USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts > Part 59
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December 22, 1906, Frederick Davis, of Con- cord, New Hampshire) ; ii. Alice Mahala Marsh, married Merritt Purrington, had no children ; iii. Henry Marsh, died aged eight years. 8. Lucy, born at Vershire, November 28, 1818, died at Guildhall, Vermont, June 28, 1893 ; married April 10, 1845, Ephraim Ward, of Vershire, died July 21, 1875, aged fifty-five years one month one day ; children: i. Fran- ces Lucinda Ward, born October 19, 1846, married December 17, 1873, Richard Rowell Cole, born at Stark, New Hampshire, Janu- ary 23, 1840, son of Jonathan and Lucinda (Holbrook) Cole, and had Wilbur Richard Cole, born October 18, 1877 (four sons, Rich- ard Henry, George Gilbert, Jonathan Edmund and Wesley Sigismund Cole), Lila Maria Cole, born April 25, 1886 ; ii. Wilbur Ephraim Ward, born January 21, 1852, died December II, 1877: iii. Austin Everett Ward, born March 8, 1854, unmarried ; iv. Florence Ada Ward, born March 17, 1861, died February 18, 1865. 9. Mary Ann, died of dropsical consumption. (VI) Ezra Tucker West, son of Gilman West, born at Vershire, Vermont, February 12, 1815, died at Strafford, Vermont, Febru- ary 9, 1892. He remained on his father's farm until he was married, and later was engaged in iron work at Tyson's furnace, Plymouth, Vermont. In 1847 he removed to Woodstock, Vermont, and bought a farm situated half- way between Woodstock and Bridgewater. About a year later he sold this farm and bought another in the same town, near the river. Two years later he sold again, and removed to Guildhall in 1852, where he purchased a fifty acre farm and lived two years. After selling this to Ephraim Ward he went to Danville for two years, and from there to Vershire, to the farm of his father-in-law, Simeon Bacon. He took charge of the farm and finally leased it for two years, after which he removed to Straf- ford and bought the Ordway farm. He lived on several farms in this town, and at last bought the homestead, on which he died in 1892; it was situated on the main road from Strafford to Chelsea. He was a carpenter and cooper by trade. At one time he kept a tavern at Bridgewater, Vermont. In personal appear- ence he was large and powerful, six feet tall. His good nature made him very popular. He and his wife were regular attendants at the Orthodox Congregational church at Strafford. In politics he was a Republican, and served as road surveyor. He was a member of Temple Lodge, No. 54, F. A. M., of Strafford. He had the rank of orderly sergeant in the mili-
tia. He married first, January 17, 1837, Julia Stevens, born February 27, 1809, died June 13, 1841, daughter of Ezra Stevens; second, March 2, 1842, Lemira B. Bacon, born at Vershire, December 3, 1821, died at Strafford, July 10, 1901, daughter of Captain Simeon and Judith ( Huse) Bacon, of Vershire. Her father was captain of militia, farmer, member of Vermont legislature, justice of the peace and trial justice. Children of first wife: I. Daughter, born and died November 18, 1837. 2. Daughter, born and died April 27, 1839. 3. Daughter born and died May 23, 1841. Chil- dren of second wife: 4. William, born Decem- ber 27, 1842; died September 26, 1846. 5. Charles Tucker, born November 2, 1844; men- tioned below. 6. James, born February 21, 1846; died September 25, 1847. 7. Imogene, born January 25, 1849; died March 17, 1850. 8. Orin, born November 28, 1850; married first, June 10, 1873, Elizabeth Hutchinson, of Arlington, and had Leon N., born September, 1873, died November, 1895; married second, June 10, 1892, Adeline Hill, of Somersworth, New Hampshire. 9. Frank Henry, born Sep- tember 5, 1852; married August 1I, 1886, Julia Emeline Scribner, of Strafford, and had Lena Amy, born June 25, 1889. 10. Ella J., born July 4, 1854 ; married November 26, 1874, Justin D. Colby, of North Tunbridge, Ver- mont : children: i. Arthur John Colby, born March 21, 1876, married June 13, 1906, Ger- trude Prescott, of Strafford; ii. Frank Justin Colby, born October 6, 1874, married August 26, 1898, Stella Roberts, of Strafford; iii. Myrtle Lemira Colby, born August 5, 1878. married January 1, 1899, William Collins, of Strafford, and had Carroll William Collins, born July 4, 1901, and Mary Ella Collins, born November 3, 1902. 11. William E., born July 24. 1856; married June 21, 1890, Lucy M. Brown, of Strafford, and had Bessie Lulu, born October 8, 1892. 12. Arthur P., died un- married ; sergeant in army. 13. Elmer James, born September 4, 1862; married September 26, 1886, Iva E. Pray; children: i. Elmer Eugene, born February 23, 1888; ii. Arthur Pray, February 13, 1893; iii. Lemira Frances, June 6, 1894: iv. Percy Daniel, September 9, 1896: v. Doris Estella, July 3, 1900; vi. Rich- ard Alfred, June 20, 1903; vii. Clinton Park- hurst, April 18, 1908. 14. Carrie Isabelle, born April 14, 1864; married November 15, 1893, John Kendall, of Strafford, and had Ernest Kendall, born August 29, 1894.
