Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 1

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 924

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Gc 974.4 C98ge v.1 1185589

M. L.

GENEALOGY COLLECTION

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00822 5085

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015

https://archive.org/details/genealogicalpers01cutt_0

William R. Cutter

GENEALOGICAL

AND

PERSONAL MEMOIRS

RELATING TO THE FAMILIES OF THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PREPARED UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF

WILLIAM RICHARD CUTTER, A. M.

Historian of the New England Historic-Genealogical Society; Librarian Emeritus of Woburn Public Library: Author of "The Cutter Family," "History of Arlington." "Bibliography of Woburn," etc., etc.

ASSISTED BY

WILLIAM FREDERICK ADAMS,

President of Connecticut Valley Historical Society; Publisher of Pynchon Genealogy. "Picturesque Hampden," "Picturesque Berkshire," etc., etc.

v.1

VOLUME I.

Gc 974.4 Ciège V. I

ILLUSTRATED.

NEW YORK LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY ... 1910

1185589

INTRODUCTORY.

HE present work, "Genealogical and Personal Memoirs," relating to the leading families of Massachusetts, presents in the aggregate an amount and variety of genealogical and personal information and portraiture unequalled by any kindred publication. Indeed, no similar work concerning this region has ever before been presented. It contains a vast amount of ancestral history never before printed. The object, clearly defined and well digested. is threefold:

First: To present in concise form the history of established families of the Common- wealth.

Second: To preserve a record of their prominent present-day people.

Third: To present through personal sketches, linked with the genealogical narrative, the relation of the prominent families of all times to the growth, singular prosperity and wide- spread influence of the historic old "Bay State."

There are numerous voluminous narrative histories of this section in one form or other, making it unnecessary in this work to even outline its annals. What has been published, how- ever, principally relates to the people in the mass. The amplification necessary to complete the picture of the region, old and nowaday, is what is supplied in large degree by these Genealogical and Per- sonal Memoirs. In other words, while others have writ- ten of "the times," the province of this work is to be a chronicle of the people who have made Massachusetts.

Than Massachusetts, no other State or region offers so peculiarly interesting a field for such research. Its sons-"native here, and to the manner born," and of splendid ancestry-have attained distinction in every field of human effort. An additional interest attaches to the present undertaking in the fact that, while dealing primarily with the history of native Massachusetts, this work approaches the dignity of a national epitome of genealogy and biography. Owing to the wide dispersion throughout the country of the old families of the State, the authentic account here presented of the constituent elements of her social life, past and present, will be of far more than merely local value. In its special field it will be found, in an appreciable degree, a reflection of the development of the country at large, since hence went out representatives of the historical families, in various generations, who in far remote places-beyond the Mississippi and in the Far West-were with the vanguard of civilization, building up communities, creating new commonwealths, planting, wherever they went, the church, the school house and the printing press, leading into channels of thrift and enterprise all

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Bunker Hill Monument.

INTRODUCTORY.

who gathered about them, and proving a power for ideal citizenship and good government.

Unique in conception and treatment, this work constitutes one of the most original and permanently valuable contributions ever made to the social history of an American community In it are arrayed in a lucid and dignified manner all the important facts regarding the ancestry. personal career and matrimonial alliances of those who, in each succeeding generation, have been accorded leading positions in the social, professional and business life of the State. Nor has it been based upon, neither does it minister to, aristocratic prejudices and assumptions. On the contrary, its fundamental ideas are thoroughly American and democratic. The work everywhere conveys the lesson that distinction has been gained only by honorable public service. or by usefulness in private station, and that the development and prosperity of the State of which it treats has been dependent upon the character of its citizens, and the stimulus which they have given to commerce, to industry, to the arts and sciences, to education and religion- to all that is comprised in the highest civilization of the present day-through a continual pro- gressive development.

The inspiration underlying the work is a fervent appreciation of the truth so well expressed by Sir Walter Scott. that "there is 'no heroic poem in the world, but is at the bottom the life of a man." And with this goes a kindred truth, that to know a man, and rightly measure his character, and weigh his achievements, we must know whence he came, from what forbears he sprang. Truly as heroic poems have been written in human lives in the paths of peace as in the scarred roads of war. Such examples, in whatever line of endeavor, are of much worth as an incentive to those who come afterward. and such were never so needful to be written of as in the present day, when pessimism, forgetful of the splendid lessons of the past. withholds its effort in the present, and views the future only with alarm.

