USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Brief notice of the settlement of the town of Newton > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
For many years, Gen. Gookin was, by the appointment of the General Court, the magistrate for managing, advising, and watching over, the friendly Indians.
After his death, the Indians residing at Natick, Punkapoag, Wamessik, Hassenamaskok, and Kecumuchoag, all united in a petition to the General Court, in 1691, that Capt. Prentice might be appointed their ruler.
Prentice was appointed one of a committee to proceed to Quinsigamond, ( Worcester,) with a view of forming a settle- ment there. He was one of the owners of the first 58 houses built there, and had a grant of 50 acres of land for his public services.
He was a Representative to the General Court in 1672, '73, and '74. In 1679 he was appointed chalrman of a committee for re-building the town of Lancaster, which was destroyed by the Indians, during Phillip's war.
Capt. Prentice and his wife, Grace, had four sous and four
29
daughters. Two of his sons died in childhood. The other two were married. Thomas, the oldest had three sons, and died in 1685, and the old Captain had the bringing up of the three grandsons, to whom he gave a good education, and all his es- tate. Thomas, the oldest grandson, was a leading man in Newton, a Captain of infantry, and died in 1730.
The second grandson, John, married a daughter of Edward Jackson, and died at the age of 35, leaving no children.
The third grandson, Samuel, married Esther, daughter of Nathaniel Hammond, and settled in Stonington, Connecticut. Numerous descendents have proceeded from this marriage.
Capt. Prentice s wife, Grace, died Oct. 9, 1692. He died July 6, 1710, aged 89, and was buried under arms, by the com- pany of troop, on the 8th of July. He settled his own estate, by deeds of gift to his grandchildren. He was undoubtedly one of the most substantial men of his age, and had the entire confidence of his associates in the settlement of Cambridge Village. Edward Jackson's will, made in 1681, has testimony to this, effect, as follows :
" I bequeath to iny honored friend, Capt. Thomas Prentice, one diamond ring."
THOMAS HAMMOND was one of the earliest settlers of Hing- ham, took the freeman's oath there 9th March, 1637, had land granted to him there in 1636, and in 1637, his children were born and baptized in Hingham. He sold his lands in Hing- ham in 1652, and his dwelling-house in 1656. In 1650, he and Vincent Druce bought of Nicholas Hodgden land in Cam- bridge Village, and in 1658 they bought of Thomas Brattle and others 600 acres, partly in Cambridge Village and partly in Muddy River. They held this land in common, until 1664, when a division was made between them. The dividing line was 100 rods in length, running over the great hill. The pond was in Hammond's part, and has been called by his name ever since. He also bought, in 1656, 330 acres, of Esther Sparhawk. His wife's name was Elizabeth. They had two sons and two daughters. He died 30th September, 1675, leaving a will writ- ten by his own hand, but not signed, in which he calls himself aged -, gives his wife his dwelling-house, &c. during her life
30
and divides his lands among his children. His inventory was taken by Elder Wiswall and John Spring, and amounted to £1139 16s. 2d. He had four children, and upwards of twenty grandchildren.
VINCENT DRUCE was one of the earliest settlers of Hingham, being there in 1636. He had land granted him there in 1636 and 1637. His son John was baptized in Hingham, in April, 1641.
In 1650, Nicholas Hodgden, of Boston, (now Brookline,) conveyed to Thomas Hammond and Vincent Druce of Cam- bridge, a tract of land in the easterly part of Cambridge Vil- lage, adjoining John Parker's land, which land was originally granted by the town of Cambridge to Robert Bradish.
The highway from Cambridge Village to Muddy River, (Brookline,) was laid out through these lands in 1658. John Ward conveyed to Druce 130 acres of land, bounded east by the Roxbury line, and north by Muddy River line. His dwelling- house was near the spot now occupied by the school-house of the East District. He had two sons, Vincent and John. John was a soldier in Captain Prentice's troop of horse, and was killed in the war with King Phillip, at Mount Hope, in 1675, aged 34, and was probably the first victim that fell in that war, from Cambridge Village. Vincent died January 1678, leaving a will, recorded on Suffolk Records, Vol. 6.