(VII) Charles Tucker West, son of Ezra Tucker West, was born at Plymouth, Vermont,
Charles S. Greet
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November 2, 1844. At the age of three he went with his parents to Woodstock, Vermont. where he lived until he was eight years old, attending the public schools. He was two years in school at Guildhall and two years at Danville, where he was obliged to walk two miles over the hills to the schoolhouse. From here he went to Vershire, where he lived in the family of his grandfather Bacon for two years, going to school winters and working on the farm summers. From here he went to Strafford and settled on a farm, remaining until August 7, 1862, when he enlisted in Com- pany B, Fourth Vermont Volunteer Infantry. He went to Burlington, where he was mustered into service, and shortly was ordered to the front. The company went to Washington and Alexandria, to Harper's Ferry, thence to Hagerstown, and there joined the regiment. The first battle in which he took part was Fredericksburg. He was in the battle of Gettysburg, in the Sixth Corps, First Vermont Brigade. Then followed the battle of Mine Run, and he was subsequently detailed with his company as provost guard at corps head- quarters at Brandy's Station. Ile remained in this service until the close of the war, and was mustered out in June, 1865. He returned to Strafford and attended school at West Valley until he was twenty-one years old. In the spring of 1866 he went to Bradford, Ver- mont, and entered the employ of W. B. & C. S. Stevens as clerk in their general store. A year later he took a similar. position at Han- over in the store of C. S. Cobb, and the next vear in the store of Clough & Stores, where he remained until the spring of 1869. He then went to Arlington, Massachusetts, and entered the employ of Winslow Pierce, hay and grain dealer. He was also station agent. On No- vember 1, 1871, he removed to Lexington, where he was appointed station agent, also taking charge of Pierce's branch coal business in that place. He was station agent for three years. He had charge of Blinn's Express for a time. During his connection with Mr. Pierce's business he also conducted a general fire insurance business which he continued un- til September, 1907. He was treasurer of the Lexington Savings Bank one year. In 1885 he bought the undertaking business of Oliver WV. Kendall's estate, and conducted it in con- nection with his insurance agency until he retired September 1, 1907, selling out to his head undertaker, A. A. Marshall, who has since conducted both the insurance and under- taking business. Mr. West represented twelve
of the best companies in fire insurance and had the patronage of the best families of the town. The home in which Mr. West lived on Forest street he bought in 1872 of John E. Hodgman. He and his wife were members of the Lex- ington Unitarian Society. He was superin- tendent of its Sunday school for six years, and member of the parish committee for sev- eral years. In politics Mr. West was a Re- publican. He served his party frequently as delegate to various nominating conventions and was selectman of the town for three years, town treasurer and tax collector, member of the cemetery board, and superintendent of the cemeteries of the town. He joined Hiram Lodge of Free Masons at Arlington, March 30, 1871, and afterward Simon W. Robinson Lodge of Lexington. He was a member of Bethel Lodge, No. 12, Odd Fellows, of Ar- lington, at one time. He was a member and for a number of years treasurer of the Old Bel- fry Club of Lexington. He was a member of the New England Undertakers' Association ; of the Massachusetts Undertakers' Associa- tion: of George G. Meade Post, No. 119, G. A. R., of Lexington, of which he was com- mander for four years, and with which he took part in the exercises of Memorial Day for thirty-two consecutive years. Mr. West retired from business on account of ill health, and failed gradually. He undertook the journey to his old home in Vermont, and arrived in an exhausted condition. He died July 27, 1908 at Strafford, Vermont. The interment was at Lexington July 29, 1908. Mr. West was ad- mirably fitted by nature for the occupation in which he was so successful. He attracted friends by his charming personality and was kindly, courteous and sympathetic in all his dealings. He was universally loved and esteemed by his townsmen and friends. He married first, February 15, 1872, Mary Wright Russell, who died March 20, 1874, aged twenty-five years four months and eighteen days, daughter of Josiah Harrington and Mary (Willard) Russell, of Arlington. Her father was a coal merchant in Arlington, and was town treasurer for sixteen years. He married second, May 9, 1875, Abbie Frances Russell, sister of his first wife, born November 10, 1845. He had no children.