And, further, the custodian of records concerning the useful men of preceding generations. who has aided in placing his knowledge in preservable and accessible form, of the homes and churches, schools, and other institutions, which they founded, and of their descendants who have lived honorable and useful lives, has performed a public service in rendering honor to whom honor is due, and in inculcating the most valuable les- sons of patriotism and good citizenship.

The vast influence exerted by the people of this State is immeasurable. The story of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies lies at the foundation of the best there is in American history, and the names of Brewster, Winslow. Bradford. Standish, Alden, Warren, Howland (all of whom came in the "Mayflower" and were prominent in the Old Colony.) with Freeman, Gorham and Sears-all these of Plymouth; and Winthrop. Saltonstall. Dudley, Wilson, Brad- street, and others, of the Massachusetts Bay Col- ony, have an undying fame, and these names are prominent to-day in Massachusetts. These carly settlers erected an original form of government. pledging themselves to maintain and preserve all their liberties and privileges, and in their vote

ANCIENT Epki

STOCKBAIDOC INDIAN'S

FRIENDS O

Stockbridge Monument.

INTRODUCTORY.

and suffrage as their conscience might them move, as to best conduce and tend to the public weal of the body, without respect of persons or favor of any man. Their heroism was exhibited in their conflicts with savages. In statesmanship they builded better than they knew. Their code of laws known as the "Body of Liberties" has been termed an almost declara- tion of independence, opening with the pronouncement that neither life, liberty, honor nor estate were to be invaded unless under express laws enacted by the local authorities, and when this bold declaration led to the demand of the English govern- ment that the colonial charter should be surrendered, the colo- nists resisted to a successful issue. In later days Faneuil Hall became the cradle of American Liberty, and from its platform were proclaimed the doctrines which bore fruit in resistance to the Stamp Act. in the Boston Massacre, and the engagements of contesting armed forces at Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill.

Isaiah Thomas, Founder of "Massachusetts Spy."

At a later day, when came the momentous question whether a free and liberal govern- ment "of the people, by the people and for the people" was to perish from the earth, the sons of their illustrious sires were not found wanting in patriotism and devotion, but freely sacrificed comforts, property and life, for the vindi- cation of the principles inherited from the fathers.

Here, too, were developed in highest degree the arts of peace. Religion, education, science, inven- tion, labor along all the lines of mechanical and industrial progress, here made their beginnings, and while their ramifications extended throughout the length and breadth of the land. the parent home and the parent stock held their pre-eminence, as they do to the 'present day.

The descendants of those early settlers are especially proud of their ancestry ; for, whatever the part allotted them. even the most trivial service rendered should command respect and admiration. and those now residents of Massachusetts should esteem it a precious privilege to have their names associated with such an illustrious group of fami- ilies. Such an honorable ancestry is a noble heritage. and the story of its achievements is a sacred trust committed to its descendants. upon whom devolves the perpetuation of the record.

It was the consensus of opinion of gentlemen well informed and loyal to the memories of the past and the needs of the present and future. that the editorial supervision of William Richard Cutter, A. M., ensured the best results attainable in the prepara- tion of material for the proposed work. For more

Statue of Capt. Parker, Lexington.

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King's Chapel, Boston.

Old State House, Boston.

Old South Church, Boston.

INTRODUCTORY.

than a generation past he has given his leisure to historical and genealogical research and authorship. He was the author, with his father, of "History of the Cutter Family of New England," 1871-1875: and "History of Arlington, Massachusetts," 1880 ; and edited Lieutenant Samuel Thomp- son's "Diary While Serving in the French and Indian War, 1758," 1896. He also prepared a monograph entitled "Jour- nal of a Forton Prisoner, England," sketches of Arlington and Woburn, Massachusetts, and many articles on subjects connected with local historical and genealogical matters, for periodical literature. He prepared a "Bibliography of Woburn," which was published, and he has been engaged as editor of various historical works outside of his own city. His narrative on "Early Families," which introduces Volume I. of this work, and the leading fifty pages of biography in Volume II., are of peculiar value.

