USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 125
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(The Watts Line).
Samuel Watts came to this country from either England or Wales about 1640, took the oath of allegiance at Haverhill, Massachu- setts, in 1667, and was still living in 1690. In the history of Haverhill he is mentioned as having received, August 24, 1676, the sum of thirteen shillings on account of his services as a soldier, and also as having been one of eight young men of Haverhill under command of Sergeant John Webster. There seems to be much difficulty in distinguishing the services of persons named Samuel Watts in the early history of Haverhill, for it appears that the christian name of Samuel was handed down to the eldest son through seven successive generations of the family.
(II) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (I) Watts, the immigrant, was a man of much prominence in town affairs in Haverhill, and is supposed to be the Samuel Watts who is mentioned as one of fifteen persons to whom in 1707 liberty was granted "to build a seat to sit in, in the hind seat of the meeting house, in the west gallery", on condition that they would "not build so high as to damnify the light of them windows at the said west end of the said west gallery". In 1704 and 1705 Sam- uel Watts was member from Haverhill of the great and general court. In 1715 he married Abigail Dustan, who is mentioned in the his- tory of Haverhill as being one of thirteen "young ladies" to whom permission was granted in 1707 "to build a pew in the hind seat in the east end of the meeting house gal- lery", provided, as in the case above men- tioned, they would not "damnify or hinder the light." Abigail Dustan, wife of Samuel Watts, was daughter and ninth child of Thomas Dus- tan who married. December 22, 1697, Han- nah, daughter of Michael and Hannah ( Web- ster ) Emerson. Hannah ( Emerson) Dustan was one of the famous characters in colonial history during the period of Indian troubles and she accomplished that which perhaps has no parallel in our national history. She was born December 23, and married Thomas Dus- tan December 3. 1677, by whom she had thir- teen children. In an Indian attack on Ha- verhill she was made prisoner and carried away captive, with her nurse maid. having re- cently given birth to her eighth child, which was cruelly slain before her eyes by the mer- ciless savages. Having remained captive for some time, she planned to escape, and at the proper moment arose from the bed in which she was sleeping in an Indian wigwam, quiet-
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ly took a tomahawk and with desperate cour- age killed and scalped all of the sleeping In- dians who were guarding the prisoners, ex- cept one boy who escaped her avenging hand by dashing off into the forest. She then took the nurse and other prisoners, with the scalps she had taken, and returned to Haverhill. Such is the story of her heroism without any of the multitude of accompanying details which contributed to make Hannah Dustan a famous character ; and even the general court did not fail to reward her brave action. Sam- uel and Abigail (Dustan) Watts had five chil- dren : I. Samuel, born August 29, 1716, see forward. 2. Hannah, January 23, 1718. 3. Thomas, May 17, 1720. 4. Joseph, Novem- ber 4, 1722. 5. Mary March 5, 1726.
(III) Samuel (3), eldest son of Samuel (2) and Abigail (Dustan) Watts, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, August 29, 1716, and died in Maine. He married (first) in Haverhill in 1740, but had no children by his first wife. He married (second) in Haverhill in 1765, Elsie Bean, and in 1769 removed with his family to Maine. Of their seven children the first five were born in Haverhill and the last two in Jonesboro, Maine. Children: I. Samuel, born 1756. 2. Hannah, 1758, mar- ried Josiah Weston, and was a famous char- acter in early Maine history. Her services on the occasion of the first naval engagement at Machias are well known, and recently a beau- tiful monument has been erected to her mem- ory in Jonesboro by the Daughters of the American Revolution. 3. Betsey, 1764, mar- ried, October 25, 1789, Major Levi Bowker ( see Bowker). 4. Elsie, 1767. 5. Abigail. 6. Sally. 7. Thomas, 1786.
(The Lyon Line).
In the year 1648 three brothers, Henry, Thomas and Richard Lyon, were Scotch sol- diers in Cromwell's army on guard before the banquetting house at Whitehall and were wit- nesses of the execution of Charles I. Imme- diately afterward these brothers fled the army and came to America. They were of the fam- ily of the Lyons of Glen Lyon in Perthshire. Scotland ; and it is of Henry Lyon and some of his descendants that this narrative is in- tended to treat.
