & ye settlers be obliged
to build a convenient house for ye worship of God in each of said towns within the term of four years
and to pay ye charge of necessary survey & ye Committee for their service in and about ye premises. And
that ye committee give publick notice of ye time and place when they will meet to grant allotments.
Consented to - Samuell Shute.
Copy examined.
Whereas we, John Farnsworth, Jonathan Boyden, Jonas Prescott, Jun'r., John Ames and Benjamin Prescott
were chosen & impowered by the Town of Groton to confer with the Honorable, the Great General Court's
Committee concerning the West Line of the Township of Grotton, & settle the same with them, as by a
vote or act of the inhabitants of said town at their meeting on the 4th day of February 19/20 doth or
may more at large appear.
Now let all men know, by these presents that we the committee named, having considered of the premices
and taken upon us the charge of the said businesses, do hereby conclude, concur and agree with the
Honourable Committee of the General Court affore said, that the corner of the township of Groton be a
small tree with a heap of stones about it, standing and being on the easterly side of Nistaqualothe Hill
so called, by
p.3 Survey and Allotment of Turkey Hills.
Dunstable Line and that the southwest corner of said township be a stake and heap of stones being 40
poles south of a small heap of stones about half a mile southward of Cataconamog Pond, so called, and
westward of a brook called Benith (probably Bennet) brooke made in the presents of Francis Fullam Esq.,
Mr. Benjamin Wittemore & that a strait line be made from one of the said corners - which line being
so made shall be the west line of Groton.
Witness our Hands the 2nd day of April Anno Dom. 1720.
John Farnsworth
John Ames
Jonathan Boydon
Benjamin Prescott
p.4
The committee considering ye proposal of a committee appointed by the Town of Groton on ye 4th of February,
last past to confer & settle Groton west line with ye court's committee, presented by Ensign
John Farnsworth, one of the said committee for Groton, who declared that ye small tree with a heap of
stones about it on ye easterly side of Nistiquasit Hill is no other but ye same heap of stones where
ye General Court's Committee began their survey, and it being so accepted and understood, said proposals
are accecptable and ye said line to be run & finally settled accordingly.
Then the committee met at Concord the 11th of May next and that ffullam in ye name of ye committee
write to ye Selectmen or petitioners of Lancaster to meete ye committee at Concord on said day to settle
the line.
p.5
Whereas we, John Farnsworth, Jonathan Boyden, Jonas Prescott, Jun'r, John Ames and Benjamin Prescott
were chosen & empowered by the Town of Groton to confer with the Honourable the Great General Court
Committee concerning the West line of the Township of Groton & settle the same with them, as by a vote
or act of the inhabitants of said town at their meeting on the 4th day of February 1719/20 doth or may
at large, appear.
Insert original document photo here.
document
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settlers of Lunenburg, Mass. (from my files over the years)
Subject: Edmund L. Cushing
Source: History of Charlestown, N.H., The Old Fort No. 4 by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson,
1876.
p.319
Edmund L. Cushing, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature for N.H., son of
Edmund & Molly (Stearns) Cushing, was born at Lunenburg, Mass, where his parents
continued to reside until their decease. He entered Harvard Univ. in the fall of
1823 and grad. 1827. He was admitted to the bar in 1834, and established himself in
his profession at Charlestown, N.H. In the summer of 1874 he received the apptmt. of
Chief Justice of the Superior Court which he now holds (1876).
p.320
Chief Justice Edmund L. Cushing, born in Lunenburg, Mass., 1807; m. (1) April 1, 1835,
Laura Elizabeth Lovell, dau. of Vryling & Laura (Hubbard) Lovell. She b. in Charlestown,
March 25, 1810. Children:
1. Catherine Lovell Cushing b. July 27, 1836; m. March 5, 1864, Francis Mathews Green,
son of Mathews & Margaret Augusta (Gilchrist) Green. One child:
1. Catherine Laura Green b. Feb 2, 1865.
Mrs. Green died May 4, 1866. Mr. Green was a lieutenant in command of the U.S. Navy
head quarters in Washington, D.C.
2. Edmund Henry Cushing b. July 22, 1838, died March 11, 1869. He was in the U.S.
service in the War of the Rebellion and rec'd appointment of Secretary to Admiral
Foote, which position he held at the time of his death. He died of yellow fever
and was buried at sea. He was a young man very much beloved by those who knew him
and what he accomplished gave promise of a brillian career; but he did not live to
reap the reward of his love of country; but like thousands of others who entered that
fatal war, was swept by disease, to an early grave. A stone has been erected to his
memory in the Charlestown village cemetery.
