Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 123

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 986

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 123

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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1778, discharged August 27, time of service twenty-four days, rate per month twelve pounds, amount of wages nine pounds twelve shillings, travel out at eight pence, home at eight pence, one hundred and twenty-five miles, eight pounds six shillings eight pence, subsistence money four pounds sixteen shill- ings total twenty-two pounds fourteen shill- ings eight pence. The roll, is attested by "Aron Quinby," but the name is elsewhere spelled Quinbee and Quenbe.

Aaron Quimby, from Derryfield, March 27, 1754, bought lot 37, range I, Weare, of Jere- miah Bennett, the proprietor, who once thought to settle there himself, for one hun- dred pounds old tenor bills of credit and "Emediate settlement made on the lot". He built a good substantial large house of hewed logs and a rough log barn. It was on the north road from Oil Mill to South Weare, one-half mile east of Meadow Brook, and the mark of his cellar can now be seen. When the town filled up with inhabitants he opened an inn, probably the first in Weare, and kept it for a long time. It was a busy house and had some exciting scenes. The first barrel of rum ever in town was loaded by him on a "jumber" and drawn by a horse on the rough path up the Piscataquog and over the hills to his inn. How many got balmy on that first barrel can- not now be told. In his bar-room the old loggerhead was always kept at a white heat. With it he warmed the flip made of West In- dia rum with some pieces of pumpkin dried on the "lug pole," apple skins and bran in it. This gave it excellent flavor, and lips smacked that tasted it. Half a mug of flip was three pence. He also used it to warm the sling and milk, and sold cach for three pence a mug. He was a prominent man in town, and once held the office of coroner of Hillsborough county. About 1779 he moved to Sandwich, then on the very outskirts of civilization, and bought four hundred acres of Rock Maple Ridge, North Sandwich, (paying in Continental scrip) where he afterward lived and died De- cember, 1810. He married (first) October 8, 1753, in Hampstead, Anna Batchelder ; died about 1765; (second) in Hampstead, March 20, 1766, Mary Johnson. Children, first two children born of first wife: Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Enoch, Samuel, James, Daniel, Anna, Aaron J., Susannah, Johnson D. and Mary.

(V) Rev. Daniel, sixth son of Aaron and Mary ( Johnson) Quimby, was born in Weare, New Hampshire, December 26, 1773. He became one of the pioneers of Lyndon,

Vermont, and was a prosperous farmer. He was also a Free Baptist minister, and erected the first Free Baptist church in that town. He never took any pay for preaching, and trav- elled miles to hold religious meetings. He married Dolly Burley, February, 1798; she died September 18, 1800. Their children were: I. Thomas, born February II, 1799. 2. Han- nah, April 21, 1800. He married (second) May, 1803, Lydia Gilman, born June 4, 1783, died November 4, 1857.

,(VI) Colonel Daniel (2), son of Rev. Daniel (I) and Lydia (Gilman) Quimby, was born in Sandwich, New Hampshire, September 10, 1804, died March 10, 1873. He removed to Lyndon with his parents. He was connected with the state militia, from which connection he obtained his title. In religious preferences he was a Free Baptist. He married Polly Woodruff, of Westmore, Vermont, September 25, 1825; she was born November 27, 1806, died November 20, 1877. Children : I. Horace A .. born April 18, 1828, mentioned below. 2. Lydia, July 25, 1830. 3. Cordelia H., De- cember 19, 1832; married H. M. Nichols, of Lyndon. 4. Daniel J., January 10, 1835, of Portland, Oregon. 5. Lot P. W., July 6, 1837, of Portland, Oregon. 6. Mary E., May 2, 1840: married James E. Matthewson, of Springfield, Massachusetts. 7. Laura H., March 26, 1842, married Edwin Swetland, of Portland, Oregon.

(VII) Horace A., eldest son of Colonel Daniel (2) and Polly (Woodruff ) Quimby, was born in Lyndon, Vermont, April 18, 1828. He received an academical education at Brownington Academy, Vermont. After leav- ing school he engaged as a peddler of silver- ware and Jewelry. In three years he had saved enough out of his carnings to start in business on his own account. In 1853 he opened a general store at Wheelock, Vermont, and in 1855 a branch store was started at Lyn- don Center. In 1867 Mr. Quimby became a resident of Springfield, Massachusetts, and for two years conducted a restaurant and ice cream parlors, and from then until 1882 en- gaged in the wholesale and retail fish and oyster business. He then purchased the old Dearden crockery store, which he now con- ducts at No. 9 Hampden street, Springfield, under the name of Quimby & Company. In politics he is a Republican, and was honored by the appointment of postmaster of Whee- lock and at Lyndon. He is a member of the Baptist church and contributed liberally toward the support of the same. He is a:

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Master Mason, connected with Roswell Lee Lodge. Commencing life at the bottom of the ladder, Mr. Quimby has risen to affluence by his own unaided industry and business fore- sight. Nature endowed him with a vigorous constitution and a clear mind. He inherited little else. A gentleman of the old school of merchants, his unbending integrity makes him respected by his associates in the business world, in which he is an important factor, and his many charities make him loved by the poor and unfortunate of his adopted city.

Mr. Quimby married (first) at Sandwich, New Hampshire, December 7, 1853. Sarah E., daughter of David M. Hodgdon; she died March 2, 1854. He married (second) Sep- tember 18, 1855, Martha M. Sanborn, born April 7, 1829, died April 15, 1909, daughter of Elisha Sanborn, of Lyndon, Vermont. Chil- dren: I. Sarah E., married John Pettigrew. 2. Irving A., born December 26, 1863; edu- cated in public schools of Springfield, Mas- sachusetts, after which he entered his father's store, where he has since remained. In 1888 he was admitted a member of the firm of Quimby & Company, but most of his time is devoted to looking after their trade on the road, covering western Massachusetts, north- ern Connecticut, southern Vermont and New Hampshire. He is a charter member of the Commercial Travellers' Club of Springfield. He married, September 9, 1890, Stella, daugh- ter of Leonard Clark, of Springfield, and their two children are: Marion, born August 10, 1892, and Horace A., October 1I, 1894.

NORTON The name of Norton is of ancient French origin, and the many distinct families in America bearing it are undoubtedly descend- ed from the same source. Their lineage can be traced back to Le Signr. de Noruile (Nor- vile), who crossed the channel with the Nor- man Conqueror and subsequently served as the latter's constable. This de Norvile mar- ried a lady of the famous house of Valois. A descendant of Cantable de Novile in the sixth generation, anglicized the name into its pres- ent form of Norton. Professor Charles Eliot Norton, of Harvard University, is a lineal de- scendant of the constable in the twenty-first generation. In addition to Norton street, a prominent London thoroughfare, there are in England several important rural communities of this name, viz .: Clipping Norton, Sedbey Norton, King's Norton and Philip's Norton, all of ancient origin, and doubtless deriving

their name from some prominent family or in- dividual. Several immigrants of this name are mentioned in the early colonial records of New England. Captain Walter Norton ar- rived in America in 1630. George Norton, of Salem, Ipswich, and other places, who came from London, was made a freeman in 1634 and died in 1659. William Norton, of Hing- ham and Ipswich, born in England, 1610, came in the "Hopewell" in 1635 and took the freeman's oath the same year. Rev. John Norton, brother of William, born in 1606, probably in London, emigrated to Massachu- setts Bay in 1635, shortly after graduating from Cambridge, and located in Ipswich. In 1656 he became pastor of the First Church in Boston, and was noted for his piety and learn- ing. Nicholas Norton, who is thought to have come from the county of Herts, was of Wey- mouth, Massachusetts, in 1638, removed to Martha's Vineyard, and his descendants are still found there. A Francis Norton was ad- mitted a freeman at Weymouth in 1642. A Joseph Norton was married in Salisbury, Massachusetts, March 10, 1662, to Susanna Getchell. Major Peter Norton, an efficient officer in the revolutionary war, was a son of Ebenezer, grandson of Joseph, and great- grandson of Nicholas, the Martha's Vineyard settler. Bonus Norton, son of William, of Ipswich, previously mentioned, was born about 1657, took the oath of fidelity in 1678, and was residing at Ipswich in 1691. He was of Hingham in 1712, but subsequently re- moved to Hampton, New Hampshire, where he died in 1718. He married Mary, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Whipple) Goodhue, and had six children: William, Joseph, Sam- usel, Elizabeth, Lucy and Anne. The line of descent of the Norton family mentioned be- low does not appear in any of the genealogies or other reference works examined for the purpose of obtaining it.

(I) Michael Norton, place and date of birth not ascertained, went from Newburyport, where he had followed the trade of a ship- carpenter for a number of years, to Derry, New Hampshire. He married Catherine . Among his children were : I. Michael, became a prominent building contractor in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and erected a num- ber of buildings in the Harvard University group ; died in Cambridge, leaving no children. 2. Joseph, became a shipmaster, and died on the coast of Africa. 3. Henry : see forward.

(II) Henry, son of Michael Norton, was born in Newburyport. Settling in Cambridge

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in 1815, he entered the employ of Deacon Nathaniel Livermore and learned the soap- making trade. Naturally ambitious, he could not long devote his energies to the interest of others, and forming a partnership with Hiram Davis in 1820, this firm secured an old cooper shop on Windsor street, in which they estab- lished themselves as soap manufacturers. Sell- ing out his interest to his partner a few years later he purchased a farm in Bedford which he carried on some fourteen months, and re- turning to Cambridge at the expiration of that time he resumed the manufacture of soap, erected a factory on Windsor street and con- ducted business successfully for nearly forty years, until his retirement in 1860. The re- maining years of his life were spent at his home on Windsor street, where he died in 1868. He attended the First Universalist Church.

Henry Norton married Rebecca, daughter of Levi and Mary (Gill) Pease, of Northboro. It is definitely known that the Peases of Eng- land originated in Germany and that a coat- of-arms was given them by Otho II in the lat- ter part of the tenth century. Representatives of the family settled in England and were the progenitors of the Peases who were among the early New England colonists. Robert Pease (I), a locksmith of Baddow, county of Essex, and his wife Margaret, had children : Robert, John and Elizabeth. His will was proved June 10, 1623. His son, Robert Pease (II), came over in the ship "Francis" from Ipswich, England, in 1634, and settled in Sa- lem. He was accompanied by his brother John. his eldest son Robert, and probably his mother. his wife and other members of his family joining him later. He was granted ten acres of land at Salem in 1637: united with First Church in 1613: died in 1644. The Christian name of his wife was Marie, and this form of spelling suggests the fact that she may have been the daughter of a French Protestant who had taken refuge in England. His known children were: Robert, John, Na- thaniel, Sarah (married John Sampson, of Beverly ), and Mary, probably second wife of Hugh Pasco. Robert Pease (III), son of Robert (11), was born in England, in 1628, and came to New England with his father in the "Francis". I eft fatherless at the age of seventeen, he was in 1645 ordered by the court to be apprenticed to Thomas Root, to learn the weaver's trade. In carly manhood he spent a short time at Martha's Vineyard, but the greater portion of his life was passed in Salen

as keeper of the town herd, as in 1704 he testi- fied in court that "he had been keeper of sev- eral lots of creatures, as neat cattle, goats, etc., on the land belonging to the inhabitants of Salem about 60 years agone". He was a mem- ber of a local militia company, and saw active service against the Indians in 1676. The Christian name of his wife was Sarah, and in 1692 both suffered imprisonment on account of being suspected of witchcraft. He was living in 1713, in which year he was dismissed from the First Church in Salem to that of the Middle Precinct, now Peabody, which he helped to organize. His children were : Bethia, died young: Elizabeth ; Deliverance, died young : Mary, Robert, Isaac, Deliverance, Bethia and Nathaniel. Robert Pease (IV), son of Robert (III), was born March 25, 1669. For some reason now unknown he left home in his youth, and settling in Enfield, Connecticut, was granted land, prior to his majority, located on the Somers road, east of Enfield street. In December, 1691, he mar- ried Hannah Warriner, and settled upon his allotment, where he was living in 1744. Chil- dren : Hannah, Nathaniel, Joseph and Benja- min. His son, Nathaniel (V), was born in Enfield. He was a weaver by trade. In 1759 he settled in Blandford, Massachusetts, where for several years he carried on a public house in connection with farming, and for three years was a member of the board of selectmen. In 1771 he sold his tavern to his son Levi and is said to have removed to Stephentown, New York, where he died. December 24, 1730, he married Miriam Pease, daughter of Robert, the latter a grandson of John Pease Sr., of Sa- lem, previously referred to as having emi- grated with his brother Robert (II). Children of Robert and Miriam Pease: 1. Nathaniel, born 1731. 2. Miriam, 1733. 3. Hannah, 1735. 4. Joel, 1737. 5. Levi. 6. Abel, born 1741. 7. William. S. George. 9. Eleanor. Captain Levi Pease (VI), son of Nathaniel (V), was born in Enfield, in 1739. He learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed to some extent, and when a young man went to Stephentown, New York, but returned in 1770 or 1771, bought his father's tavern in Blan- ford. and carried it on for some time. At the breaking out of the revolutionary war he was enrolled in a Blandford company of minute- men, but instead of serving in the field was assigned to duties of a far different character. For some time he was employed by General Thomas on the northern frontier as a post- rider. and displayed much courage and dis-

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cretion in eluding capture while conveying important despatches. He subsequently proved exceedingly useful to General Wadsworth, who' as commissary-general employed him to purchase beeves and other supplies for the army. In these transactions he was often en- trusted with large sums of money, for which no receipt was required by the General, who had implicit confidence in his integrity, and he never betrayed that confidence. Upon the arrival of the French fleet and troops at New- port, Pease was employed by the Continental government to procure horses for the purpose of conveying the artillery to Yorktown, and he was afterward engaged in foraging for the army. He was always referred to as Captain, but there is no record of his ever having been commissioned. Shortly after the close of the war he established a stage line between Somers and Hartford, and for many years was en- gaged in that business. In 1786 he removed to Boston, where he kept the New York stage house, some three or four years, and operated a stage line from that place to Hartford. His business expanded into large proportions, and at one time he conducted a stage line from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Savannah, Georgia, which carried the United States mail. For a long time he held numerous important mail contracts, many of which he sub-let to others, holding himself responsible for their conduct, and at that time he was the only mail contractor in New England known to the post- office department. He was the first person to procure from the commonwealth a charter for the construction and maintenance of a turn- pike road, which superseded the former almost impassable highway through Palmer and Wil- braham to Springfield, and while the public acquired the advantages of a good thorough- fare, its public-spirited projector lost heavily by the undertaking through the subsequent depreciation in value of its capital stock, the major portion of which was owned by Cap- tain Pease. About the year 1794 he establish- ed his residence in Shrewsbury, Massachu- setts. purchasing the farm and tavern stand of Major Farrar, and carrying on both for sev- eral years afterward in connection with his stage lines. He outlived all of his children, and died in Shrewsbury, June 14, 1832, aged ninety-three years. Children : 1. Hannah, married Thomas H. Kimball, of Boston, 1796. 2. Levi. 3. Lemuel, born in Blandford, De- cember 16, 1771 : died married, in Shrewsbury, 1816. 4. Lory, born in Blandford, October 4, 1774. 5. Mary, born May 11, 1779; became

wife of Perry Chapin, of Worcester, and died there, 1807. 6. Jeremiah, born in Somers, Connecticut, January 12, 1781 ; probably died young. Levi Pease (VII), son of Captain Levi (VI), was born in 1768. He married Mary Gill, and settled in Northboro, Massa- chusetts, where he died June 20, 1808. Chil- dren: I. Hannah, born in Worcester, Feb- ruary 14, 1789. 2. Thomas, born in Somers, November 4, 1790; died in Cambridge, 1824. 3. Mary. 4. Levi. 5. Jeremiah; resided in Shrewsbury for a time, and removed to South- boro. 6. John. 7. Pamelia Ann. 8. Susa. 9. Rebecca ; became wife of Henry Norton, of Cambridge, as previously stated.

Children of Henry Norton: I. Louisa, married James Bettinson, of Cambridge, Mas- sachusetts ; three children. 2. Edward Hill, see forward. 3. William, married three times ; had one child, Abbie, by first wife. 4. Han- nah, married Ward Webber ; children: Jo- seph, Anna, Louisa, Elizabeth and Walter. 5. Rebecca, married Asa T. Faxon; children : George, Anson, Sturgis, Eveline, Amy and Emily. 6. Henry, married Amy Rand; chil- dren : William, Howard and Norton. 7. Emeline, married Sturgis Center; (second) James Ingalls ; no children. 8. Caroline, mar- ried Lyman K. Center ; children: Abbie and Henry. 9. Mary, married James Sweet; no children.

(III) Edward Hill, son of Henry and Re- becca (Pease) Norton, was born at East Cam- bridge, in the house where he now resides, September 14, 1829. He attended the public schools, including the old Cambridge high school, located at the corner of Broadway and Windsor street, presided over by Mr. Welling- ton. He acquired proficiency in the art of soap making under the direction of his father, whom he succeeded in 1860, and conducted it successfully until about 1873, when he in turn surrendered its management to his son. While at the head of the business he made numerous improvements, removing the plant from Windsor to Lincoln street and keeping pace with the times in the way of improved ma- chinery. During his active years he affiliated with the Citizen's Trade Association and the Non-partisan League, and for two years he served in the city council. He is a Master Mason and a member of Amicable lodge.

Mr. Norton still occupies the old home- stead at No. 402 Windsor street. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Joseph Weeks, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Children: I. Charles Edward, married, and resides in Bos-

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ton; two children, one of whom died in in- fancy ; their surviving son, Edward H., has two children : Charles Edward and 2. George W., succeeded his father in business, and at the present time is conducting a large and finely equipped soap manufacturing plant in Somerville. He is unmarried. He resides with his father during the winter, and spends his summers at his fine stock farm in Lexing- ton, where he has excellent facilities for grati- fying his love for blooded horses. 3. Anna L., married Thomas Martin, janitor of one of the Cambridge public schools, and has one daugh- ter, Josephine. 4. Josephine, unmarried. 5. Mary Elizabeth, married Frank Coghlan, who has charge of his father-in-law's real es- tate interests. Mr. and Mrs. Coghlan reside at the homestead.

SORTWELL Sawtell, Sawtelle, Sawt- well, Sautel, Sartwell and Saretil are the various spell- ings of the family of which Richard Sawtell, of Watertown, 1636, and of Groton, before 1655, is the forebear. Two brothers, Rich- ard and Thomas Sawtell, immigrant settlers of New England, came from England before 1636, and Thomas settled in the town of Bos- ton and Richard in Watertown. Thomas died in Boston, 1651, and left no male heir.

(I) Richard Sawtell was made a freeman of Watertown, "The town upon Charles river," five years after its establishment by the general court of Massachusetts Bay, Sep- tember 7, 1630. At that time Watertown in- cluded a much larger area than is now repre- sented by that name. It was a town which for many years ranked with Plymouth and Charlestown and Salem as one of the principal seats of influence of those mighty men of re- nown of the formative days of New England and its close neighborhood with Harvard Col- lege made it a centre whither the strong men of the period resorted and whence went forth influences which affected all the American colonies. Richard Sawtell was a leader there as early as 1637, at the time that Cromwell, Vane and Hampden were engaged in those struggles which proved the birth pangs of English constitutional liberty. After Water- town has been firmly established, the call came for those who had been foundation layers and master builders of the new community to again lay new foundations on what was then the frontier of civilization, and among them was Richard Sawtell, who was a natural leader and moved to the front in whatever commun-

ity he lived. The new settlement was named Groton, and it afforded the background and environment which was appropriate to such noteworthy schools as the old Lawrence Acad- emy and the present St. Paul's school. Rich- ard Sawtell became a proprietor of Groton, formed out of the Plantation of Patapawag, and moved his family to that town as soon as suitable homes had been provided. He served as its first town clerk. All through those terrible days of the Indian massacres which made the name of Groton one to kindle terror even in those days of blood, Richard Sawtell remained at his place and counted the place of danger the place of honor. In ex- treme old age he returned to his old home in Watertown and died there August 21, 1694. His life almost exactly spanned the period of the struggle for liberty, commencing just as the struggle became acute and terminating just as victory was permanently assured. His wife Elizabeth died October 18, 1694. If, as seems probable, she was mother of Richard's children, she was probably daughter of Thom- as Post, of Cambridge, who died in 1691, leav- ing a will in which he bequeathed to his "grandson John Sawtell," and others. Rich- ard, by will, gave to his wife Elizabeth, for life, his lands in Groton and Watertown, his son Obadiah to improve the lands in Groton, and his son Enoch to do the same with lands in Watertown, and each to have the lands he improved on the death of their mother. These two sons were to pay something to the testa- tors' daughters, Bethia, Sawtell, Hannah Winn and Ruth Hues, and his son John Sawtell. The son Jonathan was provided for already. Children : I. Elizabeth, born May 1, 1638. 2. Jonathan, August 24, 1639, died January 6, 1690-91 ; married, July 3, 1665, Mary

who bore him six children. 3. Mary, Novem- ber 19, 1640, married a Mr. Starling, or Ster- ling. 4. Hannah, December 10, 1642, married Increase Winn. 5. Zachariah, July 26, 1643- 44, married (first) Elizabeth Parker, of Gro- ton, by whom he had two children, Anna and Zachariah ; (second) Mary , by whom he had tlirce children, Edward, Nathaniel and Mary. 6. Bethia, 1646, married John Green. 7. Obadialı, 1648, mentioned below. 8. Enoch, married Susanna Randall, who bore him five children ; he was a weaver in Watertown. 9. Jolin, mentioned in his father's will. 10. Rutli, married, March 9, 1676-77, John Hewes, or Hucs.

(II) Obadiah, son of Richard Sawtell, born in Watertown, 1648, resided and died in Gro-

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ton, March 20, 1740. He was a soldier in the Indian wars carried on by King Philip, 1675- 76, and he was driven from his home with the other families of the town. Among the names of soldiers from Groton in these In- dian wars were found: Abel, David, David Jr., Ephraim, Hezekiah, Jonathan, Joseph, Jo- siah, Moses, Nathaniel, Obadiah, Richard, Samuel and Zachariah Sawtell, and according to the spelling of the name they were appar- ently of the same family as Richard the immi- grant. He married, in Groton, Hannah Law- rence, born March 24, 1661-62, daughter of George Lawrence, of Watertown ; she was liv- ing September 29, 1726. Children: I. Na- thaniel, born about 1681. 2. Elnathan, March 27, 1683. 3. Ephraim, about 1685. 4. Josiah, August 14, 1687. 5. Hepsibah, married, prob- ably at Concord, August 24, 1706, Thomas Foster, of Billerica. 6. Zachariah. 7. Han- nah, June 8, 1695, married Stephen Holden. 8. Abigail, March 13, 1697, married Joseph Parker. 9. Mary, about 1699, married Ben- jamin Parker. 10. Obadiah, March 18, 1701, mentioned below. II. Hezekiah, March 2,

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III, Part 123

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 986

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 986