ENSIGN JOHN WARD was born in England, in 1526. He was the oldest son of William Ward, who with his second wife, Elizabeth, and other children, came from Yorkshire or Derbyshire, and settled in Sudbury, where he had lands as- signed to him in 1640.
John married Hannah, the daughter of Edward Jackson, about 1650 ; was selectman nine years, from 1679, and a repre- sentative eight years, being the first ever sent from Cambridge Village. The first year, 1679, he served 54 days, and the Vil- lage voted " 1s. 6d. per day, for his serving." His dwelling-house was constructed for a garrison-house, abont 1661, and used as such during King Phillip's war. This ancient building stood where Mr. Ephraim Ward's (a descendent from John) now stands, and was demolished in 1821. This house, and 45 acres
31
of land, was conveyed to John and Hannah, by his father-in- law, Edward Jackson, by deed, dated March 10, 1661, wit- nessed by John Jackson and John Spring. He owned about 500 acres of land, which he distributed among his sons by deeds of gift, in 1701. He was, by trade, a turner. He had cight sons and five daughters. He made a will, in 1707, and died July 1st, 1708, aged 82. His wife, Hannah, died April 24th, 1704, aged 73. His will is recorded in the 11th volume of the Middlesex Probate Records.
There were twelve of this name among the first settlers of New England.
JAMES PRENTICE, and Thomas 'Prentice Jr., both of Cam- bridge, purchased of Thomas Danforth, 400 acres of land, in Cambridge, in March, 1650; and in 1657 they purchased 100 acres, of Danforth, " being the farm that James Prentice now dwells on, bounded N. E. by land of John Jackson," part of which is now the ahcient burial-place. This Prentice farm was on the easterly side of the Dedham road, and extended from the burial-place, southwesterly, beyond the house now occu- pied by Marshall S. Rice, the present Town Clerk. James, and Thomas, Jr., or 2d, were probably brothers, and doubtless came into Cambridge Village the same year that Capt. Thomas Prentice did.
The ancient Prentice house was demolished in 1800 ; it stood a few rods south-east of the house now occupied by Joshua Loring.
James Prentice married Susanna, the daughter of Capt. Edward Johnson, of Woburn, and had one son James and five daughters. Capt. Johnson, by his will, dated 1672, gives his grandson, James Prentice, £15, and also makes a small bequest to Susanna, and Hannah Prentice, the daughters of his son-in- law, James Prentice.
He was Selectman in 1694. He died 7th March, 1710, aged 81. His son James, and his widow Susanna, administered on his estate, which amounted to £286 14s. James sold out his share in his father's estate, for £60, in 1711, to his five sisters, " all single women," and probably left the town.
THOMAS PRENTICE, 2D, purchased of Thomas Danforth, 400
32
acres of land, in Cambridge, in March, 1650, and 100 acres in 1657. Both parcels were conveyed to James Prentice, and Thomas Prentice, Jr., the 100 acres being described as "the farm that James Prentice now dwells on." He married Re- becca, daughter of Edward Jackson, Sen'r, by his first wife, who was born in England, about 1632, and had six sons and one daughter. There is no record of the birth, marriages, or deaths, of the parents or children of this family. Edward Jackson, by his will, gave him 100 acres of land, called " Bald Pate Meadow," and several other tracts of land, and to his wife, Rebecca, a gold ring, with this motto, " Memento Morex."
When he came into the Village, he was called Thomas, Jr. ; when Capt. Thomas Prentice's son Thomas was grown up, he was called Thomas, 2d; when his own son Thomas was grown up, he was called Thomas, while the Captain was called, and widely known, by his military title. Edward Jackson, by his will, makes bequests to both these Prentices, in 1681; the one he styles Thomas Prentice, and the other Capt. Thomas Pren- tice. In the latter part of his life, he was called Thomas, Sen'r.
In 1706, he conveyed land to his grandsons, Thomas and Samuel, and in 1714, he conveyed land to his sons Thomas and John, in which conveyance he names his son Edward. There is an affidavit of his, signed Thomas Prentice, Sen'r, dated 1713, and recorded with the deeds, stating that "60 years ago he held one end of a chain to lay out a highway over Weedy Hill, in Cambridge Village." Supposing him to be 21 years old, then, would make his birth in 1632. He lived to a great age, but the time of his death is unknown.
THOMAS WISWALL was a prominent man among the first set- tlers of Dorchester. He came to this country about 1637. He was Selectman in Dorchester in 1644, and 52, and highway surveyor in Cambridge Village, 1656, having removed into the Village in 1654. He was one of the signers of a petition for the support of a free school in Dorchester, in 1641, took the Freeman's Oath in 1654, and was one of the petitioners to the General Court for having the inhabitants of Cambridge Village released from paying taxes to Cambridge church. In 1657, he and his wife conveyed to his son Enoch of Dorchester, his
5.
33
homestead in Dorchester, which formerly belonged to Mr. Maverick.
In 1664, he was ordained ruling elder of the Cambridge Vil- lage church. His homestead in the Village consisted of 300 acres, including the pond which still bears his name. His house was upon its south bank, where that of Luther Paul, Esq., now is. He had four sons and three daughters, with up- wards of thirty grand-children.
His last wife was Isabella Farmer, widow, from Ansly, in England. He died, intestate, Dec. 6, 1683, aged 80. His in- ventory amounted to £340. There is no monument to his memory, unless the pond be such. Surely none could be more beautiful or enduring. It was his, has for two centuries been known as, and called "Wiswall's Pond." May its name never be changed.
His son Noah, married Theodocia, daughter of John Jack- son, and had two sons and six daughters. He was slain on the Lord's Day, July 6, 1690, in an engagement with the French and Indians, at Wheeler's Pond, now Lee, New Hampshire. His son Ichabod, became minister of Duxbury.
JOHN KENRICK was born in England, in 1605, was in Bos- ton as early as 1639, and then a member of the church. He took the freeman's oath in 1640. He owned a wharf on the easterly side of the town dock, since called Tyng's wharf, which he sold in 1652. He purchased 250 acres of land, in the south- erly part of Cambridge Village, in 1658. His house was near the bridge across Charles River, which has been called Kenrick Bridge, from that day to this. His first wife, Anna, died Nov. 1656. He died Aug. 29, 1686, aged 82. His second wife, Ju- dith, died at Roxbury, Aug. 23, 1687. He had two sons, John and Elijah, and one daughter, Hannah, who married Jonathan Metcalf, of Dedham. John had nine daughters and two sons, and Elijah three daughters and three sons.
CAPT. ISAAC WILLIAMS was the second son of Robert Wil- liams of Roxbury, who came from Norwich in England, the common ancestor of many distinguished men, who have hon- ored the country of their birth. Isaac was born in Roxbury, Sept. 1, 1638. He married Martha, daughter of Dea. William
5
34
Park, of Roxbury, about 1661, and settled in the west part of the Village. His second wife was Judith Cooper. He owned 500 acres of land, adjoining John Fuller's farm on the west fald- Thomas Park, John Fuller, and Isaac Williams, were the first, and probably at that time, the only settlers of West Newton. Williams' house was about thirty rods north-easterly of the West Parish meeting-house, near the brook, and on land now owned by Mrs. Whitwell. He was a weaver by trade, and represented the town in the General Court six years. A Select- man three years. His farm was divided among his three sons, 250 acres to Isaac, 100 to Elcazer, and to Ephraim 150, and the mansion house. This land was granted by the town of Cambridge to Samuel Shepard, in 1640. In 1652, Robert Bar- rington, Esq., obtained judgment against the estate of Samuel Shepard, and this tract was appraised at £150, to satisfy the execution. Dea. William Park, of Roxbury, the father of Isaac Williams' first wife, paid the execution, and took this traet of land for his son-in-law.
Capt. Williams died Feb. 11, 1707, aged 69. He had twelve children, and upwards of fifty grandchildren.
His son William, graduated at Harvard College in 1683, and became minister of Hatfield.
His son Ephraim, married Elizabeth, daughter of Abraham Jackson, and his son Ephraim was the founder of Williams College.