3. Rebecca Salsbury Cushing b. Sept 27, 1843; m. Livingston Stone on April 8, 1875.
4. Mary Stearns Cushing b. Nov 11, 1851.
Chief Justice Edmund L. Cushing m. (2) Nov 24, 1858, Martha Robbins Gilchrist, dau of
Capt. James Gilchrist. She b. Oct 27, 1818.
p.321
George Russell Cushing (a different family from the above) b. in Hingham, Mass.
Mar 9, 1844; m. Dec 30, 1869, Helen Keziah Jones, dau of John Stillman Jones &
his wife, Rebecca M. (Loveland) Jones; b. May 15, 1846. Children:
1. Helen Russell Cushing b. Oct 16, 1870.
2. George William cushing b. April 6, 1873.
3. Alice Leona Cushing b. Oct 12, 1874.
George Russell Cushing settled in Charlestown in 1868.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Jonathan Hammond - Source: Bond's Watertown
Jonathan Hammond of Lower Ashuelot m. in Lunenburg July 29, 1741, Abigail
Hastings and had children in Lunenburg:
1. Susanna Hammond b. Jan 1, 1746/7.
2. Mary Hammond b. Sept 26, 1749.
Subject: Phinehas Harrington
Source: Bond's Watertown.
Phinehas Harrington b. Jan 30, 1745/6; died soon.
8. William Harrington b. Jan 9, 1746/7 m. Feb 12, 1777, Esther Bemis. About
1790 they moved to Lunenburg, Mass. Children:
1. Hannah Harrington b. Dec 1, 1777.
2. Elijah Harrington b. July 11, 1779.
3. William Harrington b. Dec 25, 1781.
4. Polly Harrington b. Sept 5, 1783.
5. Betsy Harrington b. Nov 16, 1785.
6. Isaac Harrington b. Nov 2, 1787.
7. Lucretia Harrington b. Sept 8, 1789.
8. Jonathan Bemis Harrington b. at Lunenburg, Sept 23, 1792.
Joseph Hammond of Lower Ashuelot m. in Lunenburg, Nov 2, 1752, Esther Gould.p.789/790
Subject: John Hastings
Source: Bond's Watertown
John Hastings of Watertown, Mass., m. (1) Nov 2, 1702, Susanna Bemis. She died Nov 15,
1703. He m. (2) Jan 8, 1706/7, Sarah Fiske. It is probable he moved to Lunenburg or that
vicinity about 1723. Children:
1. Sarah Hastings b. Nov 8, 1707.
2. Susanna Hastings b. April 4, 1710 [see her marriage below to Lieut. Moses Willard]
3. John Hastings b. Feb 4, 1711/12.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Rev. Zabdiel Boylston - a minster at Lunenburg, mass.
Source - Bond's Watertown
p.704
4. Peter Boylston a shop-keeper of Brookline, m. Ann White. He died Sept 10
1743. The Will of his widow, Ann, dated Mar 13, 1754. May 2, 1713, his
brother and other heirs conveyed to him their shares in the homestead of 96
acres. Children:
1. Benjamin Boylston b. April 29, 1705; m. Nov 30, 1727, Elizabeth Sumner
b. April 7, 1708, dau of Edward & Elizabeth (Clap) Sumner. of Brookline -
1729; of Mendon, 1733.
2. Ann Boylston, b. Nov 1, 1706; m. Mar 21, 1729, Ebenezer Adams b. Dec 30,
1704, youngest son of Joseph & Hannah Adams of Braintree. 6 children of whom
the 5th child was Zabdiel Boylston b. Nov 5, 1739; grad. Harvard Coll. 1759;
minister of Lunenburg, Mass.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Mary Hubbard m. at Lunenburg, John Jennison who died. She m. (2) Col. Benjamin Bellows, founder
of Walpole, N.H.
