Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts, Part 53

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 768

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(VI) Ebenezer French, son of Stephen French (5), born in Bedford, New Hamp- shire, April 28, 1774; died there November

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20. 1846, aged seventy-two. He was a promi- nent citizen of Bedford, a selectman and repre- sentative to the state legislature. He was a farmer during his active life, in the northwest part of Bedford. He married Rhoda Coburn. of Dracut, Massachusetts, born April 16, 1780, daughter of Leonard and Merab Coburn. Her father was born at Dracut, July 30, 1757, son of Ebenezer and Sarah Coburn, mentioned above. Children: 1. Ebenezer C., born De- cember 22. 1798: mentioned below. 2. Ma- tilda C., born August 25, 1800: married Ebe- nezer Holbrook, of Bedford; children : i. David G. Holbrook, born November 18, 1819: ii. Maria G. Holbrook, born March 10, 1822 : iii. John Holbrook, born June 13. 1829. 3. Leonard C., born April 19, 1803. farmer, rep- resentative to state legislature, justice of the peace : married Annis C. Campbell, of New Boston, New Hampshire, June 1. 1831, born July 9. 1809 : children: i. Clinton, born Octo- ber 24. 1832: ii. Almira F., May 1. 1835: iii. William C., December 18, 1838: iv. Robert C., January 2, 1845. 4. Phineas C., born August 19. 1805, farmer ; married Sophronia Robie. of Goffstown, New Hampshire, born June 17, 1800: children : i. Achsah, born July 29. 1836; ii. Martin. February 7, 1841 ; iii. Mary E., March 15, 1844; iv. Louisa, March 29, 1847: v. Sarah, May 12, 1849. 5. William, born De- cember 29. 1807 ; merchant : married Isabella. daughter of Robert Wallace, of New Boston :

settled at Piscataqua : selectman ; children : i. Josephine ; ii. Ella W. 6. Merab, born Septem- ber 27. 1811 : married John McAllister, Jr., of Bedford: child, John Gilman McAllister. 7. John U., born February 24. 1817: married Sarah R. Parker, of Bedford, born October 6, 1826 : children : i. Anna M., born July 5, 1847 ; ii. Willard P .. born February 25. 1849. 8. Mary A., born October 4. 1824: married John N. Barr, of Bedford; resided at Nashville. New Hampshire : child: John Henry Barr. 9. Rhoda. born September 24, 1822: married Eldridge Barr, and had Ada Lizzie, born Octo- ber 5. 1849. 10. Adaline, born February 2. 1826: married Thomas U. Gage, of Bedford.

(VII) Ebenezer C. French, son of Ebe- nezer French (6), was born in Bedford, New Hampshire. December 22. 1798. He settled on a portion of the old French homestead at Bed- ford, and was a farmer. He married first. Sarah Holbrook, born 1798, died September. 1834. daughter of Deacon John Holbrook. He married second, Lydia Eaton, born July 5, 1799. at Goffstown. Children, born at Bed- ford: 1. Dr. Alfred J., born January 16, 1823,

mentioned below. 2. Sarah E., born February 11. 1826 ; married Stephen G. Allen, merchant of Boston. Children of Ebenezer C. and Lydia French : 3. Abigail E., born June 30, 1838. 4. Clarissa R., born September 29, 1839. 5. Lydia M., born October 14, 1842.

(VIII) Dr. Alfred Joseph French, son of Ebenezer C. French (7), was born at Bedford. New Hampshire, January 16, 1823. He en- joyed the advantages of an excellent educa- tion in the public schools and at the Literary and Scientific Institute of Hancock, New Hampshire, studying his profession in the Ver- mont Medical College at Woodstock, Vermont, and graduating in 1848. He began the prac- tice of his profession in 1849 in Manchester, New Hampshire, but after a year and a half removed to Methuen, Massachusetts, where he practiced for the next seven years and achieved marked success. He removed to Lawrence at that time, and continued to practice until about five years before his death. He became a leading physician in that section and was honored by his fellow-practitioners as well as by his patients. He was a member of the District Medical Society and of the Massachu- setts Medical Society. Dr. French was promi- nent in public life. In 1859 he was elected a representative to the general court from his district in Lawrence, and was re-elected for a second term. He served on the committee on elections. He was for some years a member of the board of overseers of the poor in Law- rence. In 1864 he was elected mayor of the city, and served creditably as the chief magis- trate of the city. He was a Republican in poli- tics, and he wielded a large influence in the councils of his party. He was also prominent in financial circles, one of the organizers of the Lawrence National Bank in 1872 and for five years its president. He was also one of the incorporators of the Broadway Savings Bank in1872, and continued to act as trustee to the time of his death. He was interested in vari- ous other business concerns and industries of Lawrence, and for several years was president of the Wright Manufacturing Company. He was a prominent member of the First Baptist Church, in which he held various offices, hav- ing been deacon, trustee, treasurer and super- intendent of the Sunday school. His was an exemplary Christian character, of sterling vir- tues and spotless integrity. He was a men- ber of the Royal Arcanum, the Home Circle and the Pilgrim Fathers, of which he was one of the incorporators in Lawrence. During the last years of his life, Dr. French spent his sum-

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Sarah a. French.

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mers at West Ossipee, New Hampshire, where be had a summer home and was well known. Ele died January 1, 1903.

He married, November 11. 1852, Sarah Abi- gail Hardy, born June 25, 1827. at West- minster. Vermont, who after eight years of age lived in Antrim. New Hampshire, of an old Bradford ( Massachusetts ) family. Mrs. French is the author of a very popular and well known book on child life, founded on the life and death of her own child, entitled "Lizzie French, or Pleasant Memories." She survives her husband and lives in the old home, Lawrence. Their only child, Lizzie, born June 2. 1855, died a glorious christian death, fully sanctified, April 28, 1863.

Mrs. Hardy was the daughter of Silas Hardy, of Nelson, New Hampshire. He was born in 1800, and died in 1855: married Abi- gail Farley, born 1850, died 1887. He was always a farmer. Iler grandparents were Noah and Sarah ( Spofford ) Hardy, also of Nelson, New Hampshire. Noah Hardy was also a farmer. ( For the early ancestors of the Hardy family see sketch of the Ilardy family in this work ).

William Richard Cutter. author CUTTER and editor, is a direct descend- ant of Elizabeth ( I) Cutter, a widow, who came to New England, about 1640, and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 10, 1663. ( 1663-64). In her will she gave her age as about eighty-seven years, but as she lived about two years longer, she was at death aged about eighty-nine. She dwelt with her daughter in Cambridge about twenty years. Three of her children emigrated to this country: William, who after living in Amer- ica about seventeen years, returned to his former home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. in England : Richard, the founder of the Cutter family in America : and Barbara, her daugh- ter, who came to this country unmarried, and later married Mr. Elijah Corlet, the school- master of Cambridge. In a relation Elizabeth made before the church she is called "Old Goodwife Cutter," and she makes a statement to the effect that she was born in some small place, without a church, near Newcastle-upon- Tyne. She "knew not" her father, who may have died in her infancy, but her mother sent her, when she was old enough, to Newcastle, where she was placed in a "godly family," where she remained for about seven years, when she entered another where the religious privileges were less. Her husband died, and she

was sent to Cambridge. New England, and came thither in a time of sickness and through many sad troubles by sea. What her maiden name was is not known to the present writer. From her own statement the inference is drawn that her mother at least was in humble circumstances. She had with her in Cambridge a sister or a sister-in-law, a widow named Mrs. Isabella Wilkinson. who undoubtedly was from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. There is more known of the Cutters in Newcastle, where it is said an English antiquary has discovered the name of the grandfather of William and Rich- ard Cutter. and this information is as yet withhekl from us.

( II ) Richard Cutter, son of Elizabeth, died in Cambridge, at the age of about seventy-two, June 16, 1693. Ilis brother William had died in England before this time. Richard was under age and probably unmarried when he came to America. He was one of the first to build a house outside of the settlement, in that part of Cambridge called Menotomy, and his house for defense against the Indians was furnished with flankers. In December, 1675, he sent four young men of his family-his two sons Ephraim and Gershom, and his stepsons Isaac and Jacob Amsden-to the severe cam- paign in Rhode Island which culminated in the Narragansett fight, in which a great part of the New England military were engaged. Richard Cutter was twice married: First, about 1644. to Elizabeth Williams, who died March 5. 1661-2. aged about forty-two years (gravestone ) ; she was the daughter of Robert Williams of Roxbury and his wife. Elizabeth ( Stalham) Williams. Second. February 14. 1662-3. to Frances ( Perriman) Amsden, par- entage unknown ; she was the widow of Isaac Amsden, and survived Richard Cutter's de- cease, and died before July 10, 1728. Four- teen children, seven by each wife.

Elizabeth, eldest daughter and child of Richard Cutter, married William Robinson. and several of her descendants became famous as governors. She probably died a long time before her father, and was omitted in his will. Two of her sons laid claim to their share of their grandfather Cutter's estate at a later period. William Robinson, Jonathan Robinson and Elizabeth Gregory, and also Samuel Rob- inson, children of Elizabeth Robinson, daugh- ter of Richard Cutter, quitclaimed their rights to their grandfather Richard Cutter's estate ( Middlesex Registry Deeds. 39 : 113, etc. ) William Robinson died in 1693.

( III ) William Cutter, third son and fourth

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child of Richard Cutter, the immigrant, was a thriving farmer, and died in Cambridge, April I. 1723, in the seventy-fourth year of his age (gravestone ). By his wife Rebecca he was father of ten children. She was Rebecca, daughter of John (2) Rolfe (Henry I) and his wife Mary Scullard ( Samuel I). Rebecca Rolfe married for her second husband John Whitmore, Senior, of Medford, and died No- vember 13. 1751, aged ninety.

(IV) John Cutter, second son and fifth child of William, born October 15, 1690, died Jan- uary 21, 1776, in his eighty-sixth year, and thirty-seventh in his office as a deacon. He was a farmer. He married Lydia Harrington (John (3). Robert (2), and possibly Ann (I); she was formerly of Newcastle-upon- Tyne. England, ) and she died January 7, 1755. in her sixty-fourth year. Eleven chil- (lren.

(V) Ammi Cutter, tenth child of John, born October 27, 1733, died April 19, 1795, in his sixty-second year. He was a farmer and a miller, and had three wives and twenty-one children. By his first wife, Esther Pierce, he had ten children, the ninth of whom was Eph- raim Cutter, born October 31, 1767. died March 31, 1841, who by his wife, Deborah Locke, had fourteen children, the tenth of whom was Benjamin Cutter, a physician, born June 4, 1803, died March 9, 1864, who by his wife Mary Whittemore had six children, the youngest of whom was William Richard Cut- ter. born in Woburn, August 17. 1847, the subject of this sketch.

Mr Cutter was educated in the public schools of his native town until his fifteenth year, when he was sent to the Warren Acad- emy in Woburn, where he remained until April, 1865, when he entered Norwich Univer- sity at Norwich, Vermont-the institution now situated at Northfield, Vermont, and known as the Military College of the State of Vermont. When at Woburn at the Warren Academy he commanded ( 1863-1865) a corps of cadets known as the Warren Cadets. He performed his share of duty at Norwich Military Univer- sity during the two years of 1865 and 1866, and leaving there in the latter year returned to Woburn, where he pursued his studies under a private instructor. In the fall of 1867 he entered the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut, as a special student, and left there in 1869. In the meantime, having access to the large college library at Yale, he became interested in the study of history and more especially geneal-

ogy, as he had the use of a larger and more valuable collection of books here than he had ever had before, and he decided to publish a history of the Cutter Family, and issued, while at New Haven, his proposals for that work. He traveled extensively in his pursuit of material, and published his book at Boston in 1871, under the title of "A History of the Cut- ter Family of New England."

He was married, on August 31. 1871, to Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Kimball, teacher, editor, and lecturer, and his first wife, Mary Ann ( Ames) Kimball, and a grand- daughter of Rev. David Tenney Kimball, for upwards of sixty years minister of a church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. One child, Sarah Hamlen, was born to them, July 25. 1873, but died April 26, 1890. Another died in infancy in 1880 .*

In 1871 Mr. Cutter removed his residence to Lexington, Massachusetts, and devoted himself for ten years to various pursuits. While at Lexington he prepared and published a "History of the Town of Arlington, Mass- achusetts," which was issued from the press in 1880. This work contained a very full genealogy of the early inhabitants, and copies are now scarce. At Lexington also he edited, with notes, his article for the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," entitled a "Journal of a Forton Prisoner, England, 1777-1779," whose length caused its publication to extend through the numbers of that period- ical from April, 1876, to January, 1879. While at Lexington also he prepared a sketch of Arlington, which was printed under his name in Drake's "History of Middlesex County" (1880).

During his residence in Lexington he held the office by successive elections of clerk of the Hancock Congregational Church, and for seven years from 1875 that of member and clerk of the town school committee, and in connection with the last named office that of trustee of the Cary Free Public Library, being for a greater part of that time clerk and treas- urer of that board. In 1882 he was elected librarian of the Woburn Public Library in his native city, and assuming his duties on March I, of that year, removed at once to Woburn. He holds this office at the present time. He has served on the nominating committee of the Massachusetts Library Club, of which he was one of the original members, and has been one of its vice-presidents. In Woburn he has held the office of secretary of the trustees of Warren Academy since 1885, and that of trus-

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tee, clerk, and treasurer of the Burbeen Free Lecture Fund since 1892. He is also one of the vice-presidents of the Rumford Historical Association of Woburn, and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars. He has been a vice-president of the Boston Alumni Association of Norwich University. and for more than a generation, or since 1870. a resident member of the New England His- toric Genealogical Society. He has written considerable for the publications of the Gene- alogical Society, and has held a position on its governing council, and in 1906 was elected its historian. He has edited for the Massachu- setts Historical Society a section of Hon. Mel- len Chamberlain's "History of Chelsea," mak- ing a greater part of the second volume of that monumental work. He has prepared for pub- lication and now nearly finished, three volumes of the Towne Memorial Biographies, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In 1906 Mr. Cutter was elected by the Lewis Historical Publishing Company as editor of two of their publications.

Since 1882, in his leisure from the urgent work of his library position, Mr. Cutter has written much for the newspaper and periodi- cal press, and has written or edited a number of works of greater or less extent. Among them sketches of the city of Woburn, and of the towns of Burlington and Winchester, for Hurd's "History of Middlesex County," 1890; "Contributions to a Bibliography of the Local History of Woburn," 1892. with additional material, 1893: "Diary of Lieut. Samuel Thompson of Woburn, while in service in the French War, 1758" ( with copious notes ) 1806; "Life and Humble Confession of Rich- ardson, the Informer" (fifty copies printed ) 1804: "A Model Village Library" (an article descriptive of the Woburn Public Library ) in "New England Magazine," February, 1890; "Woburn Historic Sites and Old Houses." 1892; etc.

He received the degree of A. M. from Nor- wich University in 1893.

