USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Blandford > Address delivered before the Literary Association, Blandford, Mass., Sept. 21, 1850, upon the history of that town > Part 5
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Joseph. Oliver resided in Ohio, and died in 1849. He had two sons : Orlando and Addison. David has four children : Elizabeth, Sarah, Denslow, and Homer. Sarah married Mr. Milton Boies. She died in IS43.
Robert Wilson and his family came from Ireland to this country. John, his son, was eight years old when the family landed at Boston. IIe resided in that city several years, and was captain of a merchant vessel. He married Elizabeth Gregg, sister of Col. Gregg, and cousin of Gen. Starke, revolutionary officers. He then came to Blandford, and purchased the farm where Henry Wilson now resides. He lived and died on that place. He was much respected, and for several years was one of the selectmen alid assessors of the town. Hle had three sons and two daughters. John married Margaret, daughter of Deacon Samuel Boies. Andrew married Martha Baird. George married Sally Morrison. The daughters married Deacon Levi Boies and Mr. Israel Gibbs. Andrew lived and died upon his father's farm. Ile had a large family of children, of whom but one (Col. Justin Wilson) is now living. Justin married Semantha Baird ; they have two sons : Theodore married Melissa Blair. Henry married Abby Baird. Father, son, and grandfather, each mar- ried a lady by the name of Baird.
The Brackets came from Scotland. John Bracket came into this town in 1793, from North Haven, and set- tled upon the place now occupied by Ely Bracket. He had nine children : Francis, Silas, Ithia, Ely, Lydia, Lucy, John, Eunice, and Banojah. John moved into the
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woods, and where he settled cut down a large hemlock tree, and built an oven on the top of the stump, with clay and mortar, where they for several years used to bake their bread. Mr. Bracket was for six years in the revolutionary war. He was at' Saratoga when Burgoyne was taken. During the fore part of the war he enlisted nine months in a privateer, under Gen. Hopkins. During this time they succeeded in taking seven British ships out of a fleet of nine sails, all of which were brought into Boston. Mr. Bracket drew a pension until he died, which was in 1845, at the age of eighty-six.
In 1737 William Knox came from Belfast, in Ireland, and settled in Blandford, upon the farm where Elijah Knox now lives. Ile had three sons: John, William, and Adam.
John had four sons : William, Elijah, John, and James. William had five sons and eight daughters: Edward, John, William, Titus, Orrin, Rachel, Nancy, Jane, Betsey, Mary, Sally, and Olive. Elijah had seven sons and four daughters : Alanson, Ranar, Elijah, Curtiss, Justus, Reuben, Joseph, Eleanor, Lois, Hannah, and Ruth. John had six sons and three daughters : Henry, Elijah, John, Loring, Wells, Russell, Betsey, Rachel, and Sally. James settled in Nobletown, N. Y.
William had six sons : William, Samnel, John, Nathan, David, and James. William had three sons and five daughters : William, Levi, Justin, Isabel, Eleanor, Thankful, Mary, and Sally. Samuel had two sons and two daughters : Eli, Samuel, Lucinda, and Betsey. John had four sons and three daughters : Henry, John, Gerry, Hervy, Clarissa, Harriet, and Philomela.
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Nathan had five sons and four daughters: James, Na- than, Seymour, Samuel, Eli, Rachel, Orpha, Polly, and Cynthia. David had three sons and three daughters: Sardis, Lester, Albert, Lois, Anna, and Polly.
James died in this town. He had no children.
Alden had four sons and three daughters : Oliver, David, William, John, Elizabeth, Jane, and Eleanor. William and John settled in Pennsylvania. John was Judge of the Court in that State several years.