Source: Bond's Watertown
p.797
Major Jonathan Hubbard, Jr. and his wife, Rebecca Brown, both of Concord, Mass., married at Watertown,
Sept. 26, 1704 - were married by Jonas Bond, Esq. Major Jonathan Hubbard resided some time at Groton, Mass.,
where at least four of his children were born, and thence moved to Townsend, Mass., where his wife
died November 2, 1751; and he died there April 7, 1761 aged 76 yrs. (gravestones). Children:
1. Rebecca Hubbard who m. at Groton, Mass., Sept 22, 1722, Col. Joseph Blanchard, of Dunstable.
2. Hannah Hubbard who m. at Groton, Nov 23, 1732, Col. Josiah Willard, then of Lunenburg, Mass.
3. Ruth Hubbard b. 1716; m. (1) at Lunenburg, April 7, 1736, Rev. David Stearns. She m. (2) Nov 9, 1768,
Rev. Aaron Whitney of Petersham. She died at Keene, N.H., Nov 1, 1788, aged 72 yrs.
4. Jonathan Hubbard b. about 1719; was of Charlestown, N.H. (the old Fort No. 4).
5. Abigail Hubbard b. at Groton June 25, 1721; m. at Lunenberg, Mass., Dec 25, 1738, Oliver Farwell of
Dunstable.
6. John Hubbard, b. at Groton, May 24, 1723; died Feb 17, 1724.
7. Mary Hubbard, b. at Groton, April 12, 1725; m. (1) at Lunenburg, July 21, 1740, John Jennison. He died
1751 and she m. (2) April 21, 1758, Col. Benjamin Bellows.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Nathaniel Livermore
Source: Bond's Watertown
Oliver Livermore who m. June 2, 1758 Katherine Bond, dau. of Jonas Bond, Esq. of Watertown.
He died June 16, 1782 and she died a widow, June 1, 1800. They settled first at Watertown and
about 1767 moved to Shirley, Mass. Children:
1. Catherine Livermore b. Aug 25, 1759; died 1781, unmarried.
2. Oliver Livermore b. Sept 1716; died 1782, unmarried.
3. Daniel Livermore b. January 1764; m. 1793, Lucy Longley, dau. of Deacon John Longley of
Shirley, Mass. She died the next year. He afterwards lived unmarried and died July 27, 1821.
4. Nathaniel Livermore b. January, 1766; m. 1812, Abigial, dau of William Jones of Lunenburg,
Mass. He died Jan 20, 1830.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject John Page Jr.
Source: Bond's Watertown
. John Page Jr. b. 1630, adm. freeman 1652; m. at
Groton, Mass., Faith Dunster. She died April 3, 1699
and he signed a marriage contract with the widow of
Emory Lamb of Boston, Sept. 5, 1699, to be married
that day. On June 6, 1702, they executed an indenture
with Samuel Phipps of Charlestown and John Hammond of
Watertown "for use of his wife." He went to Groton
about 1662; in that year sold land in Watertown which
he had bought of his father, John Sr., and the next
year he, then of Groton, sold 40 acres of land in
Watertown to Deacon Thomas Hastings. In 1700 to 1703
he sold 8 lots of land in Groton to his son, Jonathan
Page and in 1708 sold land in Groton to John Page. He
did not continue to reside in Groton. His son Jona-
than was born at Watertown and he was probably the
son who respresented Watertown in 1700.
Children:
1. John Page b. in Groton Dec 10, 1669.
2. Samuel Page b. in Groton June 4, 1672.
3. Mary Page b. in Groton Jan 9, 1674/5; (m.
? ____Boardman).
4. Jonathan Page b. in Watertown June 24, 1677;
by wife Mary had 8 children in Groton, where
he died Oct 10, 1751 aged 74 (see Butler, p.
420).
[p.358
Farnsworth Memorial
Mary Crew Farnsworth b. Sep. l3, l707 dau of
Samuel Farnsworth and his wife Mary (Whitcomb)
Willard Farnsworth of Groton MA. Mary Crew
Farnsworth was the sister of David, Stephen
and Samuel Farnsworth, founders of Fort No. 4
Charlestown, N.H. Mary Crew Farnsworth
m. at Kingston, MA on Nov. 8, l727 Jonathan
Page, Jr. of Lunenburg, MA. He b. June 5,
l7l0 and he d. Aug. 30, l75l. She d. May 22,
l770. He was one of the proprietors of
Charlestown, N.H. (see PAGE genealogy p.497
from the History of Fort 4 (children listed
below]
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Eleazer Tarball
Source: Bond's Watertown
Eleazer Tarball of Groton m. Dec 20, 1727, Elizabeth Bowers b. Sept 2, 1710 dau of
Samuel & Esther Bowers of Groton. He removed to Lunenburg about 1740. Children:
1. Elizabeth Tarball b. April 13, 1729 m. in Lunenburg Dec 3, 1745, Joel Hartwell.
2. Zachariah Tarball b. Dec 27, 1730; m. in Lunenburg May 27, 1753, Mary Gould.
3. Eleazer Tarball b. Aug 26, 1735.
4. Jonas Tarball b. Mar 1738.
5. Sarah Tarball b. in Lunenburg Sept 19, 1741.
6. Samuel Tarball b. in Lunenburg Sept 18, 1744; m. in Lunenburg Feb 25, 1773, Beatrice
Carter.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Hon. Thomas Sparhawk, Esq.