Moses Bennett, of Groton, BENNETT Massachusetts, who bought a farm in that town June 14, 1718, and married, August II. 1719, the daugh- ter of James Blanchard, of Dunstable, is the
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pivot upon which throughout the United States turns a multitude of genealogical re- searches. The present tense is here used ad- visedly, for although he is dead so far as the payment of poll taxes and other civic duties are concerned, he is yet very much alive in the genealogical researches alluded to, and fre- quently inquiries have been made of me by his widely separated descendants who differ somewhat as to his antecedents. My own theory has been, writes Hon. F. P. Bennett, of Saugus, that he was a great-grandson of Sam- uel Bennett, of Saugus and Lynn, and while others differ with me in opinion, yet a variety of correspondence which comes to hand from time to time appears to confirm my theory. Samuel Bennett, whose active participation in
the daughter of William Hargrave of Horsey- Down, England. was the cause of the oft- quoted instrument of settlement by his father recorded in Soffolk Deeds, Boston (iv., 328), is the one who in my opinion subsequently re- moved to Groton, Massachusetts. The second and third sons, Elisha and John, were both mariners. John Bennett and a wife Susanna in 1673, but before 1677 he married Aphra, widow of Jonathan Adams, who had a son John Adams, born in 1672, and a daughter, Sarah Bennett, born in 1677. John Bennett had trouble in court with Samuel Adams of Chelmsford. In 1678 he was "shortly to go on a voyage." Captain Elisha Bennett, the second son of the original Samuel, made his will April 9, 1726, and the same was proved
F
THE OLD BENNETT HOUSE, SAUGUS, MASS. Built by Samuel Bennett, or one of his sons, soon after 1636
the early affairs of Saugus and Lynn is very well known, came in the ship "James," in 1635, when twenty-four years old. The house which still stands on Howard street in Saugus, near where I live and which is one of the best pre- served specimens of colonial architecture in New England, was built either by Samuel Bennett or one of his sons, and although it is frequently referred to as "The Boardman House," yet its early association with the his- tory of Lynn, Saugus and Boston would be better emphasized if it were designated "The Bennett House."
The oldest son of Samuel Bennett of Saugus was Samuel Bennett, Jr., whose marriage with
May 30, 1726. In his will he is described as of Rumney Marsh and in it are mentioned his wife Dorothy and children John, Ellis and Sarah, who had grown and settled in life. The son Ellis was a mariner and lived in Boston. The will also mentions a grandson John Ben- nett, at New York.
Samuel Bennett, Jr. migrated from Saugus in the latter half of the seventeenth century, but Captain Elisha Bennett, mariner, is be- lieved still to have lived in the old house which then was in that part of Boston called Rum- ney Marsh, now Chelsea, until at least the first half of the eighteenth century, as his will is recorded May 30, 1726, as already stated.
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The families who remain for generations in the same community are either too prosperous to be attracted by a change or too unenter- prising and thriftless to move. The Bennett families who appear early and often and in many different localities in the early history of the American colonies, came generally be- tween these two extremes. This little warship "Massachusetts," which was one of the earliest naval efforts of these colonies, was commanded at the siege of Louisburg by Captain Moses Bennett, and his autograph appears among the archives at the state house in Boston appended to the pay-rolls of that expedition. The first news of the fall of the great and strong for- tress of Louisburg, which for thirty years the French had been building at the front of Cape Breton island, was brought to Boston by Cap- tain Bennett at daybreak on Tuesday, July 3. 1745. Never before was there such rejoicing. bell ringing, cannon thundering at Castle Wil- liam at the north and south batteries, bonfires on the common, tents spread, casks of wine tapped. and at night candles in every widow and rockets streaming up the sky.
Samuel Bennett built the first iron works in the western hemisphere at Saugus-not as owner, but as master mechanic; he did the teaming for the proprietors after the works were completed, and he put them into bank- ruptcy when they ceased to be successful. He also owned and operated one of the oldest mill privileges on Strawberry brook, and became as early as 1640 one of the most enterprising citizens of this section of the Massachusetts Bay colony. The story that he moved into Boston because he was fined for sleeping in church in Lynn is not necessary to the pur- poses of this narrative. His homestead was in that part of ancient Lynn, or Saugus, which about 1660 by the perfecting of the town bounds came into Boston, which then embraced ancient Chelsea, but which after the organiza- tion of the prsent town of Saugus was set off to the latter town. The ancient house on or near the site of the first house still stands, as already explained.