William Gibbs, of Lenharn, Yorkshire, England, for signal services, obtained a grant from the King of Eng- land of a tract of land four miles square, in the center of the town. Ile had three sons; the oldest remained at home and inherited his father's property. The two younger sons learned the ship carpenter's trade, and when they became of age, their elder brother gave them money, and they came to Boston. One of them settled upon the Cape, and the other in Newport, R. I. 'The one (name not known) who settled upon the Cape, had children, and one of his sons moved to Hopkinton. He had two sons, Isaac and Israel, and one daughter, Sarah. Sarah mar- ried a man by the name of Duntly. Israel married Mary Hamilton, a lady of Irish descent. Isaac and Sarah dis- owned him, because of his marriage with an Irish girl. This induced Israel to join the " Scotch Irish " company, who were on the eve of starting to inhabit this region, then a wilderness.
Israel had four sons and four daughters : John, Israel, Ephraim, Isaac, Mary, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Sarah. All of the children except Elizabeth lived to be over eighty years of age.
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John had four children : Israel, Samuel, Mary, and Ellen. Israel had four children : Betsey Ann, Polina, Fanny, and Julia. He settled in the State of New York. Samuel* had four children : Lyman, Olive, LestesE., and Jane. Lyman has three sons : William II., Orlando F., and Charles. Olive married Mr. Roland Smith. They have five children, and reside in Russell, N. Y. Lester E. had nine children : Julia, Jarvis, Samuel, David, Isabella, Maria, Russell, Edward, and Edson. Julia married Mr. Edward Thompson. She has five children, and resides in Bethlehem; Conn. Jarvis has one son, Howard. Jane married Col. Simeon Loring." They had six children : 'Thomas (now reading law), Rollin S. (now studying medicine), Dexter II., Samuel, Cordelia, and Eliza Jane. Mary married Mr. Ezra Baird. They had one son and two daughters. They reside in Jefferson, N. Y. Ellen had four children : Nancy, Eliza, Marietta, and IIenry. . Mr. Baird and his wife died in Brook- lyn, N. Y., in 1848, where three of his children now reside.
Israel had nine children, Elijah, Levi, Reuben, Nathan, Silas, Mary, Rachel, John, and Nancy. Elijaht had
* Previous to his death he (my grandfather) remarked to me, " that within fifty years all of the best farms in town would belong to poor men's sons." I believe that prophecy will be fulfilled within twenty-five years; for since his decease, which was about ten years ago, many of the very best farms have actually gone into the bands of " poor men's sons."
+ He left the largest property of any farmer in town. Although his education was imperfect, his sound judgment and natural good sense gave him a very prominent position in society. A few years before his death he called upon a magistrate and wished to add the
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eleven children : Loring, Levi, Eli, Dwight, Lyoius, IIenry, Israel, Bradner, Orilla, Fanny, and Betsey Ann. « Loring had eight children : Mary Ann, Nancy, Caroline, Louisa,- Alonzo, Lafayette, Nelson, and Frank. Levi has three children : Achsah, Maria, and William. ^Dwight has six children : Sylvia, Rowena, Eliza, Mary, Russell, and Vinson. Lucius has one son, Elijah. Israel has five children : Mary, Lucilla, Linneus, Israel, and Ernest. Bradner has five children : John, Julia Ann, Jane, Emer- gene, and Elijah. Rebecca married Mr. Ebenezer Pat- terson. They had a large family. Nathan had five children. Silas had two sons and two daughters : Spel- man, Nathan, Nancy, and Betsey Ann. Mary married Mr. James Babcock, and settled in the town of Scott, N. Y. Levi had thirteen children. He removed to the State of New York, But has one son, Eli, residing in Becket, who has two children : Orrin and Mary. Rachel married Mr. William Knox. They had two sons : Lev- eret and Eli. John had five daughters : Polly, Polina, Lucinda, Julia Ann, and Nancy. Nancy married Mr.
following codicil to his will, having heard that some of his children were determined to break the will after his decease : -
" Whereas, many estates have been spent in law by children while endeavoring to obtain more of their father's property than he designed to give them, and whereas my children may be as likely as others to do the same ; therefore, if any of my children shall attempt to break this my last will and testament after it shall have been read to them, it is my will, design, and wish, that that child or those children who shall attempt to break this my last will and testament, shall have no part of my property ; and that the same shall be equally divided among my other children, who shall be satisfied with their father's bounty."