Source: Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of
Watertown, Massachusetts, Includes Waltham and Weston - by Henry Bond, M.D.,
Boston, 1860.
Volume I.
p.545
Hon. Thomas Sparhawk, Esq., b. in Cambridge, Mass., 1737; grad. Harvard Coll. 1755; settled
same year at Lunenburg, Mass., as a teacher. In 1769 he moved to Walpole, New Hampshire,
where he was Clerk of the Court and Judge of Probate. He m. July 10, 1758, Rebecca Stearns,
the 2nd daughter of Rev. David Stearns. He died 1802. Children:
1. Thomas Sparhawk b. at Lunenburg, April 12, 1760; m. 1791, Octavia Frink, dau. of Dr.
Thomas Frink of Keene and settled at Walpole. Children:
1. Thomas Sparhawk b. 1791; grad. Dartmouth Coll. 1815; admitted to the Bar, 1817; died
1838, unmarried.
2. Rebecca Sparhawk b. 1793.
3. Octavia Sparhawk b. 1795; died 1839.
4. George Sparhawk b. 1797; m. 1820, Eliza Hammond of Newton, Mass. and settled at
Rockingham, Vermont. Children:
1. Rebecca Sparhawk b. 1821.
2. George Sparkhawk b. 1823.
3. Thomas Sparhawk b. 1827.
4. Emily Sparhawk b. 1830.
5. Charles Sparhawk b. 1799.
6. John Stearns Sparhawk b. 1801; died 1841.
7. Mary Hubbard Sparhwak b. 1802.
8. Henry Sparhawk b. 1805; died 1807.
9. Henry Sparhawk (again) b. 1807; d. 1816.
2. Oliver Stearns Sparhawk b. at Lunenburg July 23, 1764; died Oct 18, 1765.
3. Rebecca Sparhawk b. at Lunenburg July 17, 1768; d. 1792; m. 1788, Josiah Bellows, Esq.
of Walpole.
4. Oliver Stearns Sparhawk (again) b. at Walpole July 16, 1771; d. July 6, 1824; grad.
Dartmouth Coll. 1793; a lawyer and for many years Clerk of the Court. He m. Nov 3, 1798,
Hannah Stearns Whitney, his cousin. She d. Aug 25, 1818 aged 41 and he m. (2) Sept 5, 1819,
Naomi Sparhawk his cousin. Children:
1. Marietta Sparhawk b. Aug 12, 1801; died at Greenfield, Mass., Dec 9, 1840, unm.
2. Thomas Oliver Sparhawk, b. ___16th, 1803; was an apothecary at Greenfield, Mass.;
m. Jan 1, 1836, Laura Alvord of Greenfield. Children:
1. Lucy Alvord Sparhawk.
2. William Sparhawk b. January; died February, 1841.
3. Edward Sparhawk.
4. George Sparhawk.
5. Thomas Sparhawk.
3. Juliana Sparhawk b. Sept 4, 1804; m. Sept. 15, 1827, Calvin Carter of Wallingford,
Vermont; resided at Lapier County, Michigan. Children:
1. A son who died young.
2. Sarah Frances Carter
3. Hannah Naomi Carter.
4. Oliver Sparhawk Carter.
5. Mary Carter.
6. Marietta Carter.
7. William Carter.
8. Calvin Carter.
4. Hannah Stearns Sparhawk b. July 22, 1806; of Greenfield, Mass., unmarried.
5. William Sparhawk, b. May 12, 1808; served a clerkship with his uncle, David
Stearns Whitney of Northampton; commenced trade in Springfield, Mass. 1830 and
died of consumption June 24, 1834, a young man of great promise.