(I) Henry Lyon, one of the three brothers mentioned in the preceding paragraph, came to America in 1648, and first appears in Mil- ford, Connecticut, February 24, 1649, when he was admitted member of the church there. In 1654 he took letters of dismission from
Milford to the church in Fairfield, Connecti- cut, in which town he continued to live until 1666, when he left that province and removed with his family to New Jersey. He was one of the founders of the town of Newark, its first treasurer and keeper of the first house of entertainment (called an ordinary) there. About 1674 he removed to Elizabethtown, where he was a prosperous merchant and ex- tensive land owner. He also filled many im- portant offices, and was a member of the house of assembly in 1675; justice of the peace by appointment in 1681 and afterward became judge for the trial of small causes ; member of the governor's council in 1681 ; commissioner in 1682, and representative in the council of the governor in 1684. He married (first ) in 1652, Elizabeth, daughter of William Bate- man, of Fairfield, Connecticut : married (sec- ond) about 1690, Mary Of his ten children six were born in Fairfield, two in Newark and two in Elizabethtown : I. Thomas, 1652-53. 2. Mary, 1654-55. 3. Samuel, 1655- 56, see forward. 4. Joseph, about 1659. 5. Nathaniel, 1663-64. 6. John, 1665-66. 7. Benjamin, 1668. 8. Ebenezer, 1670. 9. Mary, 1690-91. 10. Dorcas, 1692-93.
(II) Samuel, son of Henry and Elizabeth ( Bateman) Lyon, was born in Fairfield, Con- necticut, about 1655-56, and died before Feb- ruary 26, 1707. He was one of the signers of the "fundamental agreement" entered into by the Milford colonists of Newark, and in 1667, although then only a boy, he had a lot granted him in the distribution of the town lands of Newark. He married (first) Sarah Beach, born 1654, daughter of Zopher and Sarah (Platt) Beach, of New Haven, Connecticut. He married (second) Hannah, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Harrison) Pierson. He had five children by his first and three by his second wife: I. Samuel. 2. Henry, born 1682, see forward. 3. Joseph, married Mary Pierson. 4. Mary. 5. Sarah. 6. John, mar- ried Elizabeth Riggs. 7. James, October 5, 1700, died November 6, 1775. 8. Hannah.
(III) Captain Henry (2), son of Samuel and Sarah ( Beach) Lyon, was born in New- ark, New Jersey, in 1682, died August 9, 1735. He married Mary Roberts, sister of Samuel Roberts, who was one of the overseers of his will. Children : 1. David, died after 1742. 2. Nathaniel. 3. Josiah. 4. Zopher, see for- ward. 5. Jonathan, born 1719, died 1784. 6. Henry.
(IV) Zopher, son of Captain Henry and Mary (Roberts) Lyon, was born probably in
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Newark about 1715-16, and died in 1744. He married Mary -, who administered on his estate. Children: I. Phebe, born May, 1733, died August 3, 1734. 2. James, see for- ward.
(V) Rev. James, only son of Zopher and Mary Lyon, was born in Newark, New Jer- sey, July 1, 1735, and died in Machias, Maine, June 12, 1794. He graduated from Princeton College, taking his B. A. degree in 1759 and his M. A. degree in 1762. In 1762 he was licensed to preach by the presbytery of New Brunswick and in 1764 was ordained. He preached several years at Onslow, Novo Scotia, and various other places, but found his work there so very discouraging that he determined to return to New Jersey. On his return journey in 1771 he passed through the province of Maine, just at a time when the people of the new town of Machias were cast- ing about for a minister to preach to them; and they persuaded him to remain with them and become their minister, at a salary of eighty pounds per annum, and to preach on alternate Sabbaths at West Falls and East Falls. Although he was engaged to preach at a fixed salary, he actually received a very small sum of cash during the hard times previous to and during the period of the revo- lution, most of the subscriptions being paid in lumber. He continued to preach in Machias until the time of his death. During the revo- lution Mr. Lyon served as a volunteer in the ranks and afterward was appointed chaplin in Colonel Allen's Indian regiment. In writ- ing of his services during this period, Mr. Smith, the historian of Machias, says of Mr. Lyon: "No man was more devoted or active in the cause than Mr. Lyon. He was repeat- edly chosen by our citizens as one of the mem- bers of the committee of correspondence and safety and was emphatically one of the lead- ing men of the times. Of his superior educa- tion and talents he made no boast, but his whole powers were always at the service of his country and his fellow citizens. Nothing daunted his resolution and energy, and his in- fluence and power were largely extended. And, at the close of this busy year of 1775, we find a remarkable specimen of his devo- tion to the cause of liberty and of his self- reliance in a letter addressed by him to Gen- eral Washington, in which he suggests the plan of a military expedition against Novo Scotia for the purpose of securing the beauti- ful province to the colonial union." Mr. Lyon also was an author and wrote several books
on various subjects, which were much read at the time. He also was a skillful musician, and many anecdotes are related of his pecu- liarities. He was very near-sighted and also was color-blind, and it is said that his wife Martha conceived a great dislike to Ichabod Jones, he being said to have taken advantage of the reverend gentleman's infirmity and sold him a piece of red broadcloth instead of black, which was as Martha said much more suitable for a coat for one of his majesty's soldiers and not at all to her liking. Mr. Lyon mar- ried (first) February 18, 1768, Martha Holden, born December 24, 1749, of Cape May, West New Jersey. He married (sec- ond) November 24, 1793, only a few months before his death, Sarah Skillen, born 1744, died October 18, 1827. Children: I. Lud- lum, born Nova Scotia, January 1, 1769. 2. Phoebe, September 26, 1770, died about 1792; married John Kelley. 3. James. 4. Jeremiah, January 26, 1775, died December 13, 1783. 5. Martha, May 1, 1777, died June 12, 1783. 6. Hannah, November 15, 1779; married Wil- liam Ellis Smith. 7. Henry, May 20, 1782; married Betsey Crocker, and had Albert, James (see forward) Rebecca (married Hen- ry Gallison), Hannah, Ludlum, William, Amelia (married Bryant Gates), Warren, Cyrus and Sanford. 8. Sarah Shannon, June 28 ( or November 24), 1784. 9. Amelia ( married E. H. Payson), Henry, George, Frank, Ann Eliza and Maria.
(VI) James Lyon, son of Henry and Bet- sey Crocker Lyon, was born in Machias, Maine, October 21, 1812, and married, May, 1837, Susan Longfellow. Children: I. Julia Maria, born June 3, 1838; married Watta H. Bowker (see Bowker). 2. James Henry, May, 1840, died young. 3. Henrietta B., Au- gust 12, 1842. 4. James Henry, November 21, 1844. 5. Levi T., July 21, 1846.
HOLDEN The surname Holden, Holdin, Holding or Houlding, is an an- cient and distinguished pa- tronymic in England. The derivation was doubtless from a place name. Various branches of the family bear titles and coats- of-arms.
(I) Richard Holden, immigrant ancestor of the American family, was born in England in 1609 and came to this country in the ship "Francis," sailing from Ipswich, England, April 30, 1634, and settling first at Ipswich, Massachusetts, where he was for a time a land owner. His brother Justinian, born in 1611,
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came over a year later and settled in Water- town, whither Richard removed soon after- ward. A manuscript family record, written about 1800, states that the immigrants had brothers Adam and William, and an uncle, James Holden, "one of the Lords. of Eng- land", who secured their release by the sheriff who had arrested them for attending a "dis- senting meeting", on condition that they would do so no more "in that country." Richard Holden resided in Cambridge, adjoining Watertown, for a time, and Justinian also set- tled there. Richard was a proprietor of the adjacent town of Woburn as early as 1658 He sold his place at Watertown in 1655 to J. Sherman. He was admitted a freenian May 6, 1657. In the same year he removed to Groton where he had nine hundred and seven- ty-five acres of land in the northeasterly part of the town, now in Shirley, part of which was lately occupied by Porter Kittredge. His land extended on the west bank of the Nashua river from a point near Beaver pond to the north- ward. He spent his last years with his son Stephen, to whom he gave his real estate March 23, 1691, calling himself at that time "aged, infirm and a widower". He died at Groton, March 1, 1796. He married, in 1640, Martha, who died at Watertown, December 6, 1681, daughter of Stephen Fosdick, of Charlestown. The latter bequeathed to Holden a forty acre lot of land in Woburn. Children : I. Justinian, born 1644; resided in Billerica. 2. Martha, January 15, 1645-46; married Thomas Boyden. 3. Stephen, July 19, 1648; killed by a fall from a tree at Groton in 1658. 4. Samuel, settled in Groton and Stoneham. 5. Mary, married Thomas Williams. 6. Sarah, married, December 20, 1677, Gershom Swan. 7. Elizabeth. 8. Thomas. 9. John, died young. 10. Stephen, mentioned below.
(II) Stephen, son of Richard Holden, was born in Watertown about 1658. He went to Groton with his father. During the interrup- tion caused in the colony by King Philip's war, he went to Charlestown or Woburn, and sev- eral of his children settled in Charlestown. He returned to Groton and died there Novem- ber 18, 1715. He married Hannah, daughter of Ensign Nathaniel Lawrence, who was dea- con, and deputy to the general court in 1693. Stephen Holden's estate was divided among his heirs March 19, 1718-19, and the widow's estate was divided among the same heirs Jan- uary 30, 1737. Children : 1. John, had chil- dren born in Charlestown. 2. Stephen, mar- ried Sarah Cresy. 3. Nathaniel. 4. William. iv-18
5. Simon, who was a blacksmith. 6. Jonathan. 7. Benjamin, mentioned below. 8. Rachel. 9. Hannah. 10. Sarah. II. Nehemiah.
(III) Benjamin, son of Stephen Holden, was born in Groton about 1690. He lived at Needham at the time of his marriage and af- terwards in Dedham. He married, May 8, 1728, Hannah, daughter of Thomas and Re- becca (Mason) Ockington. He joined the First Church, April 13, 1729, and his wife, April 2, 1738. She married (second) June 5, 1746, Samuel Bullard, of Dedham, and died in Princeton, January 4, 1776, from the ef- fects of a fall, aged eighty years. Children, born in Dedham : I. Benjamin, March 10, 1728-29, mentioned below. 2. John, Decem- ber 31, 1731, died February 19, 1731-32. 3. Mindwell, February 16, 1732-33; married, September 12, 1751, Samuel Farrington. 4. Sarah, July 13, 1735. 5. Jerusha, baptized
April 2, 1738.
(IV) Colonel Benjamin (2), son of Ben- jamin (1) Holden, was born in Dedham, March 10, 1728-29, baptized in the Dedham Church, April 13, 1729. He was prominent in the town of Princeton, where he settled, and in the army. He served as sergeant and lieutenant in the French and Indian war. He was a member of the provincial congress. He was in the revolution and commissioned lieu- tenant colonel in Colonel Ephraim Dolittle's regiment, May 19, 1775, his commission signed by General Joseph Warren. He com- manded his regiment at the battle of Bunker Hill. He was lieutenant colonel of the twenty- seventh foot company under Colonel Israel Hutchinson, his commission signed by Gen- eral Hancock, January 1, 1776. He com- manded the detachment furnished from Fort Lee by General Washington's orders, Novem- ber 14. 1776, to reinforce Fort Washington. He was wounded and taken prisoner at that battle and held from November. 1776, to May. 1778. He was a member of the Church of England. He died at Princeton, November 24, 1820, aged ninety-two years. He mar- ried Catherine Richards, who died July 28, 1817, aged eighty-four, daughter of Dr. and Mary (Belcher) Richards. Children, born in Princeton : I. Lucy, November 29, 1762; married, December 11, 1808, Captain Addison Richardson, of Salem. 3. Joseph, Septem- ber 28, 1764. 3. Catherine, April 23. 1767; married, January 30, 1797, Ephraim Mirick Jr. 4. Benjamin, November 19, 1769: mar- ried, December 2, 1793, Hannah Gill. 5. Joel. November 30. 1772, mentioned below. 6.
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John Hancock, February 23, 1775, died March 15, 1778.
(V) Joel, son of Colonel Benjamin (2) Holden, was born in Princeton, November 30, 1772, died March 17, 1856, at Rutland. He married, February 8, 1801, Fidelia (Mirick) Holden, born May 25, 1770, daughter of Caleb and Eunice Mirick, and widow of Joseph Holden, who died September 23, 1798. She had three children by her first husband. Chil- dren of Joel and Fidelia: I. Eliza, baptized July 14, 1802; married, December 20, 1824, Rufus Gleason. 2. Joel, baptized October 20, 1804, mentioned below. 3. Lucy Richardson, baptized October 28, 1810, died September 25, 1814. 4. Lucy Richardson, baptized October 6, 1817.
(VI) Joel (2), son of Joel (1) Holden, was born August 21, baptized October 20, 1804, and died in Dayton, Ohio, August 26, 1899. He married, December 10, 1829, Per- sis Louisa Estabrook, born in Rutland, May 4, 1810, died in Dayton, May 30, 1845. He was selectman and captain of militia in Rut- land. He left Rutland, Massachusetts, May 4, 1841, and located in Salem, Montgomery county, Ohio. He removed August 10. 1843, to Dayton, Ohio, where he died. Children : I. Eleanor Dana, born September 15, 1830; married Samuel N. Brown. 2. Mary Eliza- beth, November 6, 1832; married, June 12, 1855, Charles M. Miles, died December 31, 1907. 3. Harriet Augusta, January 24, 1835 : married David A. Houk Esq. 4. Susan Maria, March 26, 1838. 5. George Warren; men- tioned below.
(VII) George Warren, son of Joel (2) Holden, was born at Rutland, September 14. 1840. He was educated in the public schools and high school of Dayton. He became a clerk in his father's grocery store at the age of thirteen. A few years later he established a commission business on his own account. He came to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1856, and was associated with his brother-in- law in the management of the old Worcester Mutual Insurance Company. He finally had charge of a large share of the business of the company. He also engaged in the manufac- ture of writing ink in Worcester and the Holden ink became well and favorably known to the trade and public. He disposed of this business which is still continued by the San- ford ink concern. In 1864 he bought an in- terest in a wholesale paper and blank book business. This company manufactured blank books and stationery and the first noiseless
school slate. His partner was Augustus F. Payne. In 1878 Mr. Holden started in busi- ness of manufacturing stationers' supplies at Dayton, Ohio, under the name of the Holden Manufacturing Company. In 1886 he moved his plant to Springfield, Massachusetts, and continued in business there to the present time. In 1869 he invented the first automatic book cover and patented the device the following year. He has from time to time taken out other patents on book covers and has for many years been the largest manufacturer of this kind of goods in the world. He has al- ways taken a keen interest in public educa- tion and has spared no effort within his means and power to improve the public school sys- tem. To the smallest school district of the country he has given as favorable a price on his stationery as to the largest city. He is a member of the Economic Club of Spring- field and of the American Civic Association and is interested in the work of those organi- zations. In politics he is Independent. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
He married, July 24, 1866, Annie Charlotte Hulbert, of Erie, Pennsylvania, born October 9. 1844, daughter of Egbert Nelson and Har- riet (Carter) Hulbert. Children : I. Hulbert Percy, born February II, 1868. 2. Harriet Eleanor, born July 29, 1872; graduate of Smith College; married John E. Oldhan, of Wellesley Hills. 3. Miles Carter, born No- vember 20, 1875 ; associated in business with his father: married, Mary Sanforn Dwight. 4. Arthur Estabrook, born April 12, 1878, died August 8, 1878. 5. Anna Charlotte, born September 26, 1880; graduate of Smith Col- lege.