Samuel Bennett was styled "carpenter," and in a deed in 1657 he conveyed "Rumney Hall" and eight acres of land to George Wallis, which estate is believed to have been nearer the present centre of Lynn than his home in what now is Oaklandvale, Saugus. In 1661 he was one of the perambulators of the town of Boston to inspect and determine the line betweeen Lynn and Boston. He fulfilled the same office in 1665 and as late as 1671. He
had five children-Samuel, Elisha, John, and a fourth one, whose name is not found, and a fifth, Lydia. The marriage settlement of his oldest son, Samuel, Jr., constitutes a well known historical document. Captain Elisha Bennett, mariner, of Rumney Marsh, made his will April 9, 1726. The descendants of the younger children of Samuel Bennett appear in Boston as late as 1787, and their descendants are possibly readily traced by those who are interested.
It has been said that there is some difference of opinion as to what became of Samuel Ben- nett, Jr., and a most plausible theory is that he removed to Groton, where there was an urgent demand for skilled mechanics in the latter part of the seventeenth century and also considerable demand for men of courage to participate in the defense against the Indians. The name of Samuel Bennett appears fre- quently in the early history of Groton in the latter part of the seventeenth century, some- times in charge of parties engaged in the de- fense of the town. The difficulties in the way of exact genealogical knowledge in the latter part of the seventeenth and the earlier years of the eighteenth centuries are due not only to the defective character of town and parish records, but also to the general indifference of most of the inhabitants of the communities in which a Calvinistic element was dominant. The people cared not so much about a man's grandfather as whether he was one of God's "elect."
However, from the date when Moses Ben- nett bought land in Groton, June 14, 1718, and the next year married Anna Blanchard, of Dunstable, the family record is clear and defi- nite, and the descendants of Moses Bennett are so numerous and many of them so much interested in genealogical researches that they feel quite confident of establishing his antece- dents.
The descendants of the Bennetts of Man- cester, Massachusetts, who are very numerous, are also interested in the same researches. Another difficulty in tracing connections of the name of Bennett is that many of the families lack any common origin in recent years. On one occasion, while in England, Mr. Frank P. Bennett devoted some little time in the Brit- ish Museum and elsewhere to inquiries upon this subject, and found that while the family name of the Earl of Tankerville is Bennett, and that he is one of the great noblemen of England descended in the maternal line from that Earl of Arlington, who also was named
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Bennett and was one of the famous ministers of Charles II, and that while there are several important county families named Bennett, yet there were also numerous dock laborers, a leading clockmaker of London, and in fact per- sons of this surname in every walk of life. In fact, the name of Bennett is in England little less numerous than Smith, because it was originally a given name derived from St. Bene- dict. There are ancient churches in England known as St. Benet's. The derivation of the name from Benedict is clearly established, and while at first a given name, it eventually be- came a surname.
However, very many of the Bennetts who were among the earlier settlers of Massachu- setts and Virginia were connected, and their descendants have migrated numerously throughout the country. It may be added that there are thirty-one railroad stations named Bennett in various parts of the United States.
Moses Bennett, of Groton, who took up a farm in that town upon his own account in 1718, and married Anna Blanchard, August II, 1719, was born 1691, and most probably was the great-grandson of the first Samuel Bennett of Lynn. But this belief is tentative, and may be disproved by later researches of those who are now making inquiries on this subject. Moses Bennett had ten children, all enjoying good old biblical names, as follows : Abygail, or Abiah, Stephen, Moses, David, Eunice, Jonathan, James, Anna, Thomas and Aaron. The name of the ninth child, Thomas, appears on a muster roll dated Boston, Febru- ary 5, 1759, of a company of foot in his maj- esty's service under Captain Asa Whitcomb, in Colonel Jonathan Bagley's regiment, raised by the province of Massachusetts Bay. Thomas also marched on the alarm from Lexington, April 19, and enlisted April 26, 1775, in the eight months regiments, taking part at Bunker Hill and the siege of Boston, but later was disabled, and when he died was reported as "lately deceased occasioned by ye hardships and difficulities he underwent in ye late ex- pedition under Capt. Tyng, being taken sick and dieing at Charlestown." It used to be a family tradition that Thomas was hoeing in the field when the news came of the alarm at Lexington, and that he dropped his hoe where he was at work and responded to the alarm. The widow of Thomas subsequently married Gershom Hobart, a lineal descendant of the early minister of Groton, and removed to Washington, Vermont, where she lived to be one hundred years of age or more. She is
known to have been living in 1830, and was a prolific source of information, especially con- cerning the migration of the Whitcombs, Ben- netts and others from Groton to Vermont, about the close of the eighteenth century.