6. Lucius Hubbard Sparhawk b. Oct 11, 1810; died June, 1813.
7. Sarah Whitney Sparhawk b. Sept 15, 1812. In 1833, she went to Bardstown, Kentucky,
as a teacher; in 1835 she m. Thomas Spencer Speed of Bardstown and died 1843. Children:
1. John Speed.
2. William Speed.
3. Thomas Speed.
8. Rebecca Stearns Sparhawk b. Oct 20, 1814; died of consumption Oct 14, 1833.
9. Sophia Ann Sparhawk b. Dec 4, 1816; died at Elba, Michigan, Oct 13, 1844.
5. Mary Sparhawk b. 1773; m. 1793, Josiah Bellows, Esq. wid. of her sister, Rebecca.
6. John Stearns Sparhawk, b. ____; graduated Dartmouth Coll. 1796; died 1800.
7. Jonathan Hubbard Sparhawk, b. 1781; M.B., Dartmouth Coll. 1802; M.D., 1812; appointed
Surgeon in U.S. Army, 1801, stationed at Fort Wayne; returned to New England 1803 and
settled at Hartford, CT. He m. 1814, Clarissa, dau. of Dr. Thomas Porter of East Windsor,
Conn.; moved to Springfield, Mass., 1818 and died 1819. Children:
1. Elizabeth Sparhawk b. 1815; m. 184_, Rev. ____ Bascom.
2. John Stearns Sparhawk b. 1817; d. 1839; when a senior at Yale Coll.
3. Thomas Porter Sparhawk b. 1819; died 1838; a Junior at Yale Coll.
p.546
8. Samuel Sparhawk b. 1786; died 1835; a merchant who m. 1807 Sophronia Brown. Children:
1. Samuel Sparhawk b. 1808, was a clothier who m. and resided at Pawlet, Vt.
2. Sophronia Sparhawk b. 1808 m. Dr. William Fox, son of Dr. Fox of Wallingford, VT.
She died 1837 leaving one daughter, Harriet Fox b. 1837.
3. Henry Sparhawk b. 1812; a tanner; died 1834.
4. Eliza Sparhawk b. 1814; m. Lucius Hitchcock of Ashby, Mass. Children:
1. Henry Hitchcock.
2. Edward Hitchcock.
5. Harriet Sparhawk b. 1818; m. Roger Fenton of Rockingham, VT.
6. George Sparhawk b. 1821; a house carpenter, m. ____ in 1844.
7. John Sparhawk b. 1823.
8. Edward Sparhawk b. 1827.
To be continued Part 2 - Vol. 1 - p.546 - Rev. Ebenezer Sparhawk son of Noah & Priscilla,
Cambridge, Mass. & wife, Abigail Stearns dau of Rev. David Stearns. & (2) Naomi Hill.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Subject: Hon. Thomas Sparhawk, Esq.
Source: Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of
Watertown, Massachusetts, Includes Waltham and Weston - by Henry Bond, M.D.,
Boston, 1860.
Volume I.
Part 2.
p.546
Rev. Ebenezer Sparhawk, b. June 15, 1738, son of Noah & Priscilla Sparhawk of Cambridge, Mass.
grad. Harvard Coll. 1756; a teacher 4 yrs., and began to preach at Charlestown, Mass., January,
1760. The next November he went to Templeton, Mass., and Nov 18, 1761, was ordained pastor of
the church in that town. He m. Sept. 1, 1763, Abigail Stearns, the 3rd dau. of Rev. David
Stearns by whom he had 4 children. She d. April 21, 1772. He m. (2) Dec 2, 1773, Naomi Hill,
b. Aug 17, 1749, dau. of Rev. Abraham Hill of Shutesbury, Mass., by whom he had 8 children.
She died Mar 21, 1829. Children:
1. Ebenezer Sparhawk b. May 28, 1764; died October, 1836; m. Azubah Jepherson, dau. of Joseph
& Ruth Jepherson of Rochester, VT where he settled. He had a very good town school education
and several winters of his early life were employed teaching. He is described as possessing a
strong mind and those moral traits which make a most estimable and trustworthy character. It
was a great consolation to him towards the close of his life, to have good reason to hope that
all his children were Christians. Children:
1. George Sparhawk who died 1822.
2. Samuel Sparhawk b. 1802; was ordained and installed at a church in Pittsfield, VT in
March 1839; dismissed in 1841. Married Nov. 16, 1824, Laura Fitts, dau. of Israel & Sarah
Fitts of Leicester, VT. Children:
1. Mary Priscilla Sparhawk.
2. George Enos Sparhawk.
3. Luther Tucker Sparhawk.
4. Sarah Cook Sparhawk.
5. Martha Alling Sparhawk.
6. Mary Adelaide Sparhawk.
7. Samuel Henry Sparhawk.
8. Sarah Ellen Sparhawk.
3. Priscilla Sparhawk b. 1804; m. 1826, Rev. Daniel Warren of Waterbury, then of
Essex, VT., son of David & Anna Warren of Rochester, VT; educated at the Classical
& Theological Seminary of Bangor. Children:
1. Anna Elizabeth Warren b. 1826.
2. Joseph Warren b. 1829.
3. Daniel Henry Warren b. 1832.
4. Evarts Warren b. 1835.
5. Ellen Priscilla Warren b. 1838.
4. Mary Sparkhawk b. 1806; died 1844; m. 1833, Luther Tucker, wid. of her sister, Naomi.
Children:
1. Luther Tucker b. 1836.
2. Mary Tucker b. 1838.
3. Martha Louisa Tucker b. 1841.
4. Frances Laura Tucker b. 1844.
5. Naomi Sparhawk b. 1807; m. 1827, Luther Tucker of Rochester, N.Y.; publisher of the
Genesee Farmer and of the Rochester Republican. Mr. Tucker moved to Albany where his
first wife Naomi died of cholera 1832 leaving two children:
1. Charles Henry Tucker b. 1828; died 1832.
2. Julia Naomi Tucker b. 1832.
6. Ebenezer Sparhawk b. 1809; d. 1833, while he was preparing to enter college, with the
intention of devoting himself to the gospel ministry.
7. Joseph Sparhawk b. 1811; died 1813.
8. Martha Sparhawk b. 1814; m. 1836, William Alling, a bookseller of Rochester, N.Y.
1. William Alling b. 1836.
2. Jane Louisa Alling b. 1838.
3. Charles Henry Alling who died aged 2 yrs.
4. Frederick Alling b. 1843.
p.547
9. Louisa Sparhawk b. 1816; m. 1839, Edward Terry, son of Loren & Polly Terry of
Stockbridge, VT. He was connected in business with his brother-in-law, Mr. Alling at
Rochester, N.Y.
2. Henry Sparhawk b. April 26, 1766; m. Lucinda Lamb of Kingston, VT and settled at Rochester
where he was a Deacon. He d. 1813 and his widow m. (2) ____ Jones, now of Norton, Midina Co.,
Ohio. Children:
1. Abigail Sparhawk b. 1796; a deaf mute.
2. Rebecca Sparhawk b. 1799; a deaf mute.
3. Ebenezer Sparhawk b. 1801; a farmer of Norton, Ohio.
4. Stearns Sparhawk b. 1806; a leather dresser of Baltimore who m. Sept 19, 1831,
_____? Children:
1. Samuel Sparhawk b. Apr 7, 1835.
2. John Sparhawk b. Aug 22, 1837.
3. Benjamin Franklin Sparhawk b. Apr 4, 1840.
4. Edward Sparhawk b. Aug 22, 1842.
5. Henry Clay Sparhawk b. Sept. 2, 1844.
5. Henry Sparhawk b. 1811; a farmer of Norton, Ohio.
6. Noah Sparhawk b. 1813; a farmer of Norton, Ohio.
3. Thomas Stearns Sparhawk b. June 1768; d. July 1769.
4. Thomas Stearns Sparhawk (again) b. May 18, 1770; grad. Dartmouth Coll. 1791; studied law
with Silas Lee, Esq., of Wiscasset, Maine and settled at Bucksport, Maine where he died June
1807. He m. 1795, Mary Kinsman, dau of Colonel Aaron Kinsman of Hanover, N.H. Children:
1. Mary Louisa Sparhawk who m. 1814, Charles Fox b. at Roxbury, Mass., 1794;
a grad. of Dartmouth Coll., 1813; studied medicine; became the Principal of the
Boylston School, Boston, many years.
2. William Sparhawk who died at sea.
3. Edward Vernon Sparhawk who died 1838 at Richmond, VA., unmarried.
4. Arthur George Sparhawk, a printer at Cincinnati.
5. Lucia Sparhawk, unmarried.
5. Abraham Sparkawk b. Jan 20, 1774; died April 7, 1819 of epilepsy. Unmarried.
6. Abigail Sparhawk b. Dec 26, 1775; m. 1801, Joshua Richardson, a farmer, of Templeton, Mass.
7. Priscilla Sparhawk b. May 13, 1777; m. Sept 15, 1800, Colonel Joseph Lee.
8. Naomi Sparhawk b. May 13, 1777 (twin to Priscilla) m. Sept 15, 1819, Oliver Stearns
Sparhawk, Esq., of Walpole, N.H.