1
Francis Nourse, immigrant an- NOURSE cestor, was born in England, January 18, 1618, and died at Salem Village, now Danvers, Massachusetts, November 22, 1695. On account of the witchcraft delusion in Salem he and his wife became historical characters. The name of Rebecca Nourse is perhaps the best known of all the unfortunate victims of the Puritan fanatics. Francis Nourse was a settler before 1639 and a proprietor of the town of Salem in 1647. He lived for forty years near Sperry's, on River street, between the main village of Salem and the ferry to Beverly. He was a wood-worker, called a tray maker, a skilled workman, and a respectable man of more than ordinary ability and strength of character. He was called frequently as umpire and arbitrator
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Benjamin F. Nourse
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in cases of dispute over land boundaries, served on local committees to lay out grants and highways, and on juries. He bought the Bishop farm at Salem Village, April 29, 1778, and settled there. It contained some three hundred acres and his children all built their homes and lived on it. The family was pros- perous, and it is believed that their very pros- perity was the cause of the malicious charge against the wife and mother, Rebecca Nourse. The story is well-known. She was arrested and protested her innocence of the charge of witchcraft. With steadfast dignity and un- wavering patience she bore the ordeal of her trial, where crazy fanatics even threw their muffs and shoes at her, and had fits and exhi- bitions of that sort in court. Thirty-nine of her friends, among the highest and most re- spectable in the town, signed a statement tes- tifying to her blameless character and faithful- ness to the church. These names have been inscribed on a tablet on the memorial recently erected over her grave at Danvers. The jury found her not guilty, but the court reversed the verdict and condemned her to death. She was hanged on Witch Hill, July 19, 1692, and buried in the little cemetery at Danvers. Fran- cis Nourse married her August 24, 1644. Her maiden name was Rebecca Towne, daughter of William and Jane Towne, of Yarmouth, England, where she was born February 16, 1621. She and her husband were members of the First church at Salem, and he was a dea- con. Children : I. John, born 1645; mention- ed below. 2. Rebecca, 1647. 3. Samuel, Feb- ruary 3, 1649. 4. Mary. 5. Francis, 6. Sarah, 1663. 7. Elizabeth, January 9, 1665. 8. Benjamin, January 22, 1656.
(II) John, son of Francis Nourse, was born in 1645, and died in 1715. He was a farmer, and lived at Salem Village. He married (first), November 1, 1672, Elizabeth Smith, born June 5, 1646, died October 12, 1673, daughter of John Smith : (second), August 17, 1677, Eliz- abeth, daughter of Samuel and Alice Verry. Children : I. John, born October 19, 1672. 2. Elizabeth, March 16, 1678. 3. Samuel, Au- gust 20, 1679. 4. Sarah, November 10, 1680. 5. Jonathan, May 3. 1682. 8. Joseph, Sep- tember 30, 1684. 7. Benjamin, February 20, 1686; mentioned below. 8. Hannah, July 22, 1687. 9. Deborah (?).
(III) Benjamin, son of John Nourse, was born at Salem Village, February 20, 1686, and died May 22, 1718. He was a farmer, He married Sarah Bosson. The intention of mar- riage in the town records is dated September
4, 1714, while other records give 1704. Chil- dren : Benjamin, mentioned below ; perhaps others.
(IV) Benjamin (2), son of Benjamin ( I) Nourse, was born about 1715, in Salem or Salem Village. The lack of Salem records prevents research in the details of his family.
(V) Benjamin (3), son or nephew of Ben- jamin (2) Nourse, was apparently the only one of the family in his day living in Salem. Many were at Danvers, formerly Salem Vil- lage. In 1790 a Benjamin of Salem was head of a family of six, according to the first federal census; another Benjamin, probably of Salem Village, had six in his family. Chil- dren : I. John, was the famous Boston printer, partner in the firm of Adams & Nourse, print- ers and book publishers, of Boston, owners of the Independent Chronicle newspaper ; his will mentions his father and sister Elizabeth of Salem, November, 1789; partner was Thomas Adams; was unmarried. 2. Elizabeth, mar- ried Uzziel (or Wizziel) Rea ; she died before 1791. 3. Benjamin, mentioned below.
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