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Rufus Boies. They had seven children, and reside in Homer, N. Y.
Isaac had eight children : Martin, Oliver, Jonas, Ches- ter, Isaac, Linus, Sally, and Hannah. Martin had six children : Luther, Chester, Curtiss, Lois, Anice, and Anna. Oliver had seven children. He settled in IIar- persfield, N. Y. Jonas had five-children." Eli, Lewis, Chauncy, Harriet, and Polina. Ile, also, settled in Har- persfield. Isaac had three daughters : Mary Ann, Emily, and Eunice. Linus had eleven children : Sarah, Dolly Ann, Lydia, Harriet, Marietta A., Caroline, Ellen M., Jonas, Nelson D., Joseph A., and Arthur.
Ephraim had seven children : Abner, Russell, Sarah, Eunice, Elizabeth, Rhoda,, and Polly. Abner had seven children : Peter, Charles, Ephraim, George, Franklin, Nancy, and Mary Ann. Porter . has eight children : Catharine, Helen, Charles, Abner, Mary, Rowena, Sarah, and Henry. Charles has five children : Reuben, Re- becca, Charles, Abby, and Francis. Ephraim has eight children. George has two children : Sheldon and Henry. Franklin has one son, William. Nancy married Mr. Orrin Fairman. They had six children. Mary Ann married Mr. Chandler Cartter. She died in 1846. Rus- sell resides in Lanesboro'. Sarah married Mr. Benjamin Bruce. They had ten children, and resided in Jefferson, N. Y. Eunice married Mr. Israel Lloyd. They had five children : Sergus, William, Maurice, Cynthia, and Caroline. Elizabeth married Mr. David Boies. They had ten children : Joseph, Curtiss, Albert, Sylvester, Almira, Caroline, Catharine, Orpha, Nancy, and Mary. Rhoda married Mr. William Culver. They had three
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children : Ilorace, Mary, Marcia. Polly married Mr. Linus Blair.
Mary married Mr. Wilson. They had six children : Settled in Cherry Valley.
Rebecca married Mr. John Cannon. They had nine children.
Elizabeth married Mr. William Lusk. They had ten children.
Sarah married Mr. John Watson.
We may, in conclusion, appropriately notice the natural peculiarities and advantages of our town. It is situated upon the summit of that branch of the Green Mountains which extends from Vermont into the western part of this State, and is highly celebrated, not only for the industry and enterprise of its inhabitants, for the fertility of its soil, and for numerous reasons of similar character, but also for the extreme purity and excellency of its atmosphere, and for the abundance of fish and game with which its many streams and forests are stocked. And in each and all of these respects, we may well consider Blandford as little inferior to any place in the Union.
Its scenery is most delightfully grand, wild and pic- turesque, and to the experienced eye of the artist, nothing can surpass the gorgeous views which Nature has here scattered with lavish profusion. The dense forest, the verdant hill, the flowery vale, the lofty mount, all conspire to flood the mind with emotions of pleasure and praise.
Its brooks trickle down rugged rocks, along blossoming
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dells, meandering through grassy meadows and entangled thickets, overflowing with brook-fish of the choicest kind and most sparkling hue. The ponds, of which there are many, likewise abound with fish of larger size and excel- lent quality, and the forests shelter game of almost infinite variety of species. We may here fitly remark, for the benefit of strangers, that good accommodations are fur- nished in regular sportsman-like style, by the gentlemanly landlords of the Hotels, both at North Blandford and at the Center of the town. And also the feeble invalid, weary traveler, or exhausted student, may at these places, have strict attention paid to their various wants and neces- sities.
The innumerable blessings which are thus showered upon us, should induce the bestowal of everlasting praise and adoration upon the Divine Being, through whose bounteous benefaction they are received.
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TOWN CLERKS.
Chosen.
Chosen.