Others to whom the publishers desire to make grateful Governor Levi Lincoln. acknowledgment for services rendered in various ways-as writers, or in an advisory way, in pointing to channels of valuable information, are: William Frederick Adams, a first authority, publisher of "The Pynchon Genealogy," "Picturesque Hampden," "Picturesque Berkshire," etc .; Edward Henry Clement, for many years editor of the Boston Transcript; John Howard Brown, editor of Lamb's "Biographical Dictionary of the United States;" and Ezra Scolly Stearns, the well-known New Hampshire historian and antiquarian.

This work comprises a carefully prepared genealogical history of several hundred rep- resentative families of Massachusetts. The editor and publishers desire to state that they have adopted a different method for collecting and compiling data than has heretofore been pursued in this country. Time and expense were not spared in making the publication a valuable work for reference. The value of family history and genealogy depends upon accuracy, and the thoroughness of research in public and private records ; also, upon the use of old and unpublished manuscripts, supplemented by a careful gleaning and compiling of information to be found in the various printed works in public and private libraries. It was the aim of editor and publishers to utilize all such material, connecting the same with the American progenitor, where possible, and present in a narrative form the family line down to and including the present gen- eration, weaving in the military and ANÌ civic services of the subject treated. In order to insure greatest possible accu- racy, all matter for this work was sub- mitted in typewritten manuscript to per- sons most interested, for revision and correction.

Bancroft House, Worcester.

INTRODUCTORY.

In the comparatively few instances where a sketch is faulty, the shortcoming is in the main ascribable to the paucity of data obtainable, some families being with- out exact records in their family line ; in other cases, representatives of a given family are at disagreement as to names, dates, etc.

It is believed that the present work, in spite of the occasional fault which attaches to such undertakings, will prove a real addition to the mass of annals con- cerning the historic families of Massa- Plymouth Rock. chusetts, and that, without it, mich valuable information would remain inaccessible or irretrievably lost, owing to the passing away of custodians of family records, and the consequent disappearance of material in their possession.

THE PUBLISHERS.

HISTORIC SPOT IN SPRINGFIELD.

EARLY FAMILIES.

SUFFOLK COUNTY.

The late William H. Whitmore, city regis- trar of Boston, has treated the history of the prominent families of Boston in the seven- teenth and eighteenth centuries in a cursory manner in two chapters at the end of the first and second volumes of Winsor's "Memorial History of Boston." There has never been, according to his statement, any general or complete attempt to write their genealogy, as a whole, and probably never will be, owing to the want of proper material, and the magni- tude of the undertaking. The greater part of the early settlers came from the middle class of England. Their ideas of society were the same as the English, and they were devoid of the element of the very poor, as well as of the higher class of the nobility. Until the Revolu- tion of 1775 they were in effect and in practice a British province.

Mr. Whitmore gives a list of forty promi- nent families of the seventeenth century in which he names the following :

I. Winthrop.

21. Gerrish.

2. Bellingham.

3. Endicott.

23. Middlecott.

4. Leverett. 24. Usher.

5. Bradstreet.

25. Jeffries.

26. Lidgett.

27. Saffin.

7. Hibbens.

8. Gibbons.

28. Ruck.

9. Davie.

29. Whittingham.

30. Shrimpton.

II. Savage.

31. Stoddard.

12. Cooke.

32. Sergeant.

13. Hutchinson.

33. Sheaffe.

14. Oliver.

34. Gibbs.

15. Hull.

35. Lynde.

16. Brattle.

36. Lyde.

17. Tyng.

37. Clarke.

18. Alford.

38. Cotton.

19. Scarlett.

39. Allen.

20. Joyliffe.

40. Mather.

Of the above, Winthrop, Endicott, Leverett, Bradstreet. Savage, Hutchinson, Oliver, Brat- tle, Tyng, Usher, Jeffries. Shrimpton, Stod- dard, Lynde, Clarke, Cotton and Mather, are

about all the names that are familiar to the present generation. Taken up seriatim :

I. The ancestor of the Winthrop family left two sons who left male descendants in New London, Connecticut, and Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. One son, whose only son died with- out issue, is represented at present by descend- ants in the female line in Chelsea and Win- throp, Massachusetts.

2. Bellingham: Name extinct in the second generation.

3. Endicott : Descendants in Essex county, through one son. The other son died without issue.

4. Leverett: Ancestor an alderman in Old Boston before removal here; one son and several married daughters in the second gener- ation.