9. Noah Sparhawk b. Aug 20, 1780.
10. Elizabeth Sparhawk b. July 9, 1782; m. June, 1804, Samuel Lee, son of Rev. Joseph Lee of
Royalston, Mass. He was in trade several years at Bucksport, Maine; afterwards went to sea
and had good success and in 1838 retired from business and settled at Templeton, Mass.
11. George Sparhawk b. Oct 8, 1784; went into trade at Frankfort, Maine; afterwards became
a shipmaster and died at Mobile, 1820 of yellow fever.
12. Samuel Sparhawk b. July 23, 1786; died 1835. Was a farmer at Norton, Summit County, Ohio
where he married Mary Hudson. Children:
1. George Sparhawk b. 1821.
2. Naomi Sparhawk b. May 2, 1824.
3. Elvira Sparhawk b. Apr 1, 1826.
4. Elizabeth Abigail Sparhawk b. Mar 7, 1829.
p.90
By deed dated Sept 30, 1639, Gregory Stone of Cambridge sold to Nathaniel Sparhawk, agent of
Thomas Boilstone of London, cloth-worker, his house and ground at Watertown bounded with
Edmund Lewis south; the ___east; highway and Edward Goffe north and James Cutler west. Also
16 acres and 3 acres more toward Fresh Pond between E. Lewis and John Beers. Also two acres
in Rocky Meadow on Cambridge line. Also 40 acres gread dividend land in 1st squadron next to
the great river. Also 9 acres plow land in the plain between the 1st squadron and the great
river. These lands were evidently bought for the accomodation of this son Thomas Boylston, Jr.
of Watertown as they were embraced in the lost of his possessions in 1642. Thomas Boylston
who came to America and settled at Watertown, Mass., was the son of Thomas Boylston of London,
England, son of Henry Boylston of Litchfield, England who had an estate at Weston, Strafford-
shire, England.
p.36
Marshall Spring Bigelow b. Jan 20, 1785; died at Leicester April 1847, m. May, 1811,
Olive Sparhawk, an orphan of Barre. She died early, leaving two daughters:
1. Frances Maria Bigelow who m. Foster Marshall of Montreal and died in Indiana
leaving 3 children
2. Olive Sparhawk Bigelow who m. Norton Corse of Montreal. Children:
1. Fanny Corse 2. Sarah Corse 3. Louisa Corse 4. Henry Corse.
Marshall Spring Bigelow m. (2) Lucinda Caldwell of Barre.
p.176
Rev. Edward Wigglesworth Jr. m. (1) 1765, Margaret Hill & m. (2) June 6, 1778, Dorothy
Sparhawk bap. July 15, 1739, dau. of Deacon Samuel Sparhawk of Cambridge.
p.301
Justinian Holding aged 23 embarked at Ipswich, England April 1634 in the ship, Elizabeth
He was a proprietor of Watertown 1642 etc. On Mar 1, 1653-4 he, then of Watertown bought
for £210 the estate of the late Deacon Nathaniel Sparhawk of Cambridge, viz., a dwelling,
a barn and 294 acres bounded S.W. by Wat. and Fresh Pond; S.E. by Fresh Pond; N.E. by the
Great Swamp; N.W. by Richard Hassell (brook and swamp). See Reg. of Deeds, Vol. 1, 103,
for exception of a few acres.
p.687
Bethia Bond b. 1693 m. Nathaniel Oliver of Cambridge, b. Feb. 1, 1685, son of Deacon Thomas
Oliver, Esq & Mary (Wilson) Oliver of Cambridge; grandson of Rev. John & Elizabeth (Newgate)
Oliver of Rumney Marsh and great grandson of Elder Thomas Oliver of Boston, who came to
New England in 1631. She died a widow December 1784 aged 81 yrs. The Boston News Letter
of December 22, announcing her death, says "her only child Mary is the amiable consort of
Thomas Sparhawk, Esq." Thomas & Mary (Oliver) Sparhawk had son Thomas Sparhawk b. Mar 16,
1736-7 who grad. Harvard Coll. 1755. Jonathan Fuller of Newton, uncle of Bethia Bond be-
queathed £2 to the wife of Nathaniel Oliver. (see also Jackson's History of Newton, pp. 279,
331, 373 and 374)
p.779
Thomas Hammond, Hingham in 1636. Nov. 14, 1656 for £40 he purchased of Esther, dau of
Nathaniel Sparhawk of Cambridge, 300 acres of land at Cambridge on the south side of the
Charles River.
p.923
Ichabod Brown b. Sept 9, 1666 of Cambridge m. 1693, Mary Woodbury of Beverly, Mass.
