USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts > Part 24
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(VII) Leonard Augustus Saville, son of David Saville (6). was born at Gloucester. January 31, 1833. He attended school in his native town until he was twelve years of age, and afterward for one year under private tutorship in the family of Rev. Frederick Hinckley, of Leicester. He was also in the Charlestown high school nine months. In
1849 he removed to Lexington with his par- ents, and in the month of September following he and his father sailed from Boston, Massa- chusetts, in the vessel "Harriet Rockwell," under Captain Shubael Hawes, an old whaling master, with a party of "Forty-niners" on their way to the gold fields of California. The pas- sage around the Horn took one hundred and sixty days. The ship touched at St. Cathe- rine's, Brazil, and Valparaiso, Chili, arriving in San Francisco, February 25, 1850. He and some of the party went up the river with supplies for the mines, leaving his father behind. They decided to locate at the south- ern mines at Stockton. After a short time they went to Carson Flats and Stanislaus river, where he was engaged in mining and in building dams for mining operations. Owing to the destruction wrought by the freshets, the work at the dam proved a failure, however, and he returned to San Francisco and then joined his father, who had engaged in the grocery business in Sacramento. He was with his father in the winter of 1850. His father's health failed and he went to San Francisco, leaving the son to wind up his business in Sacramento. After that Saville was with the coffee and spice house of Tucker and later worked at blacksmithing for a time. Returning to San Francisco he went into partnership with Rev. Mr. Harriman, dealing in merchandise of various kinds, which was shipped to their store in the southern mines. After two years he sold his interest in the business to his partner, and January 3, 1854, shipped on the "Northern Light," sailing around Cape Horn to Boston in ninety-one days. He returned to Lexington and began to learn the profession of civil engineering and architect in the office of F. W. Silloway, but after a year and a half concluded that he pre- ferred trade and started a grocery business in Lexington in partnership with Charles H. Bennett under the firm name of Bennett & Saville, buying the stock in trade of James H. Bennett and John Butterfield, of Lexington, together with the stock of his partner, Charles H. Bennett, in his Charlestown store. The store was located in the historic hall at the head of Lexington Common. The firm was very prosperous. In 1864 Mr. Bennett died and Mr. Saville continued alone until the time of his father's death in August, 1868, in Cali- fornia. He sold out to B. C. Witcher and went to California across the Isthmus of Pan- ama to take charge of his father's estate and administer it. He was in California from No-
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vember. 1868, to March, 1869, when he re- turned to Massachusetts to dispose of his property and returned by railroad with his family to California. He became a partner in the firm of Moulton Brothers, commission merchants, Drum street, the name being changed to Moulton Brothers & Company, and he lived in San Francisco until 1873, when he returned with his family to Lexington. He entered into partnership with B. C. Witcher under the firm name of Witcher & Saville, and in 1875 bought the interests of his part- ner and continued alone until 1888 when he sold the business to George W. Spaulding, the present owner.
Mr. Saville has always taken a keen inter- est in public affairs. In 1867 he was elected town clerk of Lexington, resigning when he went to California, but being elected again after he returned, serving the town with fidelity and honor until 1901, when his appoint- ment as postmaster precluded further service as town clerk. Ile was appointed postmaster, March 7, 1901, by President Mckinley and has been re-appointed, holding the office to the present time. Largely through his inter- est in the office, it has been advanced from third to second class postoffice and the rural free delivery system inaugurated. Mr. Saville is serving his seventh term as justice of the peace, and when that term is complete will have served for forty-nine years in succession. He has from time to time done considerable conveyancing and real estate business, and represents some of the leading insurance com- panies in his town. He was for nine years a bail commissioner. He was formerly a Uni- versalist, but is now a member of the Lexing- ton Unitarian Church. He has been active in the Republican party from the organization. and has been elected delegate to various nomi- nating conventions of his party. His first vote, however, was cast for the American or "Know-nothing" party. He was a represen- tative from his district (the Eighteenth Mid- dlesex) to the general court in 1883, and was on the committee on towns and a monitor of the house. He has been an assessor, tax col- lector, and town treasurer of Lexington, and served the town on important committees. All his public duties have been performed faith- fully and conscientiously. Mr. Saville is a member of Lexington Grange, No. 233, Patrons of Husbandry ; Simon W. Robinson Lodge of Free Masons, Lexington : Independ- ence Lodge, Ancient Order of United Work- nien, of which he was the first master. He is
an associate member of George E. Meade Post, No. 119, Grand Army of the Republic, Lexington. He is a charter member of the Lexington Historical Society and its treasurer since its organization in 1886. He was for- merly a member of the Belfry Club. He belongs to the New England Postmasters' Association, and is trustee of the Lexington Savings Bank and for many years member of its board of investment.
He married, at Lexington. June 5, 1862, Rebecca Hicks Gould, born at Charlestown, Massachusetts, died at Lexington, June 27, 1894, aged fifty-nine years, two months, four- teen days, daughter of James and Caroline W. ( Brooks) Gould, of Charlestown. Her father was a soap manufacturer. Children: 1. Fred Clifford, born February 21, 1863, married, May 4, 1887, May Agnes Mellenny, of Lex- ington; children: i. Leonard Brooks, born March 14, 1889; ii. Marjorie, June 6, 1890; iii. Rebecca Muzzy, May 19, 1892. 2. Annie Muzzy, born March 20, 1866, married, Octo- ber 23. 1895, Charles Tilden Hartwell, of Arlington ; she died October 17, 1905; no chil- dren.
Henry Way, the immigrant ances- tor, was born in England, in 1583. and died May 24, 1667, aged eighty- four. He and his wife Elizabeth came in the ship "Mary and John" in 1630, and settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Two or more of his family, probably nephews, also settled in Dorchester. Aaron Way was a proprietor of Dorchester in 1640; freeman May 7, 1651 ; bought a farm at Rumney Marsh, jointly with William Ireland, February 19, 1651, and re- moved to Boston : gave bonds for his brother Richard Way in 1657; was dismissed to the new church at Boston, with his wife and Wil- liam Ireland, February 3, 1660-61 ; his will is dated August 25 and proved September 26, 1695. Richard Way, another brother, was a cooper by trade, lieutenant of the Dorchester company ; was admitted to the church May 5. 1643, and freeman April 27, 1657 ; removed to Boston and was admitted townsman April 27. 1657 ; deposed in 1666 that his age was forty- two. There was a Widow Way in Dorchester, February 23, 1646, perhaps mother of Aaron and Richard and sister-in-law of Henry. There is reason to believe that her husband was George Way, mentioned in the Dorches- ter records, January 2, 1637-38, as having had a grant of land formerly. Henry Way is dig- nified with the prefix "Mr .. " which at that
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time indicated some rank or social station. He came with the first company of pioneers, and carried on a fishing business. His boat saved three shipwrecked men off the coast, July 26, 1631, and two other boats of his were lost, five men being killed by the Indians and two drowned in 1632. He was admitted to the church May 5, 1643. His wife Elizabeth died June 23, 1665, aged eighty-four. Children : I. George, mentioned below. 2. Samuel. 3. Henry Jr. 4. Richard. 5. Elizabeth. 6. . A son, lost in the winter passage of the ship "Lion," chartered by the governor and coun- cil to go to Bristol, England, for food for the colonies. December or January, 1630-31.
(II) George Way, son of Henry Way (I), ยท born in England about 1620, died at Saybrook, Connecticut, about 1690. While he was living in Boston, with the rest of the family, mentioned above, he supported Roger Wil- liams, and though not among the original twelve founders of Rhode Island, he soon fol- lowed, about 1657, and after the town of Providence was burned he settled in Saybrook, Connecticut. He married, in Boston, Eliza- beth, daughter of John and Joanna Smith. While at Boston he shared in a division of the Neck Lands, now South Boston, 1637. He took the oath of allegiance May 31, 1661. Children : I. Elizabeth, born in Boston, March 19, 1651. 2. George, settled in New London ; died February 23. 1717; married Susanna, daughter of Joseph West ; on account of deep snows the body was not buried until March 7. 3. Thomas, mentioned below.
(III) Thomas Way, son of George Way (2). born in Rhode Island, about 1665, died 1726, at East Haven, Connecticut, whither he removed about 1720 from Saybrook. He was a farmer. He married Ann, daughter of An- drew Lester, according to the New London history. Children: 1. Daniel, born December 23, 1688. 2. Ebenezer, born October 30, 1693 ; mentioned below. 3. Elizabeth. 4. George, born about 1695. 5. David. 6. James, settled at East Haven. 7. Hannah. 8. John, resided in Wallingford. 9. Thomas, born March 18, 1700; died at New London before twenty years old. 10. Mary, died December 22, 17II.
(IV) Ebenezer Way, born October 30, 1693 : died July 17, 1787. He was a merchant and shipper. Some of his vessels were cap- tured and destroyed during the revolution. He married, November 9, 1714, Mary Harris, born at New London, May 10, 1696, died August 18, 1777, daughter of Peter and Eliz-
abeth (Harris) Harris. Children: 1. John, mentioned below. And others.
(V) John Way, son of Ebenezer Way (4), born in New London, Connecticut, August 12, 1731 ; died at Lempster, New Hampshire, Jan- uary 2, 1802. He was a sea captain and in later life a farmer. He was among the first settlers of Lempster, New Hampshire, and one of the leading citizens for many years. He married, about 1760, Grace Ann Daniels, born at New London, 1740, died at Lempster, Au- gust 5. 1830, daughter of James and Grace ( Edgecomb) Daniels, and granddaughter of Lord Edgecomb, of Plymouth, England. Chil- dren: 1. John, born about 1755; mentioned below. 2. Jasper, born at New London, May 22, 17-, died at Claremont, New Hampshire, December, 1845, farmer, married February 7, 1793, Betsey, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Odiorne: she was born June 14, 1769, and died April 4. 1832; married second, Polly Sanborn, widow. 3. Nathaniel. 4. Benjamin. 5. Thomas, signed petition November 21, 1791, with Nathaniel, Benjamin, John Sr. and John Jr .. all of Lempster. Probably other children.
(VI) John Way, son of John Way (5), was born in Connecticut, probably at New London, in 1755 ; settled with father and broth- ers in Lempster, New Hampshire, at the close of the revolution ; was assessed there in 1787 with father and Nathaniel Way. He was of Marlow, according to the census of 1790, but lived during his active life chiefly at Lempster. He was a farmer and a wealthy man for his day. Children : 1. William, mentioned below. 2. Leonard, born at Lempster in 1796; died December 13, 1870; settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1835; married, 1822, Olive Graves, of Unity, born 1795; children: I. Susan, born March 8, 1821, married Alpheus Perry; ii. Franklin, resided in Chicago; iii. Louise, married Albert W. Gilmore; iv. Henry, resided in San Francisco; v. Gardner, born November 16, 1833; married his cousin Marion W. Way, daughter of John and Polly (Emerson) Way, of Lempster. 3. John, mar- ried Polly Emerson. 4. Harriet. 5. Orpha.
(VII) William Way, son of John Way (6), was born in Lempster, New Hampshire, about 1780; married Anna, daughter of Abner Smith, of Marlow, New Hampshire. He re- moved to Lyndonville, Vermont, and later in life to St. Charles, Illinois. He was a Metho- dist in religion. Children: I. Gilbert. 2. Silas, born 1816; resides at 135 Main street,
Alonzo May
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Batavia, Illinois; the only one of the children surviving in 1907, then aged ninety-one years ; the source of much of the information in this family history was obtained from him. 3. Franklin. 4. Alonzo A., mentioned below. 5. Salome, married Chapin Wheelock, of Moline, Illinois. 6. Susan, married Green.
(VIII) Alonzo A. Way, son of William Way (7), was born in Lyndonville. Vermont, and was educated there in the public schools. When he left home in his youth he served an apprenticeship in Boston in the tailor's trade, and afterward followed his trade. When a young man he established himself in business in the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and became in time one of the leading tailors of that city. He acquired a competence, and re- tired some years before his death, spending his last days in Haverhill. He died there June, 1896. Mr. Way was an active and useful citizen, and exerted every effort toward the improvement and benefitting of the city. He was a Republican in politics and a strong and wholesome influence in his party. He was alderman from his ward for many years in the city government, and served on import- ant committees. Mr. Way was largely self- educated, but he had distinct literary tastes and read many books. He loved travel and had visited all parts of this country and spent much time abroad. He was a close observer, and had a retentive memory, so that he became a veritable storehouse of information and general knowledge. He was a member of the Pentucket Club of Haverhill. He married Anna Butters, daughter of Frank Butters, and niece of Charles Butters, of Haverhill. He married, second, January 1, 18744, Clara A. Yeaton, born in New Castle, New Hamp- shire, 1847, daughter of William and Maria (White) Yeaton. By the second marriage he had his only child, Marion W., born April 22, 1877, married Harris W. Spaulding, Sep- tember 29, 1897: they have two children: i. Way Spaulding, born July 3, 1898; ii. Evelyn H. Spaulding, born March 15, 1900.
Governor John Endicott was ENDICOTT a man of impulsive and im- petuous temper, and some- times too summary and severe in his views and acts. But no mild or weak nature could have contended with the wilderness trials he was called to encounter. As Palfrey well says in his excellent "History of New Eng- land:" "His honesty, frankness, fearlessness and generous public spirit had won their
proper guerdon in the general esteem." Or we may adopt the words with which Bancroft introduces him in his brilliant "History of the United States:" "A man of dauntless cour- age, and that cheerfulness which accompanies courage ; benevolent, though austere; firm, though choleric ; of a rugged nature, which his stern principles of non-conformity had not served to mellow-he was selected as a fit instrument to begin this wilderness work."
As the founder of this oldest town (Salem) of Massachusetts proper, whose annals contain the history of so much of early commercial enterprise and so much of literary and scien- tific celebrity, including such eminent names as Gray and Peabody and Derby, and Silsbee and Pickering and Putnam, and Saltonstall and Bentley and Bowditch and Story, and Peirce and Prescott and Hawthorne-his own name could never be forgotten. While as governor of the pioneer plantation which pre- ceded the transfer of the whole Massachusetts government from Old England to New Eng- land-without either predecessor or successor in the precise post which he was called upon to fill from 1628 to 1630-he must always hold a unique place in Massachusetts history. Nor will it ever be forgotten that when he (lied. in 1665, he had served the colony in various relations, including the very highest, longer than any other one of the Massachu- setts fathers.
These words of honest appreciation were spoken by Robert C. Winthrop on the occasion of the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the "Landing of John Endicott," the ceremony of which was held in Salem in September, 1878; and to the just sentiments expressed by the speaker whose name has been noted, it will not be out of place at this time to add an extract from the address of Dr. Palfrey, at the celebration of the Dan- vers centennial in 1852 :
"When the vessel which bore the first gov- ernor of Massachusetts was entering the har- bor of Salem, she was anxiously watched from the beach by four individuals, styled in the quaint chronicles of the time as 'Roger Conant and three sober men.' This vessel swung to her moorings and flung the red cross of St. George to the breeze, a boat put off for the shore, and that the governor might land dry shod. Roger Conant and his 'three sober men' waded into the water and bore him on their shoulders to the dry land." In behalf of the patentees he thus took possession of the land described in the patent.
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The life and public service of Captain John Endicott have been made the subject of ex- tended mention by numerous chroniclers of New England history, nearly all of whom have dealt fairly and impartially with the questions of his policy and purposes, while others have colored their narratives in certain respects so that a gross injustice was done him. But it is not the purpose of our present narrative to discuss the question of his policy or to enter upon a detailed account of his official career, but rather to record something of his personal life and that of his family and some of his descendants in one generation after another -a subject which appears to have received little attention at the hands of historians and genealogists.
In an article written something more than sixty years ago by one of the descendants of Governor Endicott, the author says it is the general impression that all having this sur- name in this country are descended from Gov- ernor Endicott, but that this is a mistake. There were families of "Indicotts" distinct from his living in Boston and its vicinity sometime previous to 1700. The two names probably had the same origin. although so dif- ferent in orthography. Of these, says the writer referred to, there was a John Indicott, warden of the King's Chapel, and a man of some consequence in 1691 ; Gilbert Indicott, yeoman, of Dorchester, born in 1658; and a William Indicott. "They appear to have been brothers, and contemporary with Governor Endecott's grandchildren, but they could not have been derived from him. *
* The governor and his descendants to the third generation spelt their name Endecott."
(I) John Endecott was born in 1588 (Sav- age says about 1589) in Dorchester, Dorset- shire, England, and by profession was a "chirurgeon" previous to his immigration to New England in the ship "Abigail" from Weymouth (a small seaport town on the chan- nel about nine miles from Dorchester) with his wife and a company of about twenty or thirty persons, including women and children, and landed at Salem in September, 1628. He was one of the six original purchasers of the lands of the Massachusetts Bay from the Plymouth council on March 19th preceding, and the only one of them who came over during the first two years following the pur- chase. He had been sent out to take charge of the company plantations in America, and was one of the founders of the ancient colony at Naumkeag (Salem), which he established
as the permanent town of Salem, and in this action he also founded the first settlement in the Massachusetts Bay colony. He came with authority "to govern" and was "a fit instrument to begin this wilderness work; of courage bold, undaunted, yet sociable, and of cheerful spirit, loving or austere, as occasion served." (Johnson).
At Salem, Governor Endecott exercised chief authority until April, 1630, when John Winthrop arrived and assumed charge under the charter of the New England Company. He was then made a member of the court of assistants, but in 1634 he was removed from office and disfranchised for one year for hav- ing cut the red cross of St. George from the royal colors carried by the train band of Salem. In justification of this action he urged that the cross savored of popery, and was an abomination in the sight of those of his reli- gious convictions; and subsequent events showed the reason of his position, and the cross was omitted from the flag used by the militia of the colony. In this action he was warmed by the influence of Roger Williams, and his close association with that worthy character frequently involved him in compli- cations which were not of his own creation. The frequently bold utterances of Williams were distasteful to the magistrates, but the planters defended their preachers and Ende- cott justified their defense, and for this offence he was committed; but at length he found it useless to further offend the author- ity of the magistrates and deputies, and made the acknowledgment required of him, where- upon he was released. From that time he acted in harmony with the powers of the col- ony and regained the esteem of its leading men.
In 1634 John Endecott was chosen a mem- ber of the board of military commissioners of the colony in which was vested power to levy war, and to arrest, imprison or execute per- sons deemed to be enemies of the state. In 1636 he was placed in command of the Massa- chusetts troops in the expedition against the Pequot Indians, and in 1644 he was chosen governor of Massachusetts, was re-elected in 1649, and later served in that high office from 1655 to 1664, in all fifteen years, a longer period than any other governor under the old charter. In 1645, following his first term as governor, he was made sergeant major-gen- eral of the colonial troops, and in 1658 was president of the colonial commissions.
Before his election to the office of governor,
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Mr. Endecott removed from Salem to Boston, and he died in that city March 15, 1665, in his seventy-seventh year. He was a zealous Puri- tan, and showed an intense intolerance toward Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Quakers which was entirely characteristic of the tem- per of the man himself and of the spirit of the times both in this country and in England. The house in which Governor Endecott lived in Salem had been first erected by the Dor- chester Company at Cape Ann, and was re- moved from thence to Salem in 1628 for his use. Numerous interesting reminiscences and traditions have long been associated with the old Endecott house in Salem, and one of them runs to the effect that it was afterward known as the "Ship Tavern." An interesting narra- tive relating to the governor's house is found in the deposition of Richard Brachenburg, of Beverly, made in 1680, in which he 'testifieth' that he came to New England with Endecott, and that "wee came ashore at the place now called Salem the 6th of September in the yeare of our Lord, 1628: fifty-two years agoe: at Salem wee found living, old Goodman Nor- man, and his sonn : William Allen, and Walter Knight, and others," * "and they de- clared that they had an house built at Cape Ann for the Dorchester Company : and I hav- ing waited upon Mr. Endecott, when he at- tended the company of the Massachusetts Pattentees, when they kept their court in Cornwall streete in London I understood that this company of London having bought out the right of the Dorchester marchants in New England, that Mr. Endecott had power to take possession of theire right in New England, which Mr. Endecott did, and in particular of an house built at Cape Ann, which Walter Knight and the rest said they built for Dor- chester men: and soe I was sent with them to Cape ann, to pull downe the said house for Mr. Endecott's use, the which wee did, and the same yeare wee came ouer according to my best remembrance it was that wee tooke a further possession; on the north side of Salem ferrye, comonly caled Cape an side, by cutting thatch for our houses, and soone after laide out lotts for tillage land on the said Cape an side and quickly after sundrye houses were built on the said Cape an side and I myselfe have lived there, now for about forty yeares, and I with sundry others have beene subduing the wilderness and improving the fields and commons there, as a part of Salem" etc.
In this connection it is proper to mention
that the house of Governor Endecott in Salem stood at the corner of what now is Washing- ton ( then Court) and Church streets, and that Zerubbabel Endecott, son of the governor, sold the land to Daniel Eppes, and the region thereabouts was long known as Endicott's field. The governor himself was a large land- holder in different parts of New England ; the first grant ever made in the interior of New Hampshire was that of five hundred acres to him of the finest interval land on the Merrimac in Concord. His farm in Salem remained in possession of his descendants more than two centuries.
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