LORING Deacon Thomas Loring. of

Hingham and Hull, Massachu- setts, was born in Axminster. county Devon, England, and died at Hull, Massachusetts, April 4. 1661. His widow, Jane ( Newton) Loring, died August 25, 1672. Mr. Loring arrived in this country on Decem- ber 23. 1634. and for a short time resided at Dorchester, Massachusetts, and removed thence to Hingham. He was one of the early

deacons of the church in Hingham, and subse- quently removed to the town of Hull, and there died.

( 11) Thomas Loring. son of Deacon Thomas Loring (1), born in Axminster county Devon, England, died at Hull, Massa- chusetts. 1679, aged fifty years ; married De- cember 16. 1657. Hannah Jacob, baptized Feb- ruary 23. 1639-40, died October 20, 1720; daughter of Nicholas and Mary Jacob of Hingham. She married second, Captain Stephen French, of Weymouth, Massachu- setts.

( Ilf) Lieutenant Thomas Loring, son of Thomas Loring (2), born at Hull, Massachu- setts, March 15. 1667-8, died at Duxbury. Massachusetts, December 5, 1717: married April 19. 1699. Deborah Cushing, born Sep- tember, 1674. daughter of John and Sarah ( Hawkes ) Cushing, of Scituate, Massachu- setts. She married second, February 18, 1727. Sylvester Richmond, Esquire, of Little Comp- ton. Rhode Island.

( IV ) Benjamin Loring, son of Lieutenant Thomas Loring ( 3), born at Duxbury, Massa- chusetts, about 1708, died there March 1. 1781. "in the seventy-third year of his age :" married, February 8, 1739. Anna Alden, born June 14, 1716, died July 1, 1804, aged eighty- nine years, daughter of Colonel John and Hannah ( Briggs ) Alden, of Duxbury, and great-granddaughter of John Alden, who came in the "Mayflower," 1620. Mr. Loring was bred a farmer, and was esteemed as a man of sound judgment. uprightness, and integ- rity.

(\') Daniel Loring, son of Benjamin Lor- ing (4), born at Duxbury, Massachusetts, January 8, 1751, died at Braintree, Massachu- setts. July 27, 1831, aged eighty years ; mar- ried. (intention dated August 8, 1778) Mary Thayer, born March 30, 1757, died April 8. 1834. aged seventy-seven years, daughter of James and Esther ( Wales) Thaver, of Brain- tree. Ile was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, held the position of a sergeant, and late in life received a pension. He resided at Braintree, and was a shipbuilder, his shipyard being on the Monatiquot river.

(\'1) James Loring, son of Daniel Loring (5). born at Braintree, Massachusetts, June 18. 1780, died at Boston, Massachusetts, Janu- ary 4. 1866, aged eighty-five years, six months, and sixteen days ; married first, Mary Freeman, born December 29. 1779. died at Duxbury, November 9, 1816, aged thirty- seven years ; married second, Mrs. Ruth

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( Dingley ) Delano; she died February 10, 1830. He resided at Duxbury, was a cabinet- maker by trade, and was a deputy sheriff of Plymouth county.

(VII) Deacon Judah Loring, son of James Loring (6), born at Duxbury, Massachusetts, AApril 15, 1809. died at Lawrence, Kansas, Oc- tober 31, 1857; married December 3, 1835. Betsy ( White ) Faxon, born April 22, 18II, (lied at Medford, Massachusetts, January I, 1886, daughter of Captain Asaph and Eunice ( Allen) Faxon, of Braintree. He learned the trade of shipjoiner, and at the age of twenty- two settled in Medford and began the success- ful prosecution of his vocation as a master shipjoiner. As soon as he became a resident of Medford he identified himself with some of her prominent public interests, and early be- came a leading spirit in works of improve- ment and reform. He held many town offices, such as school committee, overseer of the poor, selectman, etc., and for a long time was a justice of the peace. He was elected to the office of deacon in the Second Congregational Church, and served in that capacity with great acceptance for many years. He was a zealous temperance advocate, and an uncompromising foe of human slavery at a time when it re- quired moral courage and personal sacrifice to act in either cause. He went to Kansas in May, 1857, and there died before the close of that year, as above stated. His wife, who justly shared the respect that he won in the places of his residence, survived him, with his three children-Freeman Allen, Mary James, and Arthur Greene Loring.