ABRAHAM WILLIAMS was not related to Capt. Isaac. He came from Watertown, where he took the freeman's oath in 1652. He purchased a dwelling-house and twelve acres of land of John Callon in August, 1654. In 1662 he purchased of William Clemens a dwelling-house and six acres of land, in what is now called Newton Corner, very near the Watertown line.
He married Joanna, sister of John Ward, about 1660, by whom he had two sons and two daughters, and perhaps others, two of which were born in Cambridge Village.
He sold his place to Gregory Cook, and removed to Marl- boro' in 1668, near Belchar's Pond. He was a colonel in the militia, and represented Marlboro' in the General Court. He
35
kept a public house in that town, which was long known by the name of the " Williams Tavern," where he died Dec. 29, 1712, aged 84. His widow Joanna died Dec. 8. 1718, aged 90. His will was dated Dec. 18, 1711.
JAMES TROWBRIDGE was born in Dorchester, and baptized there in 1638. His father was Thomas Trowbridge, one of the early settlers of Dorchester, a merchant, and was engaged in the Barbadoes trade : he came from Taunton, Eng., where his father founded a large charity for poor widows, which is still administered for their benefit. Thomas went home to Taunton in 1644, leaving his three sons in charge of Sergeant Jeffries of Dorchester, who removed with those sons to New Haven, about 1638. Thomas, the father, died in Taunton, Eng., about 1670.
James returned from New Haven to Dorchester, about 1656, where he married Margaret, the daughter Major Humphrey Atherton, 30 Dec., 1659, and had three children in Dorchester, and removed to Cambridge Village : his wife Margaret was dismissed from the church in Dorchester to form a church at Cambridge Village, in 1664. After the death of John Jackson he became deacon of the church. He was one of the first board of Selectmen formed in the Village, in August, 1679, and con- tinued in that office nine years.
In 1675 he purchased of Deputy Governor Danforth, eighty- five acres of land with a dwelling-house (standing where Mr. Nathan Trowbridge's now does,) and out-buildings thereon, which he had occupied for some years ; bounded with the high- ways west and south, the narrow lane north, his own land east, the dividing line being straight through the swamp. He was a Lieutenant, Clerk of the writs in 1691 and '3, and Represen- tative in the General Court in 1700 and'3 He had five sons and nine daughters, and upwards of eighty grandchildren. His first wife died 17 June, 1672; second wife was Margaret, the daughter of Dea. John Jackson ; she died 16 Sept. 1727, aged 78. He died 22 May, 1717, aged 81, leaving a will dated 1709.
LIEUT. JOHN SPRING Was born in England in 1630. He was the son of John and Elenor, and but four years okl when he arrived in this country. His father settled in Watertown. John, jr., married Hannah, daughter of William and Anable
36
Barsham, of Watertown, in 1656. His house stood opposite the burying place, and near to that now owned and occupied by Mr. Colby. He was a Selectman eight years, and a Rep- resentative three years. He had one son and eight daughters, and a multitude of grandchildren. His wife died Aug. 18, 1710, aged 73; he died May 18, 1717, aged 87. He was evi- dently a very active and useful man among the first settlers of the Village. On his grave-stone he is styled Lieutenant. In 1688 he, with Edward Jackson, Abraham Jackson, and James Prentice, were a committee on the part of the Village to meet Old Cambridge, about the support of the great bridge.
NAMES OF SUBSCRIBERS,
FOR THE ERECTION OF THE MONUMENT IN NEWTON.
We, the undersigned, descendents of the first settlers of Newton, desirous of perpetuating the names and memory of those ancient worthies, agree to pay the sums herein set against our respective names, for the purpose of procuring a suitable monument, and placing the same upon the spot where they erected the first Newton church.
Said monument to be of such dimensions and cost, as the aggregate amount of our subscriptions may justify ; and to have such inscriptions engraved thereon, as a majority of the Subscribers may approve.
William Jackson, Newton, $25,00
- Francis Jackson, Boston,
25,00
Edmund Jackson, « 20,00
Elisha Wiswall,
10,00
Sarah J. Davis, Newton 10,00
{ Benry Fuller,
10,00
Samuel Hyde,
20,00
Ephraim Jackson,
- 12,00
Henrietta Moor.
5,00
Joseph N. Bacon, "
5,00
Charles Jackson, Boston, -
20,00
James Jackson,
5,00
Henry Lee, .
5,00
Timothy Jackson, Newton, - 5,00
Almoran Trowbridge, Boston, -
5,00
Stephen W. Trowbridge, Newton,
5,00
John Ward, Newton,
10,00
38
Ephraim Ward, Newton, - 3,00
Reuben Trowbridge, Baltimore, 20,00
James G. Fuller, Charlestown, Mass., - 10,00
John W. Parker, Roxbury, 2,00
Edward Hyde, Cambridgeport,
10,00
George Hyde, Newton, -
10,00
Hannah Jackson Collins, Newton,
5,00
Edward Jackson Collins,
5,00
Williem Wiswall,
3,00
William Wiswall, 2d, 66
4,00
Artemas Wiswall,
3,00
Joseph Fuller, Framingham,
2,00
Nathan Trowbridge, Newton,
5,00
Samuel Trowbridge,
5,00
Otis Trowbridge,
2,00
Ephraim Parker, 66
2,00
William F. Ward,
2,00
Robert Prentice,
2,00
Phebe Jackson,
5,00
James Hyde, 5,00
Edward Jackson, Park's Bar, California,
5,00
William Kenrick, Newton,
3,00
John Kenrick, 66
3,00
Leonard Hyde, Roxbury,
10,00
Asa Trowbridge, Newton,
2,00
Dea. John Jackson gave one acre of Land for this Burial Place and First Church, which was erected upon this spot in 1660.
Abraham Jackson, ton of Dea. John, gave one acre, which two acres form the old part of this Cemetery ; Died June 29, 1740. Æ. 75.
Edward Jackson gave 20 acres for the Parsonage, in 1660, and 31 acres for the Ministerial Wood Lot, in 1681. His widow Elizabeth Died Sept., 1709. ÆE. 92.
Rev. John Eliot, Jr . ¿First Pastor of the First Church ordained July 20, 1604.
His widow married Edmond Quincy of Braintree. Died, 1700.
His only daughter married John Bowles, Esq. of Roxbury, and died May 23, 1687.
His only son John settled in Windsor, Connecticut, where he died in 1733, leaving a son John a student in Yale College .;
ERECTED SEPT. 1, 1852. BY DESCENDANTS OF THE FIRST SETTLERS.
John Jackson 1639 1674 Samuel Hyde 1040 1689 .79 Edward Jackson 1643 , 1681 79
John Fuller 1644 1698 87 John Parker /05 100 1686 71 Richard Park 1647 1665
Jonathan Hyde
1647 1711 85
Thomas Prentice 1649 1710 89 Vincent Druce 1650 1678
Thomas 1Iammond 1650 675-
John Ward 1650 1708 82
Thomas Wiswall 1454 1683 The nas Prentice, 2d 1650
James Prentice 56 1710 81
John Kenrick
1658 1686 82
Isaac Williams 1661 1708 69
Abraham Williams 1602 1712 84 James Trowbridge 1664 1717 81 John Spring 1664 1717 87 John Eliot 1661 1668 33
First Settlers of Newton, Times of their Settlement and Deaths, with their ages.
Thomas Wiswall ordained Ruling Elder July 20, 4/6641 His Sons Enoch, of Dorchester, died Nov. 28, 1706. .E. 75.
Rev. Ichabod, Minister of Duxbury 30 years, Agent of Plymouth Colony in England, 1600, died July 23, 1700, .11. G3.
Capt. Noah, of Newton, an Officer in the Expedition against Canada. Killed in Battle with the French and Indians July 6, 1600. E. 50. leaving a sou Thomas.
I benezer, of Newton, died June 21, 1691. FR. 45.
J. B. JEPSON. Newton Corner, Maker.
٠
٢
-
حره
-
-
٠
٠
1
١
-
٠٠٠٠
١
A
R
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 014 077 721 3
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.