Their 3rd child, Priscilla Brown m. Sept 24, 1724, Noah Sparhawk b. abt. Feb. 1696-7
son of Deacon Nathaniel & Abigail (Gates) Sparhawk of Cambridge. He was the grandson
of Nathaniel Sparhawk & Patience (Newman) Sparhawk and great-grandson of Deacon
Nathaniel Sparhawk an early settler of Cambridge, from England. (see Farmer) He died
Feb 4, 1748-9 and she died about 1766. Children:
1. Priscilla Sparhawk b. Aug 6, 1725; died before 1765; m. Oct 3, 1745,
Abraham Cutting.
2. Nathaniel Sparhawk b. Oct 8, 1727.
3. Noah Sparhawk b. Oct 19, 1729 was of Rutland in 1765.
4. Martha Sparhawk b. Jan 2, 1731-2 m. Nov 20, 1760, John Hancock, Jr. of
Charlestown.
5. Nathan Sparhawk bap. July 28, 1734; of Rutland, 1765.
6. Ebenezer Sparhawk b. June 15, 1738.
7. George Sparhawk bap. Sept 20, 1741; died Jan 27, 1757.
End.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Woolson Families
Source: Bond's Watertown
Joseph Woolson b. Nov 16, 1677; m. Hannah ____, who died April 30, 1721. His Will,
dated Nov 27, 1651 and he died May 16, 1755. Children:
1. Joseph Woolson b. Dec 13, 1699; d. Nov 3, 1766; m. (published Mar. 19) 1726,
Elizabeth Upham of Malden. He m. (2) Nov 3, 1761, Mrs. Grace Gregory. Children:
1. Asa Woolson b. July 23, 1727; m. June 1, 1762, Elizabeth Knight. Children:
1. Elizabeth Woolson b. at Weston, Feb 22, 1763.
2. Lois Woolson b. in Weston, Mar 13, 1765.
3. Asa Woolson b. in Townsend, Feb. 4, 1767.
4. Elijah Woolson b. in Lunenburg, Dec 1, 1769.
5. Ebenezer Woolson b. in Lunenburg, Ap. 18, 1773.
6. Amos Woolson b. in Lunenburg, Oct 11, 1778.
7. Joseph Woolson b. in Lunenburg, Oct 23, 1783.
2. Elijah Woolson b. Mar 18, 1728/9; died 1755.
3. Thomas Woolson b. Jan 28, 1730/1.
4. Nathan Woolson b. Dec 17, 1731; m. Feb 10, 1757, Miriam Bigelow. Children:
1. Isaac Woolson b. Nov 11, 1757.
2. Cyrus Woolson b. Aug 6, 1759; d. September, 1760.
3. Cyrus Woolson (again) b. Oct 13, 1761.
4. Nathan Woolson b. 1763, died 1764.
5. Lucy Woolson b. Sept. 30, 1765.
6. Nathan Woolson, (again).
7. Joseph Woolson b. in Framingham, Sept 19, 1770.
8. Simeon Woolson b. in Framingham, Sept 3, 1772.
5. Elizabeth Woolson b. Feb 24, 1739; m. April 21, 1763, David Green of
Reading.
2. Mary Woolson, b. Sept 13, 1701; m. Oct 20, 1725, James Myrick of Weston.
3. Hannah Woolson b. Aug 8, 1704; m. Dec 31, 1724, Josiah Brewer.
4. Thankful Woolson b. June 3, 1708; m. June 8, 1733, Jonathan Stimson.
5. Isaac Woolson b. Feb 17, 1710/11; m. (pub. Mar 18, 1738-9) Sybil Rooper. He
died Aug 13, 1743 and his widow m. Thaddeus Bowman of Lexington. Children:
1. Ephraim Woolson b. April 11, 1740; grad. Harvard Coll. 1760; was a
physician and d. 1802. He m. 1765, Mary Richardson of Sutton.
2. Anna Woolson b. June 14, 1742; m. at Lexington, Oct 31, 1765, William
Patten, of Watertown, q.v.
Thaddeus Bowman was guardian of these two children.
6. Beulah Woolson b. Mar 1, 1713/14; m. July 21, 1743, Nathaniel Woolcot of
Brookfield.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth