Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II, Part 69

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1008

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 69

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(I) John McGregory was a first settler at the head branch of the Fresh-water river, in the east part of Enfield, Connecticut, now called Somers. He was appointed on a com- mittee to build a schoolhouse at a town meet- ing held 1754. His name appears in real estate transactions. July 21, 1715, he deeded to Robert Pease three parcels of land east of Scantick river, near the mountain. In Au- gust, 1737, he deeded thirty acres to his son John, and in 1746 more land to said John near Freshwater Great Meadows. In 1740 the town granted him five acres of the inward commons. He married Hannah, daughter of Robert Pease, May 22, 1712. Children : John, born 1744; Ebenezer, see forward; Elizabeth ; Hannah.

(II) Ebenezer, eldest son of John and Hannah ( Pease) McGregory, was born in Enfield, in 1726, and died there April 15, 1773- His tax rate in 1770 was ten shillings. The name of his wife was Penelope. She married, after her husband's death, John Pease. Chil- (Iren of Ebenezer: Ebenezer, born June 27, 1756; Joel, November 23, 1760; Penelope, Oc- tober 18, 1758, married Asaph Terry ; Hannah, January 2, 1760, married Alexander Gowdy ; Abel, July 27, 1765; Samuel, October 18,

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1767; Roxa, May 15, 1772, married Hill Gowdy; Grace, married Samuel Spencer; Submit, married Robert Gowdy.

(III) Ebenezer (2). eldest son of Ebenezer ( I) and Penelope McGregory, was born in Enfield. June 27, 1756, and died in Long- meadow, Massachusetts, July 16, 1822. He resided in Longmeadow, and married Susanna Bradley. of Tolland, Connecticut. Children : Ebenezer, born January II, 1779, died July 16, 1826; Jabez, August 24, 1780, died young ; Joseph, see forward; Susanna, June 15, 1785, married Josiah Blodgett ; Hannah, November 13, 1789, married Abel Pease; Thankful, March 12, 1792; Sinah, October 18, 1794.

(IV) Joseph, third son of Ebenezer (2) and Susanna ( Bradley) McGregory, was born in Longmeadow, February 12, 1782, and died there September 17, 1828. He owned and operated a quarry. He married, January 27, 1807, Ruth, daughter of Lieutenant Thaddeus Billings. Children: Joseph and Norman.

(V) Joseph (2), eldest son of Joseph (I) and Ruth ( Billings) McGregory, was born at "Watchogue farm," in East Longmeadow, July, 1808. He early acquired an interest in the business, which he retained till 1846, when he went to Wilbraham, leasing land and open- ing a quarry on the Deacon Burt farm, which he worked till the stone was exhausted, and then started in the marble business, continuing this in Wilbraham till 1871, when he sold the business there and came to Springfield, and in company with A. D. Sanger bought the old Springfield marble works at 520 Main street. Mr. Sanger soon retired, and he then admitted his oldest son to a partnership. While at Wilbraham he furnished the stone for Fisk and Binny halls, and the new boarding-house built by Wesleyan Academy, for the insane asylum at Taunton, and for the old Hampden and Union-house blocks in Springfield. The first side track of the Boston & Albany road at the Wilbraham station was laid for his ac- commodation, and for some years he was about the only shipper of freight. He served in the legislature during the winter of 1861- 62 and was prominent in town affairs. He was always a great lover of music, and for some years played the bass viol in the Baptist church in East Longmeadow, till the loss of two fingers of his left hand made him unable to finger the strings. For many years he was a leading tenor in the choir of the Congre- gational church in Wilbraham, and took a prominent part in the old-folks' concerts which were so popular twenty years ago. He mar-

ried Emeline, daughter of Deacon Henry C. Fuller, of East Longmeadow. She proved a worthy daughter of a worthy sire, and was to her husband a helpmeet for more than sixty years. Like the virtuous woman in the Prov- erbs she did him good and not evil all the days of her life, training her children in the way they should go and seeing to her joy that they never departed from it. Their children were : George (see forward) ; Carrie; Ellen S .; Professor J. F., who holds the chair of chem- istry in Madison University, Hamilton, New York.

(VI) George, eldest son of Joseph (2) and Emeline (Fuller) McGregory, was born in East Longmeadow, August 27, 1830, and died in Springfield, June 3, 1906. He received his education at the Wilbraham Academy, at which institution he was graduated at the age of eighteen. In 1850 he went to California by way of Panama, being one of the first to buy tickets for the overland trip by the George Law line. He devoted several years to min- ing, and later settled in Tuolumne county, where he engaged in the ranching business. In 1865 he sold his ranch and removed to Stockton, where he lived until 1867. At that time he returned to the east and located in East Worcester, New York, where he re- mained for two years, being agent for the Susquehanna branch of the Delaware & Hud- son railroad. He came to Springfield from that place in 1872, and became associated with his father, Joseph McGregory, in the marble and granite business under the firm name of McGregory & Son. Following the retirement of his father, the firm name changed to Mc- Gregory & Casman, the younger McGregory having associated himself with the late John P. Casman.

In politics Mr. McGregory was a Republican, and he served in the common council in 1882. He was one of the oldest members of the State street Baptist church, and also a member of DeSoto Lodge of Odd Fellows. He was a home-loving man, and never took any great part in social or club life. He married, in California, in 1856, Marie Antoinette, daugh- ter of Joseph Barker and Maria (Davis) Ho- bart. Children: 1. Helen Marion, born in California, 1857; married George Taylor, of Springfield; children: Marion Standish and Effie Mae. 2. Effie Mae, born in California, September 23, 1859; lives at home. 3. Harry Wesley, born in California, March 3, 1862; married Frances Tillson; children: i. Harry Lee, born in Springfield, October 10, 1886, is

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a member of the Worcester Polytechnic In- stitute, class of 1910: ii. Ethel; iii. Gladys, born October 8, 1891 ; iv. Donald S., born in Palmer, Massachusetts, November 22, 1899. 4. Albert Cook, born in Wilbraham, Septem- ber 6, 1868; married Minnie Almy Mathison : is an instructor in Brockton high school; chil- dren : Sherman Albert, born in Hamilton, New York, May 24, 1896; Edith, born in Brockton. June 4, 1901; Kenneth Winslow, May 12, 1904. 5. George Hobart, born in Springfield, January 7, 1880, and is with A. Mugford, Hartford, Connecticut.

Mrs. McGregory is a lineal descendant of Miles Standish, and her ancestry comes from Isaac Hobart, who was of South Hanson, Massachusetts. Her father, Joseph Hobart, went to California as a '49er, and was a miner and rancher. His son, George Wesley, died in Andersonville prison, October 16, 1864, having served in the Union army, and was captured in one of the engagements.

VAN VLACK This family name seems to have come from Hol- land, where it was spelled Van Vleck. In a letter to J. M. Van Vleck, president of the Van Vleck Association, writes as follows: "I have been from the beginning fully convinced that the name of your family was originally Van Vleck, and that you are all descended from Trielman Van Vleck, who came to this country in 1658, and was for a number of years prominent as a notary and attorney at New Amsterdam. He was after- wards "Schout" (a term used by the Dutch of North America colonists to designate a person holding the offices of procurator and sheriff ) of Bergen, now Jersey City, N. J." His con- jecture as to the origin of the Van Vlecks of this article is this :

"Abraham Van Vleck, born in New York City in 1716, was one of five brothers, sons of a previous Abraham. I have records of the marriages and of the families of the four brothers of the younger Abraham, but of him I know nothing except that he was a physician in New York in 1745, that he was living in that city practicing medi- cine in 1786, and died in 1787. Whether he was ever married or not, I cannot say, yet I am not without reason for believing that he was married. My conjecture is that he was married, that he had a son Abraliam, born in 1755, that bothi lie and his son mnoved from the city during the troubles of the American revolution and settled in Dutchess county ; that

the elder of the two returned to New York after the revolution, but that the son did not, that he remained in Dutchess county, and from him are the successive generations of Van Vlacks. This is, as I have said, only conjecture but a conjecture which has considerable prob- ability. It is certain that two of the brothers of Dr. Abraham Van Vleck, the only two that were living at the time of the revolution, left New York with their families at the beginning of that struggle and returned to that city after the end of the war. One of these two was my great-great-grandfather, and he made his home during the war in the northern part of Dutch- ess county. There was also a married sister living in Rhinebeck."

(I) Abraham Van Vlack who came, says family tradition, with his wife from Holland, is probably the Abraham Van Vlack who was born on the Hudson river, February 2, 1755. He joined the revolutionary army as a private, and became captain before the close of the war. He was the father of eleven children, the eldest of whom was Abram A., next men- tioned.

(II) Abram A., son of Abraham Van Vlack, was born ten miles from Poughkeepsie, August 13, 1777. He married, in 1801, Catherine Weaver, and they had seven children, the youngest of whom was William, see forward.

(III) William, youngest son of Abram A. and Catherine ( Weaver ) Van Vlack, was born in the town of Berne, Albany county, August 6, 1818; died July 17, 1887. He was a sadler by trade, and resided at Albany, New York. He married Adaline Bromley. They had six children : Charles, William (died young), John, George W., Robert S. and Emma, who married Alson Ackert.

(IV) Charles, eldest son of William and Adaline ( Bromley) Van Vlack, was born in Albany, New York, March 2, 1842. He at- tended the Albany public schools until the age of eleven, when he entered the printing office of Van Benthuysen, for the purpose of learn- ing the trade. After four years service there he entered the Knickerbocker Type & Stereo- type Foundry, at Albany, where he continued five years. In 1857 he went into the employ of Weed, Parsons & Company, general printers and publishers, and remained with that firm ten years. In 1868 hc removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where lie became an electro- typer in the employ of Lockwood & Mande- ville. The following ycar he bought out the firm, and has ever since carried on the busi- ness with success. In 1892 he started a plant

W T bainer AY

Hilham Carter

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known as the Springfield-Photo Engraving Company, his son, William C., being a partner and business manager. In politics Mr. Van Vlack is a Republican; he has taken some interest in politics, and was a member of the city council, 1889-90-91. He is a member of the Nayasset and the Winthrop clubs, of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Masonic fraternity, and the Springfield Board of Trade. Charles Van Vlack married, June 16, 1869, at Albany, Mary Hodgens, of Albany. They have one child, William Charles, born in Springfield, December, 1870.

CARTER The Carter family of Needham, for nearly half a century iden- tified with the manufacture of knit goods (principally underwear ) in that town, was founded on this side of the Atlantic by an enterprising Englishman whose an- cestors on both the paternal and maternal side were sturdy and prosperous textile manu- facturers, belonging to that numerous and im- portant industrial class which constitutes one of the chief bulwarks of the British empire. His maternal grandfather, William Carey, was a manufacturer at Alfreton, Derby- shire, as was also his mother's uncle, John Carey, who was favorably known for his zeal in support of the Methodist denomination, and another was prosperously engaged in the fur business in Nottingham.

(I) John Carter was a native of Derbyshire, and was engaged in the knit-goods industry, specializing in the manufacture of stockings. He married Mary Carey, whose ancestors for four generations were noted manufacturers of stocking frames and occupied the same house. (II) William, son of John and Mary (Carey) Carter, was born in Alfreton,. Feb- ruary 25, 1830. At the age of thirteen he began his attendance at a private school, where he acquired a knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic, and his early education and training for active life were intermingled by studying for half of the day and devoting the remaining hours to learning his trade. The meagre learning thus produced was, however, sufficient to pave the way for the acquisition of more knowledge, which he subsequently obtained through his own personal efforts, and, like the majority of our successful pro- moters of industrial enterprises, he is largely self-taught. At the age of fifteen the death of his grandfather, for whom he had worked for two years as a frame-smith, caused him to join his father in the manufacture of stock-

ings, and under the latter's direction he be- came thoroughly acquainted with every detail of that business. Upon attaining his majority he left home and obtained employment in Nottinghamshire, but some years later, owing to the general business depression then prevail- ing in England, he emigrated to the United States, landing in New York on January 28, 1857, with but ten shillings in his pocket, but possessing, in addition to his industrial knowl- edge, a goodly amount of inherent courage and perseverence. . His arrival in America and the casting of his fortunes among strangers was of itself a memorable event in his life, but was made more so by the usual excitement follow- ing the close of a national political campaign, and it was then that he received his first lesson in American politics, through listening to the various expressions of opinion relative to the defeat of John C. Fremont by James Buchanan in the presidential election of the preceding fall. Finding employment as a journeyman stocking-maker in New York, he remained there three months, going thence to New Hampshire, where he worked for a like period. He was subsequently employed in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and about 1860 he located per- manently in Needham, having in the mean- time been joined by his wife, whom he had married in England.

After continuing as a journeyman for a number of years in Needham, Mr. Carter's progressive tendencies asserted themselves with such force as to cause an earnest desire for advancement. Purchasing a small hand frame, he began business for himself in a mod- est way, giving his special attention to the production of Cardigan jackets, a line of work which proved quite profitable. At the earnest solicitation of Messrs. John and Mark Lee, manufacturers of knit goods, he entered into partnership with them, establishing the firm of Lee, Carter & Company, which engaged quite extensively in the production of a fine line of goods, principally fancy stockings, and this concern enjoyed a prosperous existence for some time. They were, however, at length compelled to succumb, owing chiefly to the disastrous financial panic which swept through the country in 1878, and the plant, together with all other assets, were sold for the benefit of the creditors, leaving Mr. Carter practically penniless. Relief, however, was at hand, for at the moment when his future prospects looked darkest, Mr. I. T. Burr, of Newton, who held a mortgage on the machinery, pur- chased it and turned it over to him on con-

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dition that he revive the business and pay off the mortgage. This Mr. Carter undertook single-handed, Mr. John Lee having declined an invitation to join him in the effort. Rea- lizing at the outset that he had considerably more machinery than was actually warranted by the conditions as then existing, he sold that portion of it for which he had no imme- diate use, and with the proceeds he relieved himself of his obligation to Mr. Burr. This wise movement placed him once more in a po- sition to advance, and he took advantage of it. In due time he admitted his sons, William H. and Horace A., to partnership, and in 1902 organizing and incorporating The William Carter Company. With increase of business they added to their plant, placing it in condition to meet all demands, and from that time have maintained a leading position. At the pres- ent time their establishment is not only one of the foremost of its kind in the United States, but is exceedingly beneficial to the town of Needham, giving steady employment to be- tween three hundred and four hundred of its residents. The factory is equipped with about two hundred improved knitting ma- chines, producing an annual output valued at almost a million dollars, consisting of men's, women's and children's union suits, men's ath- letic shirts, women's vests, drawers, equestrian tights and corset covers, adults' bands, chil- dren's shirts and pantalets, infants' shirts and bands, mittens, hose, leggings, drawers, etc. "Carter's Underwear" has not only become famous throughout the United States, but also throughout the civilized world, orders being received from Turkey, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, South America, Canada and other nations. This demand for the goods is attrib- utable to the fact that the fabric from which they are made is of the best quality, being exceedingly fine and elastic, and finished in such a way as to make it the envy of all manufacturers, who are constantly trying to imitate it. It has been Mr. Carter's earnest desire to improve the environment of the mills, realizing that this was a means of raising the standard of manhood and womanhood among his employees. He granted them a half holi- day on Saturday, for which he received a vote of thanks from the Knights of Labor; he was one of the first manufacturers in the United States to make this concession and this practice has now become universal. He has earnestly endeavored to secure for his employees some of the comforts of life, making their surround-

ings more wholesome and attractive, and build- ing many homesteads with this end in view, old structures having been torn down, and new modern ones taking their place, thus adding to the beauty of the landscape. He has given certain land for public buildings, including that on which the public library is erected, and land in the vicinity for athletic sports, the exercise of which adds to the health and im- provement of those who participate, and all these lands have been improved and beauti- fied. Certain of his land and water way have been converted into a park with abundance of shade trees, flower beds, lakes, with swans thereon, and this is so attractively laid out and so beautiful a resting place that people from miles around frequent it.

William Carter, William H. Carter and Horace A. Carter, president, vice-president and treasurer, respectively, of the William Carter Company of Needham Heights, purchased a controlling interest in the stock of the Spring- field Knitting Company, a corporation engaged in the manufacturing of knit underwear, spin- ning its own yarns, and employing several hundred operatives, and the final papers in the transaction were executed October 6, 1909. The new owners of the Springfield plant are practical millmen and the principal stockhold- ers in the William Carter Company. It is their intention to continue the Springfield plant in operation and to extend and develop it as opportunity offers and the phenomenal growth of their business in Needham, which has tripled in a few years, warrants the prophecy that they will be successful with the new ven- ture. William Carter was elected president of the new company, October 5, 1909.

Prior to leaving the old country, Mr. Car- ter's political ideas were decidedly of a demo- cratic type, and finding upon his arrival in the United States that these ideas were in harmony with the principles of the Republican party, he has from the acquisition of citizen- ship to the present time voted the Republican ticket. He has served as a selectman for four years, as a member of the school board for twelve years, as a water commissioner for the past five years, and is now president of the board, and president and director of several other organizations. Elected a representative to the general court in 1895, he served with ability upon the committee of drainage, and was active in promoting important improve- ments at Highlandville, now Needham Heights. He belongs to Norfolk Lodge, Free

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and Accepted Masons ; Newton Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and is an esteemed member of the Home Market Club, Boston, having joined that body at its organization. He has been a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery Company of Boston for a great many years. His religious affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal church at Needham Heights, which he has long served as trustee.

In 1854 Mr. Carter married (first) in Not- tingham, England, Hannah Truman, of Carl- ton ; she died at Needham, 1862, leaving one son, Frank C., and a daughter, who died in infancy. Mr. Carter married (second ) Martha Lee, sister of his business partners, John and Mark Lee. The parents of Martha (Lee) Carter were natives of England, the father having been a manufacturer there. Mrs. Lee Carter proved a great help and as- sisted her husband materially in laying the foundation for his ultimate success, and he holds her memory in grateful remembrance. She died May 22, 1873, leaving four children : I. William H., mentioned below. 2. Mary Elizabeth, became wife of C. W. Jones, and mother of four children; resides in Needham Heights. 3. John J., learned the trade of car- penter and is now employed by the William Carter Company. 4. Horace A., see separate article. Mr. Carter married (third) Jane G. Avery, of Needham, daughter of Jonathan and Eunice L. (Arnold) Avery, of that town. Children : 1. Avery Sanborn, died in infancy. 2. Lucy Avery. 3. Roscoe Arnold Carter. Mrs. Avery Carter is descended from an early settler in Dedham, and a genealogical record of her ancestry, somewhat condensed, ap- pears further on this page.

(III) William H. Carter, eldest son of William and Martha (Lee) Carter, was born in Needham, June 15, 1864. He received his early education in the public schools of Need- ham, and during his boyhood was admitted as an employee to his father's mill, and in due course of time was entrusted with the duties of superintendent, in which capacity he is still serving, in addition to that of vice-presi- dent of the company. Since attaining his ma- jority he has regularly voted the Republican ticket ; he was elected to the state legislature in 1906, and served during his term on the public lighting committee. Mr. Carter mar- ried, in Needham, June 1, 1893, Ada M., daughter of William Taylor, of Bennington, Vermont. Mrs. Carter was formerly a school teacher in North Chelmsford and Needham.

(The Avery Line).

The "Patronymica Brittanica" states that this name is credited with an origin from vari- ous sources.

(1) The earliest ancestor found in English records of this family, was Robert Avery, of Pill (now Pyle), Somersetshire, yeoman, who died prior to October 14, 1575, had three sons : William, Richard and Thomas. William, son of Robert Avery, married against his father's wishes and left home, but received his share in the family estate. He had a son Robert and perhaps other children. Robert, son of William Avery, resided in Workingham, Berk- shire, and was a blacksmith. His will was dated March 30, 1642. The Christian name of his wife was Joanne, and his children were : William, Robert and Frances.

(II) Dr. William Avery, son of Robert (I) Avery, was born (probably) in Workingham, in 1622. He was the Dedham settler already referred to, going there in 1650, and bringing with him his wife Margaret and three children. This family came from the parish of Barkham, county of Berkshire, not far from Working- ham. He became a prominent man in the town owning a large estate and taking an active part in public affairs. In 1669 he was chosen a representative to the general court, and the record of his election as such desig- nates him as Sergeant William Avery. Orig- inally a blacksmith, he appears to have relin- quished the forge for the practice of medicine, and is referred to as Dr. William Avery for the first time in the town records of 1675, in an entry stating that with several other prominent men he was appointed by the court to examine Indians who were suspected of evil designs against the English. In 1853 he was referred to by Dr. Ebenezer Alden, president of the Norfolk District Medical Society, as "the earliest educated physician who is known to have taken up his residence in Dedham." His first wife, Margaret, died in Dedham, Sep- tember 28, 1678, and he shortly afterward re- moved to Boston, where he became a book- seller. His death occurred in Boston, March 18, 1686. In addition to possessing a good education, he was one of the early patrons of learning in New England, having been a bene- factor of Harvard College, and he donated the sum of sixty pounds for the establishment of a Latin school in Dedham. He married for his second wife, Mrs. Mary ( Woodman- sey) Tapping, probably daughter of Robert Woodmansey. She died May 21, 1707, aged

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II, Part 69

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 1008

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1008