James Hassard,
1742
David McConoghey, 1794
David Boies,
1745
Joseph Bull, 1805
John Knox,
1748
Reuben Blair, 1809
David Boies,
1750
Alanson Knox, 1811
David McConoghey,
1752
Orrin Sage, 1819
Wm. Haston, 1753
Alanson Knox, 1821
Robert Black,
1754
Russell A. Wilson,
1830
Robert Henry,
1757
Orrin Sage,
1832
Wm. Boies,
1762
Samuel S. Day,
1836
Robert Black,
1766
Orrin Sage,
1838
Wm. Boies, 1767
Enos Boies, 1839
Judah Bement,
1773
T. S. Chaffee,
1842
David McConoghey,
1779
D P. Robinson, 1849
Robert Blair,
1778
Col. Justin Wilson,
1850
Samuel Sloper,
1790
The present board of Selectmen are : 'T. S. Chaffee, Leverett Sackett, John Parks.
The present town-house was built in 1822.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM BLANDFORD.
In the years not named, the town was not represented. Wm. Knox,
Win. Carnahan, To Provincial Congress-1775.
For many years the town could not get any one to ac- cept the office of Representative, and as appears from the Records, " Voted to send if we can get any one to accept."
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UNDER THE CONSTITUTION.
Chosen.
Chosen.
Timothy Blair, 1787
David Blair, 2d,
1821
John Ferguson,
1789
Reuben Boies, Jr., 1825
Reuben Boies,
1792
1793
Alanson Knox,
1828
Jedediah Smith,
1795
Reuben Boies, Jr., 1829
1796
Orrin Sage,
1830
Reuben Boies,
1797
William Knox,
1799
David Parks,
1831
Lyman Gibbs,
Eli P. Ashmun,
1803
Justin Wilson,
1832
David Boies, $6
1806
Logan Crosby,
1833
Joseph Bull,
1807
Kilborne Bates,
1834
Edward Pincheon.
1808
Milton Bo'es,
Samuel Knox,
1811
Curtiss Hall,
1835
Alanson Knox, 1812
Alanson Knox,
Daniel Collins,
1836
Andrew Wilson,
1813
Adam Blair,
S. S. Day, 1837
S. W. Loring,
1839
Alanson Knox, {
1815
Isaac Lloyd, S
Watson E. Boies, 1841
Isaac Lloyd,
1816
Leverett Sackett, 1843
Abner Gibbs,
1817
Sharon Bradley,
1844
1818
Vincent Bradley, 1845
1819 Rev. Amos G. Bowker, 1848
David Boies, 2d,
1820
Albert Knox, 1849
1831
1801
1804
Lester E. Gibbs,
1805
Orrin Sage,
Russell A. Wilson,
Andrew Wilson,
1814
Alanson Knox,
Iloratio G. Lewis, 1840
Edwin Ely, 1842
David Boies,
1827
1794
Israel Cannon,
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In the year 1820, Enos Boise and Abner Gibbs were delegates to the Convention to revise the State Constitu- tion.
SENATORS.
Hon. Alanson Knox of this town, was a member of the Senate from Hampden County, in the year 1820 ; Hon. Orrin Sage in the years 1835 and '36 ; and Hon. Reuben Boies, Jr. in the years 1837 and '38.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Justus Ashmun,
Lyman Gibbs,
Russell Atwater,
Enos Boise,
Jedediah Smith,
Orrin Sage,
David Boies,
Justus Boise,
Reuben Boies,
Rufus Blair,
William Knox,
Eli Pease,
Reuben Boies, Jr.
D. P. Robinson.
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PHYSICIANS.
The following is a list of Physicians who have prac- ticed in Blandford :-
Dr. King
Commenced practice 1750
" Brewster
1780
" Elmer
1795
" Nathan Blair
1805
Eli Hall
1807
Silas P. Wright
1818
Horatio Bryant
1838
.
Selah P. Webb
1848
" Wm. B. Miller
1849
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