Mr. Loring was a true man, a sincere and loyal patriot, and a courteous and christian gentleman. He possessed in a large degree qualities that commanded respect and confi- (lence of his fellow-citizens. The town of Medford delighted to honor him while he lived: and, after his decease resolutions in deserved commendation of his life and public services were presented at meeting of the town and adopted unanimously.

(\TII) Arthur Greene Loring, son of Dea- con Judah (7), and Betsy White ( Faxon) Loring, was born on Ship street, now River- side avenue, Medford, September 29. 1844. His parents were prominent residents of that town. In 1857 he went with them to Law- rence, Kansas, where they had intended to live, but his father dying in October of that vear. he returned with his mother and his brother and sister, in 1858, to Medford, Mass- achusetts. He was educated for mercantile

pursuits and was engaged for a time in various undertakings, and then entered the shoe and leather business in Boston. Later he was en- gaged in the tanning business, and was super- intendent of the tannery of Loring & Avery. in Winchester, Massachusetts, and later of that of F. A. Loring & Company, at North Winchester and Woburn.

Mr. Loring has interested himself for many years in historical and genealogical pursuits, and has made these matters a serious study. He is a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, of Boston, and of the Rumford Historical Association of Woburn. In the course of his experience he has accumu- lated a large amount of information on the subject of the families of the Old Colony and on the families in that section of Massachu- setts about Boston. He has the reputation of being one of the most painstaking and accu- rate genealogists in the profession. He is an expert on the handwriting of the ancient col- onial and provincial records of Massachusetts, and has copied literally many petitions and rolls, the originals of which are to be found at the State House in Boston. As a handwriting expert he assisted in the preparation of the second volume of Judge Chamberlain's "His- tory of Chelsea," now in press, published by a committee of the Massachusetts Historical Society. He was also selected by the Lewis Historical Publishing Company as one of the editors of their present work on Boston and Eastern Massachusetts.

Mr. Loring. while in active business with F. A. Loring & Company, resided in Winchester, Massachusetts, and in 1891 he became a resi- dent of Woburn. At Medford he held the office of town auditor, and also served as one of the cemetery committee and as a member of the fire department, and companies F (Law- rence Rifles) and E (Lawrence Light Guard), belonging to the Fifth Massachusetts Regi- ment of Infantry ; and is now a member of the Lawrence Light Guard Veteran Association. At Woburn he held the office of alderman for two terms in 1889 and 1900, and was can- didate of the Democratic party for mayor in 190I.

Mr. Loring has written considerable for the newspaper press on subjects in which he is interested. He is the author of a pamphlet entitled "Woburn Men in the Indian and Other Wars previous to the year 1754" ( Bos- ton, 1897), and furnished an appendix to the publicaton called "The Diary of Lieut. Sam- uel Thompson, of Woburn, Massachusetts.

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while in service in the French War, 1758," and published in 1896, which was largely a record of the service of all the Woburn men in the French war, compiled from the original rolls on file in the archives of the state of Massachusetts at Boston. For the New Eng- land Historical and Genealogical Register he furnished articles entitled "The Ancestry of Phebe Pierce. of Woburn," ( 1898) : "The Descendants of Nahum Parker of Kittery, Maine," (1900) ; "Samuel Walker, of Wo- burn, Massachusetts, and some of his De- scendants" ( 1903) : "The Brooks Family of Woburn, Massachusetts," ( 1904) ; "Robert Eames, of Woburn, Massachusetts, and some of his Descendants" ( 1908) ; etc.

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts, Part 53

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 768

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 768