5. Bradstreet : Numerous descendants.

6. Hough: Alderman of Old Boston before coming here ; one son in the second generation, one son in the third; two sons in the fourth generation died before middle age.

7. Hibbens : No issue after first generation.

8. Gibbons: Extinct soon.

9. Davy: Ancestor was son of a baronet ; one son returned to England and inherited estate and title of his grandfather ; two sons by a second wife.

IO. Richards: No children in one case ; another Richards had an only son and also daughters ; a third of the name died without issue.

II. Savage: By two wives, six children and eleven children. "The family has maintained its position in Boston till the present genera- tion."

12. Cooke: One son of the second genera- tion. This son had an only daughter whose descendants of another name still represent the family in Boston.

13. Hutchinson : The later generation belongs to the record of the eighteenth century.

14. Oliver: Appear to have well sustained their number and influence.

15. Hull: In the second generation, an only child, a daughter, whose descendants were numerous.

16. Brattle : Male line extinct in the third generation.

i-i

(i)

6. Hough.

IO. Richards.

22. Payne.

ii.

MASSACHUSETTS.

17. Tyng: Male members, descendants of two brothers, not numerous ; line continued in female branches.

18. Alford : Does not appear after the third generation.

19. Scarlett : No male descendants.

20. Joyliffe: In the second generation, an only child, a daughter, died unmarried.

21. Gerrish (later Essex county) ; a grand- son returned to Boston and left descendants.

22. Payne : One child (a son). "The family became extinct here in 1834."

23. Middlecott : Four children, three daugh- ters and one son ; the son settled in England.

24. Usher : Two sons and two daughters of the second generation; one son married and had no children ; one son married and had one daughter, and by a second marriage had other issue "still represented in Rhode Island."

25. Jeffries : Two sons of the second gener- ation. "The family is still represented in Boston, being one of the few which have con- tinued through all the changes of two centu- ries."

26. Lidgett: Represented by a son of the second generation, who died at London in 1698.

27. Saffin: No issue of the first generation.

28. Ruck, or Rock: one son of second gen- eration, beyond whom the line is not traced.

29. Whittingham: Left issue after first gen- eration here.

30. Shrimpton: Left issue of a later distin- guished generation.

31. Stoddard: "The family still flourishes, though not in Boston."

32. Sergeant : One generation, without issue.

33. Sheaffe: Two daughters of the second generation, one of whom married a relative of the same name. The name appears to have ended in Boston in 1724.

34. Gibbs : "The name continued till recently in Middlesex county."

35. Lynde : One son (second generation) settled in Salem.

36. Lyde : One child, a son, no further men- tion.

37. Clarke: One son, for one family ; other families of this name were more numerously represented.

38. Cotton : Two sons of the second gener- ation and two daughters. "The family, how- ever, soon passed from Boston."

39. Allen : One son, who was treasurer of the province.

40. Mather: The members of this family appear to be numerous, especially in the female

branches. "The name, however, was soon lost to Boston, though descendants in Connecticut still bear it."

Mr. Whitmore, for the eighteenth century, continues his list of the most prominent fami- lies of Boston (or Suffolk county) until he has included one hundred numbers for the two centuries which his list was designed to cover ; more especially for the eighteenth century, the provincial period from 1692 to 1775. He also observes that with few exceptions the names of the colonial (or first period) disappear early in the eighteenth century. In his list for the eighteenth century he includes such names as follows :

41. Phips. 71. Taylor.

42. Tailer. 72. Eliot.

43. Dummer.

73. Belcher.

44. Shirley.

74. Williams.

45. Hutchinson.

75. Winslow.

46. Oliver. 76. Willard.

47. Hobby. 77. WValley.

48. Temple. 78. Ballentine.

49. Nelson. 79. Valentine.

50. Sewall. 80. Cushing.

51. Addington.

81. Bowdoin.

52. Davenport.

82. Faneuil.

53. Savage.

83. Johonnot.

54. Phillips.

84. Olivier.

55. Wendell.

85. Sigourney.

56. Lloyd.

86. Brimmer.

57. Borland.

87. Mascarene.

58. Vassall.

88. Bethune.

59. Lindall.

89. Cunningham.

60. Brinley.

90. Boylston.

61. Pitts.

91. Trail.

62. Apthorp.

92. Mountfort.

63. Salisbury.

93. Greenwood.

64. Marion.

94. Charnock.

65. Bridge.

95. Martyn.

66. Quincy. 96. Cooper.

67. Fitch. 97. Lynde.

68. Clark. 98. Gardiner.

69. Bromfield.

99. Amory.

70. Payne.

100. Waldo.

The Eighteenth Century, taken up seriatim :

41. Phips: No children of the first ancestor, but a wife's nephew became his heir and adopted the name ; this nephew had an only surviving son, whose family consisted of three sons and three daughters.