On July 27, 1694, Gershom Hobart, the min- ister of Groton, with part of his family, was remarkably preserved from falling into the hands of the Indians when they made them- selves masters of his house, though they took two of the children, whereof the one was killed and the other sometimes after happily rescued out of his captivity. Gershom, Jr., son of the Rev. Mr. Hobart, whom Mather mentions as having been rescued from cap- tivity, is said to have been carried to the east. The first information his friends received of him was in May following his captivity, at a fort a day's journey from Norridgewok, and his master's name was Massacunbewit, the chief captain of the place. Both his master and mistress were kind to him and afterwards granted his ransom.
The widow of Thomas Bennett, of revolu- tionary fame, removed with her second hus- band, Gershom Hobart, to Washington. Her second child, Naomi, married June 6, 1796, Gershom Hobart, Jr. Imlah Bennett, grand- father of F. P. Bennett, who was born at Shirley, Massachusetts, October 5. 1774, went with the Hobarts to Washington, and was there when that town was organized, March I. 1792, being then only about seventeen years old. Mr. Hobart's name does not appear in the town records until September 2, 1794, when it is recorded that Gershom Hobart, Jr., Joseph Trufant and others are enrolled "freemen."
There has been a theory that Moses Bennett, who with Benjamin Bennett appeared in Gro- ton purchasing farms on the same day, June 14. 1718, were grandsons of the Moses Bennett of whom trace is lost in Manchester, Massa- chusetts, in 1686. The Bennett family of Manchester is descended from William Ben- nett, an original planter of the town who died in 1683, leaving two sons, Moses and Aaron, then men grown, Moses being the elder. In 1686, Jane, widow of William Bennett, con- veyed certain rights and lands to her sons Moses and Aaron, and this is the last we hear of that particular Moses. The son Aaron had a family and from him the later generations of Bennetts in Manchester and vicinity are de- scended. The names Aaron and Moses pre- dominate among their descendants.
The belief that Moses Bennett of Groton came from Manchester instead of Lynn in con-
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troverted by the statement in Hazen's "History of Billerica" that the father of Moses was probably James of Groton, who was the grand- son of the original Samuel of Lynn.
King William's war began in 1689 and the frontier towns of New England were again the scene of barbarities and destruction. In the arrangement of the garrisons in Groton, March 17, 1691, the names of Samuel Bennett and another Bennett, whose first name is not given, appears in the garrison of five men at Mr. Hezekiah Usher's farm. This probably was Samuel Bennett, Jr., formerly of Saugus and grandfather of Moses Bennett of Groton.
In the early annals of Lynn it is stated that about this time and earlier there was some immigration of mechanics to Groton. The his- tory of Groton says the location of Mr. Usher's farm and that of the Bennetts of that period is not known, but as the brook rising in Har- vard and running into Stectacle pond is called Bennett's brook, it is probable that the Ben- netts who preceded Moses lived in the vicinity of that stream. Cotton Mather refers to the remarkable preservation of Gershom Hobart, who was one of the eight sons of Rev. Peter Hobart, first minister of Hingham, Massachu- setts. From 1697 to 1702 peace prevailed at Groton. Then came the war with France, up- on the accession of Queen Anne, and the frontier towns of Massachusetts were again exposed to tomahawks, scalping knives, fire and torture.
In 1675 there was a Moses Bennett in the company of Captain Samuel Brocklebank of Rowley in the garrison at Marlboro, but he unquestionably came from Manchester, Mass- achusetts. In the colonial records of King Philip's war are found the names of Peter. Henry, John, Moses and William Bennett.
There were at last accounts eight Bennett epitaphs in Copps Hill cemetery, Boston. The oldest was that of Sarah Bennit, wife of Samuel Bennit, formerly of Saugus. The inscription reads: "Here lyes ye body of Sarah Bennit, wife to Samuel Bennit, aged 75 years, deceased January 18, 1682." The most recent epitaph under this name reads : "In memory of Mrs. Rachael Bennett, wife of Bezaleel Bennett, who died October 1, 1814, age 60."
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