42. Tailer: The founder married twice; 10 issue reported after first generation.

43. Dummer: Three sons of this name, of which one died unmarried, another married

iii.

MASSACHUSETTS.

left an only daughter, and the third left no children. "The family has been continued in Boston, though not in the name."

44. Shirley ( family of the English Gover- nor) : Four sons and five daughters. "Only one son survived him, whose only son died without issue in 1815.'

45. Hutchinson (also of the seventeenth century) : Family consisting of two sons, both married, whose descendants were most notable ; the first had Thomas (the famous lieutenant- governor of the province) and Foster Hutch- inson; the second left a son Edward and two daughters. Foster had a son and daughter, and Governor Thomas had three children. As the members became refugees, they are not found here after the Revolution.

46. Oliver: In the second generation was one son, whose son was the father of a branch of the family which remained here. By a second marriage the first ancestor had a family of fourteen children. Another branch of the early Oliver family had two sons who were married. Another branch of the second gen. eration was a member who had four sons, the descendants of whom have been numerous. There was still another branch of these Bos- ton Olivers, one of whose members had two wives, and by them many children, most of whom died young. A son of this last group was a graduate of Harvard College in 1719, one of whose daughters married Benjamin Prescott, and was "the ancestress of famous men.'

47. Hobby: The particular member was knighted-"one of our few titled natives;" he left a widow, but no children.

48. Temple: One son of this family had three daughters, and sons, whose descendants are numerous. One of the sons of the emi- grant inherited the baronetcy belonging to this family.

49. Nelson : Two sons represented this family in the second generation ; also daugh -- ters.

50. Sewall: One son of the second genera- tion was married, but "the line soon ceased in the name;" one son of the same generation was married and had a family. "Descendants of the name still reside in Boston and the vicin- ity."

51. Addington: The family ended in the second generation with the death of a daughter who died young.

52. Davenport : Third generation was repre- sented by two sons and two married daughters in Boston.

53. Savage: This family was numerously represented in the eighteeth century in the inale line.

54. Phillips : Well represented in the male line in Boston to a late generation.

55. Wendell: Well represented in the male line.

56. Lloyd: Numerously represented in the male line to about 1850.

57. Borland: An only son of the second generation here had two sons and a daughter. One of the two sons had twelve children.

58. Vassall: Early rather numerous, and cne of a later generation had seventeen chil- dren, and another member of the family had sixteen children.

59. Lindall: The first generation was repre- sented by a person who had three wives and seven children, but only one daughter lived to marry.

60. Brinley: The representative of the first generation left a daughter and a son ; the son lad five sons and two daughters. One of these sons married his cousin and left no children : another left many descendants, the third mar- ried his cousin and left one married son.

61. Pitts: Here after 1731. The father had three sons, the second of whom had five sons and two daughters. The third left issue.

62. Apthorp: The first representative had eighteen children, of whom fifteen survived him, and eleven married. "The name is still represented among us."

63. Salisbury: The first representative had ten children, of whom two sons and six daugh- ters married. "Many descendants of this worthy couple remain."

64. Marion: In the second generation five sons and three daughters. Later members of this family are still numerous in this vicinity.

65. Bridge : Represented by several married daughters.

66. Quincy: Long identified with Boston. The emigrant had an only son, whose progeny are numerous. One of the male descendants had nine children from whom are many de- scendants of the name and of other families. Another line represented by an only son had later very eminent representatives.

67. Fitch: In the male line soon extinct ; but through a daughter there are descendants.

68. Clark: Two children, two daughters, of the second generation in one case, one son and daughters only in the other. In the second case the only son had two daughters who mar - ried. A sister of the only son died "a child- less widow ;" her sister had four children.

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 1

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 924